Adelaide had tears shining in her eyes, but Elise didn’t jump in to her defense. It was a fair point, and one that her sister needed to understand. She needed her to realize what this man was capable of.

“I have no intention of falling in love with the man, honestly!” Addy muttered.

“Good,” Harry replied. “So long as you keep your head straight, perhaps your little stunt with him could prove useful.”

“I’m not going to warn you again, Harry. My sister is not, and will never be, a pawn to be used for anyone’s advantage.”

“I think your sister has already pointed out that she’ll be the one deciding what she will and won’t be doing,” he replied curtly.

Elise glared at him, wondering how she could have felt so warmly toward him just evenings ago, and so frosty now. It was like he was ready to throw Addy to the wolves if he needed to. “Cate and I will travel to Lille as soon as the fighting ceases and things settle down,” she finally said. “We have little knowledge of what’s going on outside our own village, but there is a friend of my father’s there who I can call on. I would trust him with my life, so I know we’d be safe visiting him and asking questions.”

“Shouldn’t I go with you?” Adelaide asked.

Elise didn’t even turn to look at her, keeping her gaze on Harry. “I thought I’d already made it clear that I don’t want you in any danger?” She stuck her fork into the artichoke mash and forced it down, hating every bite but knowing she needed to eat.

“Elise,” Cate said quietly, picking up her bowl and cutlery. “Would you help me to clear the table?”

Elise scooped up the last of the mash, swallowing it down and then lifting her bowl from the table. “Of course.”

She followed Cate out of the room, both of them placing their bowls and cutlery in the sink. It was funny, because she’d always felt closer to her siblings than to anyone else in the world, but she found herself drawn toward Cate now. It was nice, in a way, to have another woman to talk to.

“I think you’re right to be cautious,” Cate said, her voice low as they stood facing the window, shoulder to shoulder at the sink. “That night I came here, honestly, it was like that commander didn’t even see me, he only had eyes for your sister. And the way he was staring at her made me feel uncomfortable.”

“So you agree with me?” Elise asked. “You don’t think I’m being overprotective?”

“Overprotective? We’re talking about your sister getting involved with a Nazi! A Nazi who gave the order to massacre almost a hundred men who were trying to surrender,” Cate whispered. “You have every right to be upset.”