The Room on Rue Amélie(46)

“But I can speak French.”

“With an English accent. Under no circumstances will you speak when spoken to.”

Thomas nodded.

“You will change into the clothes I have here.” She held up the bag she was carrying. “And you will carry this sign.” She withdrew a sloppily hand-lettered sign that read in French, DEAF AND MUTE. CAN YOU SPARE A COIN? “We will exit the train at Bordeaux, and you will follow me to another train. Understand?”

“Yes.” Thomas was all business. “Thank you. I understand you’re taking a great risk.”

Laure seemed to soften a little. “We all are, including you. The important thing is to return you to combat.” She turned to Ruby. “Philippe says you did well nursing this pilot back to health. You’re to meet him on Monday at ten in the Tuileries if you’re still interested in discussing things.”

“I am.” Ruby felt stiff and awkward. “Thank you.”

Laure nodded. “Well then. We must be on our way.”

Thomas stepped forward and took Ruby’s hand. “I don’t know how to thank you,” he said softly. Then he leaned in and kissed her quickly on the cheek—the most either of them dared to do in front of Laure—and moved away.

“You can thank me by staying safe, Thomas.”

He was heading for the door, already too far away from her.

“You must change what you’re wearing.” Laure’s voice was sharp.

Thomas blinked a few times. “Of course.” She handed him the bag and he disappeared into Ruby’s bedroom. Laure and Ruby regarded each other silently in the long minute it took him to change. When he emerged, he looked like a different man. The clothing Laure had given him was worn and stained. He would easily pass for a French farmer.

“I’ve left your husband’s clothes on your bed,” he said, locking eyes with Ruby. “Thank you again. For everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

He moved toward the door with Laure, and Ruby was afraid those were the last words they’d ever say to each other. They felt strangely impersonal. But as he passed her, he stopped and touched her cheek gently. “I will never, ever forget what you did for me.”

“Helping you is what any decent person would have done,” Ruby said.

“I’m not talking about that.” He studied her face for another second, as if memorizing her features, and then he let his hand fall and was gone. Laure glanced back at Ruby once before pulling the door closed behind her.

After that, there was only silence.

Ruby stood in place for a long time before making her way to the couch and sitting down in a daze. Had last night really happened? Had the last few days been real? Now what? There was a part of her that wished she’d asked Aubert about the percentage of pilots who made it safely back to England, and a part of her that was glad she hadn’t.

There was a knock at the door some time later, and Ruby jumped up to answer. What if something had happened to Thomas? But it was only Charlotte standing there, a single red rose in her hands. She held it out to Ruby.

“This bloomed on our terrace this morning,” she said. “Can you believe it? In October? Maman wanted you to have it.”

“Thank you, Charlotte.” Ruby took the rose and inhaled. It smelled strong and sweet, and its color reminded her of the poppies that flourished near her parents’ house in California, the ones she’d told Thomas about. It was enough to make her eyes fill with tears.

“Your pilot is gone,” Charlotte said bluntly.

“Yes. Yes, he is.” Ruby drew a deep breath. “How is your mother feeling, Charlotte?”

“A little better, thank you.”

“I’m very glad.”

Charlotte nodded, but she made no move to go. Ruby had the sense there was something the girl wanted to say.

“Is everything okay, Charlotte?”

“I can hear my parents at night,” she blurted out. “Arguing. They don’t sleep anymore. I don’t know what I should do. They just stay up and fight about the situation in Paris. They talk about whether we should try to leave.”

Ruby felt a surge of pity for the Dachers. She knew things were only getting worse for Jews; there were frequent reports of arrests and deportations across the city. “Maybe you should,” she said gently.

“This is our city, Ruby. It’s the only home I’ve ever known. Why should we have to go?”

“Because it’s getting dangerous.”

“But you’ve decided to stay! Why should things be any different for us?”

Ruby could tell just by looking that the girl knew the answer to her own question.



FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, Ruby could barely sleep. Each time she closed her eyes, she saw something terrible happening to Thomas. She imagined him caught by a Nazi soldier on a train, betrayed by Laure, picked off the street in southwest France, shot on sight as he tried to cross into Spain. She knew she had to keep telling herself to forget him. Her mother had once told her that some people you meet are meant to be a part of your world forever, but some are meant only to change the course of your life and then move on. Thomas had shown her that she could be useful in the escape line, restored her faith in herself, given her back a purpose. He had even helped her to begin letting go of her guilt over the baby. Maybe that was all he was meant to do. Maybe in time, she would stop thinking of him, stop remembering the feel of his lips against hers.