Vera's Valour Read Online Free Page A

understand it - and I doubt if it will mean anything to the Germans either. And even if they did manage to decipher it, it won’t be of any help to them – it’s only useful for us.”
    One soldier grabbed her. “Do you know what could happen to you if you are caught? The Gestapo are ruthless.”
    Vera shuddered, but put on a brave face. “Of course I don’t know what will happen to me if, and when, I get to France - ”
    “Ma’am, “ the leader shouted at her, “We don’t care what happens when you get over there. As long as you keep your mouth shut if you get captured. Just remember you don’t know nothin’ about us, or where the invasion is taking place. Okay?”
    Vera thought that even if she was unfortunate enough to be caught by the Germans, she doubted if they would give her a harder time than these Americans.
    But worse was to come. She was not prepared for the most terrifying journey of her life. The sea was in a fury and the heavens poured down incessant rain. Feeling as miserable as she’d ever felt in her life, Vera began to wish she could die before she got to the coast of France.
    However, she did arrive to find herself in the early morning in Normandy. Battered, cold, and lost - because the men she came with had abandoned her hours ago.
    Fortunately, she had two things in her favour. One was she had taken her cranky bicycle so it would enable her to get about. The other was that she had been blessed with an excellent French teacher at school.
    But where should she start looking for Geoff?
    She decided to bike to the nearest village and ask at a shop.
    The mouth- watering smell of newly baked bread led her to La Boulangerie.
    The trouble was, she hadn’t any French money. Not a sou.
    She stood feeling very English, and uncertain. But what she didn’t expect was that a woman came swiftly along the pavement and, without saying a word, beckoned her.
    Struck that she stood out like a foreigner, Vera wondered if she’d been recognized by the Gestapo. Her breathing pounded with fright. But then she noticed the middle-aged woman looked nondescript – and that’s what agents tried to be so that they didn’t attract attention. Perhaps she’d been found by friends not foes?
    “Come along,” the woman said as she brushed by her.
    For once, Vera didn’t argue, she wheeled her bicycle alongside the woman whose quick footsteps took them to a large stone house just outside the village. The old property had a wall around it. They walked through the gate and into a pleasant tiled courtyard.
    Vera just had time to look up at the weather-beaten house, with its peeling paint and shuttered windows when she heard footsteps.
    “Vera! What in the world are you doing here?”
    It was Geoff!
    Her heart pounding with joy, Vera felt tears of relief seeing her tall husband dressed looking very French in a shirt with rolled up sleeves, a neckerchief and beret.
    “Geoff!” she cried with delight as she ran over to greet him.
    But, as she came near, she noticed he looked extremely angry. “We received a call to say a courier was on the way – but I was not expecting you!”
    He sounded so unwelcoming. Her footsteps slowed. He was not going to greet her by taking her in his arms and kissing her.
    Puzzled, Vera stopped in front of him and taking the military pouch from her skirt waistband where she’d been carrying it, she offered it to him saying, “I brought this message which arrived soon after you left home. I thought you would need it . . . ”
    He almost snatched the pouch from her and opening it, strode away from her and began to read the contents as though she didn’t matter.
    Welling up inside her was acute disappointment. She had suffered she much to bring him the message – and now he was ignoring her! In fact, he seemed to be furious with her.
    Feeling someone nudging her elbow, she looked to see the woman who had bought her to the house indicting that she should come in the house.
    A large cup of