by Tricia Goyer
Emma sucked in a breath. Maybe Will hadn’t been the one sending information to Germany. Maybe he had been a spy, but maybe he’d come to find and stop Berndt.
Chills traveled up and down Emma’s arms, and she considered all the places in Danesfield House that Berndt had access to. Where would Vera go to meet the man she thought she loved? Where could they hide? It was an easy answer. Vera was one of the few who had access to the large archives. He no doubt came and went with her in there. And he could have planted the information about Will.
All of it was making sense now, but there was only one problem. No one would believe her if she tried to tell them. Her only chance was getting out and finding Will.
THIRTY-SEVEN
Will leaned back in his chair and turned his attention on Berndt and Ruth. He had to keep his composure. He had to discover their plans. Last night he had waited out the security detail to give Christopher time to get to Danesfield House and talk to the head of security. They had to know that Will was working for MI5. He just hoped that when they realized Berndt wasn’t at work yet, they’d realize that the man was close. After all, he wouldn’t set up the whole production and miss the final show.
“So now what?” Will finally asked, feigning calm. “Are you going to kill me?”
“No.” Ruth stood to her feet. “We will let the Allies do our dirty work. When Danesfield House explodes, they’ll come for you. With all the evidence already planted, the trial will be quick and the punishment harsh.”
Berndt straightened his shoulders at the sound of a car parking outside. “And I will be a hero, yes? For I figured it out and came for you first. For you both…” And sliding his hand into his jacket, he pulled out a second revolver, pointing it at Ruth.
Her eyes widened in disbelief just as a knock sounded at the door. “Surely you are joking! I know too much. I know everything!” she screamed at him.
Berndt shrugged. “As if they would believe you. The best friend of Will’s mother.”
“Come in!” Berndt called to the door. The door opened and three men strode in, guns drawn.
“Put down your weapons!” Christopher called. He pointed his handgun at Berndt’s chest.
Berndt smiled. Then he bent over and placed his weapons on the ground. “Yes, of course. But gentlemen, I am on your side. I know you’ve come for these traitors. I have all the information you need to prove their betrayal.”
Berndt’s eyes twinkled, and Will released the breath he’d been holding. This was the end of the line for Berndt, but they couldn’t dawdle. There were still explosives they needed to find and disarm before it was too late.
Emma had tried to ignore the stares she knew were coming from the windows of the estate as she walked next to Edward toward the waiting automobile. For the moment she couldn’t think of the humiliation. She could only replay her plan of getting free and getting to Will.
Thankfully, Edward had asked that her hands not be bound. She’d also requested to wear slacks and a blouse for transport, and he had agreed. Up ahead, Danny opened the door for her, and she sent him a look of apology. She trusted their friendship and knew she’d have to betray it. Just one more betrayal to add to the rest.
Emma climbed into the backseat. She lowered her face in her hands and started weeping. Danny paused, uncomfortable, and then closed the door. Edward slid in the backseat beside her, and then Danny started the engine.
Emma sat silent, a heavy burden making it hard to breathe. Edward and Danny were talking about the drive to London. There would be no train ride today.
She wanted to explain to them, she wanted to enlist their help, but it would take too long to try to explain everything. And with each moment they were getting farther away from Danesfield House. She needed to escape now. She had to get back and warn everyone about the explosives.
As they drove down the hill, Emma considered finding a way to escape in town, but as she did something caught her eye. It was Will’s car, and he was driving! Berndt was in the passenger’s seat, and Ruth was in the backseat next to a man Emma didn’t know.
Emma’s mind raced. She ducked down slightly so Will couldn’t see her. Then she considered what she could do. Why was Will in the car with Berndt and Ruth? Maybe she was wrong. Maybe they were all in it together. But it didn’t matter, she supposed, because regardless of who was behind it, Danesfield House was still in danger.
She had to get back.
Looking ahead, Emma’s heart lurched. She spotted the small cottage near the river—the one Will had painted. And the rowboat was there by the river. Without hesitating, Emma knew what she had to do.
She opened the door and jumped from the car. Her body hit the ground hard, and the wind was knocked out of her. She knew she didn’t have much time and scrambled to her feet. She heard the sound of tires skidding and then a crash as the car slammed into a tree. Danny’s eyes must have been on her instead of the road. Emma heard Edward’s curses—his door was apparently too damaged to open. She glanced back just long enough to see Danny scrambling into the backseat to help him.
Emma darted to the rowboat, and with all her strength, she flipped it over. Voices called her name as she pushed the boat into the water. She grabbed the oars, jumped in, and then without thinking started to row straight back to Danesfield House. She might be heading back into the lions’ den, but she had to save her friends. She knew where the explosives were hidden, and she was running out of time.
Will parked his car and kept his gun pointed at Berndt. “Don’t make any sudden moves.” He signaled to Howard, who approached with his gun drawn.
“Authorities notified us you’d be coming!” Howard called to him. “We’ve already dispatched a team to clear out the buildings and search the grounds for explosives!”
Before another sentence passed between them, a security detail ran from the building, and within a minute they arrested Berndt and Ruth, hauling them inside. The crowd exiting from the building had gathered on the front stairs. Will searched for Emma’s face, but it wasn’t there.
Christopher strode over to his side. “And where, may I ask, is the woman you’ve fallen in love with?”
Will shrugged. “I’m asking myself the same question.”
Before he had time to ask Howard, the black transport car roared up the hill and parked.
Howard rushed up to it, confused. “Where’s Emma?”
“Emma?” Will moved that direction.
Danny climbed out of the driver’s seat. “She was like a mad woman. She opened the door and jumped out. And before we could stop her, she jumped in a rowboat and headed out.” Edward was still seated in the smashed black car, pressing a bandage to his head. “I need to go for the nurse. Edward’s got a nasty gash on his head.”
Will didn’t comment. Instead, he headed back to his car. He had to go find her. She first had to know the truth. Then he’d work to clear her name.
“Was she going to the train station?” Howard asked.
Danny shook his head. “She didn’t head to Medmenham. She rowed this direction—toward Danesfield House. But I don’t understand. All they’re going to do is put her back under arrest.”
Will gasped. “She was arrested?”
Danny nodded. “They believed she was giving secrets to you. They arrested her.”
Will turned to Christopher. “Didn’t you explain to them that Berndt was behind it…and Ruth too?”
“I didn’t have a chance. When I saw the security detail coming back down the hill—presumably to your house—I intercepted them. I only expected to find Berndt. I was surprised to see the woman standing there with him. Surprised she’d already joined him. Ruth should have known that someone like Berndt would turn on her.”
As much as it hurt Will to be betrayed by a friend, what surprised him most was how careless Ruth had been with her plans. Inside her family Bible on the mantel were plans for a big operation. There were records of explosives that Albert had stolen from the munitions factory and detai
ls about where they’d stolen the car that she used to transport the items. A car she’d hidden in her barn and Will had somehow missed. Thankfully she’d been conscientious enough to find neighbors to care for the children before leaving to join up with Berndt for their final act—one that would never happen now.
But none of that mattered now. The security was searching for the explosives, so his mind turned to Emma. What mattered most was her, and he had a feeling where he could find her. Without waiting for another word, Will ran to the back garden area and searched the beach below. His heart leaped when he saw the rowboat there, but as he scanned the area, she was nowhere to be seen.
Does she know about the tunnels? Fear filled Will as he suddenly remembered the wiring on the iron gate that separated the tunnel from the garden. And now everything made sense. What if the wiring on the gate was the trigger for everything, not just a small booby trap as he’d first believed. If she found the tunnel and tried to open the gate…Will shuddered. He didn’t want to think about that.
He and Emma had discussed the earthworks. She knew of the tunnels. If she was attempting to get back to Danesfield House unseen, he knew that’s where she would go.
Will rushed in that direction, pushing through the brush in the hedgerow. He fought his way through and discovered the gate was still closed. The explosives are still in place. Will released the breath he’d been holding.
Then Will knelt before it, trying to decide how to disarm it, when a voice interrupted his thoughts.
“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.” It was Emma’s voice. Will stood and turned to her.
“Emma…I was trying to disarm it. I’m not who you think I am…”
“I trust you, Will, and I love you.” Her face looked weary, and her brow was covered with sweat. “But please, Will, don’t touch it.”
He cocked an eyebrow, surprised by the cocky tone in her voice. “And why, may I ask?” Will took a step toward her, hoping there was still a glimmer of trust and love in her heart toward him.
“I’ve rowed all the way here to save you, Will. You have to step away.” She pointed to the gate again. “That is the trigger.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, Will. The trigger for the whole place. If you touch that gate, Danesfield House will be just rubble in a matter of seconds.”
September 9, 1943
It took only fifteen minutes for everyone to get cleared out of Danesfield House, but it took another three days for a special unit to find all the explosives around the estate.
Ruth and Berndt had done a thorough job. She’d procured the materials through a network of other German agents throughout the country, and he’d put everything in place. In every room he’d cleaned, and along the exterior walls, Berndt had left his mark. Most of the explosives had been set outside, hidden under the wisteria hanging on the walls. They never would have been found if someone hadn’t known where to look.
In the days that had followed as the house and grounds were cleared, Will and Emma had not been able to speak to one another as they were being questioned and debriefed and their stories were being compared. Once the military was satisfied that they had all the information they needed, Will and Emma were at least allowed to be together again. Will and Christopher had taken Emma into the garden and explained Will’s part in this, and Emma had told them how she’d guessed Berndt and Ruth had been working together.
Will had placed an arm around her shoulders, and they paused near the fountain, near where he used to paint.
Emma glanced from Christopher to Will and back to Christopher again. “My only question is, what about this man Claudius that you told me about? Did he ever show up?”
Christopher shook his head. “I’m afraid when we started digging deeper, we discovered he’d been turned. Some say he’d fallen in love with a German woman and escaped into Germany. But we will keep looking, I can promise you that.”
“Speaking of a woman.” Will grasped Emma’s hands. “There is something I must tell you. I had planned on telling you as soon as I learned about it, but, well, there were other pressing matters.” He smiled and then continued. “It seems that your brother fell in love during the war.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Oh, Will, how can you be sure?”
“Well, we talked to her. And like you, Cynthia was determined he wasn’t dead. She received a package from Samuel after the date he supposedly died, and she hired a man named Bain to find him.”
“The dark-haired man who assaulted me?” Emma’s heart pounded.
“Yes. He didn’t use the noblest of means to get his information, but Bain did his work. He found the information he was looking for.”
Emma placed her fingertips to her lips, almost not wanting to hear Will’s next words.
Will put an arm around her shoulder again, pulling her close. “The bomber that Samuel was assigned to did go down that day, Emma, but that morning before takeoff, he was shuttled away to work on a secret project. Another man took Samuel’s place, and that was the man in the photo. It was only after Samuel returned to Britain a few weeks later that he discovered his death announcement had already been delivered to you and your parents. Since his missions are of the most dangerous nature, he figured if he survived the war, only then would he reveal the truth.”
Tears filled Emma’s eyes. “Samuel’s alive?”
“Yes, Emma,” Will whispered in her ear. “I drove down to Dover last week and saw him myself.” Will sighed. “Unfortunately, Bain discovered Samuel’s location too, and your brother has been moved. I can’t say anything more about Samuel’s mission or what he’s working on, but he told me to give you this.”
Will reached into his pocket and pulled out a perfect sand dollar. Tears filled Emma’s eyes. She took it from him and pressed it to her heart. Samuel was alive! Her knees felt soft and she imagined writing her parents and telling them the news.
“Is this real? My brother…he’s not dead? I will see him again?” She pressed her cheek against his chest. “I can’t believe this. Samuel is alive…And of all things, a sand dollar.”
She was seen. She was known. She was loved.
She was also in love. And someday she’d be able to have Samuel and Will together. The two men she cherished most.
“When can I see him, Will?”
Will sighed. “Not until the war is over, especially since you’ll be returning to the States. But he wanted you to know that he’s safe, hidden in the cleft of a rock.”
Emma nodded, knowing she could wait. She would wait to spend a life with Will, and she would wait to hug her brother—the brother once dead who was to her alive again.
“It doesn’t seem right that they’re still sending you away,” Christopher said, shaking his head. “Office work in Washington DC, I hear.”
“I understand. They’ve lost their trust in me. And the projects they’re working on are too valuable to risk.” She lowered her head. “I deserve it, and I’m thankful for the grace they’re giving me.”
Emma would never regret her time as a PI, but it had hurt her heart. Even though she would no longer be investigating photos, she’d never be able to shake the memories of all she’d seen. Emma supposed she’d have to trust God for healing that part of her too.
Christopher patted her arm and then walked away, leaving her alone with Will in the garden.
“I want you to know, Will, that I’ll be waiting for you. My eyes will always be set to the horizon.” She sighed.
Will leaned down and gently kissed her lips, and then he pulled back. “Then I’ll do my best to help end this war, love.”
“And when you come to the States, I’m taking you to the lighthouse. I can’t wait to show you my favorite place in the world, where I first began to learn of God’s grace and love.”
“I can’t wait, Emma. I really can’t. That’s when I’ll know that the darkness is gone, and real living can once again begin.”
Discussion Questions
1. E
mma works as a photo investigator in World War II. What did you find unique about the role of these women in World War II?
2. In A Secret Courage, many of the characters live dual lives. What part do you feel secret agents played in the war? Why was this important?
3. Emma moved to England with a desire to do her part in the war. What was the motivation behind her decision?
4. The title of the book is A Secret Courage. In what ways were the characters courageous?
5. How did you feel about the war orphans? What were some of the challenges they faced?
6. Emma’s hero was Grace Darling. Why do you think Emma was drawn to this unique heroine?
7. What surprised you most about the plot in this novel? Do you think the author pulled off the ending?
8. What types of symbolism do you find in this novel? What do these objects represent?
9. Danesfield House was just one of many properties used in the war effort. What did you find interesting about this location?
10. Do you agree with this statement? “Photo investigation turned the tide of the war.” Why or why not? What did you learn about photo investigation?
11. Who was your favorite character? Why?
12. What did you appreciate most about this work of fiction?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tricia Goyer is an inspiring wife, mom of ten, and grandmother of three. A USA Today bestselling author, Tricia has published more than 60 books and has written more than 500 articles. She’s well known for her Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors Amish series. Tricia loves cooking, reading, homeschooling, and mentoring teenage mothers in her community.
