The Room on Rue Amélie(43)

“She will address you with a code name.”

She? So there were other women working on the line. Had Marcel worked side by side with them, treating them with respect while he belittled her? “A code name?”

“We all have one. It’s helpful not to know one another’s true identity.” He paused and studied her. “From now on, you’ll be Fleur.”

“Fleur?”

He smiled slightly. “Marcel said you were always talking about the poppy fields back home. Alors, now you have a chance to be your own flower.”

He whirled around and walked back into the café before she could say another word. She wasn’t sure whether the name was meant to mock her, but she liked it regardless. She allowed herself a tiny smile before turning in the opposite direction.

Fleur, she thought as she headed back toward her apartment. She who blooms in the midst of the darkness. She felt invincible as she walked past a cluster of Nazi soldiers at the corner of the rue de l’Université. One of them whistled at her, but she ignored him. She finally had a purpose, a reason for being here, but there was also a part of her that was full of regret.

Thomas. Sending him on his way was the right thing. There was no doubt about it, but Ruby knew her apartment would feel empty without him. How was that possible? She’d only just met him.

You can’t think that way, she reminded herself as she hurried along, keeping her eyes straight ahead. You can’t get emotionally involved. But there was something different about Thomas, something she couldn’t quite put a finger on. And now perhaps she’d never know why she felt the way she did.

It was nearing dusk when she arrived home. “Hello?” she called when it seemed she was alone in the apartment. For a moment, her heart was in her throat. Had the authorities come for Thomas? Had something happened? But a moment later, he emerged from her wardrobe, looking sheepish.

“I heard someone and hid,” he said, running his right hand through his hair. “Sorry.”

“No. You did the right thing.”

“Where were you?” He paused and shook his head. “I’m sorry. That came out wrong. Not that I have any right to know. What I mean is, I was worried. Are you all right?”

“Actually, I went to meet with the man I told you about, the one my husband knew. And good news; he’s sending someone from the escape line to pick you up tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

“I thought you’d be excited.”

Thomas looked away. “I am. And I’m glad I won’t be a danger to you anymore. But—”

“But what?”

“But who will protect you if I’m not here?”

Ruby could feel her cheeks heating up. “You’re worried about me?”

He looked surprised. “Well, of course.”

“It’s been an awfully long time since anyone cared what happened to me.”

“It shouldn’t be that way, Ruby. I know I’ll always care, now that I’ve met you.”

Something inside of her felt like it was breaking open. “I’ll always care about what happens to you too.”

They held each other’s gaze for a long moment, and Ruby could almost hear her own heart beating.

Thomas was the one to speak first. “I should tell you that your friend Charlotte came to the door today.”

“Charlotte? From next door?”

He nodded. “Her mother fell.”

“Oh, no! Is Madame Dacher all right?”

Thomas nodded. “She’s fine, I believe. If I had to hazard a guess, she hadn’t been eating enough and simply fainted. She hit her head on the way down, so there was some blood, which must have been frightening to Charlotte.”

“You went to their apartment?”

“It was the right thing to do. She was looking for you. She sounded scared.”

“You risked being spotted in order to help her.”

He shrugged and looked away.

“I should go check on her,” Ruby murmured after a pause. But she couldn’t move. Thomas was staring at her again, and it made her wish, somehow, that she could linger in this moment for a while more. “You’re a good man, Thomas,” she said. “A very good man.” She didn’t wait for a response before slipping out the door.



“I THINK THE PILOT LOVES you,” Charlotte said gravely to Ruby thirty minutes later, after Ruby had checked on Madame Dacher, who was awake, though still woozy.

“He’s only been here a few days, Charlotte! People don’t fall in love that quickly.”

“Sometimes a few days is all it takes,” Charlotte said confidently, and Ruby had to hide a smile. Charlotte might be wise beyond her years, but she was still a child. She couldn’t possibly understand such things.

“He’ll be gone very soon anyhow, back to England.”

“The war will end someday, you know. And then you can see him again.”

If we both survive, Ruby thought. But she mustered a smile and said, “Let’s not make this into something it’s not. I’m just helping him for a few days, that’s all. Now, you’re sure you and your mother are all right?”

Charlotte nodded.

“Please don’t hesitate to come get me if anything goes wrong.”