The girl struggled to hide her smile. ‘The British will know before the day is out,’ she murmured.

‘What was that?’

‘I said, “how can I help you out?”’ Marius helped her say it in German.

‘It’s a disgusting job but the toilet buckets need to be emptied into the trench at the back of the barn. Then some of the wounded men need their bandages changed. The ones who are strong enough will be sent back to Germany tonight. There’s so much to do.’ The doctor sighed.

Aimee worked for an hour then helped serve the men with tinned stew the British had left behind. ‘It is worth falling sick to get this food,’ Marius said as he helped spoon the rich gravy into bowls and carried them to the men who were well enough to eat. ‘Most of us have not seen food like this for months. A few months ago we went through what we called the Turnip Winter because it seemed that was all we had to eat. We drank coffee made from acorns, the soldiers smoked tobacco made from beech-tree leaves, bakers stuffed our bread with sawdust, and butchers made sausages from horseflesh or rabbits. That’s why I left home.’

Aimee said, ‘Your soldiers get all the best food?’

‘Yes.’ Marius groaned as he stirred his stew. ‘They eat quite well, but not as well as the French and the British. It hurts us to know our enemy eats like this every day. They even have jam for their bread.’

As the walking wounded helped clear away the meal, Aimee asked if she could run across to see her mother. Colette Fletcher was cleaning the stables when her daughter ran in with news of the German weakness.

‘Shall I take a message to Cerisy so the White Lady spy there can pass it on to the British?’ Aimee asked. ‘We daren’t use the radio in the barn.’

‘No need. We have a new messenger in Bray. He walks there every day. He says he needs the exercise for his old legs now the school has been closed.’

‘Master DuPont? Part of the White Lady spy web?’ Aimee laughed. The thought of the old teacher being a secret agent was funny.

‘He fought in the last war against the Germans back in 1871 and has been part of the White Lady since it was set up in this war. Now he’s not busy at the school, he will be thrilled to carry messages. Get back to the barn. Find out more. Question the sick.’

‘They’re German. I can’t talk to them.’

Colette slapped the side of her head. ‘Of course. What was I thinking? But get what you can from the boy and the doctor.’

Aimee ran off as if there were springs in her boots. She was helping her country to win the war.

April 1918: Amiens