Chloe couldn't look at her mother, but her hand held tightly to her worn fingers. Hysteria rose in her throat, and yet it was as if the scene enacted before her wasn't real. Germans wouldn't come into her town to kill every person there. Her people were so normal, their lives were so normal, so removed from the violence of war. How could anyone hate them so much that they would kill a town full of civilian farmers? This couldn't happen, she wouldn't let it.
Chloe yanked her hand free from her mother's grasp and bounded through the line of soldiers before they realized what she was doing. She dropped to the ground in front of the SS officer and held the hem of his pants, not even quite sure how she made it. She had reacted before she had a chance to think about it.
"Listen to me. Only one should die, not all."
His autocratic stance led her to believe he wasn't listening. A soldier jumped forward with his gun butt raised. If the SS man hadn't halted his progress, he would have bashed in Chloe's head. "Nein, let her speak."
Chloe raised her face. "You don't want to lose what this town provides. We're good workers. We take care of the canal locks and the vineyards. Who could ever replace all the expertise found before you? If you must punish someone, I will die."
"Non." At this announcement Jean-Claude tried to break through the soldiers, but they restrained him.
Her parents commanded her to be silent, but Chloe felt compelled to move this soldier to listen to her. "I am of little worth compared to the rest of this town. My skills are minimal. Please don't kill them or the land will lie fallow. I will die for them." She finished her speech with her hands spread out before her. Tears fell unheeded as she stared up at him.
The SS officer held out his hand and lifted Chloe to her feet. "You offer yourself in exchange for your town?"
His voice held an element of menace that she didn't understand, but she nodded anyway. He smiled without any warmth at all. "I accept with the following conditions. You shall not be put to death, but rather you shall be my mistress while our troops set up an outpost."
She yanked her hand away as her mouth fell open. She heard murmurs of disapproval throughout the crowd behind her, especially from her parents and Jean-Claude, who shouted at the Nazi officer. "Sale Boches, fridolin!"
The scene around her hardly registered as her eyes remained locked on the horrible man. He stared back, as if waiting for her acquiescence. She couldn't give it, but continued to gape at him, horrified at the thought of this man ever touching her again.
"Well, Mademoiselle?" He flicked his head, and the rifles cocked loudly. "Do you accept my terms?"
"Oui, oui. Don't kill them. I'll do as you ask." Chloe kept her face pointed at the ground.
"Good." He turned to the soldier that seemed to be his second- in-command. "Carry out the rest of my terms."
At the sound of a shot and screaming, Chloe whirled around. Jean-Claude lay on the ground with a bullet-hole through his forehead. His eyes remained open, but already his face grew lax. Rachelle moaned and dropped to the ground in a faint. Remy bent over his son and his wife, sobbing.
A primal rage tore through Chloe, and she ran at the SS officer, pummeling him with her fists and screaming like a madwoman. "I hate you! I'll kill you myself. I hate you! I hate you!"
Her efforts had little effect on the solidly built man.
When two soldiers tore her away from their commander, he frowned at her. "I will expect you this evening at the chateau, fraulein. If I have to send someone looking for you, the rest of your town will look like your brother."
He turned away from her and strode toward the bridge that led to the chateau.
The soldiers dropped Chloe's arms, and she realized they'd been supporting her. She slid to the ground, her sides heaving with silent cries. When someone picked her up and carried her away, she didn't open her eyes. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered anymore. Jean-Claude was gone, and she had sold herself as a prostitute. They should have all died together.
Chloe had a sense of sturdy arms holding her, and she buried even deeper into that anonymous strength. Even when she was let down on her own bed and covered with the quilt her mother had painstakingly sewn for her, she kept her eyes shut tight against the world.
The door closed, but her mind had already wandered to a place where Nazis and war didn't exist. She and Jean-Claude ran through the vineyards, playing hide-and-seek. Every time she thought she had caught him, he would sneak past her. The chase seemed to go on forever.
Hours later, Chloe awoke. When she first opened her eyes, she couldn't recall why she was in bed. Was she late to work for Madame? Was this her day off? And then she saw the darkened windows. Someone had done their best to keep the autumn light from filtering through by draping them with blankets and sheets.
She bolted upright. Jean-Claude was gone. Her mind still revolted at the thought of his death as a wave of sobs broke from her throat. Someone she hadn't noticed came from her side and enveloped her in soft arms.
"Maman is here, Chloe."
"Oh, Maman, Jean-Claude…it's all my fault."
Chloe wept bitter tears of self-recrimination. She almost hated herself.
"Non, ma-petite. You are our savior, along with Jean-Claude. I'm proud of you both. So is Papan."
Chloe sat up abruptly and rubbed her puffy, stinging eyes. "Where is Papan?"
Had the Germans taken her father, too?
"Downstairs with Jean-Claude."
"Maman, he hates me. He always loved Jean-Claude so."
"Stop that, Chloe. He hates the Germans. He loves his very brave daughter. You did what no one else could do. You saved the town."
"But, I wish I hadn't done it now." How that must sound. She couldn't stop the flow of tears. "I'm sorry, Maman."
"Hush, dear girl. I understand…more than you know. I almost wish that myself. We could all have died together." Her mother stared off for a second. "But we didn't, Chloe. And thoughts like that are silly. We're alive, and we'll stick together. Maman will help you through this. So will Papan."
"What time is it?" Chloe asked at last, fearing the lateness of the hour.
"Nearly four. You need to eat something, and then we'll talk." Rachelle started to get up, but Chloe pulled her back.
"Non, I couldn't eat. It would make me sick."
"Chloe, dear girl, you haven't eaten anything all day, and soon you'll have to face something far worse than food. Better to face reality now."
Her mother left the room, and Chloe heard the clomp, clomp of her heavy tread going down the stairs.
Not long after, a softer, slower tread ascended the steps. Her father. Could she face him? If he were to look on her with disgust or shame, it would break her. She twisted the sheets in her hands as she waited. There was a slight pause outside her door, and then he trudged into the room.
"Chloe, my dear, Maman says you're awake, but one can hardly see in this dark room." He stepped over to the windows and lifted down the blankets and sheets. "That's better," he added as he moved to the foot of her bed.
He didn't look angry or disappointed in her, but Chloe had to know for sure.
"Papan, I'm sorry for all I've done. Can you forgive me?"
He rushed to her side and held out his hands. Tears streamed down his face as he reached her. "Don't ever say that again…to anyone. We must all ask your forgiveness because we've let you take the brunt of our punishment. Can you forgive your Papan for not protecting you, Chloe? Please, my darling girl. It would break my heart if I were to lose you, too."
She wrapped her father in an embrace. "Papan, don't cry. You did everything you could. I saw how brave you were. I wanted to kill that man when he hit my Papan."
They held each other tightly and cried tears of sorrow and relief. They still had each other, but something else had been lost.
Softly, she mumbled in her father's ear. "How will we live without Jean-Claude? I can't bear it."
"I don't know, Chloe." He sighed in her hair. "But, somehow familie
s get through war, and we will also. If Jean-Claude had been forced to go up with the first troops that fought the Germans, we could have lost him long ago. At least we had him two years longer."
She pulled away from him. "I'll kill that soldier tonight. I can hide a knife or a gun, and then I can kill him."
"Your mother and I have already talked this over, Chloe." He took both her hands in his own. "This is your decision. It's your life, and if you would rather kill this man and die yourself, we'll try to find a way to help you. But know this, his troops remain in the town, and they'll kill everyone even if their leader is dead. Besides, he's probably already communicated with Berlin. There has to be some reason the Germans have crossed into the Unoccupied Zone."
Chloe pulled her hands out of her father's and covered her face. "There's no hope for us."
"There's always hope, Chloe." He lowered his voice, even though they were alone in their own house. "I've been in contact with the Resistance. After the Germans left the last time, I was approached by a man that said he was forming a group to fight against the occupation." He saw that he had Chloe's attention, so he continued. "Because of our proximity to the canal locks, he said we would become a target for the Germans. It's imperative that the Nazis be able to move armaments and troops down the river. This also makes us a target for the Resistance. I told him I would contact him if ever the Germans came back, or if I noticed an increase in shipping for the Germans."
Chloe leaned forward. "What did he say? What can they do?"
"I sent a message with one of the villagers headed to Lyon. He had family there and said he would deliver the note."
"Was it someone you can trust?"
"We've lived here all our lives. If we can't trust these people, we can trust no one."
Rachelle bustled into the room, carrying a tray that she placed across Chloe's lap. "Here you go. Did you and Papan have a nice talk?"
"Yes," her husband assured her. "Chloe knows we love her and aren't disappointed in her."
While Chloe chewed the French bread and tried to swallow the cream soup her mother had given her, her parents made decisions about the funeral for Jean-Claude. They spoke calmly as if they discussed anything but the burial of their only son and oldest child.
Chloe listened as long as she could then burst out, "I have to see him…Jean-Claude, I mean. I…I want to see him."
"If you think you're ready."
"I'll never be ready, but I want to see him anyway."
Remy removed the tray, and Rachelle held Chloe's hand as she climbed down the stairs. When she neared the bottom floor, she saw their living room had been turned into a wake with flowers and lighted candles. Jean-Claude lay on top of the long kitchen table in his very best suit of clothes. Would he look as if he were asleep as she had often heard?
He didn't. His face was too lax and pale, his form too still. And Jean-Claude would never have worn his cap inside Maman's house, the cap that hid the bullet hole on his forehead.
Chloe let go of Maman and walked by herself to the table. There was a lone chair where she imagined her father had kept his afternoon vigil. She sat in it and held Jean-Claude's hand. It was cold and limp and didn't feel soft like a human hand. Tears slipped from her eyes.
"Do you want to go back to your room?"
"Non, Papan. I want to be alone for a while, please. I have to talk to him."
Her parents retreated to the kitchen. They didn't ask any questions or think it strange that she wanted to talk to Jean- Claude now that he was dead. They had probably already spoken to him themselves.
"Jean-Claude, it's Chloe. I guess you know." She inspected the cold hand held in hers. "I see Maman has finally gotten the vineyard dirt from beneath your fingernails. I wanted you to know that I heard you try to stop the soldiers…try to stop me. I know…that you wanted…to protect me." Her voice came out in hiccoughs as she lost the ability to speak clearly. "But, darling…I wanted to protect you, too. You were everything a little sister could ever have wanted. You taught me how to climb a tree, skip stones on the canal…I didn't even mind so much the frogs you put in my bed.
"Oh, Jean-Claude, I love you. Won't you please come back? How can we live without you?" She sobbed softly. "You were the first one to show me how to tell when the grapes are ripe for harvest. When I wanted to be a young lady, you were the first one I believed. You said I wasn't an ugly little girl anymore, so I knew it was true because you said it."
She dropped Jean-Claude's hand and laid her head on the table. "You aren't here, are you? Well, if the Germans have their way, we may all join you in a few days." She took a deep breath and looked at his closed eyes. "Goodbye, brother dear, I plan to kill as many Germans as I can. You didn't die for nothing. If ever I meet someone from the Resistance, I'll tell them everything I can to hurt the Germans. Perhaps I'll even join the Resistance."
Chloe leaned down and kissed Jean-Claude on the brow. Her tall, handsome brother was gone, and now she had to deal with the living…the living monsters that had killed him. The thought made her want to throw up. She stood. They were going to war because the Germans had brought it into their house.
"Maman!" she called. "There are some things I need to know."
Chloe went upstairs with her mother, and they had the most frank discussion of the facts of life that had probably ever been heard in the little town of Cachet. There would be no rude surprises for Maman's daughter. If her precious child was going to be violated by a monster, she had the right to know what to expect. Chloe cried even more when Maman explained the intricacies of sleeping with a man.
As she lay on her bed, Maman stroked her brow. "Maman will be waiting. As soon as they let me come to you, I will. Don't forget, Maman will be waiting the whole time. You won't be alone, darling. Just concentrate on something beautiful. He can't hurt your heart, Chloe, if you don't let him."
Chapter 5
At six o'clock that evening, a knock sounded at the front door, and fear gripped Chloe's heart. Surely the Commander didn't think she was refusing to come. She ran down the stairs to join her parents.
As the door opened, she saw everyone who still remained in the village. They'd come to stand with her as she made her way to the chateau. The two men who had caused the accident stood at the front, heads bowed. Tears glistened in her parents' eyes. It had taken courage for the townspeople to show the Nazis they would stand as a community. Chloe didn't cry. She had no tears left. She felt nothing, wrapped in a cocoon of numbness.
Her mother held her right hand, and her father stood on her left as they left the house to go to the chateau. The citizens followed quietly behind. Chloe marched with her head held high. She would show no weakness to those that might take advantage of it. Already, she felt as if she would be forever different from the citizens of this town. They proceeded across the bridge, encountering several Nazi soldiers who stared openly but didn't impede their progress.
At the door to the chateau, Chloe turned and said goodnight to the villagers. "Thank you for your support. Please go home now."
No one spoke, but several dipped their heads in her direction before returning across the bridge. She waited until they were all gone before banging the iron clasp of the massive chateau doors.
A guard appeared in the entryway and looked Chloe over, from the top of her head and her plain cotton dress, to the bottom of her feet. "What is it, fraulein?"
"I have an appointment with your Commander. What time can my mother come back for me?"
The young soldier almost sneered then apparently thought better of it. "You won't be leaving the chateau. No one will be admitted until morning."
Chloe stiffened momentarily, and she heard her mother gasp, but she was determined to handle anything that occurred. "It's all right, Maman. I'll be waiting for you."
"All right, Chloe." Her mother kissed her goodbye then her father grabbed her by the waist and held her tightly. He squeezed her arm then took his wife by the hand.
Chloe continued
to watch them until they crossed the bridge. Poor Maman and Papan. They were trying to be brave for her, but they looked haggard and used up. At the last post of the bridge, they turned to wave at her. Chloe stepped inside the chateau.
Though she'd been in the chateau hundreds of times, more times than she could count, it felt an alien place. Soldiers walked through the majestic passageways as if they were the ones born high to the manor. In only one afternoon, they had already managed to remove many of the castle's heirlooms from the walls. It increased the sorrow in her soul to see them desecrate a place so full of her national heritage. Thank goodness, Madame had seen fit to hide the more priceless antiques and paintings.
Against the wall, she saw crates prepared for the removal of her birthright. Even though she wasn't manor-bred, the chateau had always been a sign to the village of the greatness of France. They were proud of their ancestry and that of their Patron. During the tourist season, Chloe had delighted at the way Madame lovingly proclaimed the history of the castle and its predecessors.
It tore at her heart to see the callous way the Nazis removed another country's heritage, as if they had the right to it. And that's what they were going to do to Chloe. As if they had the right to decide her fate, they were going to take her innocence.
She cast a glance at the soldier walking pompously beside her. She hated him. If she could have killed him at that moment, she would have. He looked not much older than Jean-Claude, might even have a sister of his own, and yet he carelessly delivered her to be devoured by a lion. He tried smiling at her in that knowing way, as if she might be attracted to him. She ignored him as they climbed the tower stairs toward the private apartments. After the Patron had sold the chateau to the State, he and his wife were allowed to live there as caretakers, along with their possessions, until their deaths.
The soldier stopped outside Madame's apartment and knocked on the door. He looked down at Chloe. "You will wait here." He turned on his heel with a sharp click then disappeared.
Seconds passed as Chloe stared at the door. What hideous apparition waited behind it? Would this be the end of her innocent life, or would she gain another reprieve? At last, the door opened, and the SS commander stood before her in his resplendent red and black uniform.
All Things New Page 6
