Peggy and Jennie were fighters for the Resistance during the Second World War. I heard this story through my grandmother who knew one of them later.
Peggy was brought up in America, of a French mother and American father. She always spoke French at home and was completely bilingual. She had chestnut hair from her dad and smokin' good looks from her mum. Her hair was side parted in long waves down to her shoulders in 1940s style. She was a striking 5'7". And around 1944, she was used by the US in the Resistance to gather information for the Normandy landings. For that exercise, she was joined by a Scottish girl - Jennie - who also fed back to the British forces. Jennie had waves of long black hair, turquoise eyes and a luminous skin tone. Both were astonishingly beautiful. But both were killers - deadly shots. And that was the only weapon they used.
Because Jennie had no back story, she had to be concealed in Peggy's home in the French village. She hid in the basement and joined Peggy for raids and missions. It had been a gruesome week. They had to torture a German commandant for information before killing him and getting rid of the body. But the information was valuable so the mission was a success.
Late that evening, Peggy came down to Jennie in the basement. It was an evening of celebration. But rations were spare and the tray of food modest. What Peggy did bring down though, was a precious bottle of absinthe. They sat in their nightdresses, wearing cardigans against the cold. Jennie had put on silk stockings for the occasion, but Peggy was bare legged.
The girls eat and drink. And drink. And talk about their lives before the war and their hopes after the war. And drink. As the evening wore on, it became late. But neither wanted it to end. Instead, a silence fell on their conversation and obviously each was in deep thought.
Eventually, Jennie broke the silence.
"What are you thinking, Peggy?" Jennie looked up and into Peggy's eyes.
Peggy looked back.
