The Nightingale
by Hannah, Kristin
Contents
Chapter 27
Overview
Vianne and Gaëtan reach the border with Isabelle hidden in a coffin, and Gaëtan reveals both his willingness to kill to protect Isabelle and his love for her, raising the stakes for everyone who knows their real identities. Back home, the SS interrogate Vianne about Beck’s disappearance, and Sturmbannführer Von Richter decides to billet in her house, replacing Beck with a more dangerous presence. Vianne witnesses deportations expanding to French-born Jews and tightens the “Daniel” cover story for Ari, knowing a single mistake could doom them all.
Summary
Vianne rides with Gaëtan through dark, rainy woods toward the border, the coffin holding Isabelle thumping behind them. Gaëtan explains his plan to pass as a grieving brother transporting his “sister” for burial and implies he will kill rather than let anyone discover Isabelle alive. As they wait near the lights, Vianne confides the sisters’ childhood wounds and warns Gaëtan not to hurt Isabelle; Gaëtan admits he loves Isabelle but hopes Isabelle does not know, and he urges Vianne to stay brave when the Nazis come asking questions.
Inside the coffin, Isabelle drifts through feverish dreams of fire and ice and hears Gaëtan’s voice calling her to wake. Half-awake, she feels his cool touch and a kiss that seems real, then turns away, too exhausted and guarded to plead for love again.
Back at Le Jardin, Vianne sits in Beck’s former room, forcing herself not to mourn as she waits for inevitable consequences after killing him. She rehearses options—reporting Beck missing, waiting, running—while Sophie quietly prepares for the plan: if Vianne is taken, the children will wait three days and then go to Mother Marie-Therese at the convent.
SS soldiers arrive, search the house, and question who is upstairs. Vianne claims the upstairs noises are her children and frightens the Germans away from lingering by saying the baby is ill with influenza or tuberculosis. The SS take Vianne to the town hall, where Sturmbannführer Von Richter gropes her during a “weapons” search and interrogates her about Beck’s disappearance; Vianne lies that Beck left in a rage after saying he knew where the downed airman was hiding. Von Richter dismisses Beck as incompetent and announces he will move into Vianne’s home.
Leaving the town hall, Vianne witnesses Jews being seized in the square, including Madame Fournier, and hears a gendarme, Paul, insist that birthplace does not matter as he forces her French-born son, Gilles, to go too. Shaken, Vianne returns home, tells Sophie that a new German officer is coming and that deportations now include French-born Jewish children, and reinforces that Ari must be “Daniel,” their adopted son from Nice, without any mistakes. Von Richter arrives immediately, insults Vianne, orders Sophie to fetch his bags, and demands a tour so he can choose his room.
Who Appears
- Vianne MauriacHides Ari as “Daniel,” covers Beck’s death, faces SS interrogation, and endures Von Richter billeting.
- Sturmbannführer Von RichterSS officer who interrogates and harasses Vianne, then installs himself in her house.
- GaëtanResistance ally transporting Isabelle in a coffin; admits he loves her and will protect her violently.
- Isabelle RossignolWounded in a coffin; fever-dreams Gaëtan’s presence and briefly feels his care and kiss.
- Sophie MauriacVianne’s daughter; helps hide Ari, prepares contingency plan if Vianne is arrested.
- Ari ("Daniel")Jewish child living as Vianne’s adopted son; cover story tightened as deportations worsen.
- Madame FournierButcher’s wife arrested in the square during Jewish roundups.
- Gilles FournierMadame Fournier’s French-born son; forced toward deportation despite Vianne’s protest.
- PaulFrench gendarme who enforces deportations and rebuffs Vianne’s appeal to shared citizenship.
- Mother Marie-ThereseConvent contact; Sophie’s planned refuge if Vianne is taken.
- Hauptmann BeckDead German officer whose disappearance triggers SS questioning and replacement by Von Richter.