Page 140 of The Last Library of Paris

‘Yes.’ He sighed. ‘I just needed to see for myself.’ His voice shook, but he kept looking up. ‘It seems Frances was right. I’ve been a fool.’

I reached out and touched his arm briefly. ‘We’ve all made mistakes.’

Together we left everything as we’d found it and – carefully – let ourselves out into the street. We locked the door then we walked back to the library. Guy took us a longer way back, which meant we didn’t have to walk past the building opposite. We came down the other end of the road, and then he led me through a metal gate into a narrow passage, past some bins, through another gate marked ‘entrée interdite’ – no entry – which Guy ignored. Eventually we came out into the library’s courtyard.

I was impressed and I said so.

‘Alain knows every short cut,’ Guy said, unsmiling.

We let ourselves back into the library, and I pulled the headscarf off and straightened my wig. Down in the basement, everyone was almost ready to go.

‘Where have you been?’ Archie asked me.

‘Just helping Guy with something,’ I said. ‘He’s going to come to Lisbon with us.’

Frances caught my eye and nodded. ‘That’s a good idea,’ she said. She put her hand on Guy’s arm. ‘I’m glad.’

He didn’t reply.

‘Are we all set?’ Archie said. He cast an eye round the room. ‘I can’t see anything that would alert Nazis to anyone having been living here.’

‘No, all clear,’ agreed Henry.

‘Guy and I saw a couple of Germans outside,’ I told everyone. ‘They had plans I think, and they were looking at the library building. Are there Nazi architects?’

‘They have every kind of expert you can imagine,’ said Archie. ‘I don’t doubt they have architects too.’

‘We should be cautious as we leave,’ Henry said. ‘If there are Germans around.’

‘Guy knows a back way,’ I said. ‘You can lead the way, can’t you, Guy?’

He nodded.

‘Then let’s go,’ said Archie.

But as we all readied ourselves to leave, there were voices above and we heard the door down to the cellar open. We froze and, directed by Archie, shuffled backwards into the room, and shut the door.

Archie and Henry stood either side of the room, their guns trained on the door. I stood in between them doing the same. Lara took charge of the others, putting her finger to her lips and standing with them in a huddle.

We heard German voices, a bit of banging and chinking of glass. I listened intently, but I had no idea what was going on, until eventually the voices faded back up the stairs. I looked at Archie who held his hand up, telling us all to wait.

It felt like forever, but eventually he was satisfied everyone was gone. Slowly, he opened the door. There, stacked neatly at the bottom of the stairs were about five or six crates, each containing several bottles.

‘Wine,’ said Frances in disgust. ‘It’s wine.’

‘Getting ready for the officials, I suppose,’ I said. ‘For their parties.’

Sylvie snorted. ‘People are starving and they are drinking wine.’

‘Sickening,’ Frances agreed.

Sylvie took one of the bottles out and peered at the label. Archie took it from her and put it back in the crate.

‘We need to go,’ he said.

In single file, with Archie at the helm, we tiptoed up the stone steps to the library. Archie turned the handle and nothing happened.

‘It’s stuck,’ he said.