Chapter 68

Peggy left Bobby playing in the sunshine, wanting him to make the most of being outside before he was shut away again like a hothouse flower. She watched the little boy rolling on the grass and giggling. At least he has had this freedom for a while, she reasoned, trying to stay upbeat as she went inside to find how Tony was getting on with Helen.

It saddened her to think of everything her friend had gone through already. The last thing Helen needed was to lose her close friend and leave this comfortable home that she and Bobby clearly loved. Now wasn't the time for sentiment, though; not when their lives were once again at risk. Peggy braced herself to face Helen. They needed to get things done and she couldn't afford to lose her nerve.

She walked in and saw Helen's puffy eyes. It didn't surprise her that she had been crying. Tony gave her a pleading look and Peggy knew what she must do.

‘I'm sorry, Helen, but we need to organise ourselves.'

Helen looked surprised to see her there. ‘Sorry?'

Peggy repeated herself.

‘I've…packed a couple of bags…with our necessities.' Helen pointed to two small bags by the wall to her right.

‘Well done,' Peggy said encouragingly. ‘Now we need to remove all trace of you and Bobby having been here.'

Helen seemed to become more alert. ‘Yes,' she said standing. ‘I wasn't sure what to do.'

‘It's fine,' Peggy assured her, trying to think what they needed to do first. ‘If we're going to leave at dusk then we only have a few hours to do everything. Leave Daphne's bed made, but yours must be stripped.'

‘We won't be able to wash the bedding, though.'

Peggy had thought of that. ‘Any dirty linen, towels and clothes of yours that could pass for Daphne's can be placed in her laundry basket. I presume she has one?'

‘She does, but what about Bobby's things?' She sighed sadly. ‘He doesn't have much but I couldn't pack everything.'

Peggy wasn't sure what to suggest.

Tony rubbed his chin. ‘We can wrap them in a sheet and bury them with any toys he has to leave behind.'

‘Bury them?' Helen and Peggy said in unison.

Tony shrugged. ‘I can't think of a better suggestion, can you?'

‘No,' Helen agreed. Seemingly galvanised, she pushed the chair she had been sitting on back under the table. ‘Let's get started. I don't want to still be here when they arrive.' She stopped at the kitchen door and, without turning around, added. ‘We'll leave Bobby playing outside until the last minute. I want him to have as much freedom as possible.'

Peggy heard the misery in her friend's voice and caught Tony's eye. He was finding this as heartbreaking as she was. The sooner they got going the better, she decided.

Once it was dusk, they set off. ‘I think when we reach the bottom of Mont Cochon you two girls should walk ahead and Bobby and I will follow a little way behind,' Tony said.

‘What? No.' Helen looked horrified. ‘If he's not going to be with me, I need to be able to see him at all times. You two walk in front of us, so that I can watch him.'

Tony nodded. ‘Fine, but you follow my lead. If I'm stopped, do what Peggy says. Agreed?'

Helen still seemed unsure for a second, and Peggy was relieved when she finally consented.

‘I also think,' Tony began, ‘that it'll look odd if you're carrying too much. We can share the contents of the bags between us. Bobby can take two of his toys, which will help. He has pockets. We all do. Let's make the most of them. Then one of you girls can carry the other bag. The smaller one will draw less attention.'

Peggy was relieved when they finally got going. They managed to reach the bottom of the hill without seeing anyone apart from two elderly people who, Peggy noticed, had little energy to walk up the hill. She would have loved to offer them help but instead nodded a greeting and kept walking.

She and Helen pretended to look in the newsagent's window as Tony took Bobby's hand and led him further along the road. When they had almost reached The Overseas Trading Corporation frontage, where teas had been blended and packed since the early twenties for export across the world, Peggy linked arms with her friend. She could feel the tension in her.

‘Remember not to look so concerned,' Peggy whispered. ‘And stop staring at those two so intently, you're going to make any passersby wonder what's wrong with them.'

They passed the parish school, where she and Babs had been taught, and then the art deco garage. It wasn't far now. Only another few minutes and they would reach number 3.

‘Oh, no,' Helen gasped, terror filling her voice.

‘What?' Peggy asked, trying to see why she had reacted that way.

‘Two soldiers have just come out of that shop.'

They watched as the uniformed men stopped, exchanged words and immediately began following Tony and Bobby. One of them shouted to Tony to stop just as he reached the entrance to Bellozanne Avenue. Peggy could barely breathe as the soldiers ran across the road to where Tony and Bobby were standing.

Why would they stop them? Peggy wondered, horrified.

‘We have to do something,' Helen whispered, trying to snatch her arm from Peggy's grip.

Determined not to let Helen's panic catch the soldiers' attention, Peggy clung on to her. ‘Stop it,' she snapped through gritted teeth. ‘You're going to make things worse if you're not careful. Tony's no fool, he'll know how to deal with this.'

‘And if he doesn't?'

Peggy knew that if anyone could remain calm and cope it was Tony. She and Helen had a role to play, and she was going to make sure they kept to it. ‘We have to trust him. Keep walking.'

‘If we pass them, I won't be able to see what's happening to Bobby.'

Peggy thought quickly. ‘Tony will raise his voice so we can hear him if there's anything to worry about. But we need to keep our distance in case Bobby calls out to you.'

She sensed Helen's reluctance, then something distracted her. Peggy followed Helen's gaze and saw a younger girl coming from the Avenue. She passed the soldiers with barely a glance and walked in their direction. She had a purposeful stride and Peggy wasn't sure what to make of her.

‘Dulcie?' Helen said, as if she wasn't sure, either.

Peggy felt sick. Was this girl friendly? She had the power to alert the soldiers if she wanted to and Peggy was certain she had seen a look of recognition on Dulcie's face when she spotted Bobby. She hoped they weren't about to be caught.

The girl reached them. Peggy held her breath as she and Helen stared at each other in disbelief.

‘Where have you been?' Dulcie whispered.

‘I, er…It's a long story.'

Just when Peggy thought their plans were about to come crashing down around them, Dulcie hugged Helen. It clearly wasn't something Helen expected, from the stiff way she was standing. She stared at Peggy over the girl's bony shoulder, looking shocked.

Dulcie's arms dropped and she stepped back. ‘No need to tell me now,' she said her voice low. ‘Where are you headed?'

Peggy had a split second to decide whether to trust the girl. ‘My house,' she said, hearing one of the soldiers questioning Tony. ‘Over there. Number 3.'

‘Link arms with me. We need to get away from here.' Helen did as Dulcie insisted and they began walking towards the Hamels' home.

‘But Bobby – I can't just leave him out here,' Helen whimpered.

‘Do not catch their eye,' Dulcie snapped. ‘Anyway, I can't see you have much choice.'

Peggy's heart was in her mouth as the three of them neared Tony, Bobby and the soldiers. Deciding to try and distract Helen, she said, ‘It's ever so good to see you again –' she hesitated, trying to recall what Helen had called the girl ‘– Dulcie.'

‘You, too. How's your mum and dad?'

Peggy tensed at the sound of those two words together in one sentence. ‘They're doing as well as can be expected.'

‘What?' Helen glanced at her. ‘Er, how's your family, Dulcie?'

Before the girl could reply, gunfire rang out, making Helen scream and instinctively lurch towards Tony and Bobby. Peggy clung to her friend. Tony would take care of the little boy. She daren't let Helen ruin their escape – not when they were almost home.

The soldiers yelled something as a man ran from a property followed by a third soldier. The two who had been questioning Tony instantly forgot about him and joined the chase towards West Park.

Tony turned to them. ‘Quick.'

Peggy pulled Helen into following behind Tony. They were unable to keep up as he ran with Bobby, who was now crying loudly in his arms. Tony reached the front door of number 3 and quickly went inside. The three women ran across the road to the house and were a few doors down from the Hamels' when the front door of number 2 opened and three soldiers ran out.

Peggy tensed. They were too close for their venture to fail now, surely.

‘Oh no,' Helen groaned tearfully. ‘There's Hauptmann Schneider and Leutnant Müller coming out of Aunt Sylvia's house.'

‘They mustn't see me either,' Dulcie hissed, keeping her head bowed. She put her arms around Peggy and Helen's shoulders, pulling them to her as if they were huddled together comforting each other as the drama unfolded. Peggy realised she must have worked with Helen and Daphne.

Peggy peered sideways, watching as Hauptmann Schneider's gaze passed over them. He didn't seem to recognise any of them, she noticed with relief. Just then gunfire echoed through the air again and the three men ran off to their right after the other three soldiers.

‘Thank heavens for that,' Peggy whispered, barely able to breathe. ‘Thank you, Dulcie. I think you've just probably saved us from being caught.'

‘It's nothing,' she said but Peggy saw she was trembling. ‘Helen was always kind to me when we worked together.' She looked over her shoulder as German voices screamed an order. ‘I'd better be going home. It was good to see you, Helen. Maybe we can catch up when this is all over.'

‘I'd like that.'

‘Good luck,' Dulcie said before hurrying back towards Bellozanne Avenue.

‘That was lucky,' Peggy said, feeling light-headed from their close brush with danger. ‘Quickly, let's get inside.'

Her mother or sister must have been watching out for them because as soon as they reached the top step the front door opened. Peggy pushed Helen inside and seconds later leant against the closed front door, shaking. She tried to slow her breathing. Her legs were trembling with exertion and fear. She could barely believe they had made it.

Peggy was vaguely aware of her mother's voice and her sister's excitement, when strong arms enveloped her and Tony held her tightly against him.

‘We made it,' he said, his deep voice quavering slightly.

‘Only just.' She thought of the man who had run out of the property and diverted the soldiers' attention from them just when they had needed it. She hoped he had managed to escape.

‘But we got them here.' He kissed her forehead. ‘You were so brave.'

She looked up at him. ‘I wasn't the one carrying Bobby, or being questioned.' She clung to him, her skin clammy from fear. ‘We were all brave though, weren't we?'

‘We were.'