That’s what she could do.
Ivy gathered the papers from the floor and stacked them on the desk. Poor Aunt Ruby would have to straighten the mess when she arrived.
Aunt Ruby! Ivy pulled in a breath of refreshing air. Her aunt might be able to help in some way, get a message to someone.
“Joan!” Ivy grabbed a piece of paper and ran to the supply room.The shattered medicine bottles needed to be replaced. If Aunt Ruby went to the chemist’s to make a purchase, she could also deliver a message.
Ivy plucked out shards of glass, read the labels, and wrote down the contents. Then she scooped up tablets and brushed them off. Before the occupation, she would have thrown them away, but not now. Not when these might be the last medications she’d have until liberation.
The front door opened, and feminine footsteps came down the hall. “What on earth?” Aunt Ruby cried. “Ivy? Are you all right?”
Ivy set a handful of tablets on the shelf and joined her aunt. The horror of the morning and her relief at seeing Aunt Ruby jumbled together. “The field police came searching for Charlie. He tried to escape by boat last night, and the Germans shot and injured him.”
“No!” Aunt Ruby collapsed into her chair.
“He evaded arrest somehow. They don’t know where he is. Neither do I. He didn’t come here.” Ivy’s voice cracked, and she sank to her knees on the wooden floor.
Aunt Ruby fumbled for Ivy’s hand. “Poor Charlie.”
Ivy squeezed her aunt’s hand. “They may search your home. Do you have any contraband? Do you need to warn Uncle Leo?”
“No, no.” She gasped. “Arthur! His wireless.”
And Bernardus and Gerrit and the mapmaking materials. “I need your help to send him a mess—”
“I’ll go straightaway.”
“No, the Germans will follow you. They’re watching the house. I have another idea.” Ivy pushed to standing. “They made a mess in the supply room, broke medicine bottles. I’ll send you to Carter’s Chemist’s with a list. If the Germans follow you, you’ll have an excuse.”
“All right.” Aunt Ruby followed Ivy to the supply room.
“Take the list to Miss de Ferrers. Many of the medicines will be out of stock, but it’ll give you a reason to talk to her.” Ivy resumed sorting through the broken glass for labels. “I have a message forMiss de Ferrers. You must wait until no one else is around, and you must repeat it word for word.”
“Oh my. This sounds rather hush-hush.”
“Tell her I need a prescription filled for Arthur Jouny for fifty grains of aspirin.”
“Fifty grains? You mean five.”
“Fifty. You must say fifty.” Ivy scribbled another medication on her list. “If Miss de Ferrers corrects you, as she will, say Dr. Picot insists on fifty grains.”
“Is that some sort of—”
“Please don’t ask questions.” Ivy wrote down one more medication, stood, and handed her aunt the list. “Go now and quickly.”
“Not too quickly, or I’ll look suspicious.” Aunt Ruby’s brown eyes widened behind her glasses. “Fifty grains of aspirin for Arthur Jouny.”
“Yes.” Ivy pecked her on the cheek. “Thank you. Be careful.”
“I will.” She frowned at the mess. “Then I’ll come back and clean.”
After Aunt Ruby left, Ivy took a deep breath. What next? Patients could arrive within the hour.
Her office, overlooking the street, was strewn with papers and folders that would take hours to sort.
She sighed and checked the first examination room, where she’d see patients, her top priority. Cupboards and drawers had been emptied, and she gathered supplies from the floor and tucked them out of sight. She’d set them to rights later.
“Ivy? Ivy, are you all right?”
