The Last Night in London by Karen White (reading list .TXT) 📕

“Aunt Penelope found Sophia’s wedding album. She wants to know if she should send it to you or if you’d like to come by and look at it there.”

“I suppose I do owe them a visit,” Colin said. “We can bring Precious. Let her know that I’ll call her as soon as I check my calendar.”

“Smashing. She said she found Sophia’s wedding gown, too—that will certainly be in the exhibition.” Arabella looked at the floor where the torn pieces of the grocery bag lay. “Did you open your parcel?”

“I did.” I pressed my hand to the gift box, making it clear that I wasn’t interested in revisiting their contents right then. “My aunt Cassie sent me leaves from a magnolia tree in her front yard. I’m not sure what she wants me to do with them, but maybe Precious would like me to decorate her mantel? Mama used to do that when I was growing up, and she’d spray-paint them gold at Christmas.”

“Interesting.” Arabella raised her eyebrows. “Look, I’ve got to get back to the office—can you join me there around two? I want the whole team gathered so we can finalize the clothing selections. I’d like to begin photographing the outfits and coming up with a story order for them.”

“Sure. That will give me some time to speak with Precious first, to make sure I haven’t left out anything that she wants to include.”

I kept my head down, taking my time stacking the photographs and closing my computer, trying to gather thoughts that wouldn’t come, trying to think of all the reasons why Colin would have kept my photograph in a box on his desk. But when I finally found the courage to lift my head and meet Colin’s gaze, the room was empty.

CHAPTER 15

LONDON

APRIL 1939

The bell rang downstairs, and Precious ran to the intercom of their new flat, then pressed the “entry” button when she recognized Graham’s voice. Breathlessly, she turned to Eva, who was tying a silk scarf around her neck just in case Graham wanted the windows open in the motorcar.

“Should we offer refreshments? Maybe some of my sweet tea?” Precious asked. “I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t prepare a serving plate. . . .”

“Really, Precious. He’s just coming up to escort us downstairs. He wouldn’t hear of us meeting him outside.”

Precious frowned. “Maybe he’s worried about the neighborhood and wants to make sure we’re safe.”

“Well, Marylebone isn’t Belgravia, surely, but it’s not Stepney, either. And David lived here. It’s quite respectable and safe.”

Eva’s gaze took in the elegant cornice moldings and the leaded glass casement windows. She thought of her mother, even imagined her standing in the foyer and seeing where Eva now lived. She’d call it grand; by Graham’s standards it wasn’t, but Kate Maltby would have seen it that way. Her mother might even have been proud of her daughter. Assuming she knew what that was like. Her emotions had been whittled down over the years to simply wanting food and shelter. There was no room for anything else.

Eva swallowed down the unexpected lump in her throat as she heard the lift door open.

She ran past Precious to the front door and threw it open, wanting to propel herself into Graham’s arms. They’d had little time alone since the fashion show due to his work travel. She felt a physical hunger in his absence, needing to see him. To touch him. To hear her name on his lips.

She stopped at the threshold, registering the other people crowding around the lift. Graham took her hand and kissed her cheek, then stood back so she could greet Sophia and David. Her smile faltered slightly when she caught sight of the man sliding shut the metal gate of the lift, then turning to face her. A sharp stab of shame jabbed at her ribs as she recalled her reaction to his empty seat at the fashion show. She hadn’t wanted him there. Not really. She simply couldn’t make herself forget that he thought her exquisite and unique.

“Miss Harlow,” Alexander Grof said with a slight bow. “So we meet again.”

Staying by Graham’s side, she said, “So we do.”

Sophia kissed Precious on the cheek as if they were old friends. “David and Alex, I’d like you all to meet my friend Miss Jeanne Dubose. But her friends call her Precious.”

Eva noticed how Alex bent over Precious’s hand to kiss it, making her blush, which, Eva was sure, had been his intention. She found it odd that he didn’t mention how Precious and he had met before, outside of Lushtak’s.

Sophia greeted them both warmly. “I hope we’re not intruding, but I so wanted to see what you’ve done to the flat. Not that I was ever allowed see it before, as it was David’s bachelor quarters and Mother would have had a fit of apoplexy if she’d heard I had been here.”

Precious laughed. “You’re not intruding at all. Come on inside.” She beamed at the guests, enjoying her role as hostess. “You can poke around if you like while we go fetch our coats. Please, excuse some of the mess. We haven’t finished putting away all of our things yet. The furniture is very nice, although I think we’ll want to add our own personal touches to the flat. But I think it’s a lovely home, and you are our very first visitors.”

Sophia stepped past Eva and Precious and stood in the middle of the foyer, turning around to admire the space. “This is splendid. Really splendid. We couldn’t have hoped for better tenants.”

“Thank you,” Eva said. “We haven’t been here very long, but we’re already feeling a bit house-proud.”

“You have every right to be,” Sophia said, and she began pulling off her gloves finger by finger. “It’s really perfect, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Precious said, closing the door.

Eva led the group into the large front reception room. “I know David has already seen this, and Graham likely has, too, but do come