“Oh no. Is it time?”
He tried to speak, failed, coughed. “Tuesday.”
“Oh, darling.” She rushed over and threw her arms around him.
He held her close and drank in the sweet smell of her hair.
“So soon?” Her voice muffled in his sweater.
“The sooner I go, the safer it’ll be.”
“I’ll miss you so much.”
“I’ll miss you too.” He stroked her back.
“So it’s ending here with the refugees?”
“Only one arrived today. We’ll send the last boatload tomorrow. Laila will be on that boat, and the Thorups.”
“The Thorups?”
He nodded, rubbing his cheek against her hair. “Too many people know what they’ve done. Too many people have heard of Lyd-af-Lys.”
“I suppose so.” Her voice sounded soft and sad.
Henrik drew a deep breath. “You’ll be on that boat too.”
“Me?” Else pulled back and stared at him. “I’m not leaving.”
“Sit down, please.”
“I’m not leaving.” She sat, and her eyebrows peaked.
Henrik swung a chair in front of her and took her hands. “With Dr. Wolff and Dr. Bohr gone, you no longer have work at the institute.”
“I know, but—”
“And you’ve been compromised. That German physicist saw you mimeographing.”
Else’s jaw dropped. “Laila told you?”
Henrik measured out his tone. “I wish you had.”
Her fingers twitched in his. “I didn’t want you to worry, and it isn’t a problem. I reminded Gebhardt how many Jews are in our field. He’d destroy his career if he turned me in. He won’t take that risk.”
“I don’t trust him. Not with your life.”
Else tucked in her lips and glanced away.
“Please,” he said. “Between helping the Jews and printing the paper, you’d be in serious trouble if caught.”
“I don’t want to leave.” Her cheeks turned red and puckered. “I don’t want to be so far from you.”
“We can’t see each other anyway.”
“I know, but—”
“If you stayed, you could compromise me.”
