Chapter 18

18

The three children bowed, puppets dangling from their hands. Their audience, Jana, her father and Babi clapped, enthusiastically. Michal and Maddie grinned, looking very pleased with themselves, while Yveta's expression remained earnest, but Jana noticed she threw a shy look at Babi, as if seeking approval. She got it.

‘Bravo! A wonderful performance!' Babi beamed and gave Yveta a wink. A ghost of a smile traced the young girl's lips. Jana was glad to see how Babi was winning Yveta's confidence and hoped one day that she could do the same; till now, the girl had viewed her with suspicion.

Whilst the children took the puppets back to the workshop, the three adults stretched their legs and moved over to the garden window.

‘How have the girls been?' asked Jana.

‘Yveta is older,' said Babi in a quiet voice. ‘She understands a lot of what's going on. Of course she is scared and angry, but I think I'm slowly winning her trust. Maddie, on the other hand, seems to have adapted fairly well. '

‘Children sometimes amaze me by their resilience,' said Papa. ‘I've seen it at some of the puppet shows I've given in the poorest of areas.'

‘And Michal?' said Jana, glancing in the direction of the workshop, where the children's chatter could be heard.

‘Oh, he's enchanted by Maddie. Even though she's younger, she bosses him around and he happily complies, following her around the house with wide eyes. He's perked up since the girls arrived. Children need other children.'

Jana was relieved to hear about Michal. Temporarily, with Babi's care, he was managing. But what about the long term? When would he see his parents again? She had to find out how they were.

She gazed through the window and up at the sky. It was a sunny day, small whisps of cloud skating along in a stiff breeze.

‘The children have been stuck at home for weeks,' Babi said. ‘I can't keep them indoors the whole summer.'

Papa squinted into the garden and ran his fingers over his moustache. ‘The fence I put up to protect the chickens is still intact and high enough to conceal the children from view. Plus, there are your bushes and trees. But children can be heard, and that's too risky.'

‘Who's going to hear them?' said Babi. ‘There isn't a neighbour for miles, and the woods start not far from the back of the garden.'

‘True, but the woods are not very deep, and behind that is farmland. Labourers might wander in this direction.'

‘Only when the wheat is being harvested. I'll keep the children inside in the autumn.'

‘You'll have the children till the war ends, Babi. There is nowhere for them to go,' Jana said.

‘I'm delighted to have them; they enrich my days, give me a sense of purpose. Anyway, the war can't possibly last much longer. Now, this is what I propose: the children can play outside for an hour with instructions of no shrieking.' She gave a wry smile at the implausibility. ‘I will keep watch from the attic window, looking out for anyone who might stumble out of the woods. One of my impressive bird whistles would alert the children to come inside immediately.'

Jana looked at her Babi with admiration; she was a remarkable woman.

Jana had been expecting him ever since he'd recognised her scrubbing the carpet outside Heydrich's office.

Private Brandt made an impressive entrance into the bookshop, throwing the door wide open, an exaggerated sneer across his face. He was going to make a show of this, thought Jana, wincing.

The timing of his arrival was unfortunate; the book club had just broken up, and both women and children were there to witness any unpleasantries. She would have to be humble.

She pinned a smile on her face as she greeted him. ‘You have come for your book, Private Brandt.'

‘Indeed, I have. It appears I've come at a busy time, which surprises me as I thought business for bookshops was quieter these days.' His tone was accusatory, as if waiting for an explanation. He frowned towards the children who now, released from their book-reading session, were exercising their lungs as well as their legs. Jana had no choice but to offer an explanation.

‘I offer the occasional read aloud hour for children.' It sounded more harmless than an adult book exchange meeting, and Jana was certain Brandt was now on the lookout for anything untoward.

As she moved to the cash desk, she caught Karolina and Dasha glancing at her with concern in their eyes. Brandt oozed hostility and even some of the children had quietened down as the mothers hurried their children from the shop. Jana retrieved his order from behind the counter and waited. But Brandt was in no rush as he perused the German books. After she'd encountered Brandt at the castle, she'd stocked the shelves with several copies of Hitler's odious book in anticipation of a visit from Brandt.

He almost looked disappointed when he found his Führer's books stacked neatly on the shelf. He then moved onto the Czech section, hoping no doubt to find some forbidden work. Meanwhile, Karolina and Dasha hung around, uncertain if Jana needed their support, or whether it would be best to leave. She gave her friends a subtle nod of reassurance, eager for them not to be involved if there were to be a confrontation with Brandt.

Once everyone had left, an uncomfortable silence filled the bookshop. Just the noise of Brandt's army boots clomping on the wooden floor remained as he moved from shelf to shelf, inspecting the titles. Jana's heart quickened. Although she had been thorough in removing undesirable works, there was always the chance she'd missed something from the ever-growing list. Brandt was prowling for trouble.

‘Can I assist in some way?' she asked, approaching him.

With a harsh laugh, he swung his large frame to face her.

‘You may assist me,' he said, mimicking her tone, ‘by telling me what you are doing at the castle.'

‘I have a cleaning job there.'

‘And why, may I ask?'

‘To earn money,' she said, and then, afraid that she sounded flippant, added, ‘as you rightly remarked, business is quiet and I need to earn extra to pay the rent.'

He stepped up close, his hands clasped behind his back. The sheer bulk of him was intimidating but she forced herself to stand firm and lift her chin. Not too much to appear insolent, but enough to show she was unafraid. That strange odour, sweet and nauseous, wafted on his breath, turning her stomach.

‘And why of all the places you could clean, have you ended up at the command HQ?' His cheeks flushed, highlighting the angry scars of his pockmarks.

Jana's tongue went dry as she sought a suitable answer: one that didn't mention a pregnant friend who had previously worked there.

‘I heard about the vacancy.'

‘From whom?'

‘I can't remember exactly. Word of mouth.'

‘Do not mess with me, Fr?ulein !' He bellowed at her, so loud that this time, she did step back. ‘I don't trust you, bookshop girl. Not for one moment. I'll be watching.'

She remained rooted to the spot as he marched out the shop, leaving without his book, which meant he would be back. And now, as it seemed he'd been assigned to duty at the castle, she would be confronted with him daily.