The Spark of Resistance: Women Spies in WWII

Chapter 2

Odette

The gray-haired gentleman took a sip from his tea cup before asking, "Tell me, Mrs. Sansom, how did you come to have those pictures of Calais's beaches?"

"Were they helpful? I've been wanting so badly to do something for the war effort, so when I heard that the Royal Navy was requesting pictures of the French coast, I sent them in right away." Odette frowned. "I know they were just panoramics of my brother and I when we were growing up, but—"

"Oh, they will work quite well. I take it you were born in France?"

"Yes. I moved to England when I got married, but I grew up in Amiens, and my mother is still there, suffering under German rule. My father was a banker, but he died at Verdun in the First Great War."

Major Guthrie cleared his throat. "As did many.At that time we thought it would be the war to end all wars, but now, with the Nazis..." He trailed off, appearing at a loss for words, the way Englishmen often did when the subject of Hitler was brought up.

"If it would help, I could draw you a picture of the Amiens village square."

He seemed relieved at the digression. "I think we probably have one in our files." He set his tea cup down before clearing his throat again. "Mrs. Sansom, I believe that your French background might be quite useful to the War Office."

She sat back. "The War Office? What would the War Office want with me?"

"We need people who are familiar with France, and who speak the language, of course."

After a moment's thought, she replied, "I do want to help as much as I can, but I have three young girls, and my husband, Roy, is fighting on the continent." Major Guthrie's face fell, so she continued, "Perhaps I could do some translating for you?, Or house soldiers?"

"Yes." He attempted a wan smile. "Raising three children on your own is quite a large undertaking. But I would like to pass your name on. As you said, we might have some part-time work for you."

"Of course."

It wasn't until she got back to Somerset that she realized Major Guthrie had neglected to return her photographs.

A few weeks later, Odette was sitting in a lounge chair, taking in the pleasant country sun when her youngest daughter, Marianne, dumped a packet on her lap. "Here's the mail, Mummy." Marianne waved an opened envelope in the air.

As it fluttered, Odette caught sight of a red cross printed at the top. "What's that?" she asked, her heart beginning to race. What if Roy was hurt?

"It's Uncle Louis," Francoise, her oldest daughter said sadly, sounding much older than ten. She sat at her mother's feet. "He's in a hospital in Paris."

Odette snatched the letter from Marianne and scanned it, but there was not much more information about her brother than what Francois had stated.

"I don't suppose you can go visit him." Marianne's voice had taken on the little girl's whine it often did when she was upset. "And if you did, maybe you could help Grandma's house from getting overrun by Nazis."

"No," Odette refolded the note. "No, I cannot go to France. I wish I could."

"What's this?" Francois's deft fingers lifted another official-looking envelope. "Who is Captain Selwyn Jepson?"

"I don't know," Odette answered wearily, longing for a moment of peace, away from prying young girls.

"He's asking you to visit him in Whitehall next week."

Odette gathered up the rest of the letters, the one from Jepson falling to the bottom of the pile. "It probably has something to do with that part-time job Major Guthrie mentioned."

"Are you going to work for the war?" Francois demanded.

"If I can fit it in, I'd like to do some little thing," Odette replied.

"But you aren't going to leave us, are you, Mummy?" Marianne's voice grew even higher as her eyes reddened. They'd already been forced to evacuate their London home for the safety of the Somerset countryside, away from the Luftwaffe bombers that had been terrorizing the city for the past year. It had been enough uprooting for the little six-year-old. For all three girls, and Odette herself, for that matter.

Odette reached out to pat Marianne's hand. "Of course not, chérie."

Do you like what you've read? Please let me know in the comment section! The Spark of Resistance is my fourth novel in the Women Spies series (see the Women Spies Series by Kit Sergeant on Amazon for the rest). It's still a work in progress, so please feel free to comment on any errors, inconsistencies, or anything else that stood out to you. And, as always, don't forget to vote if you are enjoying the story! Thank you for reading!