“I don’t have to ask anyone. If you are that keen on the lad, do him a favor and pack him a case. We’re leaving in five minutes. I’ll take the camera too.”
“You can’t. It’s my husband’s and he’s in France fighting for his country.” The man’s face flushed at her response. “I need time to help Harry pack.”
The man stepped closer but this time Harry pushed her behind his back.
“Aunt Sally, please don’t argue. I will go. You can sort it out and then they will let me come back.”
Harry stepped toward the stairs.
“Where are you going?”
“To pack my case. I will be right back.”
The man shouted at the men outside to watch the windows. He posted a sentry on both the front and back doors as if Harry was a common criminal eager to escape.
Sally begged the men to reconsider, but to no avail.
“Don’t you have anything better to do than to terrorize Jewish survivors of Hitler? That lad has already been in a camp, back in Germany. He isn’t a dangerous anything, never-mind a threat to Britain.”
“Your neighbors don’t agree. They said he was taking photographs of sensitive targets.”
Sensitive targets, out here in Abbeydale? There wasn’t anything of interest to the Germans in the small town. She could understand if Harry had been taking pictures of the Palace or Government buildings. Who could have claimed otherwise?
Aggie Dalton or Enid Brown. She knew whichever woman was behind this, if she caught her this second, she’d likely kill her.
“Get off me.”
She heard Tom’s voice coming from outside. “Let me in. Aunt Sally!”
Sally ignored the man and opened the back door, the child falling into her arms.
“Is it true, have they come for us?”
“Not you darling.”
“But Heinz? You can’t take him. Not again. The last time soldiers took my brother and father, Papa didn’t come home. I won’t let you have my brother. I won’t.”
The child kicked at the guard’s legs. Sally didn’t restrain him, she felt like kicking the guard too. But when the guard raised his hand to give the child a clout, she grabbed Tomas.
“Calm down darling, you aren’t helping. We will find Harry and bring him home, I promise. But for now, we have to be brave, okay?”
Tomas gazed up at her with tear-filled eyes.
“Why? Is it because he’s Jewish?”
“He’s German,” the man spat, obviously losing his temper, as he shouted up the stairs. “Come on you. Downstairs and out into the truck. Got others just like you to pick up.”
Harry walked down the stairs, a resigned look on his face which scared her more than tears. She pulled him into a hug. “It won’t be like last time. This is Britain. I’ll find you and bring you home.”
For a second, he held her and then released her. He picked Tomas up and threw him into the air but the child didn’t squeal in laughter as he usually did. “I will be back, little brother. But for now, you must be the man of the house. Mind Liesl and Aunt Sally.”
Tomas nodded, tears running down his face.
“Can I say goodbye to my baby sister?” Harry asked the guard.
Sally’s heart soared. He did love Liesl.
Sally piped up, “I left her at the rectory. It won’t take a moment for me to get her.”
“We don’t have time for that. Say goodbye for him. Now come on you.”
The man prodded Harry in the back pushing him none too gently out of the house.
Sally couldn’t bear it. Why wouldn’t they let him say goodbye to a baby? That was so unfair. But she’d forgotten the force that was Maggie Ardle.
She saw her friend come bustling down the street, carrying Liesl in her arms.
“Just you wait a minute,” Maggie shouted, getting the attention of all the soldiers. “That lad is going nowhere without this parcel of food and a hug from his friends. You men should be ashamed of yourselves, picking on decent young boys like this one. Harry come here.”
Harry glanced at the man in charge who made no move to stop him. Maggie thrust Liesl into his arms. The young girl wrapped her arms around her big brother and sighed. That was when Sally saw the first hint of tears in Harry’s eyes.
He cuddled the child, kissed her forehead and then gave her to Sally. “Look after both of them for me.”
“I will.” Sally held his gaze for a couple of seconds. “I will find you, Harry. Don’t forget that.”
He held her gaze but she didn’t see any hope, only resignation. He shook hands with Maggie, who apologized for the Reverend being away. “Rachel went to the station in case he came back early. If he was here, he’d stop this, I know he would.”
As though she heard Maggie say her name, Rachel came running and flung herself into Harry’s arms almost knocking him off his feet. She kissed his cheek. Then she gave the guards a piece of her mind, in her native German. They didn’t understand the words but there was no mistaking the meaning. Sally saw a couple of the men wouldn’t look at Rachel or Harry but seemed intent on studying their shoes. At least they had the grace to look ashamed. Ruth burst into noisy tears as Harry bent down to pick her up. He whispered something to her and the child gulped noisily before nodding. He put her gently back on the ground. She walked over and held Tomas’ hand. Harry pulled Rachel back into his arms and kissed her on the mouth. Stunned, she stared at him as he walked over to the army pick-up truck.
Heinz stared at the group of people he’d come to care for, until they disappeared from sight. He kept his feet pinned to the floor of the truck in an effort to stop his legs from shaking. He refused to show these men how terrified he was. What would they do to him? Would it be like
