I am rewriting parts of The Roads to Freedom

The ending will change as Mathieu survives the war

When the church tower is shelled the bell falls over him

He is injured and rendered unconscious

And is not found by the Germans who search the ruins

Later he is found quite by accident by the villagers

Who tend to his wounds and months later send him to England

 

He works with the Free French and stays in London

But is unable to fight again because of his injuries

His survival troubles him as he considers that he should have died

But he is consoled by the fact that he is doing his bit for France

During his time in London he runs into Ivich and they conduct a brief affair

But he is no longer in love with her and the affair fizzles out even though they remain friends

 

Mathieu returns to Paris in late 1944 and finds his old apartment free

He is asked to teach again and begins to move in his previous circles

Although not all of its members have survived the war a notable death is that of Daniel

Who he finds had committed suicide two years previously after finding out that has a serious disease

About a year later on a railway station in the suburbs of Paris he bumps into Irene

 

And that is as far as I have got

It is good very good Anna

Will you publish these notes

It will be a pleasure to do so

 

I am so glad that you have returned Outlaw

I am glad to be back

Anna will be so excited when she hears the news

Where is she

She is in Dover with Jasmine Tea

Did you write that part of this fiction Anna

I am afraid that I did

You do not mind do you

No not a bit

I encourage you to write

There is a freshness to your work

 

Is this beach furniture new

Yes

Do you like them

Very much as there is more space

I do not remember writing about this furniture

That is because Anna wrote about them when you were away