“Tell me more about Harry,” she eventually said, when Elise had stopped crying. “I can tell there’s maybe something between you?”

Elise looked surprised. “You mean romantically?”

Cate laughed. “Sorry, I’ve obviously got it all wrong. I just thought there was something, a spark I suppose, between you. I presumed you liked him.”

Elise seemed to think on that for a long moment. “Well, I suppose I was drawn to him in the beginning, but there’s nothing going on between us. Besides, he’ll be leaving soon.”

“Are you still angry with him for wanting to use Addy to get information?”

Elise sighed. “Maybe I overreacted. I’m just so used to being the one in charge. I didn’t like how quick he was to suggest using her as a pawn.”

“I have a feeling he regrets what he said, because it’s obvious how he feels about you, if you know what I mean,” Cate teased. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

“Stop!” Elise hissed. “You’re completely wrong, he doesn’t look at me like that at all!”

Cate just laughed, although their mood sobered when they finally reached the outskirts of Le Paradis and came face to face with a German patrol. Elise’s fingers caught hers then, and they walked closely together, eyes down. They had nowhere else to go, other than to make a run for it back toward more German troops in Lille or into the trees, and she doubted either of them were capable of outrunning guns and soldiers.

“Halt!”

The booming, deep voice made them both freeze, and they didn’t take another step as two soldiers came closer.

“Don’t you know it’s too dangerous to be out here?” one of them asked.

“Of course,” Elise said, and Cate squeezed her hand when she heard the tremble in her tone. “But we were visiting our sick uncle in Lille. We haven’t heard much fighting and thought it would safe enough to go.”

“Open your bag.”

Cate dropped the bag and stepped back, not liking the soldiers being so close to her. And secretly she was terrified to talk or even look up, in case they realized she wasn’t French.

“I don’t think Commander Wolfgang Schmidt would be very happy about this,” Elise said, her voice louder, clearer than it had been before.

That made the soldiers both look up. The one looking in her bag put it down, not finding anything of interest, and Cate was just grateful she’d kept the knife in her pocket instead of pulling it out.

“You know the commander?”

Elise’s chin was jutted defiantly now, and Cate admired her for her sudden show of strength. “He’s courting my sister, Adelaide. I’m returning home to her now, and I suspect he may even be waiting at our house.”

“Let her pass!” one of the soldiers urged the other.