Page 34 of The Resistance Book Club

Although there was no fancy fuss about his food, there was a certain flair that told Lucy that he had a natural bond with every dish he cooked, as if there was something of himself in every dish.

But, being so busy at his stove, there was never a moment for him to stop and talk, and Lucy wasn’t sure he’d want to speak to her anyway.

The locals knew who she was, and would sit down at her table to talk to her, or caught her as she did her shopping. She liked it to start with, as it made her feel part of the village, and they were curious to meet Arielle’s granddaughter. But their questions soon became probing and nosey, and they interrupted her thoughts as she mulled over her latest discovery. Once, it was a mention that Lucy had deciphered in Margot’s diary, that Joséphine had saved her from some soldiers while she’d tried to hide a book. Another time it was a furled wanted poster for Chevalier, and Lucy wondered if it was the one that Beatrice had taken with her to the club’s first meeting.

But her train of thought was derailed. When was she going back? What was happening to the shop? Who was going to buy it? And why wasn’t she going to stay?

She was certain Cordeval wasn’t where she should be, or at least not for long. But, as she returned to the contents of the memory box, Lucy began to realise that part of her heart had always belonged here.

TWENTY-TWO

MARGOT

1941

Margot had taken the lantern from her cellar and it cast a trembling circle of light in the tunnel to show them their way. She tried to hold her hand still, but she was shaking with panic. At least Esther didn’t live in the middle of the village. All they had to do was get her and Isabelle down into the tunnels and they’d be safe.

She just had to hope they’d get there first.

They had Beatrice with them, a secret weapon who knew the tunnels and guided them when they reached a fork in the path. Steps had been carved into the tunnel’s floor as it rose up to follow the line of the cliffs. Margot stumbled but didn’t fall.

No one spoke, as if they were worried they’d be heard. Anyway, if she allowed herself to speak she’d only manage a terrified jumble of words.

‘Come on,’ Beatrice urged, reaching out towards a door in the rock. It was still dusted with cobwebs but they hung in dusty ropes, torn away by the door being opened so recently. ‘This is Esther’s.’

Margot’s hand slipped on the handle as she hastily turned it. She tried again, and this time the heavy, old door creaked open on its hinges. It must’ve still been unlocked from when Esther had returned from the book club meeting not long before.

She went inside Esther’s cellar, pausing as Beatrice and Joséphine followed, and listened for any sounds. She could hear footsteps passing to and fro overhead; Esther’s, she was certain.

The cellar was a jumble, as before. Boxes, some old curtains, a broken chair, a— a radio. A headphone set was lying on the small table beside it.

She went up the steps to the hatch and pushed it up with all her might.

‘Esther!’ Margot whispered, as she clambered out into a corner of Esther’s sitting room. She held the hatch up and Beatrice and Joséphine followed. ‘The Nazis are rounding people up!’

‘Who’s there?’ Esther’s voice was panicked and Margot heard a click. In the darkened doorway she saw Esther’s silhouette, a gun held out in front of her. ‘Oh, Margot!’

Margot swallowed. Seeing Beatrice playing with the Professor’s gun had been one thing, but seeing Esther pointing one at her, with the confidence of someone who knew what they were doing with it, unnerved her. Esther had kept so many secrets.

‘We’ve come to fetch you and Isabelle,’ Margot explained, stepping round from behind the heavy sofa.

‘They’re rounding up the Jewish people all through the region,’ Esther said. ‘I’ve got our things, we need to— Margot, tell Theo they’re taking people. Give him this.’ She pressed a folded piece of paper into Margot’s hand.

The only Theo she knew, from writing down his name when he placed orders at the shop, was the Professor. Margot put the piece of paper in her pocket.

Before she could ask why she had to give it to Theo, therewas a sudden, heavy knock at the front door and a voice bellowed, ‘Open up, Jew!’

The air thrummed with terror. Margot didn’t know what to do. There was so much hatred in that command. If Esther didn’t open the door, then it’d be smashed down. But that would at least give them time to get away.

Over the sound of her beating heart, Margot heard heavy boots outside and the snarl of engines as vehicles pulled up. The labyrinth of tunnels was their only hope.

‘Quick!’ she whispered. She gestured urgently to the hatch down to the cellar.

‘Juden!’ barked the Nazi. But the next voice was unctuous and dripping with malice.

‘Madame.’ Margot recognised the voice as that of Felix Lauterborn, Joséphine’s lover and tormentor. Not even Joséphine could help them now. She was already bruised and bleeding from that man. And maybe he’d do something even worse if he found her here.

Esther spun and dashed from the room. The sound of Isabelle crying could be heard from the kitchen.