‘’Bout time you ’ad a real man instead o’ that snobby do-gooder of a copper.’

She could smell the beer on his foul breath.

‘’Ow ’bout a nice kiss f’Stanley?’

Lily struggled as he pushed her against the wall and she shuddered with distaste that this man was so close to her.

Then suddenly Stanley Coe was no longer there. A pair of strong hands had dragged him off his feet and punched him in his bloated stomach. As Stan doubled up in pain, he was pulled outside and a single powerful blow under his chin sent him crashing against the boiler-house doors. He lay there in a crumpled heap, unconscious but still breathing.

Lily stepped back in astonishment and looked up at the tall, fair-haired man. ‘Rudi! Rudi! Where did you come from?’

He was still for a moment, drinking in the sight of her. ‘It looked like you needed saving again.’

Lily was overcome with the shock of being attacked by Stan Coe and confronted by her past.

‘Rudi … that man … he’s a dreadful person, but how is he?’

‘Yes, yes, he’s fine. Just winded and he will be dazed for a while. I’ve seen it many times.’

‘How did you know where I was?’

‘The village postmistress in Amersham always found it hard to keep a secret for too long, as you may remember.’

Lily smiled, recalling fragments of an earlier life that she had tried so hard to forget.

‘You shouldn’t have come.’

They gazed at each other for what seemed like an eternity. It was Lily who broke the tension between them. ‘Rudi – you promised.’

He moved closer and rested his hands gently on her shoulders. There was a long pause and his grey eyes were full of sadness. ‘Ich wollte mich verabshieden.’

‘Wohin gehst du?’ replied Lily.

He smiled at her response. ‘You remembered my teachings.’

She nodded. ‘Why do you need to say goodbye? Where are you going?’

‘To Hamburg to start a new life.’ There was barely a trace now of his German accent.

‘When?’

‘Soon – in August.’

‘And why are you here?’

‘I wanted to see Freddie before I go.’

Lily considered this carefully. ‘Mother must not know you’re here.’

‘I understand.’

Lily’s thoughts were racing. ‘She’s going away for a week at the end of the month.’

They spoke quietly for a while and then he took his leave. As Lily watched him go she knew it was the end of trust, a time of despair and heartache. Then finally realization dawned and she thought of Tom. She knew now it was a road that she should never have travelled.

Rudolph Krüger was back in her life.

Chapter Seventeen

Stolen Waters