Page 13 of Shadows In Paris
Lizzie wiped her eyes on her cuff, and Jack produced a handkerchief from his pocket and offered it to her with a flourish.
‘Thank you,’ she said, sniffing and dabbing her eyes. ‘I don’t know what came over me. Life can be so sad, it gets to you after a while, doesn’t it?’
‘It does indeed. I try not to think about the dark side of war too much, and just stay focused on the things we can do, but it’s not always as simple as that.’
‘Do the French veterans have people to help them with those things you mentioned?’
Jack’s face softened, and Lizzie saw the compassion shining in his dark eyes. ‘Yes, of course they do, darling. They are the ones who were rescued at Dunkirk, so I’m sure they count their lucky stars they’re not rotting in a prison or labour camp.’
Lizzie’s eyes brightened and her sadness lifted. ‘Where will I say this nursing home is, then? I’d like to tell my family this evening if I can, so they have time to get used to the idea of me leaving again. They’ve been through a lot.’
Jack stood and walked over to the wall and pointed to the large map. ‘Here, tell them you’ll be based in a lovely old rambling country house in Oxfordshire, on the outskirts of Henley-on-Thames.’
‘Has the army requisitioned it?’ Lizzie asked, feeling her way into the cover story.
Jack nodded. ‘Say you can’t give them details as it’s safer to keep the exact location a secret, but you’ll write to them whilst you’re away.’
‘It sounds almost like a holiday. I sort of wish I was really going.’
‘Henley-on-Thames is a beautiful town. I promise I’ll take you when this is all over.’
‘You have a lot of promises to keep, Raven. You said we’ll go to France when the war is over too.’
‘I intend to keep all my promises, so you can look forward to lots of trips in the future.’
Lizzie beamed up at him. ‘I’m going to miss you so much,’ she said.
‘I’ll miss you too. Let’s not think about it now. We have until the end of next week together, so let’s make the most of it. In fact, let’s take a walk now. It’s work related, but I think you will love it.’
Lizzie and Jack strode at a fast pace along Baker Street, Lizzie doing her best to keep up with him, and Jack slowing as he remembered how fast he moved.
As they walked, they turned heads, both dashing in their smart uniforms.
Lizzie noticed how many admiring glances rested on Jack as they walked, and a little thrill surged in her chest as she thought how lucky she was that he was hers.
‘Where are we going?’ she said, her breath steaming in front of her face in the cold air.
‘You’ll see soon enough. It’s a surprise.’
Jack came to an abrupt stop in front of a tall building on Cavendish Street. ‘Here we are,’ he said. ‘I told you it wasn’t far.’
‘The library,’ Lizzie squealed. ‘What fun! I haven’t been in a library since I came to London.’
‘Then this is your chance,’ Jack said, enjoying Lizzie’s enthusiasm.
They wandered around the shelves stacked high with books.
‘Choose one,’ Jack said when they reached the French language section.
Lizzie looked puzzled. ‘What genre?’
‘Any book you want, the only caveat is it must be French!’
Understanding dawned in Lizzie’s eyes and she began poring over the shelves. Finally, her fingers reached for the spine of a novel on one of the higher shelves and shestretched to extract it from where it snuggled on the row of books.
‘Here, let me,’ said Jack, standing behind her and pulling the book down so she could fully grasp it.
His proximity affected Lizzie like it always did, and she turned slightly as their bodies touched. She saw the fire in his eyes, and she lay her hand on his arm.
