The SOE had instructed her that when she was placed, they would not advise the people of what she was specifically doing, but they knew to give her a room. The less they knew, the safer it was for all of them.
Maman led her upstairs and the room they had given her was sparsely furnished but clean and had a delightful view of the park across the street. When Maman left her Vivi took a minute to catch her breath and look out. Trees were alive with the abundance of new growth and spring flowers waved in the breeze, straining their heads towards the shafts of early-afternoon sun. As Vivienne took in the sight she mused how everything felt so eerily normal, plants and trees growing in their innocent way unaware of the madness of the world all around them.
Vivi placed her suitcase under the bed and went downstairs to meet the family.
‘Maman’, as the Terrier called her – her real name was Florence – was married to Pascal Renoir, a man half the size of her, a stooped, brittle-boned person with dark hair and tiny eyes that observed her through thick glasses. But he had a pleasant enough manner, kissing her on both cheeks with the lightness of a feather.
‘Thank you, mademoiselle, for what you are doing for France,’ he stated in a soft voice. His delicate hand barely touched her as he shook her own.
All at once, the door opened, and a young woman came in. A little younger than Vivi, maybe in her late teens or early twenties. She paused when she saw Vivi, and she grinned at her mother. ‘Is she the one?’ she enquired.
A stern look from her mother conveyed they should not be speaking about such things.
‘You must get into the habit of discretion, Yvette. This is your relative, Claudette, from the south. Do not forget that. Treat her as though she is family.’
Yvette flushed with embarrassment, then kissed Vivi on both cheeks. ‘Hello, cousin. It is good to see you. I’m glad you could remain with us for a time.’ Yvette looked across at her mother to make sure that what she said was sufficient.
After Vivi had settled in, Madame Renoir disappeared into the kitchen and occupied herself preparing dinner, confirmed by the clatter of pots and pans coming from the little side room.
Monsieur Renoir asked Vivi how things were going in the outside world. ‘We get very limited information. Paris is so locked down, even our newspapers have been censored. Please tell us about how the war effort is going.’
Vivi updated him on the highlights, and he shook his head, as if not wishing to take it in.
‘So sad. The world has gone mad.’
Yvette, however, didn’t seem so overwhelmed with their plight. ‘I love your hair,’ she said, running her fingers through it. ‘Did you get it done in England this way? It’s very chic right now.’
Vivi laughed. ‘I’m glad you like it. I had to get it done in the French style.’
Yvette’s mother shouted from the kitchen to her.
‘Tomorrow, Yvette will take you on a trip around the city so you can see some of what is going on for yourself. We have a bicycle we’ve held onto for you, though everybody needs the rubber. But I think it will be the best way to get about.’
Yvette eagerly agreed.
After Vivi bid goodbye to Terrier, who disappeared that afternoon, underlining to her that he had war work to do, she settled down to enjoy a pleasant dinner with the new household. They were very welcoming. However, when Vivi got to her room she suddenly felt lonely for home. She’d been concentrating so much of her time preparing for the mission she hadn’t realised how strange it would be and she desired what had been familiar to her growing up. She thought about her childhood. She wished she could wander into her father’s study and sit with him as he read the newspaper to her, updating her in his low voice about all the things of considerable importance. Or be with her Aunt Beebe who had helped at the manor ever since Vivi was a child. She’d spent many a rainy afternoon perched on a stool in the kitchen listening to her tell tales as she baked bread or pastries, talked about books she had read, or gossiped about the comings and goings of the village.
On leaving, there had been rumours that their enormous house would be changed into a hospital,