Northern Girl by Fadette Marie Marcelle Cripps Page A

had been bombed, who had been caught fraternizing with the Germans, and how no one seemed to care that Boulogne had been reduced to nothing more than a pile of burnt stones.
    Listening to these dismal conversations brought out Madeleine’s natural mischievousness, and on one occasion, unable to resist winding the old ladies up, she nudged Nicole before eating her slice of chocolate gateau with loud cries and gasps of ecstasy. The resulting disapproval made the two girls collapse with laughter.
    Madeleine and Nicole talked endlessly, about many things, but Nicole never said much about her family, and Madeleine didn’t ask. All she knew was that Nicole lived nearby with her mother, Ginette Jobert.
    They did, however, discuss their schools, and tell each other stories about their childhoods – another source of much hilarity. So it was an uncharacteristically solemn moment when Madeleine discovered that Nicole’s father had left her mother some time ago, for another woman. But Nicole didn’t dwell on the subject, andMadeleine didn’t press her, sensing that her friend didn’t want to discuss it in any detail.
    Madeleine had such warm memories of Nicole, and whenever she thought about how quickly their friendship had ended she felt a confused anger towards Martine which saddened her.
    Martine had never said why she’d done it, nor had she explained why she’d reacted so violently at the very mention of the boulangerie . It still irked and puzzled Madeleine. ‘Why do you need to go there?’ Martine had snapped, after finding out about Madeleine’s visits. ‘It’s easy enough to make coffee here in the apartment. And besides, what about all this studying you’re supposed to be doing?’ She’d gestured at the books and papers lying around the flat. ‘Surely the best time to do it is while Simone and I are out at work?’
    Madeleine, shocked and hurt, had said, ‘So you want me to study all day?
    ‘Of course I don’t expect you to stay in all the time. But I don’t want you sitting in that café, either.’ Then she’d added, almost as an afterthought, ‘And, besides, the boulangerie is too far from the bomb shelter. What if the sirens go off? Where would you go?’
    ‘I’d just follow the others to their shelter, of course!’ Madeleine had retorted, finding it hard to believe that Martine would say anything so ridiculous.
    Madeleine decided that she was going to go on seeing Nicole. And so she continued to do so, not caring whether there was an air raid or not. Things were quiet for a while after that, so Madeleine assumed thatMartine thought she’d successfully put her off going to the boulangerie . Martine didn’t bring up the subject again, which made it easier for Madeleine to go on dropping in there: she didn’t have to lie.
    On later trips to Boulogne, Madeleine always visited Nicole in the mornings, making a special effort to concentrate on her studies and her sewing in the afternoons; and because Martine saw Madeleine’s work progressing, she became relaxed and even-tempered. At least until a little later, when Madeleine – convinced that if Martine met Nicole she would like her – plucked up the courage to ask if she could invite her friend to dinner one evening.
    Madeleine nearly jumped through the ceiling when Martine turned, with a look like thunder, and shouted – actually shouted – in disbelief, ‘You mean the girl from the boulangerie ?’
    ‘Yes,’ Madeleine answered.
    Martine yelled, ‘No, she can’t come here!’ And refused to explain why.
    Totally dumbfounded, Madeleine was about to speak when Martine said, ‘Are you telling me that you’ve been going there all this time, behind my back?’
    Madeleine’s stunned silence answered the question.
    ‘Well, it’s obvious that I can’t trust you!’ Martine said. ‘I asked you not to go there for your own good.’ Then, after hesitating, she asked, never taking her eyes from Madeleine’s face, ‘Have you been to her