‘Madame, I am Margarita Barrault – I’m called Marjie, for short.’

‘But you look so young, and this is a dangerous mission.’

Marianne was in her late thirties or early forties, petite with lovely features, especially her black-as-coal eyes.

‘Please don’t worry as I am highly trained. How old are the children?’

‘They are all ten or eleven.’

‘Oh, that’s good. I was worried they would be infants, and that would have been difficult, as they will walk a lot of the way through forests and remote countryside that has no access from the road. We do have a number of safe houses along the way, ready to take them in so that they can be fed and can get some rest. And often the farmers will take them on tractors and trailers over their fields to the next wooded area on our route.’

‘But that is marvellous. Each child will have a box in which they will have supplies for two days, but nothing more. I cannot come with you, as I have many more children in my school. I have to get them all dispatched as quickly as possible now. The round-up of the Jews is becoming intense.’

‘Will you be safe?’

‘None of us are safe. But I hope to have all the children safe by the end of the week. They are going to Christian families in the South of France, all arranged by the Chris-tian Fellowship. And contacted by London, as no doubt you were. My uncle works in the embassy in London and arranged everything.’

‘I can only say that I have been charged with the first leg of the children’s journey from here. I will hand them over to members of the Fellowship in Avignon.’

‘I will pray for you and the children, and for all the good people who are helping us, as you are all putting yourselves in extreme danger. The penalty for harbouring or helping Jews is death.’

‘I know. And I will pray that you are not taken.’

‘It is more than possible, but as long as the children are safe, that’s all that matters. Here is a list of their names. One – her name is Lysette – is not well, and she desperately needs to get to the doctor; the Fellowship are expecting her.’

‘We will take care of her. Now, the first leg is in an hour, so where are the children?’

‘They are in with the Catholic priest.’ Marianne laughed. ‘He has been teaching them a little about what Jesus means to you Christians, and about Jesus’s mother, Mary. I hope he isn’t managing to convert any of them.’

Marjie laughed, too. ‘It is good that they will be prepared a little in the faith and so, if questioned, can answer the basic questions that a Christian child would know.’

‘Yes, of course. So, what is the plan?’