He gave her a gentle smile. “I know my city’s history, darling. But listen —”

“What’s the worst that can happen to me —prison? Any prison the Nazis put me in would be no worse than the prison of fear that held me captive during the last war.”

He didn’t reply. His love for her was so tender, so touching. He must be relieved to see his wife happy and animated again. Yet Ans sensed his internal struggle.

“When is the demonstration? Perhaps I’ll come with you.”

“On June 29. It’s a Saturday. Will you come, too, Ans? You don’t have to, you know.”

“I want to come.”

“Then it’s settled.”

A huge crowd gathered in the park by the fortress on Saturday, most wearing articles of orange clothing and sporting white carnations. Dutch flags had been forbidden, but people held up pictures of Prince Bernhard and the royal family, a sign of patriotism that the Nazis couldn’t miss. The Dutch people weren’t giving up or switching loyalties as the Nazis had hoped. Ans felt proud and unafraid as she stood chanting with the others, “So there!” and “Orange will triumph!”

Professor Huizenga seemed nervous and kept his wife close to his side. But Eloise was positively beaming.

Then the police arrived, flanked by Nazi troops. Ans’s happiness vanished when she saw Erik among them, alert and vigilant as if anticipating trouble. The demonstrators were ordered to break up and go home or face arrest.

Ans tensed as she heard angry shouts from the middle of the crowd. She watched Erik, wondering if he’d seen her among the demonstrators.

After a few anxious minutes, people slowly began to leave the park, still chanting as they laid their carnations and their pictures of the royal family against the fortress wall like a memorial. Ans tossed her white carnation onto the pile along with everyone else. She and the professor and Eloise turned toward home.

Eloise seemed happier than she’d been in months that evening as they listened to the radio, even though the news was as hopeless as usual. Ans said good night and went upstairs to her bedroom early. She tried to read a book but couldn’t concentrate. She turned out the light and stared at the ceiling for a long time, unable to sleep, unable to forget that she and Erik had stood on opposing sides.

CHAPTER 20