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

looked up at Claire and smiled. A second later she closed her eyes and they stayed closed. Claire breathed in Aimée’s scent: the warm subtle smell of baby, of orange blossom on her hair, the clean fresh smell of her clothes that Édith insisted on washing and ironing, and a hint of lavender from Thérèse’s perfume. Claire was overwhelmed by the love she felt for her daughter – Mitch’s daughter. She listened to Aimée’s breathing, a little erratic at first, but soon becoming calm and rhythmical, and she wished with all her heart she didn’t have to leave her. As tears fell from her eyes, the door opened again. It was Eddie. Claire nodded that she knew it was time to leave and pushed herself up. Aimée’s eyes fluttered, but she didn’t wake. She was fast asleep when Claire laid her in her pram.

Turning away from Aimée, Claire cried silently. Édith wrapped her arms around her. ‘Dry your eyes, my dear. Come now,’ she said, ‘shush… Thérèse and I will look after Aimée for you.’ Claire nodded, but her throat was so tight with emotion, she wasn’t able to speak. ‘You must go now, or you will miss the plane.’ Claire wiped her eyes and turned to pick up her case. ‘Pierre has taken it.’

‘André is outside with the pushbikes, Dudley. We really should go,’ Eddie said, holding the kitchen door open.

Claire kissed Thérèse and Édith goodbye, but still she wasn’t able to speak. Eddie did the same, promising to look after Claire. She followed Claire out of the warm kitchen and into the cool evening air. André was waiting in the alley with the bicycles. Claire mounted Édith’s bike and Eddie Thérèse’s. They cycled through the backstreets of Gisoir as fast as they were able.

‘You have two minutes once the plane has landed,’ André said, when they arrived. ‘Are you ready?’ Claire and Eddie both nodded. ‘It has been a pleasure knowing you,’ he said to Eddie.

‘For me too. Until the next time,’ she said, kissing him goodbye.

While André said goodbye to Claire, Eddie shook hands and thanked the other resisters. ‘Mother and Thérèse are devoted to Aimée, so do not worry, Claire. Your daughter will be looked after and loved – and waiting for your return.’

‘I know,’ Claire said, putting her arms around André and hugging him tightly. Then she took a step back and looked into his eyes. ‘Promise me you won’t stop looking for Alain,’ she said. ‘He is still alive, I know he is.’ At that moment a Lysander came into view. It was low in the sky to avoid radar and looked as if it was going to land. It did. The engineer knelt by the open door and hauled Claire and Eddie in. André threw Claire’s suitcase in after her. ‘Promise me you’ll keep looking for Alain, André,’ Claire shouted.

‘I promise,’ André shouted back. A second later the door slid into position and locked, and the Lysander began to taxi along the field. After a couple of bumps and a rattle that sounded like marbles rolling around in a bath tub, the Lysander picked up speed and lifted off.

Claire hooked her belt onto a safety strap, leaned her head against the side of the aircraft and listened to it hum. She was on her way home to England, but she had left her heart in France.

‘Going down!’ the pilot shouted, and Claire and Eddie held onto the straps. The Lysander landed at RAF Hawkinge and taxied along the runway to the fuel point. As Claire and Eddie jumped out of the aircraft a couple of engineers ran to it with fuel hoses. The pilot slid back the cockpit and clambered out. ‘When she’s been refuelled, I’m taking her up to Coltishall.’ He patted the plane’s fuselage. ‘If you want a ride, be back here at four.’

‘Thanks, but we’ll hitch a lift to the railway station as soon as it’s light,’ Eddie said.

Claire and Eddie followed the pilot across the tarmac and into a single-storey prefabricated building. ‘I’m going to get my head down for an hour,’ he said. ‘Someone will be here to meet you soon.’ A second later he had turned the corner and disappeared.

‘We could get our heads down in one of these offices,’ Eddie said, opening the first door along the corridor and poking her head in. ‘This room will do, Dudley.’ Claire yawned and followed her. ‘Argh!’ A rattle of bones caused Eddie to step back onto Claire’s foot.

‘Ouch!’

‘Sorry, Dudley.’ Eddie felt along the wall for the light switch, found it and flicked it on. ‘A bloody skeleton!’ she screamed. Claire laughed. ‘It isn’t funny, Dudley. The damn thing gave me a real fright.’

‘It must be a medical training room.’ Claire lifted a dummy, the kind clothes shops have in their windows, from a makeshift bed. As she sat down, the thin metal legs of the bed buckled and she almost fell off. ‘Damn thing dips in the middle like a flaming hammock,’ she said. ‘Come on, Ed. There’s another bed over there. Let’s get some sleep.’ Slowly she lifted her feet up and leaned back until she was lying down. Once her body weight was spread equally she buttoned her coat.

Eddie switched off the light and felt her way along the wall to the other bed. Claire heard her curse under her breath, and then she said, ‘Night, Dudley. Sleep well, old thing.’

After what seemed like only a few minutes Claire snapped awake and fell off the bed. ‘Thank goodness this damn contraption is only a few inches off the floor,’ she mumbled. ‘Eddie?’ she hissed. ‘Eddie?’ She heard Eddie groan. ‘There’s activity in the corridor. I think it’s time to make a move.’

‘Right-ho!’ Eddie pushed herself up and yawned. ‘I’m ravenous,’ she said, stumbling to her feet.

The smell of fried bacon met them as soon as they