“And what of your brother?” she asked. “You said you had one in the RAF.”
Evelyn swallowed and nodded, uncomfortably aware that Anna fully expected her to be as candid about her own brother as she had been about hers. Yet she was reluctant to do so. The less Anna, or anyone else, knew about her the better.
“Yes.”
“And do you get along well with yours?”
“Yes. Like you, we’ve always been close.” Evelyn reached for her wine. “But we agree on most things. We’re a lot alike.”
“What’s his name?” Anna asked after a moment of silence.
“Robert.”
“Do you miss him?”
“Dreadfully,” she admitted with a sad smile. “He’s always good for a laugh.”
“Do you worry about him?” Anna asked after another moment of silence.
Evelyn lifted her gaze and met the other woman’s eyes. In an instant, she felt as if she was joined with Anna in solidarity.
“Every day.”
“I do as well,” Anna said with a sigh. “Especially knowing that we will likely be facing off with the Germans sooner rather than later. Our military is not prepared for war. Despite everything that has been happening in Europe over the past few years, our government has not mobilized the army or navy, or even provided updated equipment. They are trusting in our continued neutrality.”
“They haven’t done anything at all?” Evelyn asked, startled.
Anna shook her head. “No. Erik has been complaining about it for almost a year. He, and others, can see what’s coming, but they won’t have the means to fight properly against it.”
Evelyn was silent. She had known the Norwegian forces were no match for the Germans in numbers, but she hadn’t realized that they weren’t prepared to go to war at all. She had just assumed it was as it was in the rest of Europe, that the government was scrambling to be ready if the need arose. Apparently, that wasn’t the case.
“But they will fight?” she finally asked.
“Oh yes. They are loyal to King Haakon. As long as the King remains king, they will fight as one for him. Of that, you can have no doubt.”
“What about this Vidkun Quisling fellow?” Evelyn tilted her head and looked at her questioningly. “Would they follow him?”
Anna scoffed. “Quisling? Not likely. The man’s a puppet for the Nazis, and no one ever did really like him very much. It’s a mystery to me how he’s even still in the government. His party is so small, and it never gains any traction in the elections.”
Evelyn looked up as the waiter approached their table with their dinner. She smiled and waited while the plates were laid out on the white cloth before them, then nodded and murmured her thanks as he refilled her wine glass. Once he had ensured that they had everything they needed, he left, and she looked across the table at Anna.
“Here’s to a speedy end to this war,” she said, raising her full glass, “and to our brothers, who will do their part to help bring it to a close.”
Anna raised her glass with a smile.
“To the brothers!” She drank, then set her glass down. “Tomorrow, I will hunt down Sylvia, the nurse I was talking about. Shall we meet for lunch?”
“Yes, okay,” Evelyn agreed, picking up her knife and fork and preparing to cut into her fish. “I plan on spending the morning getting more acquainted with Oslo. By lunch I will be more than ready to get back to work.”
Anna grinned. “Enjoy your morning off,” she said. “You’ve earned it.”
“I don’t know about that, but I am looking forward to taking a few hours and spending it sightseeing,” Evelyn said with a smile. “The last time I was here, I didn’t have the chance at all.”
“Well, now you will! And just think, you won’t have any Germans right behind you!”
Evelyn laughed despite herself.
“Thank heavens for that!”
Chapter Seventeen
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April 9
12:15am
Evelyn’s eyes flew open and her heart leapt into her throat as she came awake with a start. The room was dark, with only a faint glow coming from the hearth where the embers still smoldered orange in the dying fire, and she sat up quickly, her heart pounding. She had no idea what time it was, or even what had awakened her so abruptly from a deep sleep. Shaking her head to try to clear the lingering fogginess caused by a deep slumber, she frowned, listening. Something had pulled her from sleep. What?
As soon as the thought entered her head, she jumped as a knock fell on the door to her room. With a soft gasp, she threw the covers off and got out of bed, her heart pounding once again. Who on earth was knocking at her door in the middle of the night?
Grabbing her dressing gown from where it lay across the foot of the bed, she pulled it on quickly, tying it tightly around her waist as she went across the room to the door.
“Yes?” she called.
“Miss Elfman, it’s Mrs. Kolstadt,” a voice called softly through the door.
Evelyn exhaled and threw back the bolt, opening the door quickly. Else stood in the darkened corridor clad in a dressing gown, her hair covered by an old-fashioned sleeping cap. Beside her stood Anna, bundled in the same winter coat she had been wearing earlier with a hat over her dark hair. Evelyn gaped in surprise at the two women standing there.
“Is everything all right?” she asked, looking from one to the other. “Anna, what are you doing here?”
“No, everything isn’t all right,” Anna replied. “Can we come in?”
Evelyn nodded and stepped back quickly.
“Of course! I’m sorry. I’m still half asleep. Come in!”
They stepped inside and Evelyn closed the door behind them before turning to go across the room to switch on the lamp. As soon as light filled the room, she turned to look at them.
“Marlene, you have to pack quickly,” Else told her urgently, her voice strained. “You must leave!”
Evelyn stared at her. “Leave? What are you talking about?”
“Peder is
