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