War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 325

Chapter 44: Tom

S

leep proved elusive. Despite being tired to the bone, Tom worried incessantly. It had been an irresponsible, reckless, and outright stupid move to smuggle Ursula into his quarters.

He shook his head at his own antics. He hadn’t survived the Luftwaffe lads wanting to shoot him down and the Gestapo by being reckless. Ken had seemed outright furious and Bronson… Bronson had laughed all the way back to his barracks over his lucky day.

Thinking things over with a clear mind, one thing was certain. They wouldn’t let him stay in Berlin. If they sent him back to England, he might never see Ursula again. That thought weighed heavily on his heart, but at the same time a doubt entered his mind.

She would be better off without him. She’d soon find herself a nice German man, marry, have more children and live happily ever after. His stomach churned at the thought of Ursula in the arms of another man, but he ignored it. He would sacrifice himself so that she could live a happy life without the challenges of loving a British serviceman.

When he finally fell into a fitful sleep, he had nightmares of another German prison in another time. Just as the Gestapo agent beat down on him with a lead pipe he raised his hands to protect his head and woke drenched in cold sweat. Sunlight streamed into his cell, moving his mind forward into the present. He pulled his knees up to his chest and concentrated on slowing his breathing down.

He’d been incredibly naïve where Ursula was concerned. Consumed with missing her, he’d never given a thought to how their relationship should work after the war. In his dreams, he’d find her, marry her and start a family. He hadn’t even considered the little detail of where they should live. Germany, England, in his dreams location didn’t matter. Neither did fraternization rules, hostilities or the shocked reactions of his parents.

In his dreams everything had been so easy. Inconsequential.

At noon someone entered the cell. It was Ken Blake. “I know you’re protecting this woman.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Will you please stop being a blockheaded bull and talk? Or do you want Bronson to get away with his baseless accusation?”

Tom shook his head. Should they court-martial him and send him behind bars for the rest of his life, it was for the best. As long as Ursula and Evie were kept out of this.

“Stubborn as a mule,” Ken mumbled and then said, “You have a visitor.”

“Me?” Tom expected Bronson to strut into the cell, basking in the glory of his victory. Maybe he’d at least find out why Bronson disliked him so much. But the small, blonde person stepping inside flipped his heart over.

“Ursula?” Tom completely forgot Ken’s presence and jumped up, hugging, kissing and caressing her. When he finally came to his senses, he took her shoulders and held her at arm’s length. “You shouldn’t have come here. I don’t want you to get into trouble.”

She smiled. “

You

are my trouble. If I didn’t love you so, everything would be so much easier.”

“You have to leave and forget about me. Return to Kleindorf and find yourself a nice man to help you raise Evie.”

Her eyes glazed over with tears and she whispered, “Don’t you love me anymore?”

“Of course, I love you. From the first moment I saw your blue eyes looking at me in that little cave in the wall I couldn’t get you out of my head. Our souls connected in that moment and that gave me the courage to return to you for help. Because I knew you had sensed the same thing.”

“Then, how can you want me to forget you?” A single tear slipped down her cheek, but he resisted the urge to kiss it away.

His voice dropped to the lowest of whispers. “It’s for the best. Believe me. We can never marry and have a family together. I’ll always have to hide you and Evie. Even if you think you are fine with being my mistress, think about how Evie would suffer if anyone knew she was mine. Don’t do this to her.”

“Things will change with time,” she said.

“Maybe not in our lifetimes.”

“I don’t care!” She pushed out her lower lip, expressing the unwavering determination he loved so much about her. He couldn’t bring himself to tell her to give up hope, slashing her heart the same way her tears had slashed his.

“Please, sweetheart—”

She put a finger to his lips. “I came here to convince you to tell them the truth about last night. Please don’t keep trying to protect me. I couldn’t live with the fact that you lost your military career because of me.”

“But—“

“No buts.” She looked around the cell, a teasing smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. “You really need a new hobby. It’s a very bad habit you’re developing of being accused of espionage.”

It wasn’t until someone cleared his throat that Tom remembered Ken’s presence.

“You’ve been arrested for spying before?” Ken asked, clutching his gun tighter.

Tom gave a dry laugh. “Courtesy of the Gestapo, who didn’t believe I was a simple downed airman, but that I was a spy for the British.”

“The Gestapo arrested you? How did you get out?” There was a trace of reverence in Ken’s voice.

“That’s a long story, but I was lucky and then Ursula hid me and smuggled me out of Germany.”

“You did that for him?” Ken asked and when she nodded, he looked utterly baffled, his entire belief system of good guys and bad guys being shattered to pieces. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Tom watched the door close and heard the key turn in the lock, then he pulled Ursula back into his arms. “I think he left us on purpose.”

“Corporal Blake is definitely a romantic,” Ursula said. “When I told him yesterday that we’ve loved each other for years, his eyes got a wistful expression.”

“He misses his wife and two daughters very much. But I never tagged him for playing Cupid.” Tom wasted no more time with words and ravaged Ursula’s mouth. He poured all his love, passion, desperation, need, worry, sorrow and relief into the kiss.

Metal clanged on metal – very loudly – and Tom ended the kiss just in time before the door opened and Ken stepped inside with his superior in tow. Ken grinned at the sight of the pink blush on Ursula’s cheeks and winked at Tom.

Ken’s boss said, “Squadron Leader Westlake, I’m sorry for the inconvenience caused. All charges have been dismissed, since it seems this was nothing but a misunderstanding. Please sign your release forms.”

Tom kept a straight face and answered, “Thank you, sir. I do understand that we have to be aware at all times and the threat of the Soviet Union can never be underestimated.”

“As for you, young lady,” the officer said. “I understand that you’ve been helping Corporal Blake to solve this case, therefore I won’t turn you over to the civilian authorities for infringing on residence law. But you need to leave Berlin and return to the American sector within twenty-four hours.”

“Thank you, sir.”

The officer left and Ken accompanied them to the gate, impressing upon them that Ursula was never to return to the base or even near the gate.

Tom asked for permission to escort her to the next bus stop and while they were waiting for the bus to arrive, he asked, “Where do we stand now?”

“At the bus stop.” Ursula giggled.

He playfully slapped her behind. “Cheeky woman! I meant when do we see each other again?”

“Tomorrow?”

Her joyful smile didn’t quite match his feelings of goodbye, and he gave her a suspicious glance. “You’re not genuinely planning to stay here as an illegal?”

“I’m not.” She burst out laughing and squeezed his hand. “Anna’s boss, Professor Scherer, has arranged a job for me as secretary at the American hospital in Berlin. As soon as I sign the papers this afternoon, I’ll receive my residence permit for Berlin.”

“This is wonderful!” Tom itched to swoop her into his arms, kiss her senseless and whirl her around until they both fell to the ground, breathless. But he resisted indulging in such a spectacle and squeezed her hand.

Just as the bus rolled toward the stop, they made plans to meet in front of the citadel in Spandau. It lay halfway between RAF Gatow and her building – and was a favorite place for lovers seeking an undisturbed spot on the bank of the Havel River.