‘Papa, Mama, I cannot stress how important it is that you prepare to leave immediately. I will go and alert Aunt Flors and Uncle Cyrus. But hurry, please hurry.’

Once back in their bedroom, Arnie took charge, and this helped Ella. ‘Right, get dressed, my darling, quickly. Grab what you can, by way of clothes for you and Lonia, but be selective, darling, or it will be too heavy for you to carry. Once we are ready, get Lonia up . . . Oh, my darling, how am I to live without you both?’

What sounded like a sob came from Arnie. In some strange way, it put strength into Ella. ‘We will get through this, Arnie, my darling husband – we will. We’ll do everything we are told. I’ll find safety in Switzerland and then, as soon as it is possible, I will find my way to England. You are an amazing person: you will be strong, and your strength and wits will keep you safe.’

As if they had willed it, they found themselves in each other’s arms, clinging to each other, wanting never to let go.

Earlier Arnie had made love to Ella, taking her to a wondrous place where she had called out in abandonment and her world had felt safe. ‘Arnie, my darling, every night at this time I will think of your lovemaking tonight. We didn’t know it would be the last time for a long time, but it was very special. You do the same, and that will link us. Wherever we are, we will be joined in our minds and hearts at that moment.’

Arnie snuggled his head into her neck. ‘My Ella, my darling Ella.’

A noise shot them apart. They listened, the air between them tangible with their fear. A cat squealed, and Ella let out a nervous giggle.

‘Right, my darling, let’s do this. We can; we did it before. We rose up, when asked to do so, and we can do so again.’

Taking her cue from Arnie, who was now in control of his emotions, Ella felt the spirit of yesteryear enter her. She was up to this challenge. She wouldn’t let anyone down.

It seemed like no time before the little group of shocked, loving friends and family trudged in silence into the darkness. At the edge of the forest that surrounded their land, Cyrus, Ella and Arnie, who was carrying a sleepy but excited Lonia on his back, paused and looked back. As they did so, Flors’s whisper seemed to echo in the darkness. ‘Will we ever see our home or our family again?’

Cyrus pulled her to him. ‘We will, my darling. We will.’