“Well, we can’t leave too early, because we’ve nowhere to hide, but I agree. We work in an hour in case something unforeseen happens.”

“What happens if you miss this boat?” Addy asked.

It was Cate who answered her. “We have to somehow make it back here safely again without anyone seeing two British soldiers, and then wait another month for the next new moon.”

“And even then, they might not take you,” Elise added. “Imagine the volume of people they’re trying to smuggle in all directions! I don’t think you’ll have the luxury of another shot, unless we make it to more formal evacuations planned for much further down the coast.”

“Will you leave in the dark?” Addy asked, her pulse starting to race as she realized what she was going to have to do.

“Dusk,” Harry said, still studying the map. “Although it’s hard to say where we’ll end up staying after the first full night of walking. I want us to cover as much ground as possible in the first eight hours, so I’m suggesting we leave before nightfall. Which means getting out of this house and Le Paradis under Nazi noses.”

Adelaide looked at her sister. “I’ll distract Wolfgang,” she said. “I’ll find a way to keep them away from the house to give you all time to leave.”

“Absolutely not!” Elise cried.

“It’s the only way,” Addy said. “You can go with them to lead them there, and I’ll come up with a ruse.”

“What kind of ruse?” Cate asked.

“No kind of ruse,” Elise countered. “Adelaide is not risking her neck for this. I forbid it.”

“You forbid me?” Addy asked. “Elise, you need to think this through, pretend I’m not your sister. I’m in the unique position of having influence here, an influence that no one else has.”

“And what if he finds out what you’ve done?” Elise asked, her voice quiet, low, full of so much emotion that all Adelaide’s anger disappeared.

“He’ll never find out,” she murmured back. If she were careful, if she made him think she was more loyal to him than anyone else . . .

“Please tell me you haven’t fallen in love with him?” Elise whispered, tears swimming in her eyes.

“Of course I haven’t,” Addy answered quickly, shaking her head. “But I have him wrapped around my little finger, so it won’t be a problem to keep him busy, away from the house.” Her lies had become too easy, falling from her tongue with barely a second thought. She might have him wrapped around her finger, but the question of love wasn’t so easy to answer.

“I don’t want to speak against you, Elise, but I think Addy could be right,” Cate said. “How else can we be sure of getting Harry and Jack out of the house?”