The Farmer's Daughter (11 page)

‘He'll be punished,' Jean said. ‘Colonel Williamson told me he would be put in what they call “the cooler” on short rations and all privileges withdrawn. They are going to have an extra roll call and a search of the huts to see if anyone else is planning an escape and for any incriminating evidence.'

‘Was that why they were so angry?'

‘Perhaps. I don't know.'

‘What about Sergeant Muller?'

‘What about him?'

‘Will he be punished, too?'

‘I don't know, Don. I'd like to think he didn't know anything about it.'

‘What if, when we get home, we discover Sergeant Muller has gone?'

‘Then I should have to report it to Colonel Williamson, shouldn't I?' Jean spoke flatly, without emotion, but that wasn't how she felt inside. Her stomach was churning. She had begun to think of Karl as a friend, a helpmate, someone she could trust, but now she was beginning to wonder if her trust had been misplaced. And the feeling was one of enormous disappointment and loss.

‘I just hope he hasn't hurt your mum,' Elizabeth said, feeling her bruised cheek.

‘I can't believe he would do that. He has never shown the least tendency to violence.'

‘Perhaps you should dispense with his services, just to be on the safe side.'

‘But I need him.' It was the second time that day she had said that and it set her wondering if it was only help on the farm she needed. The kind of self-questioning led her nowhere and she stopped it at once.

Karl was mucking out when she drove into the yard. Her relief was almost tangible. While Don and her grandmother made their way into the house, she went over to speak to him. And then she didn't know what to say. Her head was full of questions and none of them related to the work on the farm. Had he known what his friend was going to do? Had he intended to go to? Would he have used violence as the other man had done? Could she trust him? Instead, she said, ‘You know what happened? Did my mother tell you?'

‘Yes. I am sorry, Jean. How is Mrs Sanderson? Terry said he had hit her.'

‘He knocked her about a bit but she'll survive. At the moment, she is angry that he made a mess of her house.'

‘I am sorry. I would never …' He paused, searching her face. ‘I would never have condoned that. Please tell Mrs Sanderson I am very sorry. I like the old lady. I like you all. Please believe me.'

‘But you knew about it?'

‘I knew he was planning to escape, I even thought I might go too, but in the end I could not do it.'

‘Why not?'

‘I don't know. Perhaps because we would not have gone far before we were caught and I did not like the idea of a spell in the cooler. Perhaps because I like working here …' He paused, unwilling to expand on that. ‘What happened to Otto?'

‘That's his name, is it? I took him to the police station and then back to the camp and left Colonel Williamson dealing with him.'

‘There will be repercussions,' he said.

‘I imagine so. I'm going indoors to speak to my mother. I'll leave you to get on.'

‘Very well. I shall still be here when you come back.'

She laughed suddenly. ‘Is that a promise?'

‘It is a promise,' he said, but he was not laughing.

He watched her go, then turned back to his task. Mucking out was not the most pleasant of jobs, but it was a peaceful one, a connection with the earth and its rhythms. The horses, quietly chomping on their hay, the occasional snort, the swish of a long tail, reminded him of the timelessness of farming, timeless in the sense that it went on generation after generation, but also timely, geared to the seasons, to the needs of the animals and crops. It ignored the stupidity of man in going to war. Jean understood that. She did not judge him for his race, nor his allegiance and he liked her for that. He liked her very much. He could not tell her that, of course. It would ruin a friendship he had come to cherish and would mean he could never come to Briar Rose Farm again.

The mood in the camp was sombre. Karl felt it as soon as he returned. The men were confined to camp. No one spoke to him, but watched silently as he made his way over to his own bed and sat down. The one next to his was empty.

‘Where's Otto Herzig?' he asked, pretending he did not know.

‘In the
Kühler
, where else?'
Feldwebel
Joachim Hartmann answered him.

‘What's he done?'

‘Caught trying to escape. But then you knew about it, didn't you?'

‘How could I? I've been at work all day.' He had to remain calm because everyone in the hut was crowding round him and their looks were not friendly.

‘Why didn't you go with him? You are his friend, aren't you?'

‘I thought I was, but evidently he didn't think so.'

‘You know what this means, don't you?'

‘I imagine added security.'

‘It also means that other plans, proper authorised plans have been ruined. There was a search of the huts, a very thorough one. They all but took the huts apart. They found everything, civilian clothes, forged identity cards, maps, English money, the lot. Major Schultz is furious. He said he expressly forbade
Gemeiner
Herzig to try to escape and he disobeyed. When his time in the
kühler
is done, he'll have to answer to me. I was on the list to go and now I'm stuck here, all because of a stupid scheme that had no hope of success.'

‘It has nothing to do with me.'

‘You were in it with him. Do you think we are blind and deaf? You were always whispering together, don't think we didn't notice.'

‘We were only talking. Herzig did not confide in me.'

The lights went out suddenly and the men returned to their beds, still grumbling. If it was only grumbling he could put up with that, but if they decided grumbling was not enough, he would be in real trouble. He was already looked on with suspicion by his fellows. He did not join in the usual baiting of the guards, nor in the frequent lectures and discussions intended to strengthen their belief in the invincibility of the Führer and the German war machine. His fellow prisoners had not beaten him, as they had others, but he knew one false move and they would. There had already been hints: a leg stuck out to trip him up when he walked past, and on another occasion his plate of food had been ‘accidentally' tipped up and spilt into his lap.

The next morning, after a more than usually stringent roll call, he was ordered to report to the commandant's office where he was subjected to the same questions Hartmann had put to
him. Again he reiterated he knew nothing of Otto's plans.

‘If that is so, why did he come to the farm where you were working? Surely if he meant to go alone he would have set off from his work in Wisbech, not walked all the way to Little Bushey and risked being seen.'

‘I don't know,
Herr Kolonel
. Perhaps he thought it would be easy to steal from the old lady. He had worked at her cottage for Mr Gould.'

‘He didn't ask you to go with him?'

‘If he had I would have refused.'

‘Why?'

Karl ventured a smile. ‘It would have been attempting the impossible. We know we can't escape.'

‘Then why do you try?' Williamson's answering smile was not hostile but he was not going to be fooled.

‘It is our duty,
Herr Kolonel
. You know that.'

‘But you decided not to go?'

‘It was not well-thought-out.'

‘I see. Do you know anything about other escape plans?'

‘No,
Herr Kolonel
.'

‘Are you sure?'

‘I am sure.'

‘Very well, you may go.'

He left, only to be accosted on the way back to his hut by the
Lagerführer
's clerk, who ordered him to report to Major Schultz at once. His superior's interrogation was even more searching than the commandant's and certainly no more friendly. At the end of it, he was not sure if he had been convincing enough, but as he had not been the one to disobey the order not to escape, even if Otto had, he was dismissed.

‘I hear you had some adventures at Briar Rose yesterday.' Bill fell into step beside Jean on her way back home after morning service. Her mother was not with her, having elected to stay at home with her grandmother, who had been more shaken up by events than she realised at the time.

‘You could say that.'

‘Tell me about it. There are all sorts of rumours floating about. Some say he killed your gran, but you wouldn't be here now if he had, would you?'

‘No, of course not. He hit her and bruised her face and arms but she'll be OK. Mum called the doctor and she stayed with us last night, but she's determined to go home later today. Whether Mum will let her is another matter.'

‘So what did happen, exactly?'

‘He wanted food and money and Gran wouldn't give them to him, so he hit her. Luckily Don and Terry arrived with Laddie and put a stop to it. Don knocked him out with the butt of Grandad's shotgun. They tied him up and sent for me.'

‘That was gutsy of him.'

‘Yes. I'm proud of him.'

‘Now, perhaps you will believe me.'

‘Believe what?'

‘Those men are dangerous. They do not hesitate to kill and wound if it suits their purpose.'

‘No one was killed and it wasn't Sergeant Muller who hit Gran.'

‘They're all the same. You are far too trusting, Jean. How do you know he wouldn't hurt you if he saw an opportunity to escape and you stood in his way? He wouldn't think twice, believe me.'

‘I don't think he would hurt me. He told me as much. They are not all bad, you know.'

‘He told you as much,' he repeated. ‘That's a strange sort of conversation you must have had with him.'

‘It was after the accident with Pa's chair. Someone accused him of trying to kill Pa. He told me he would never hurt any of our family.'

‘You believe that?'

‘Yes, I do. Now will you stop harping on about him? He's a good man, I know it, and I am tired of all this criticism. It's nothing to do with you anyway.'

‘Nothing to do with me. OK, so now I know where I stand.' He strode away.

She called after him, but he did not answer. She was sorry he was so touchy, but she was not going to condemn Karl because of something another man had done. If Bill didn't like that, he was going to have to put up with it. She was not prepared to delve too deeply into her own motives lest she uncover something she would not know how to deal with.

Doris was worried, not only about her mother, but about Jean. She seemed to be brushing Bill off and that wasn't fair. ‘And there's Sergeant Muller still coming here as if it made no difference what had happened,' she said to Arthur. ‘And Jean welcomes him …'

‘I know, but what else can she do? I'm not a ha'p'orth of good to her, nor to anyone, am I? I have to let my daughter do all the things I should be doing. If the Jerry helps, who am I to argue?'

‘Oh, Arthur.' She went over and bent to put her arms about him and lay her cheek against his. ‘It's not your fault, any of it. I'm sorry I'm so grumpy. Put it down to the war. I'm fed up with it all.'

‘We all are, love. We just have to soldier on, there's naught else for it.'

When Otto came out of the
kühler
, he was given a dressing down by the
Lagerführer
and sent back to his old hut. Karl did not know who made that decision, but it was ill-thought-out. The rest of the men in the hut, and especially Joachim Hartmann, held him responsible for the discovery of the other escape preparations and gave him a severe beating. When Karl tried to intervene, he was pushed aside.

‘I don't need a
Spitzel
to defend me!' Otto shouted. ‘I am a loyal patriot which is more than he is. He betrayed me. He is besotted with the English
Fräulein
. He would rather be with her than doing his duty to the Fatherland. She is nothing but a
Nutte
.'

Karl turned and punched him for insulting Jean. Otto staggered back but recovered quickly and was back in the fray with blood pouring from his nose. There ensued a fierce fight. No one else in the room interfered, but the noise of men cheering and the sound of breaking glass alerted the guards and they rushed in to break it up. Both men were escorted to the
Kühler
and locked in separate cells.

The next day Karl, his face and body badly bruised, was again facing the commandant. ‘I am very disappointed in you,
Feldwebel
Muller,' Colonel Williamson said. ‘I thought you were one of the more peaceful of my charges. What have you to say for yourself?'

Karl remained silent.

‘Who struck the first blow?' When Karl gave no answer, he pressed on. ‘It is not the first time you have come to blows with your fellows, is it?'

‘No,
Kolonel
.'

‘Why?'

‘I do not know.'

‘Oh, I think you do.'

‘I am not a
Spitzel, Herr Kolonel
,' he put in quickly.

‘I know that. What do you suggest I do with you?'

‘Whatever you will,
Herr Kolonel
.'

‘It is evident you will be in danger if left in that hut, so I propose to move you to another barrack on the other side of the compound.'

‘Thank you,
Herr Kolonel
.'

‘Dismissed with a reprimand and four more days in the cooler.'

Karl saluted and was escorted back to his cell. On the way across the compound he saw Jean draw up at the gate in the pony and trap. He hesitated but then continued on his way. He did not think she had seen him, nor did he think he would be allowed to go back to the farm and the thought of that made him doubly miserable.

But on Sunday afternoon, he discovered he was wrong when Colonel Williamson sent for him again; apparently Miss Coleman had asked after him, wanting him back.