Page 92 of Villa of Secrets

‘Ah, Fritz is on the phone. Shall I tell him to call back?’

*

The kitchen was crammed with Heleny, Georgia, Bubba and Naomi. All eyes were on Rebecca as she put the phone to her ear. ‘Hello, Fritz?’

‘Hello, is that Rebecca? Sorry, it’s a bad line.’

‘Darling, it’s me. How’s it going?’

‘Fine. How are you? I’ve been worried.’

‘Good, Fritz. I mean, there’s something I have to tell you.’

‘No, me first. I’ve something important to say.’ He cleared his throat, the sign of a major announcement. ‘Are we still, you know, pregnant?’

Thinking about her great news, Rebecca choked up. A sob escaped into the phone.

‘Oh, no. My poor darling Rebecca. I’m so terribly sorry. Listen, I didn’t mean what I said. Try and forget it. I was nasty and cruel and selfish. I’ve missed you so much. I wanted to tell you that I don’t care if you want me to go to the IVF clinic a thousand times – I’ll do it for you. You’re more important to me than anything else. Being apart has brought it home.’ His words came out in a breathless rush.

Now, Rebecca was crying hard. Everyone in the kitchen stared at her.

‘Oh, Fritz! I love you so much! But there’s no need. Listen to my good news.’ She accepted tissues from Heleny. Staring straight into Bubba’s eyes, she said, ‘Fritz, darling, we’re having twins!’

Heleny and Georgia clapped and hugged each other, and Naomi and Bubba squeezed hands.

‘Twins?’ He gasped. ‘Rebecca, please come home. I want to look after you.’

‘No, Fritz. I’m here for another two weeks.’

‘Can I speak to Bubba?’ he said. ‘If you think she’s strong enough.’

Rebecca held the receiver out. ‘Can he talk to you, Bubba?’

Bubba’s smile fell. She considered the request, then reached for the phone. ‘Yes,’ she said. After a long silence on her part, she said, ‘Yes, I see’, and handed the receiver back.

Rebecca told Fritz she loved him, hung up, and then returned everyone’s smiles. ‘If you’ll all excuse me, I’m going back to bed.’ She kissed Bubba on the cheek. ‘Far too much activity down here.’

*

Rebecca drew the curtains, lay on the bed, and did her breathing exercises. Twins. Suddenly, she longed to be home, rummaging in the attic, planning the nursery, holding Fritz in her arms. How long would it be before she knew the gender of her babies?

She fell into a restless sleep, her mind filled with images of drowning refugee children, Nazi death camps, and her grandmother emptying her pistol into the head of a young man. She woke with a start and realised she had flung her arm out and knocked the bedside lamp over. The clock said she had slept for less than half an hour. From the sounds drifting up, the kitchen was still overcrowded. She plumped her pillow and reached for Bubba’s journal.

Chapter 40

In the churchyard I quickly explained to Nathanial that the British soldier needed a doctor urgently. He’d lost a lot of blood and might have more bullets in him. To get him out of the cave we required a couple of strong men and a long rope. I rode back to Kamiros Scala at a steady trot.

After securing Zeus, I raced to the shore and pulled off my frock. A tamarisk tree grew on the beach, so I looped my dress onto a branch. The Embonas rebels would see it if they arrived while I was underwater.

I dived, hoping the grouper fish hadn’t returned. Harmless he might be, but I didn’t want to play chicken in the passageway. My luck was in. The soldier was barely conscious. The sun, now up, no longer directed light into the tunnel.

I felt the soldier’s face, patted his cheek twice, then gently pushed him against the cave wall. I hoped he got the idea to stay there. I swam out of the tunnel and saw four men riding mules towards the shore. One was Nathanial. There was no sign of the enemy or the dinghy. Two Brits floated in the eddies, arms and legs spread like starfish.

I put my thumb and forefinger in my mouth and whistled as Giovanni had taught me. Despite the grim situation, I smiled to remember the shepherd boy. Just thinking about him gave me strength.

Nathanial and the Embonas Andartes secured their mules at the trough alongside Zeus. The beasts nodded and blew as if having a heated conversation. The men dumped a rope and a medical bag under the tamarisk tree. I tied a circle in one end of the coil, and then led the Andartes to the rocks. Once inside the cave, I struggled to get the loop over the soldier and under his arms in the dark. Back in the water, I reached up and pulled on his arm. He cried out, but got the idea and dropped into the sea with a splash.

I yanked three times on the rope, at which the Embonas men heaved so hard the Brit’s head cracked against the roof of the tunnel. He went under spluttering. I swam after him, glad to break surface on the other side of the passage. To add to the soldier’s injuries, I saw a nasty gash on his forehead. A bullet had gone through his shoulder, and another was lodged in his leg.