“I have my suspicions,” I muttered, picking up a box of flour and adding it to my cart. Avril cleared her throat, and I looked back to find her gaze troubled.
“I’ve told everyone it couldn’t possibly be true,” she blurted. “But people are talking about you and Jürgen. Lizzie Miller said that you and Jürgen were members of the Nazi party. I only hope that the German women haven’t heard such vicious lies, but being married to Calvin, her words do carry some extra weight.” I was so shocked, I found myself momentarily lost for words. “There was more, but it’s too terrible to say.”
“Please tell me,” I said weakly. “I’d rather just know.”
“She said that Jürgen may have been in the SS—that he even ran some kind of terrible camp.”
My breath hitched in my throat. I forced myself to keep walking, but my every instinct was to leave the store and run. Not from Avril, but from my past. Avril was watching me closely, and I realized I had to say something. I drew in a breath.
“Early in the Nazi years, Jürgen and I decided to flee,” I began softly. “We were going to take our family and escape. They had a listening device in our home, overheard our plan, and took Jürgen in the middle of the night.” Avril covered her mouth with her hand as she gasped in shock. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for us, Avril. We made some mistakes, and I wish with all my heart that we had done more. But our situation was far from simple, and at the time, we did the best we could. I just want you to understand that those men controlled every aspect of our lives.”
“I’m so sorry, Sofie,” she said sadly. “It sounds like you and Jürgen have been to hell and back.” She cleared her throat delicately. “So…there’s no truth to the rumors, then?”
An instinct sounded. Why was she pressing this when I was clearly not ready to discuss it? I had only known Avril for a few weeks. She’d been so kind in that time, but we were a long way from the kind of trusted relationship where I could share Jürgen’s secrets with her. I decided I’d neither admit to anything, nor would I lie. That only left me with the option to flatter her and try to deflect.
“I’m so grateful for your friendship,” I said honestly. “I really don’t know what I’d have done without you.”
“Don’t you even mention it,” she said. “You know I just love to chat with you and to hear about your life. I just want you to be happy here.”
“I will be happy in time. I’ll make this work, one way or another, because this country is our home now. Besides, there’s no option to go back to Germany even if things are tricky here at times.” She gave me a questioning look, and I laughed uneasily, kicking myself for what I’d almost given away. Jürgen couldn’t leave, because if he did, he’d likely be arrested. “I just meant Jürgen won’t leave, and I won’t leave without him.” We continued along the aisles, and after a moment, I turned to her and asked carefully, “Did you say Lizzie Miller is telling people these things?”
I was still convinced that visit from the police was her doing. She had no idea what a nighttime visit from a police officer would trigger in me or Jürgen. I might need to build bridges with just about everyone else in town, but I’d be staying well away from that woman.
“I’m afraid so,” Avril said. “Lizzie is ruthless, absolutely ruthless. It’s just such a shame that she’s so influential with the American wives. I’m sure you noticed she’s a lot younger than Calvin.”
“I don’t pay too much attention to that kind of thing.”
“When I first met her, she told me she’d only started dating Calvin because she wanted him to help her brother and she only married him because she was struggling and he was wealthy. She’s the kind of woman who doesn’t even think twice about using people to get what she wants.” Avril shrugged. “I mean, she nearly had a stroke when I mentioned I’d been to your house.”
“I do hope I haven’t caused you trouble.”
“Oh goodness, Sofie, not at all. I’m just worried about you. I don’t even care how often she asks me not to speak to you anymore—we’re friends now,” Avril said, beaming. That gave me pause.
“She asked you not to speak to me?”
“I paid no mind at all—don’t you worry. Lizzie is just that kind of woman,” Avril said dismissively. “The only thing is… Huntsville isn’t a very big place, and the rocket program is an even smaller community. I’d hate it if that kind of bad blood spilled over to Jürgen and Calvin.”