China Blue (The Dudley Sisters Saga Book 3) by Madalyn Morgan (top 100 novels of all time TXT) 📕

‘I’ve asked England to send my WAAF uniform and papers.’ Édith’s eyes widened with surprise. ‘The Americans and Canadians are setting up a task force to investigate prisoner of war camps and prisons. With Périgueux being in Paris, I’m going to ask them if they’ll help me find Alain. Before I approach them, I need my papers and permission from my commanding officer. I’m not technically in the WAAF now, so she’ll have to send them to London, and they’ll add them to the next drop. But,’ Claire said, ‘I can only go to Paris if you’ll look after Aimée?’

‘Of course, but--’

‘And perhaps Frédéric would bring the papers to me when they come?’

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Claire spent the morning waiting for Frédéric, watching for him to arrive from behind the broken shutters of Antoinette Marron’s front windows. She smiled, remembering the look of astonishment on Frédéric’s face when he put his arms round her and realised she was having a baby. Because he was the first in the Belland family to find out she was pregnant he was very protective of her – of Aimée too. He doted on her almost as much as his mother did. Claire sighed. She had never missed anyone, with the exception of Alain, as much as she missed her daughter. She promised herself that when she found him she would never let him, or Aimée, out of her sight again.

She looked along the street. Frédéric was nowhere to be seen. If she didn’t have her WAAF papers by Sunday night she would have to cancel the meeting with the US-Canadian task force. She paced the floor. The Americans weren’t as particular, but the Canadians were sticklers for protocol. They wouldn’t let her go with them to look for Mitch without the correct military documents, because she wouldn’t be protected by the Geneva Convention.

‘You’re restless, Claire,’ Antoinette said, joining her.

‘I think I’ll take a walk to the post office,’ Claire said. ‘There might be a message for me.’

‘You must do what you think best, but if there has been a change to the scheduled drop they would have let you know.’

‘You’re right, of course, but I need to be sure.’ Claire went to the hall and put on her jacket. ‘Do you need anything while I’m out?’ Antoinette shook her head. ‘Then I shall see you in an hour.’

Antoinette followed Claire to the front door. ‘Be careful,’ she said, opening it and scanning the street. ‘What a lovely day. It is more like mid-summer than late spring,’ she said, to give herself time to study the empty houses opposite before letting Claire pass. ‘See you later, my dear.’

Claire nodded. ‘I won’t be long,’ she whispered, kissing Antoinette on both cheeks. ‘Yes, see you later,’ she called, running down the steps and through the gate.

She took a long breath. It felt good to be out of the house. She walked towards Boulevard Victor Hugo, sitting for a second on the base of the nineteenth century statue of the Duke of Orléans on his horse. She pondered going back in case Frédéric arrived. Instead she walked on. On either side of a narrow road that cut through the tree-lined avenue where the post office was situated were boarded-up flats. She stopped and looked through the railings of a two-storey block of what had once been elegant apartments. They reminded her of a dolls’ house with its front open, except the front of this building had been blown off. She could see into the halls and sitting rooms, bathrooms and bedrooms where people had once lived. As she turned to leave she saw a speck of blue out of the corner of her eye. She knelt down. A single bluebell had forced its way through the broken concrete façade. She felt the backs of her eyes tingle. She was more tired than she thought.

At the post office Claire asked for two stamps and while the postmistress took them from the post-book she sighed and said in a flat disappointed tone, ‘I was expecting a letter from my brother, but it seems he has forgotten my birthday.’

The postmistress looked over her shoulder at the large round clock that hung on the wall. ‘It’s still early,’ she said. ‘I expect it’s on its way.’ Claire handed her a franc in payment for the stamps. ‘It may have been a little delayed because of the trains. Another was blown up last night,’ she said, tutting. Claire saw a twinkle in her eyes, and knew it was a German troop train and not a passenger train. If Frédéric had made the train, he was safe. She gave a little cough to hide her relief. The postmistress gave Claire her change, pressing it into the palm of her hand for a second longer than necessary. ‘If I was you I would go home. By now the postman should have delivered to your house.’

Wishing the postmistress a good day, Claire stepped away from the counter to allow the next customer to take her place. She put the stamps safely in her purse, walked to the door and out onto the pavement. So Frédéric was in Paris and on his way to Antoinette’s. She walked quickly, stopping momentarily at the apartments where she had seen the bluebell. She thought about picking it, but decided it looked better where it was, however broken and sorry the surroundings.

As she mounted the steps to the house the door opened. ‘Eddie?’

‘Come in quickly,’ she whispered, ‘in case I was followed.’

A momentary glance as she closed the door showed Claire they were safe. Unable to contain her excitement, Claire threw her arms round her friend. ‘What are you doing here?’

‘I’ve brought you something.’ Taking off her coat,