The Hesitant Hero Read online

  Everybody got out of the car, and Rousseau opened the trunk.

  Tyler opened his billfold and offered him some money.

  “No, no, no. You may need your money.”

  “Thank you, Monsieur Rousseau,” Jolie said. “May God bless you for your kindness.”

  Rousseau stared at her for a moment and then a smile broke the craggy features of his face. “And may God bless you, mademoiselle.”

  He got in the car then and pulled away quickly.

  “I think he’s a good man, but he’s afraid,” Jolie said.

  “Well, he’s like an angel to us.”

  “He didn’t look like an angel,” Yolande said, looking up. She grabbed onto Tyler’s hand, her eyes wide. “He didn’t have any wings.”

  “Not all angels have wings, Yolande.”

  “What do they have, then?”

  He winked at her. “Come on. I’ll tell you what angels look like while we’re waiting.”

  “Tell me, please.”

  Jolie went to check on the train schedule while Yolande and the other two children sat listening to Tyler concoct stories about the appearance of angels. He felt the fragile spirit of the little girl and was moved and very glad that he had returned to her and the others instead of running away.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Stuck in Nevers

  When the group was finally settled on the train coming from Italy, Tyler and Jolie fervently hoped it would take them all the way to Paris. They had never dreamed it could take so long to cross the country. They hadn’t been under way long when the train stopped in Nevers.

  Jolie looked at Tyler and sighed. “What now?” she asked.

  He shrugged his shoulders and tried to smile.

  She caught the arm of an employee of the railroad who was walking swiftly through the car and asked him how long they would be there.

  “I cannot say, mademoiselle. The engine has developed a problem. I’m sure it will be at least a couple of hours, or it may even be morning before it is repaired. You’re welcome to stay on the train, though, if you’d like.”

  “We may as well get off and stretch our legs—maybe find some food too,” she told Tyler. “There’s no use waiting here.”

  “I think you’re right. And maybe we can hear some news while we’re here.”

  The troublesome affair of getting off the train and keeping all the children together in the midst of all of the confusion took some time. They made their way to the platform with Jolie leading the way, pushing through the soldiers who covered the area. Some of them were laughing, but others looked totally exhausted as they sat on the dirty asphalt, resting their backs against supports or the wall of the station.

  The streets were packed with trucks, military equipment, and even some horse-drawn guns. All around them the sound of heavy equipment moving through the streets drowned out the voices.

  “Let’s go see if we can find a restaurant that’s open,” Tyler suggested. “I’m sure it’ll be crowded, but maybe we can get something.”

  Indeed, the town of Nevers was packed. They gave up on two restaurants that had long lines winding out the door but finally found one on the outskirts of town that was not completely filled. They went inside and seated themselves at the one remaining table. The waiter, a small, sad-eyed man with a dirty white apron, said, “We have roast beef sandwiches and potatoes. That is all.”

  “Looks like business is good,” Tyler offered, looking around at the crowd. “Is there any news on the radio?”

  “Yes—all bad.” The man turned and left.

  As they waited Rochelle said, “What if the train won’t go? What will we do then?”

  “It will go sooner or later,” Tyler reassured her. “If this engine can’t be fixed, they’ll use another one.” He saw that the young girl was troubled and reached over and touched her shoulder. “Try not to worry.”

  After they had all eaten their fill, they took their time going back to the train station, pausing to look in every shop window to kill some time. They got back to the train station and strolled through the area, reading every poster they could find and making up stories about all the people they were encountering. After a time they grew bored with their games and got back on the train.

  “We might as well make ourselves comfortable,” Jolie said. It was easier to do now, since most of the other people hadn’t yet returned to the train.

  The engine still wasn’t fixed as night fell, so they did their best to settle in and made the most of it.

  ****

  “Where’s Damien?” Jolie asked. The group had descended from the train at the first light of dawn and found an outside faucet where they could wash up. After being assured that they had enough time to get some breakfast, they had gone back to the same restaurant where they had dined the day before and had a scanty breakfast of porridge and eggs.

  “Damien? Why, he was here a minute ago,” Tyler said. They were back at the train station, and now Tyler looked around with annoyance. “I’ll go see if I can find him.”

  “You’d better hurry. I think the train is going to leave soon.” Worry lines were forming on Jolie’s forehead. “I’ll try to find out while you’re looking.”

  Jolie herded the children down toward the front of the train and stopped one of the employees. “The repair is almost finished, madame,” the railroad worker said. He was covered with grease, and his eyes were weary with strain. “Do not go too far. There will be three blasts. When you hear them, it’s time to get on the train.”

  “Merci beaucoup.”

  Jolie and the children found a bench near their car and waited for Tyler. Ten minutes went by, and then twenty, before Tyler returned.

  “Hasn’t he come back yet?”

  “No. You didn’t find him?”

  “I’ve looked everywhere!” Tyler exclaimed. “I don’t know where else he could be.”

  “You watch the children. I’ll go look.”

  Jolie walked to the other end of the train, her eyes searching the crowd. It was difficult to find anyone, for the area was filled with military personnel. Civilians waiting for the train to leave were now getting on board, and she began to be concerned. She went into the station office and asked if anyone had seen a young boy alone, but the stationmaster shook his head. “No. He has not been reported, I’m afraid.”

  Making her way back to where Tyler waited, she said, “I can’t find him anywhere.”

  Tyler chewed his lower lip. “The train is going to pull out pretty soon.”

  “We won’t leave him, will we?” Yolande asked anxiously. “We can’t leave Damien here.”

  “If we miss this train, there may not be another one,” Tyler said. “Why did that boy have to get himself lost?”

  “I’ll go look one more time.”

  Jolie once again hurried through the crowd, calling out the boy’s name. Her voice could hardly be heard above the roar of the vehicles that passed on the street beside the station. Remembering how Damien loved to watch the armored cars and tanks, she went out into the street. There was a steady stream of military vehicles all headed in the direction of Paris but no sign of Damien.

  She turned abruptly to look in the other direction when she practically ran into a man that she knew. Louis Debreaux was an old acquaintance from her own hometown. He had left the village when he was only seventeen and had become a reporter for a Paris newspaper.

  “Louis,” she said and saw surprise wash across his face.

  “Why, Jolie! What in the world are you doing here?”

  “I’m trying to get some children to the coast and then to England.”

  “Well, you’d better get them out at once. Things are going to pieces.”

  “Where are the Germans, Louis?”

  “They’re across the Marne.”

  “What about our troops? Are they holding?”

  “No, they’re not. They’re running away as fast as they can.” Anger and grief were etched on his face. “It’s all ov
er. You know that the Italians are coming up from the south now.”

  “I heard they declared war.”

  “That’s right. You shouldn’t be here. There’s no telling when the Germans will come this way, but I have to believe it won’t be long.”

  “What about you?”

  Debreaux shrugged his shoulders. “Somebody has to write up the stories so other people can read them, and that somebody would be me. You say you’re heading to the coast. You weren’t planning to go through Paris, were you?”

  “We were, but maybe we need to change our plans. We were hoping to cross the Channel from Le Havre. The Germans shouldn’t be in Normandy.”

  “You’re wrong there. They’re going to take over the whole coastline,” Debreaux said bitterly. “Look, we’re getting out of here,” he said, indicating another man who was leaning against a nearby car. “You’d better come with us.”

  “I can’t do that, Louis. I’ve got those three children.”

  “We could crowd you all in somehow.”

  “But you’re not going to the coast, are you?”

  He shook his head.

  “I’ve got to get these children out of France. That’s all I care about right now.”

  Debreaux grinned. He was worried, dirty, and had not shaved in three days, but he gave a short laugh. “You always were the most stubborn woman I’ve ever known. Do you remember when I tried to get you to go out with me and you resisted my charm?”

  “That was my mistake.”

  “Too late to make up now.” The words were light, but Louis Debreaux was concerned. “The situation is going to be bad,” he said quietly.

  “And to make it worse, these are Jewish orphans I’m trying to get to England.”

  “Oh, that is a bad one. I wish I could help somehow. Do you need money?”

  “No, we’re fine.”

  “God go with you and the children.”

  Turning away from Debreaux, Jolie made her way back to the bench where Tyler and the children waited. She had hoped desperately that Damien had found his way back, but he was still gone. She opened her mouth to speak, but even as she did, the train gave three piercing blasts.

  “You didn’t find him?” Tyler asked.

  “No.”

  The two stood there uncertainly as the other passengers hurried to get aboard. Jolie was afraid that Tyler might insist on leaving. Perhaps it would be the wisest thing to do. At least they could save two of the children.

  “Well, when this train clears out, there won’t be so many people to search through. We’ll get the next train.”

  If the children hadn’t been listening, Jolie would have said, There may not be a next train. Instead, she said brightly, “All right. That sounds like a good idea.”

  But when the train departed, they searched the entire area again and could find no sign of Damien.

  They inquired about the next train, and the stationmaster said, “Tomorrow—perhaps.”

  They had to be content with the unsatisfactory answer. “I think we might be able to find a room now,” Tyler said quietly.

  “Yes, we’d better try. The children have to have some rest.”

  There was a hotel almost directly across from the train station, and fortunately there were two rooms available. After carrying the girls’ suitcase to their room, Tyler said, “I’m going to get some paper and write some notices asking people to keep an eye out for a lost boy.”

  “Be sure to put the name of this hotel and our room number on there so that if Damien sees it, he can find us.”

  “That’s a good idea.” He hesitated for a moment, then said, “This is pretty bad, Jolie.”

  “I know.”

  “I wish my folks knew about the whole situation. I always went to them every time I was in trouble, and they’d pray me out of it.”

  “I’m sure Maman is praying for us already. And we need to pray too.”

  “From the looks of things, we’re going to need all the prayer we can get.”

  ****

  At first light in the morning, Jolie got ready to go out again in search of Damien.

  “You ought to let me go,” Tyler argued.

  “You stay here with the children. I’m too nervous to sit still. I’ll come back as soon as I’ve found out something.”

  “Stop by the station and see if you can find out about the next train. If we find Damien, we’ll need to be on it.”

  ****

  The next twenty-four hours passed slowly. Jolie and Tyler took turns roaming the station and going through the town asking everyone they encountered if they had seen a small redheaded boy. They got no response at all, and the train came through and left without them. Neither of them spoke of missing the train, but at the back of their minds was the knowledge that sooner or later they would have to make a decision. The news was all bad. More than one person on the street informed them the Germans were sweeping toward Paris at an incredible speed.

  Evening came, and they went again to the same restaurant. After dinner, as they were approaching their hotel, Rochelle cried out, “Look, there’s Damien!”

  The boy was walking beside an older woman who was carrying a baby. “Damien!” Jolie called as she ran ahead. “Where have you been? We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”

  Damien’s clothes were filthy and dirt was ground into his face, but he seemed all right otherwise. “I got lost,” he said. “One of the soldiers took me for a ride in a tank. I got to ride in a tank!” he exclaimed.

  Jolie’s eyes went to the frail-looking woman, who appeared to be in her sixties, standing beside him. Her clothes were worn and the marks of poverty etched her face. She looked weary beyond belief.

  “This is Madame Florin,” he said. She nodded her head at them.

  “When the ride in the tank was over, I didn’t know where I was, and Madame Florin took me into her house. I was so hungry,” Damien said. He patted the baby’s head. “This is Marie. Marie Rousset.”

  “Come inside,” Jolie said, seeing that the woman seemed almost ready to fall down. “Let me take the baby. You look exhausted.”

  “We walked all the way in from the farm,” Damien announced.

  “You are a naughty boy to run away like that,” Rochelle scolded. She was relieved to see her friend, but irritation was sharp in her voice. “We missed the train because of you, and we’ve all been worried about where you were.”

  Damien looked at his shoes and mumbled, “I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you worried.”

  “I know, Damien,” Jolie said, patting the boy’s shoulder. “We were worried, but everything is fine now that you’re here and you’re safe and sound.” She turned to the old woman. “Would you let me carry the baby for you?” The woman looked too weak to support her own weight, much less the baby’s.

  The woman nodded, looking grateful, and handed over the child.

  The group trooped into the hotel and up to the second floor and then waited at the top while the woman slowly climbed. When she reached the top, she coughed vigorously and took several deep breaths. They all went to Jolie’s room, and she invited the older woman to sit down. “We have some food here, and we can get milk or wine perhaps.”

  “No, please,” the woman said. “I’m not hungry.” She licked her lips and looked around at the room. “Damien says you are taking these children to England?”

  “Yes, that’s right.”

  “Please take Marie with you.”

  Instantly Jolie knew that she must cut this short. “Why would you ask us to do that?”

  “She has no family. Her mother is dead. The father, no one ever knew who he was.”

  “Is she related to you?” Tyler asked.

  “No, I live alone, and I cannot take care of her. What is she to do? Please take her with you,” she pleaded. The woman dug into her bulging oversized pocket and pulled out a bottle and two cans of milk. She extended the items toward Jolie, her eyes imploring her.

  “She’s an o
rphan like we are,” Damien told them. “She doesn’t take up much room.”

  Jolie was almost panicked, and she saw that Tyler was dumbfounded. Jolie took the milk and bottle. “Everyone sit down. We will talk.”

  After everyone was settled, Jolie asked the woman to take her time and tell her story.

  “The baby’s mother lived with her family on the farm next to ours. She was a wild young girl, I’m afraid, and she became pregnant.” The woman pulled a hankie from her sleeve and coughed into it. “When her family grew frightened with the prospect of war, they decided to get out of the country and move in with relatives, but the girl refused to leave the area, since the baby’s father apparently lives near here.”

  Rochelle’s eyes were wide as she took the story in.

  “When the child was born, the girl tried to take care of her, but because she was too weak she asked me to take her. The girl died last week.” The woman’s eyes looked sad. “I cannot keep the baby. I am very ill.”

  Jolie had already ascertained that. Based on what she’d seen, she guessed the woman might have tuberculosis. Jolie could only hope and pray the woman had taken precautions so the baby and Damien wouldn’t catch it.

  “Surely there must be someone. Does she have any family at all?”

  “No, madame. No family. Please take her to England with you. She’s only two months old.”

  “I will take care of her,” Rochelle said quickly. “Please, mademoiselle, we cannot leave her here to die.”

  “I must speak with Monsieur Winslow,” Jolie said. “Come outside with me, please.”

  The two left the room, and as soon as the door closed, Jolie said, “This is terrible.”

  “We’ll take her with us,” Tyler said firmly. “There’s no other choice.”

  Everything that Jolie had thought about Tyler Winslow suddenly flew out the window. She had been certain that he, of all the men she’d ever known, would be the least likely to take responsibility for an infant under such terrible circumstances.

  “Do you know anything about caring for babies? Do you understand the difficulties you’ll encounter?”

  He shrugged. “If God can get three children out of the country, He can get four.”