feel miserable, because even though they were just at the beginning of something, it had felt sincere and loving.
Sophie decided the next day she would go to the National Archives and present them with the information that she had and see if they had anything there that would help bring about a conclusion.
She made an appointment with a Mr Scullin, and when she arrived armed with all of her material, she felt like a schoolgirl summoned to the headmaster’s office. He was a man of little levity and listened as she plunged into her story. He was impressed when she showed him the decoded message and his eyebrows only quirked once, when she mentioned her findings in ‘The Call of the Swallows’. He took notes as she explained Frau Strauss’s claims.
‘Was there someone with you to witness her story?’ he asked, looking down at his paper.
‘Yes, Alex Vonstein, Marcus’s great-nephew, and Frau Strauss’s granddaughter, Chloe, were both there.’
‘If she is able, we’d want a written confirmation from Miss Strauss of what she witnessed to be able to look at this case. And if you can give me contact details for the other two, that would be very helpful.’
Sophie realised then it wasn’t as straightforward as presenting the facts. They had to look into this and confirm them for themselves.
She must have looked disheartened, because as she put her hand out to say goodbye, he shook it saying, ‘I’m sure it’ll all work out. There were many loose ends left dangling at the end of the war, stories like yours that are still coming out. The MOD is very open to making sure people get the recognition they deserve for what they did. Let us look into all the facts we have on our side and we’ll be in touch.’
Sophie felt a little heartened by his words, but still, it was frustrating that it would take even longer. She wanted the record put straight so she could go back to Cornwall. This was the journey she was most looking forward to. Tom needed to know what his sister had done, that she hadn’t been the person they had all suspected.
Travelling home, Sophie felt a little deflated and wished more than anything she could talk to Alex. Looking at her phone, she noted he had still not texted back. With this kind of information, if they’d been in France, maybe they would have opened a bottle of wine and celebrated.
With a sudden awareness she realised she really missed him.
43
Sophie received a call from the National Archives two weeks later. ‘We have some extremely exciting news for you. We are planning on bringing all of our members together so you can share what you have. We will present what we know, and then we can attempt to put some of these records straight. It appears that we have evidence that backs up your claim about your great-aunt Vivienne. Could you come in here on Wednesday at 4 p.m. and present what you know about her story? It doesn’t have to be particularly long, but just tell us everything you know.’
‘Yes, of course,’ Sophie answered with a new sense of excitement.
As she turned off her phone, she thought of Alex. He’d replied to her text eventually but they hadn’t spoken since she’d left France, and she found she was still missing him terribly. In that brief time he had been such a great friend to her, and this had been their story to pursue, not just hers. She shared her good news with him, texting him about her appointment straight away. He texted her back saying it was incredible and thanked her for telling him, though adding that perhaps he wouldn’t share anything with his mother until there was something he could show her in writing.
A week later, Sophie made her way to the National Archives, into a spacious office with tables and desks filled with people – amateur historians, and other World War Two archivists –with notepads and phones poised to record. The man who had organised the event came to the front of the room and introduced her. There was great excitement as she presented her facts and they listened attentively, taking notes.
Then they turned out the lights so they could show a short film featuring some clips all about SOE work. It also highlighted the story of the betrayal of F-section, otherwise known as the Physician Network. There was still a mystery about how the network had been exposed. Many people