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Chapter 39
‘Now, where was I?’
‘Three years into the war, and the Germans had arrived,’ Lili reminded her.
‘That’s right. They were there to round up the Jews.’ She fell silent for a moment. ‘Like other islands, the villagers tried to hide their Jewish neighbours, but on Corfu a lot were found and sent on the death boats to Auschwitz.’
Lili had heard this story before when she had visited the British Cemetery in Corfu. She leaned forward in her seat. ‘So, do you think Alena was on one of those boats?’ she asked in a small voice.
‘Yes, I believe your great-grandmother was on one, along with Joseph’s mother.’
Lili looked at Elspeth in surprise when she called Alena her great-grandmother. ‘How can you be so sure Alena was my great-grandmother?’
Elspeth held up the photo. ‘Do you still have this ring?’
‘She does, yes.’ Sarah blurted. ‘Was that photo taken in …?’
‘In this very summerhouse.’ Elspeth nodded as she handed Sarah the print to inspect.
‘Can I see the photo?’
Sarah passed it to Ray.
‘You were here when you were a toddler?’ Nate said in surprise.
Lili glanced at Nate as she held up the ring. ‘I still have it.’
Elspeth sighed. ‘You really have no idea who you are – what your connection is to this house – do you?’
Lili shook her head. ‘Despite what you may think, I don’t know what you were talking about earlier.’
The look on Elspeth’s face said she believed her.
Lili fingered her ring. ‘So, Alena’s child survived.’ It wasn’t a question; she knew she wouldn’t be there at all if that hadn’t been the case. ‘Did you know her daughter’s name?’
‘I did. She was called Miriam.’
If Lili needed any further proof that Alena had been her great-grandmother, hearing the nameMiriamconfirmed it. That was the name of the woman who the old man had recorded in his register after she had attended the funeral of Lili’s mother on Corfu.
Ray had a question. ‘With so many Jews rounded up and put on the death boats, how did any of them escape the island?’
Elspeth paused. ‘The Nazis weren’t just after the Jews. They also confiscated the families’ assets.’
‘You didn’t answer Ray’s question,’ said Sarah.
‘I’m getting to it …’
Sarah wasn’t the only one becoming frustrated. Alex said, ‘But I don’t see what stolen art has to do with—?’
‘It haseverythingto do with it. You see, Alena had fallen in love with a young man, an aspiring artist. If it hadn’t been for him, the children would never have survived. He was fresh out of university. He loved the Ionian Islands. During his student days, before the war, he had travelled there often, staying with Alena’s family and becoming great friends with the other visitors to the wealthy family’s estate – especially Joseph’s parents. He’d even visited England and stayed in their summerhouse.’
‘You’re talking about Alena’s sweetheart, and Miriam’s father,’ said Lili. ‘Do you know who he was? Do you have a name?’ Lili was excited because Elspeth was talking about her great-grandfather.
‘I don’t get why Joseph’s father changed his name,’ commented Alex. ‘If he wasn’t George, but a man named Otto, then what about Joseph? Is that even his real name?’
Lili turned in her seat and looked at Alex. That was the question that had been on the tip of her tongue.
Sarah was staring at Alex too. She turned to Elspeth. ‘Mum, I am really confused. Please can you tell me what this is all about?’
