Emilie lay in bed, drifting off to sleep. It was late, just after midnight. Jacques was in his study, going through some documents. She had talked to him briefly, but he had seemed distracted. She left him alone, came to bed, and started reading. She assumed he would come to bed shortly. But he didn’t, and she couldn’t stay awake any longer.
She was almost asleep when she heard a knock on the front door. Her eyes opened and she sat up, listening. She could hear Jacques in his study. The chair squeaked as he got up, and then she heard his footsteps. She got out of bed and crept into the hall.
The front door opened. “Did you have any problems getting here?” Jacques asked.
“Yes, I’m violating curfew,” Guy Barbier said. “I have to be careful. I can only stay for a few minutes.”
“It’s impor
