We'll Meet Again (16 page)

Meg shook her head. ‘I won’t supply the German army with tomatoes. They can bloody well starve.’

‘And so will we if we don’t trade,’ Charles said gently. ‘We have no choice, my dear. Whether we like it or not these people are here and if we want to survive then we have to do as they say. It’s as simple as that.’

‘Well I don’t have to like it.’

‘No, Meg. You don’t have to like it. Neither do I.’

Gerald squeezed the truck in between two German armoured cars in the hospital car park. They had dropped the boxes of tomatoes off at the depot and Meg had spent a good half hour filling in the necessary documentation supplied by a German soldier who only had two or three words of English. Now, with her nerves almost at breaking point, she leapt to the ground and slammed the door with such a degree of pent-up fury that the old vehicle shuddered, sending flakes of rust fluttering to the ground. ‘I’ll go and find Simone. You’d better stay in the truck, Ger – I mean, David.’

‘Yes, sis,’ Gerald said, winking at her.

‘I’m glad you think it’s funny.’ Hunching her shoulders, she strode off towards the main entrance. No matter how hard she tried, she was finding it difficult to remember that Gerald was now supposed to be David, and if it was hard for her it must be almost impossible for his mother. What Simone would make of the deception she could not begin to imagine.

The hospital receptionist seemed tense and nervous, but she gave Meg a wan smile and said she would phone around the wards to see if she could locate Nurse LeFevre. Looking around, Meg was unnerved by the number of grey German uniforms that seemed to be everywhere. She took a seat by the window, and picking up a dog-eared magazine from the table she flipped through its pages even though the recipes, household hints and the inevitable short story held little interest for her. She looked up as a shadow fell across the page.

‘Good afternoon, miss.’

She found herself staring into the face of the young German officer she had encountered in the churchyard.

‘You are here to visit someone sick?’ His smile was tentative and it was almost as if he were expecting a sharp put-down.

She hesitated, not knowing quite how to react. She wanted nothing to do with the enemy, but it was impossible to ignore a young man who was so heart-wrenchingly like Rayner. He seemed anxious to be
acknowledged and for a brief moment she felt almost sorry for him. ‘Hello.’

His face lit up with a smile. ‘Lieutenant Dieter Brandt. Miss …?’

Meg stood up as she saw Simone coming towards them. ‘Marguerite Colivet,’ she said hastily. ‘Excuse me, I see my friend coming.’

‘You wanted to see me?’ Simone brushed past Dieter, casting him a sideways glance beneath her thick black lashes.

‘Can you spare me a few minutes?’ Meg said urgently.

‘I’m on duty. Can’t it wait?’

‘No it can’t. It’s family business.’

‘Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?’ Simone said archly.

Meg gritted her teeth. She was beginning to feel as though she were caught up in some surreal nightmare. She could hardly believe that Simone was not only ogling a German solder but was actually demanding an introduction. ‘Simone, this is Lieutenant Dieter Brandt. We bumped into each other in the churchyard when I was laying some flowers on your father’s grave. Lieutenant Brandt, Simone LeFevre.’

Simone held out her hand. ‘Please to meet you.’

Dieter shook hands and bowed. ‘Fräulein LeFevre.’

Meg grabbed Simone by the arm. ‘I really do need to talk to you now, please. Let’s go for a walk outside. It won’t take a minute.’

‘Oh, all right,’ Simone said reluctantly. ‘Goodbye, Lieutenant Brandt.’

‘How could you?’ Meg hissed as she propelled Simone towards the glass doors. ‘You were flirting with him. They’re the enemy, for God’s sake.’

Outside the air was warm with summer scents and free from the hospital smell of strong disinfectant.

Simone wrenched her arm free. ‘That hurt, you spiteful cow.’

‘Gerald is in the truck. He’s got something important to tell you, so please just try to look casual as we walk across the car park.’

‘All right, but don’t touch me again.’

Meg leaned against the tailgate and waited. After a few minutes, Simone strutted off in the direction of the main entrance without a backwards glance. Gerald opened the cab door and beckoned. ‘I’ve put her in the picture,’ he said as Meg climbed in beside him.

‘She didn’t look too happy about it.’

‘No. Simone thinks I’ve sold out to the Colivets.’

‘Perhaps she’d rather see you deported to a prisoner of war camp or worse. I’m sorry to say it but your sister is a pain in the neck.’

Gerald started up the old engine, which coughed and spluttered and threatened to stall. He gave it some more choke and it finally wheezed into life. ‘She can’t help it.’

‘Well, hopefully she’ll keep her mouth shut. Let’s get home before one of those damn Germans starts asking questions.’

As they drove from the car park Meg caught sight of Simone inside the glass doors and she was talking animatedly to Dieter Brandt. Meg said nothing.

Early next morning Charles waited at the top of the stone steps with Meg standing resolutely just a little way behind him. They watched in silence as the convoy of army vehicles came slowly up the drive. Meg made an effort to appear calm, but her mouth was so dry that her tongue felt hard and cracked like an old leather shoe. She could feel a trickle of cold sweat running down between her shoulder blades and she was inwardly quaking. She slipped her hand into her father’s and the pressure of his fingers on hers was comforting until she realised that he was trembling convulsively. Brakes squealed, tyres spun on the gravel and doors were flung open as the German officers climbed out of their transport. Their jackboots crunched on the gravel drive.

Hauptmann Dressler announced himself formally with a curt bow and named Major Jaeger and Captain Grulich as his next in command. Charles led the way to the drawing room and Hauptmann Dressler tossed his peaked cap and gloves onto Muriel’s escritoire sending a small ormolu clock crashing to the ground; the glass face splintered into tiny shards. Meg clenched her fists at her sides as a feeling of helpless rage welled up inside her. The Hauptmann’s obvious unconcern for this small
accident made the fact that he had destroyed one of her mother’s treasured belongings even harder to bear, and she blamed herself to some extent. Last night, with Marie’s help, she had packed her mother’s valuable ornaments in newspaper and stowed the boxes under the eaves in one of the attics, but she had overlooked the clock.

Not for the first time, Meg wondered what sort of men these were beneath the harsh grey uniforms. Hauptmann Dressler looked like a clean-shaven Santa Claus but one glance from his steel-plated eyes was enough to convince Meg that he was a man to be feared and avoided at all costs. He paced the drawing room while he stated his demands coldly and impersonally. ‘Major Jaeger, Captain Grulich and myself will need rooms on the first floor away from the rest of your household. Captain Grulich you will go now and make sure this is done.’

Grulich clicked his heels and saluted as he left the room. Hauptmann Dressler continued to pace the floor, which was already becoming scuffed and in desperate need of a good polish. Meg could only be thankful that they had thought to store her mother’s beloved Aubusson carpet under the eaves. It was a small matter, but she would not wish to see it ruined by the careless pounding of jackboots.

‘This room will be used as my office.’ Dressler pointed to the door at the far end of the room. ‘What is through there?’

‘The dining room,’ Charles said, in a low voice.

‘That will do as well. Your family will not enter these rooms, Herr Colivet. Is that understood?’

‘Perfectly.’

‘My cooks will take over the kitchen to prepare our meals and my men will make use of whichever of your outbuildings they need in order to make camp.’ He came to a standstill at last and made himself comfortable in Charles’ favourite chair by the Adam fireplace. He took out a gold cigarette case and Major Jaeger stepped forward to light the cigarette. Dressler inhaled deeply and then exhaled slowly, all the time keeping his gaze fixed on Charles’ face. ‘The occupation of your island is to be a model of its kind, Herr Colivet, and as long as your family obey the rules they will be treated well. I am not a patient man and I will not tolerate insubordination. I want to make that clear.’

‘One question, Hauptmann Dressler?’

‘Well?’

‘My family has to be fed. We will need to use the kitchen at some time.’

‘Captain Grulich will make the necessary arrangements.’ With a dismissive wave of his hand, Dressler turned his head away.

Major Jaeger gave a deprecating cough and opened the door. Meg gave him a sideways glance as she followed her father out of the room. Had she imagined it, or had Major Jaeger looked just a little discomforted by the arbitrary way that Dressler had treated her father? His expression was impassive
now, but she thought she had seen just a flicker of sympathy in his grey eyes.

As they emerged from the drawing room they heard the sound of raised voices coming from upstairs followed by what sounded like someone’s fist crashing against the wood panelling of a door. Charles ascended the staircase, taking two steps at a time, closely followed by Meg and the major.

Captain Grulich was standing outside Maud and Bertrand’s room with his fist raised, ready to pound again. ‘Open. Open, I say.’

‘Go away,’ Bertrand shouted in a voice that shook with terror. ‘Leave us alone.’

‘Open the door.’

Maud began to scream hysterically.

‘What’s going on?’ Charles demanded breathlessly.

Major Jaeger rattled off a string of orders in German and Captain Grulich stood back, his face expressionless.

‘Who are these people?’ Jaeger demanded.

‘My brother, Bertrand Colivet, and his wife Maud. Do they have to be distressed like this?’

Major Jaeger spoke once more to the captain, raising his voice in order to make himself heard above the noise from the bedroom. Maud continued to sob and Bertrand, protected by two inches of solid oak, was shouting obscenities.

‘Hauptmann Dressler is very particular about his accommodation but in the circumstances perhaps we can leave your relations where they are. Have your
family remove their belongings immediately and let them know that the bathroom is for Hauptmann Dressler’s use only. They must make other arrangements.’

Meg opened her mouth to protest and was silenced by a stern look from her father. ‘Very well, Major. Come along, Meg.’

‘There are more rooms upstairs?’ Major Jaeger pointed to the staircase leading up to the second floor.

‘They were once used as guest rooms and the nursery. The attics housed the servants in the past,’ Charles said gravely. ‘But they have not been in use for many years.’

‘Nonetheless, they will be needed. Captain Grulich and I will inspect them. You don’t need to accompany us.’

‘Pa, you can’t let them do this to us,’ Meg whispered.

‘My dear, we have no choice. You heard what the Hauptmann said, they want this to be a model occupation, but that doesn’t alter the fact that we are virtually prisoners and completely at their mercy. If we comply with their rules we stand a chance of surviving this ordeal; if not, I can’t bear to think of the consequences.’

‘But, Pa …’

‘If you want to do something, go and find Gerald and send him to me. And you’d better get Marie and Jane to help you move everything out of our rooms
before the Germans do it for us. I’ll be in my study. It’s far too small to be of any use to our unwelcome guests. I suppose I should be grateful for that.’

He brushed Meg’s cheek with a kiss. His lips were soft and dry like the touch of a moth’s wings and Meg flung her arms around him in response. ‘I’ll do anything you tell me, Pa.’

‘That will be a first,’ Charles said with a hint of the dry humour that Meg had always loved.

In the kitchen she found herself in the centre of another bitter confrontation, this time between Marie and a nuggety German corporal who stood with his arms folded across his chest while Marie brandished a saucepan at him.

‘I can’t cook the lunch with you in my way, you heathen brute.’

Meg did not have to understand German to know that the string of guttural words which flowed from the corporal’s mouth was peppered with expletives, and the grinning faces of two young privates hovering in the background confirmed her suspicions. In any case, Marie had lapsed into patois and was screaming at him so loudly that it would have been impossible for her to hear what he said, even had she understood. The noise must have filtered through the corridors to the main hall as Grulich erupted into the kitchen and silenced the corporal by bellowing the loudest of all. He seized Marie by the arm and dragged her out of the room. Horrified and frightened, Meg ran after them. Grulich came to a
halt in front of Major Jaeger and thrust Marie at him so roughly that she stumbled and would have fallen if the major had not caught her and set her back on her feet.

‘Madame,’ Jaeger said, having listened to Grulich’s explanation. ‘Corporal Klein has his orders and he is now in charge of the kitchen. You may use it to prepare food when he says you may. Captain Grulich will prepare a roster and you will please obey this.’

Marie opened her mouth and then closed it again.

Jaeger turned to Meg. ‘We can’t have this behaviour from your household, Miss Colivet. Hauptmann Dressler will not stand for it, and if any of these matters come to his ears he won’t take them lightly. Do I make myself clear?’

Meg nodded. ‘Perfectly, Major Jaeger.’

‘Then I suggest you call your people together and tell them what is expected of them. You may use the rooms designated to you, and the curfew must be strictly observed. Any other matters you will refer direct to me.’

‘I understand.’

‘I have observed a young man of military age. Why is he not in the British forces? You understand that we have strict orders regarding any British servicemen found on the island.’