If Ella had thought herself afraid before, she now felt sheer terror tear through her. ‘What of Arnie? You – you said you had a message for Arnie. And, Paulo, Monty has already gone. He went days ago. He had his call-up to join the workforce going to Germany.’

For a moment a look of shock crossed Paulo’s face, then anger quickly replaced it. ‘How could he? He should have joined us. I told him how badly he will be treated by the Germans, but . . . Well, never mind, we have no time to discuss it. Papa, I have this letter for you: it is from the War Office in Britain, with orders for you. The letters were brought in with the last drop. The pilot specifically asked for me. At the time I didn’t realize that British Intelligence knew about me. The pilot told me that I am looked upon as the leader of the Maquis de Laurens, and that I will receive orders from them through you.’

Ella still hadn’t moved; she felt suspended between the life she knew and the horror of what lay ahead. She saw the official seal on the brown envelope that Paulo handed to Arnie. As Arnie took it, he seemed to become a different man. Always upright and strong, he straightened his back even more and looked, to Ella, more like an officer in service than her beloved husband.

The sound of the envelope being torn open grated on her nerves, because something told her that the contents would take her beloved away from her.

After a few moments, Arnie spoke. ‘I have been given the rank of officer once more and am conscripted into the army, as a senior agent. It is judged that I will not need intensive training, as I was highly trained in the last war, and in any case it would be difficult to get me out and then return me. And so the next time a plane comes, a training officer will be on board and will stay for a week, to bring me up to date with the latest equipment and clandestine knowledge. I am to take up a post as coordinator of the various factions of the Maquis Resistance in this area. I am to be briefed by you, Paulo, on them, and where they camp. And then I will receive specific orders from London about our missions, and I will be the one to organize us in the execution of them.’

A silence enveloped Ella. She stood staring in horror at Arnie.

‘Darling, I have no choice. I have my orders. I have never spoken of what I did in the last war, but I worked with the War Office gathering intelligence. I have always had to keep them informed of my whereabouts. I’m only surprised they haven’t called on me before now.’