direct her attention away from the other passengers. As she glanced around the room, she saw the tall Frenchman she’d seen smoking on the dock. The two others, who had been watching him, were gone. Maybe they were satisfied that he’s on board and can’t get off, she thought.
As she looked at him, he turned his head and stared straight at her. Madeleine took a book out of her pocket and tried to concentrate on it. He stood and made his way over to the bar and shouldered his way in to order a drink.
“Bonjour, Mademoiselle ,” the tall man said, suddenly next to the table. Before she could answer, he sat down, setting a bottle of wine and two glasses in front of her. “I hope I’m not intruding, but I noticed you on the pier, and I’ve missed talking with a fellow countryman.”
“You’re too kind, Monsieur, but certainly there are others here that would be better company than me,” Madeleine said, gesturing around the salon.
“This is French wine and I’d rather drink it with a fellow Frenchman,” DuPont said, smiling. Before Madeleine could think of anything to deter him, DuPont had filled both glasses and set the bottle back into its ice bucket. “What should we drink to?” he said, raising his glass and giving Madeleine a smile.
“Charming Frenchmen,” Madeleine said with a hint of sarcasm.
“What a wonderful compliment,” DuPont said without hesitation. “But you must know I have only the best of intentions.”
“All men do,” Madeleine said, shaking her head and closing her book with a smile.
“If you don’t mind my asking, where are you heading to in England?” he said, taking a packet of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket.
“You tell me first,” Madeleine said, taking a sip of her wine. “These days it’s best to keep personal matters private.”
“Yes, that’s true, but everyone leaving the continent is heading somewhere. I, for example, am headed for London.”
“What’s in London?” Madeleine asked.
“It’s what’s not in London,” DuPont said, lighting a cigarette and offering one to her.
“And that is…”
“Germans.”
“Far too many of them in France,” Madeleine said.
“So true. Now your turn. Where are you headed?” DuPont said. “And are you running away or towards something?”
“That’s a personal question, Monsieur…”
“Oh forgive me, DuPont, Richard DuPont.”
“I am Madeleine Behern,” Madeleine said, giving the new name on her expertly forged passport. “And who says I’m running at all? Besides, do you think you’ll be seeing your two friends from the dock in London? You know, those two men who were watching you? Maybe you’re the one running.”
“So, you noticed that,” DuPont said, laughing. “Maybe I am running. But I assure you, the only thing I did they could possibly object to was to get out of France.”
“Yes of course, and it’s none of my business, but they didn’t seem too friendly,” Madeleine said.
“They’re probably German agents. Their government doesn’t like Frenchmen running around free. They’d prefer that we all stayed in France under their control,” DuPont said dryly.
“I see,” she said, looking directly at DuPont, not satisfied with his answer
“Well, I have a few things to attend to in my cabin,” he said, draining his glass. “Please enjoy the rest of the wine. I hope that we can chat again before too long. These boats can be so boring after a while.”
“Thank you,” Madeleine said as DuPont got up to leave. “Perhaps we can continue our discussion.” DuPont smiled and walked out onto the deck. As she watched him leave, she was sure there was more to his story than he was telling. You mind your own business, she told herself. You have enough of your own trouble without involving yourself with a man being tracked by those Germans.
DuPont walked back down the corridor towards his first class cabin. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the Germans enter the salon.
As she looked at him, he turned his head and stared straight at her. Madeleine took a book out of her pocket and tried to concentrate on it. He stood and made his way over to the bar and shouldered his way in to order a drink.
“Bonjour, Mademoiselle ,” the tall man said, suddenly next to the table. Before she could answer, he sat down, setting a bottle of wine and two glasses in front of her. “I hope I’m not intruding, but I noticed you on the pier, and I’ve missed talking with a fellow countryman.”
“You’re too kind, Monsieur, but certainly there are others here that would be better company than me,” Madeleine said, gesturing around the salon.
“This is French wine and I’d rather drink it with a fellow Frenchman,” DuPont said, smiling. Before Madeleine could think of anything to deter him, DuPont had filled both glasses and set the bottle back into its ice bucket. “What should we drink to?” he said, raising his glass and giving Madeleine a smile.
“Charming Frenchmen,” Madeleine said with a hint of sarcasm.
“What a wonderful compliment,” DuPont said without hesitation. “But you must know I have only the best of intentions.”
“All men do,” Madeleine said, shaking her head and closing her book with a smile.
“If you don’t mind my asking, where are you heading to in England?” he said, taking a packet of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket.
“You tell me first,” Madeleine said, taking a sip of her wine. “These days it’s best to keep personal matters private.”
“Yes, that’s true, but everyone leaving the continent is heading somewhere. I, for example, am headed for London.”
“What’s in London?” Madeleine asked.
“It’s what’s not in London,” DuPont said, lighting a cigarette and offering one to her.
“And that is…”
“Germans.”
“Far too many of them in France,” Madeleine said.
“So true. Now your turn. Where are you headed?” DuPont said. “And are you running away or towards something?”
“That’s a personal question, Monsieur…”
“Oh forgive me, DuPont, Richard DuPont.”
“I am Madeleine Behern,” Madeleine said, giving the new name on her expertly forged passport. “And who says I’m running at all? Besides, do you think you’ll be seeing your two friends from the dock in London? You know, those two men who were watching you? Maybe you’re the one running.”
“So, you noticed that,” DuPont said, laughing. “Maybe I am running. But I assure you, the only thing I did they could possibly object to was to get out of France.”
“Yes of course, and it’s none of my business, but they didn’t seem too friendly,” Madeleine said.
“They’re probably German agents. Their government doesn’t like Frenchmen running around free. They’d prefer that we all stayed in France under their control,” DuPont said dryly.
“I see,” she said, looking directly at DuPont, not satisfied with his answer
“Well, I have a few things to attend to in my cabin,” he said, draining his glass. “Please enjoy the rest of the wine. I hope that we can chat again before too long. These boats can be so boring after a while.”
“Thank you,” Madeleine said as DuPont got up to leave. “Perhaps we can continue our discussion.” DuPont smiled and walked out onto the deck. As she watched him leave, she was sure there was more to his story than he was telling. You mind your own business, she told herself. You have enough of your own trouble without involving yourself with a man being tracked by those Germans.
DuPont walked back down the corridor towards his first class cabin. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the Germans enter the salon.
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