“Joining this network is the right thing to do, and I can’t do that if my sister is mooning about with a Nazi, can I? No one would trust me for a second.”

Cate wasn’t about to question her. She owed Elise her life, and Adelaide was her sister, so it wasn’t anything to do with Cate. But she did know that if it were her sister, she’d probably enter the same kind of bargain in order to keep her safe.

“So long as you know what you’re doing,” Cate said.

Elise didn’t reply. She just sipped her wine, and Cate decided to do the same.

The next day, once Elise’s friend had confirmed that there would be space for all four of them, Cate and Elise left and headed back home. The air was a little cooler now, and Cate lifted her long hair off her neck to let the breeze brush her skin. She wished they’d set out earlier, because it would be late by the time they got home.

“I know this sounds crazy, when I’ve only known you for such a short time, but I’m going to miss you,” Cate said.

Elise opened her mouth to answer, but Cate quickly spoke up again. “Sorry, that does sound ridiculous, I just mean—”

“It’s not ridiculous at all,” Elise said. “I feel the same. I mean, I still feel guilty about the way I spoke to you that first night. I was so close to telling you to walk out the door, and if you hadn’t said you were our cousin, I might have done exactly that.”

“I don’t think you would have,” Cate said. “I could see the compassion in your eyes, it was just blurred a little with worry.”

“I could have turned Harry away, too,” Elise admitted. “I saw him on my doorstep with his friend, covered in blood and so desperately needing help, and my first instinct was to slam the door shut and hide.”

“To keep you and your sister safe,” Cate said gently. “No one would judge you for putting her first, not when you’ve already lost all your other family members in the course of a year.”

For the first time since Cate had arrived in Le Paradis, she saw Elise’s eyes sparkling with tears, and she instinctively slung an arm around her shoulder.

“Don’t hug me, I’ll only start crying,” Elise murmured.

Cate ignored her, keeping her arm around her and pretending she didn’t see the silent tears that rained down Elise’s cheeks. She had her own demons inside, her own pain at losing someone she loved and then so easily developing feelings for another man. Jack had her all twisted up in knots, and that kiss . . . She shook her head slightly, as if it might help her dispel the memories. But it did nothing of the sort.