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

two women stood either side of the grave in silence. Claire wanted to be strong for Édith and forced herself not to cry. Édith prayed. When she had finished she looked around, spotted a grave without flowers and put Frédéric and Monique’s old flowers on it. They looked fresh. Claire suspected they were and that Édith came to Frédéric’s grave every day. ‘Shall we go home?’ she said. ‘It’s getting cold and your coat is thin.’ Édith put her arm through Claire’s and they walked slowly home.

As they entered the house, the difference in temperature from when Claire and Eddie first arrived was pleasantly noticeable. Claire helped Édith out of her coat and Eddie greeted her by putting her arms around her and kissing her. She raised her eyebrows over Édith’s shoulder and Claire shook her head, as if to say don’t ask. ‘I have made coffee,’ Eddie said, ‘and when you’re ready I will make us a meal.’ She went to the stove, brought back the coffee pot and filled three cups. She pushed the milk jug towards Édith, who ignored it, so Claire added milk to all three cups.

When Édith finished her coffee she excused herself, saying she was going upstairs to have a lie down. Claire stood up when Édith did, ready to go with her if she asked. She didn’t. ‘I’ll see you at dinner?’ Édith shook her head. ‘I’ll pop in anyway. If you’re awake you may be hungry.’ Édith left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Eddie poured herself and Claire more coffee. ‘You’ve been gone ages. What happened?’

Claire told Eddie how Frédéric had found the German soldier who had killed Monique at her grave. How they had fought and how Frédéric had been killed. ‘I think it was an accident. I didn’t say so to Édith, but I really think the German wanted Frédéric to shoot him. When he didn’t, or when the soldier realised he’d killed Frédéric – we’ll never know – the soldier shot himself.’

‘Three years, four, since Frédéric joined the Resistance and he hasn’t had a scratch – and then he is killed at his fiancée’s grave.’ Eddie hung her head. ‘It makes no sense.’

Claire was about to agree when she heard a bump at the kitchen door. Eddie was nearest and stood up. ‘I’ll get it,’ Claire said. ‘It’ll be Thérèse and Aimée.’ She jumped up and put out the light as the door swung open.

Thérèse, with her back to Claire, lifted the handle of the pram and took several steps backwards into the kitchen until the pram’s back wheels had cleared the step. She then pushed down on the handle to lift the front wheels over and brought the pram into the kitchen, kicking the door shut behind her. Claire flicked the light on and Thérèse turned a rosy face to her. ‘My dear. How lovely to see you,’ she said, taking a step back so Claire could see her daughter.

Claire looked into the pram and then at Thérèse. ‘Can I?’

Thérèse laughed. ‘Of course.’ She moved to the fire as Claire lifted Aimée out of the pram. Sitting next to Eddie, she beamed at her daughter as she bounced her on her lap. ‘Hello, my beautiful girl,’ she said to the gurgling baby. ‘In such a short time she has changed so much.’

‘So have you, Claire, you are very thin. You have not been taking care of yourself,’ Thérèse said. ‘But I’m sure Édith will fatten you up now you are back.’

‘I’m afraid I may not be here long enough. I have to go to England for a couple of weeks.’

Eddie raised her eyebrows. ‘We don’t know how long we’ll be away, but we’ll be leaving sooner rather than later.’

‘It will only be for a couple of weeks,’ Claire insisted. ‘And we don’t know when we’ll be leaving. We’ll see Jacques tomorrow. He’ll let London know we’re here, and they’ll inform him when they’re going to pick us up. I need to ask Jacques if he’s heard anything about Alain, too.’

Édith didn’t come down again that day, but she was up early the following morning and seemed more like her old self. After breakfast they all went into Gisoir. Thérèse left them to visit her parents and Édith, pushing Aimée in a borrowed pushchair, went to the market leaving Claire and Eddie to see Jacques.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

On her hands and knees, Claire chased her daughter in crawling versions of catch me if you can and peep-o, surprising her with a knitted teddy bear and dolls with china faces that looked round curtains, or popped up unexpectedly from behind chairs. Aimée clapped and squealed every time, but the game she liked best was knocking down the wooden farm animals that André and Frédéric’s father had crafted for them when they were Aimée’s age. Time after time, before Claire had placed the last animal in position in the farmyard beside timber farm buildings – a boy’s version of a dolls’ house – Aimée knocked them down. Feigning surprise, Claire put her hands up to her face and gasped and Aimée laughed with mischievous satisfaction. Crawling away as fast as she was able, she hid behind the chair until Claire found her and tickled her, making her laugh even more.

‘That looks like a fun game,’ Édith said from the door. Aimée offered Édith a black and white horse, which Édith took and stroked. ‘It is time, Claire.’

Claire scooped Aimée up in her arms and rocked her. ‘I have to go to work now, darling, on a big aeroplane.’ Aimée laid her head on Claire’s chest. ‘When I come back,’ she whispered, ‘I am going to find your daddy.’ Aimée wriggled and put her thumb in her mouth. Claire looked down. Her daughter’s eyes were heavy. Slowly, her eyelids lowered and closed. Then she jerked her head, opened them wide,