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Authors: Anne Bennett
Tags: Fiction
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men go straight into town and not over a muddy field. It has a little copse in front of it, which means a ready supply of wood for the fire and even a plank over the canal.’
‘I know where it is,’ Gabrielle said, remembering back to a time before the war. ‘That place belonged to a taciturn old man called Bernard Reynaud. He was hardly ever seen in the town and he seemed to have no family. He died in the winter of 1913, and when war was declared the land was commandeered by the army. I’m surprised that the farmhouse is still standing.’
‘We could meet there after you are supposed to be in bed at night,’ Finn said.
Gabrielle didn’t hesitate. Her need to see Finn was greater than respectability, or even caution.‘To get out unseen and unheard,’ she said, ‘I will have to climb down the tree.’
‘Would you be prepared to do that?’ Finn asked. ‘Wouldn’t you be frightened?’
‘I would go to the ends of the earth for you,’ Gabrielle said. ‘I thought you knew that. I will probably be a little afraid, but I would still do it if you are there to help me,’
Finn suddenly noticed a man studying the bakery shop window and he said quickly, ‘Of course I’ll be there to help you. I’ll be in the yard by the tree tonight at half-past nine.’
He was halfway back to Headquarters when he realised that he had forgotten to buy the bread and pastries he had been sent for and had to return for them. By then, though, the shop was crowded and he had no opportunity to say anything further to Gabrielle. But what do I care? he thought. I have tonight to look forward to.
Gabrielle had no chance to speak to her sister privately until they reached their bedroom that same evening and then she told her quickly about Finn’s earlier visit to the shop and the deserted farmhouse that he had found. Yvette was excited at the news initially, but then thoroughly alarmed when Gabrielle told her that she was meeting him that night and climbing down the beech tree outside their window to do so.
‘It is the only way,’ she told Yvette, seeing the worried look on her sister’s face. ‘If I tried tocreep down the stairs I would be heard, you know that.’
‘But you can’t climb down a tree,’ Yvette cried. ‘And what if Papa finds out?’
‘He won’t,’ Gabrielle said confidently. ‘They sleep on the other side of the house.’
Yvette crossed to the window and looked out. ‘It’s an awfully long way down.’
‘I have climbed into that tree before,’ Gabrielle said. ‘On summer nights, when I am too hot to sleep, I will often sit out in the top branches, but I always waited until you were asleep before I did that.’
‘Yes, but I bet you have never climbed all the way down, and in the dark.’
‘No I haven’t,’ Gabrielle admitted. ‘And I won’t do it now until I hear Finn arrive in the yard below. One day you will probably meet a boy or man that you will love with all your heart and soul, and if you were kept from him, you’d feel that your life was not worth living.’
‘I can’t ever imagine my life not worth living,’ Yvette said. ‘Is that how you feel about Finn?’
‘Yes, Yvette, it is,’ Gabrielle said. ‘And remember, Finn is a soldier. Any day he could be snatched away. We must take any chance we can to be together.’
Yvette sighed. ‘I can see that you have no alternative, but you needn’t worry: even if I don’t like what you’re doing, I’ll never betray you.’
‘I know that. You are a lovely little sister andif Papa ever finds out, you must deny all knowledge and I’ll back you up.’
Before Yvette was able to reply they heard the sound of feet on the gravel in the yard below and a low whistle.
Gabrielle tied her cape around her waist, opened the window and shivered as the cold night air tumbled in.
‘ Au revoir, Yvette ,’ she said as she swung her legs over the sill and, catching hold of the branches, pulled herself into the tree. There was no moon or
‘I know where it is,’ Gabrielle said, remembering back to a time before the war. ‘That place belonged to a taciturn old man called Bernard Reynaud. He was hardly ever seen in the town and he seemed to have no family. He died in the winter of 1913, and when war was declared the land was commandeered by the army. I’m surprised that the farmhouse is still standing.’
‘We could meet there after you are supposed to be in bed at night,’ Finn said.
Gabrielle didn’t hesitate. Her need to see Finn was greater than respectability, or even caution.‘To get out unseen and unheard,’ she said, ‘I will have to climb down the tree.’
‘Would you be prepared to do that?’ Finn asked. ‘Wouldn’t you be frightened?’
‘I would go to the ends of the earth for you,’ Gabrielle said. ‘I thought you knew that. I will probably be a little afraid, but I would still do it if you are there to help me,’
Finn suddenly noticed a man studying the bakery shop window and he said quickly, ‘Of course I’ll be there to help you. I’ll be in the yard by the tree tonight at half-past nine.’
He was halfway back to Headquarters when he realised that he had forgotten to buy the bread and pastries he had been sent for and had to return for them. By then, though, the shop was crowded and he had no opportunity to say anything further to Gabrielle. But what do I care? he thought. I have tonight to look forward to.
Gabrielle had no chance to speak to her sister privately until they reached their bedroom that same evening and then she told her quickly about Finn’s earlier visit to the shop and the deserted farmhouse that he had found. Yvette was excited at the news initially, but then thoroughly alarmed when Gabrielle told her that she was meeting him that night and climbing down the beech tree outside their window to do so.
‘It is the only way,’ she told Yvette, seeing the worried look on her sister’s face. ‘If I tried tocreep down the stairs I would be heard, you know that.’
‘But you can’t climb down a tree,’ Yvette cried. ‘And what if Papa finds out?’
‘He won’t,’ Gabrielle said confidently. ‘They sleep on the other side of the house.’
Yvette crossed to the window and looked out. ‘It’s an awfully long way down.’
‘I have climbed into that tree before,’ Gabrielle said. ‘On summer nights, when I am too hot to sleep, I will often sit out in the top branches, but I always waited until you were asleep before I did that.’
‘Yes, but I bet you have never climbed all the way down, and in the dark.’
‘No I haven’t,’ Gabrielle admitted. ‘And I won’t do it now until I hear Finn arrive in the yard below. One day you will probably meet a boy or man that you will love with all your heart and soul, and if you were kept from him, you’d feel that your life was not worth living.’
‘I can’t ever imagine my life not worth living,’ Yvette said. ‘Is that how you feel about Finn?’
‘Yes, Yvette, it is,’ Gabrielle said. ‘And remember, Finn is a soldier. Any day he could be snatched away. We must take any chance we can to be together.’
Yvette sighed. ‘I can see that you have no alternative, but you needn’t worry: even if I don’t like what you’re doing, I’ll never betray you.’
‘I know that. You are a lovely little sister andif Papa ever finds out, you must deny all knowledge and I’ll back you up.’
Before Yvette was able to reply they heard the sound of feet on the gravel in the yard below and a low whistle.
Gabrielle tied her cape around her waist, opened the window and shivered as the cold night air tumbled in.
‘ Au revoir, Yvette ,’ she said as she swung her legs over the sill and, catching hold of the branches, pulled herself into the tree. There was no moon or
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