She swallowed, glancing at his lips and then nervously back to his eyes again. There was a hunger there that scared her, knowing what he wanted from her, even though he hadn’t been anything other than a gentleman to her so far. She wasn’t exactly experienced with men, no matter how much she’d tried to convince her sister and the others at the house that she was.

He seemed to take her silence as an invitation, because his hand cupped the back of her head then, tilting her face up ever so slightly as his lips slowly moved to hers. It was a warm, quiet kiss, just a simple, fleeting press of his lips over hers, before he pulled away.

She heard a series of pops, and Wolfgang’s hand covered hers protectively. He looked over his shoulder and she wondered if he had soldiers stationed right behind them, or whether he was looking to see if anyone was approaching. The meadow they were sitting in was pretty, with flowers dotted through the grass, although where he’d chosen for them was safely tucked away from sight by a cluster of trees.

“Was that fighting nearby?” she asked.

“Not close enough to worry about,” he said, but the moment he spoke there was a deep drone from the sky, and soon an enormous German Luftwaffe aircraft passed overhead, and Addy’s heart started to race with fear.

“How about we finish this food and then we pack up and get you home?” he suggested. “I don’t want your sister worrying for your safety, and perhaps it wasn’t the best day for a picnic. There are still small groups of insurgents we’re finding, hence the gunfire.”

Adelaide had suddenly lost her appetite, although she made herself graciously take the boiled egg he passed her, forcing little mouthfuls down. She’d learnt never to waste food, not now.

“Can I call on you again?” Wolfgang asked, touching her fingers.

Adelaide didn’t hide from his gaze this time, knowing she needed to draw on every ounce of confidence she had. “I would like that very much.”

He might have been capable of terrible things, but as she sat beside him, in that moment, she couldn’t help but wonder how many dreadful things Allied soldiers were capable of too, and if Wolfgang was really so different to the man her brother might have become if he were still alive.

Adelaide walked inside and shut the door behind her, leaning against it for a moment, eyes shut, remembering the kiss. He kissed me. And she’d liked it. More than liked it; her skin had tingled and she’d wanted to lean straight back in to feel those warm, full lips of his against hers.

“I take it the date went well?”

Her eyes flew open. Elise was sitting, a book in her lap, feet up on the little footstool that had been her father’s favorite.