Page 97 of The Last Night in London
She felt his gaze on her, and abruptly turned her head.
—
New Year’s revelers flooded the streets of the capital long past midnight, and Eva didn’t return to the flat until nearly half past two, exhausted and drunk, her feet blistered and sore from dancing with men who held her with too much familiarity and spoke in languages she couldn’t understand. She’d met Georgina, an attractive brunette who smiled and laughed and conversed like the rest of Alex’s friends, except Eva couldn’t help but feel as if she was also being judged. Georgina’s flat dark eyes followed Eva as she moved on the dance floor, her expression one of consideration, as if judging a match of skills.
As usual, Alex escorted her to the door of her flat, kissing her hand in farewell. She turned away to open her door, then swung around again. She hadn’t wanted to be the one to bring it up, to make him believe she cared enough to inquire. But she needed to know. “You haven’t mentioned my mother. Is she safe?”
“She is. And quite happy, I might add. She wants to see you so she can thank you for saving her from your father. You’ve seen the corroboration that he was released from jail, so you know I can be trusted.”
“Trust you? Are you mad?”
He was suddenly very serious. “No, my dear. Simply a realist.” He gave her an appraising look. “And you forgot to cover this.” He reached out a finger and touched the small crescent-shaped birthmark on her neck.
She recoiled as if he’d burned her.
“I prefer perfection.” He took her hand, kissed it again, then left, taking the lift this time.
It took Eva several tries to get her key in; she finally succeeded on the fourth try. The door swung open and she stumbled inside, kicked off her shoes, and began to undo the clasp on the fox fur cape.
Then she stopped. All the lights were on in the flat, and music from the gramophone came from the drawing room. She recognized the song, remembering it from when she and Graham had danced at Sophia’s wedding at Hovenden Hall. “Begin the Beguine.”
But it wasn’t the lights or the music that seemed to sober her. It was the scent. Of cold wool and sandalwood soap.Graham.Eva ran into the drawing room, stumbling once and almost falling before catching herself on a club chair.
Precious stood alone in the room, swaying to the music. Through the alcohol haze, Eva noticed that she wore a silver evening gown that fit her curves like a second skin. The mink coat lay on the sofa as if carelessly discarded, not in the wardrobe where Eva knew she’d left it.
She blinked. “Where’s Graham?”
Precious stopped swaying and lifted the needle off the record. “He was here. He had only a few hours, and he wanted to see you. To let you know that he’s all right.”
“But...” Eva couldn’t form the words she wanted to say.
“Graham wanted to celebrate the New Year, so he asked me to get dressed and pour the champagne. David and Sophia apparently stockpiled a whole bunch of it.” She offered a wobbly smile. “He said it might be his last New Year’s, so he wanted to do it in style. I borrowed your mink—I hope you don’t mind.” She attempted another smile, but it failed quickly. “He wanted you, Eva. He did. I just happened to be available.”
It was then that Eva noticed the bottle of champagne on the console table, the two empty champagne glasses, the lipstick mark on one of them.
“He was here.” The relief removed the bones from Eva’s legs, and she collapsed on the sofa. “He’s alive.”
Precious sat down next to her, grabbed her hands. “Yes, Eva. Sophia didn’t find out until yesterday, and she didn’t want to spoil thesurprise. But isn’t that the best news? He parachuted into the water and was picked up by a Danish fishing boat. David believes the mission was compromised, that the Germans were somehow alerted and expecting them. The Danish had to hide Graham until they could get him back to England. They weren’t allowed to broadcast his name or confirm he’d survived until he reached British soil.”
Eva nodded, her heart constricting in her chest, making it difficult for her to breathe. “Did you tell him where I was?”
Precious’s smooth brow furrowed. “He guessed. But I told him you didn’t want to go.”
Eva wanted to laugh at the earnestness in Precious’s face, but she was so very numb. “Is he coming back?”
Precious shook her head. “He said he might not have leave for some time.”
A sob escaped from Eva’s throat. Precious put an arm around her shoulders. “He dropped something on the way out. I think it might have been meant for your Christmas gift.”
Eva thought of the gold cuff links she’d bought Graham at Selfridges, how she’d saved her money to get him something special. They were shaped like dolphins, and she’d known they’d be perfect. But they were still in her wardrobe, wrapped and beribboned, waiting. “He did?”
Precious stood. “It wasn’t wrapped, so I can’t be sure it was meant as a gift—but it definitely seems like a present to me.”
Eva’s eyes stung as she remembered the day in the park when Graham had given her the ivory dolphin, and she’d told him how she felt about surprises.
Gently, Precious placed the object in Eva’s outstretched palm. A small brooch in the shape of an airman’s winged patch, sparkling with pavé diamonds and the letters “RAF” across the top in red stones. Eva looked at it and wanted to cry.
“It’s lovely. I wish he knew that I loved it.”
