‘What is that?’ he hissed through the darkness, eyeing her bag, for a moment appearing suspicious of her.
‘My things. I’m coming with you.’
He stopped dressing abruptly, a look of real concern on his face. Taking her gently by the shoulders, he pulled her close, so even in the darkness she could see the tenderness in his eyes.
‘No, Vivi, I can’t let you risk everything. You need to stay here and eventually put the record straight. You can tell people I held a gun to your head. Otherwise, what will people think of what you have done? I can’t let you do that.’
Vivi steeled herself and spoke her mind. ‘You need a nurse. You will never make it on your own. Your wounds are healing, but you need someone to take care of you, and as you’re leaving for Europe, I will be coming, too.’
He looked crestfallen. ‘You cannot come with me. It would be too hard for me to be in the field with you. I would be an easy target for anyone who wished to harm you. I could not, I will not, endanger the woman I love.’
Vivi caught her breath. It had been implied up till now, she had even whispered her feelings to herself, but this was the first time he had declared his love for her.
It was if he realised it too and pulled her closer, holding her desperately. He kissed her passionately then, and even in the chaotic moment of their escape, the world around her melted for just a moment as she felt she belonged right there in his arms.
When he pulled away, she was breathless. ‘It’s no good arguing with me. Anyone will tell you I am headstrong, and once I make up my mind, no one can change it. Besides, you can’t get on the boat unless I am with you. The fisherman wouldn’t trust someone he’d never met.’
All the fight seemed to leave Marcus then, and it was as if he realised he was caught. He could return to the hospital, where he would be taken to jail and his cover might be blown, or move forward and get on the boat with her. Reluctantly, he nodded and they took off towards the beach.
‘Just until I am well, then you must return.’ He spoke to her sternly, and she nodded, knowing in her heart of hearts she would never be able to leave him. But that was another day’s battle.
As they left the estate grounds, Vivi looked back one last time to her home, and her heart was heavy. She feared she would never see it again, and as she glanced up towards the upper-floor windows for a second, she swore she saw Tom’s face at the window, watching her. Vivi hoped more than anything it was her imagination. She didn’t want his last memory of her to be her escaping with this prisoner.
Out along the beach path, Vivi helped Marcus down the wet sand to the dock. The old fisherman was already there, smoking his pipe, seated on the stern of his boat, looking out across the moonlit bay. As they approached, he eyed the two of them suspiciously.
‘All right, Vivi. What’s all this about?’
‘We need to get across to France, just like last time.’
‘And who is this?’
‘This is one of the other operatives from SOE,’ she stated. ‘He’s coming with me this time.’
The older man didn’t seem very convinced but nevertheless let them onto his boat.
This was such a different trip across the water for Vivi than before. She had thought she had been nervous as a wireless operator. But now, with a spy who would be undercover with the Nazis by her side, her fear grew, as she wasn’t sure what would happen when they got to Brittany.
The captain, John, didn’t speak to her much this time around. Every now and then he would look across at her accusatorially, and Vivi would try to smile her reassurance.
As they got closer to France, Marcus changed into his Nazi uniform, as they had decided that would make it easier for them to move through the country. As he placed his peaked cap on his head, for a second Vivi felt regret. Seeing him in the clothes of the enemy was so shocking, and it was as if his whole demeanour changed. Gone was the man she had come to know, and morphed in his place was Major Vonstein of the Third Reich, and for a moment she was fearful of him. Now he would have to play a role and she had to hope she had not made the biggest mistake of her life.
The fisherman didn’t see Marcus changing, as he was preoccupied guiding the boat into position towards the beach. When he finally did look back, the shock on his face was palpable.
‘What’s this all about, Vivienne?’ he spat out, looking with great contempt at her. ‘Who is this man!?’ And as though the penny dropped, he stared at Vivienne. ‘Please tell me this isn’t the prisoner they pulled out of the water a few weeks ago? Everyone in the village was talking about it.’
Vivi knew that for the deception to be complete, she could not tell him of their plan. This had to look convincing. All at once, Marcus pulled out her father’s pistol and, pointing it at John, slipped back into his heavily accented English, with a clipped German manner.
‘You will do as we tell you. Fräulein Hamilton has seen sense and has joined the Third Reich and will take her place by my side, representing the greatest country on Earth.’
‘Don’t do this, Vivienne,’ Mr Thompson implored her. ‘You would bring such shame to your family. And your poor mother, God rest her soul… she would be heartbroken if she was still alive.’
Vivi forced out the words, hoping he couldn’t tell that her heart felt as if it was pounding out of her chest. ‘I’ve made my mind up, John. I am disillusioned with Britain and everything it represents. The Führer and his vision for our world are what I want to be part of now, and you and nobody else can stop me. Heil Hitler!’ she said, raising her right arm.
John seemed incensed and reached forward for his wireless, but Marcus cocked the barrel of his gun. ‘I wouldn’t do that if I were you. It could be very unfortunate if you do.’
Vivi looked over at Marcus. Surely he wouldn’t shoot him. This was a man she’d known all of her life. Though she knew there’d be difficult decisions they had to make along the way, she did not want to see people harmed for no good reason.
Marcus must have sensed her discomfort. ‘I do not want to shoot you in front of the Fräulein, so I suggest you step back from your wireless, sir.’
John hesitated but finally stepped away.
‘I want you to pull straight into the beach, where we will get off.’
The captain did as he was told and pulled the boat alongside the beach. It was still dark, and there was no one to catch the ropes this time around. As Vivi prepared to jump up onto the beach, Marcus turned around and pistol-whipped John across the head, and he slumped to the ground.
‘Did you have to do that?’ hissed Vivi.
‘We have to give ourselves some time.’
Vivi nodded, checked that John was still alive, wanting more than anything to take the time to bind the wound that had opened up on his forehead but knowing that time was of the essence.
They travelled through the quiet streets of Le Diben where she’d landed before, and she thought about the last time she’d been here. It felt like yesterday, but being by the side of a Nazi was haunting. They made their way to a German post, where Marcus introduced himself, showed them papers and explained the plane he had been travelling on had engine trouble and had to make an emergency landing in Brittany before taking off to return for repairs, and he needed to get to Paris as soon as possible. The Nazis in this sleepy little town were taken off guard at seeing such a high-ranking officer in their midst, and Marcus was formidable in his role.