Aline’s sobs gradually faded.
Ruth slipped away and wiped the girl’s cheeks with a handkerchief from her pocket. They rose from the bench and meandered through the victory garden, while talking about Aline’s new home and relishing their time together.
CHAPTER 60
LONDON, ENGLAND—OCTOBER 7, 1940
Ruth entered the bedroom of her flat and packed belongings into an old suitcase and travel bag that she’d acquired at a charity shop. She retrieved an envelope, given to her by Nicolas Bodington, that contained money and a train ticket to Arisaig, a remote village in the Scottish Highlands where the SOE training school was located. A meld of melancholy and restlessness churned inside her. She slipped the envelope into her travel bag and carried her things to the entryway of the flat, where Lucette was waiting for her.
“That was quick,” Lucette said.
“I didn’t have much to pack.” Ruth adjusted the tunic of her WAAF uniform. “I’m wearing most of what I own.”
“Traveling light is a good thing,” Lucette said, as if trying to soften the mood. “What time does your train leave?”
“Five.”
“You might be the last train out of London. They’ve come early the past couple of nights.”
Ruth nodded. “I’m sorry that you were moved to the third shift.”
“It’s all right. I can’t sleep during air raids, so I might as well be productive by packing parachutes.” Lucette glanced at the luggage. “Would you like me to see you off at the train station?”
“No need,” Ruth said. “You haven’t slept; you should get some rest before your shift.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.” Ruth hugged her tight. “I miss you already.”
“Me too,” Lucette said, her voice quavering.
Ruth released her. “I will keep Paul in my thoughts and prayers.”
“Merci.” Lucette wiped her eyes.
“I wish I could tell you everything.”
“It’s all right.”
“No, it’s not,” Ruth said. “I’ve never kept a secret from you, and I hate that I can’t explain where I’m going, what I’m doing, or when I’ll see you again.”
“I don’t like it either,” Lucette said, “but I understand and accept that your role requires confidentiality. You were chosen because someone saw something special in you.”
Ruth swallowed. “I’ll always be proud of you.”
“Me too.” Lucette slipped a folded envelope from a pocket of her uniform, and a smile spread over her face. “I’ll send you off with some good news. I received a telegram during my last shift—I’ve been instructed to attend a meeting in Central London this Friday with Nicolas Bodington.”
Ruth smiled. “You’ll do great.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so.”
Lucette tucked away the envelope and walked Ruth to the door. “Break a leg.”
“Merde,” Ruth said, using the customary expletive to wish a French dancer good luck.
Lucette grinned.
Ruth gave her a final hug goodbye, picked up her luggage, and left. Outside, she walked down the sidewalk. Her joy faded and a thorn of loneliness pricked at her heart. “I’ll see her again,” she whispered to herself, as if reciting an affirmation. She buried her apprehension and weaved her way through people—carrying blankets and pillows—who’d left early to find a good spot in an air raid shelter.
CHAPTER 61
LONDON, ENGLAND—OCTOBER 7, 1940
Ruth arrived at the Liverpool Street station twenty minutes before her scheduled departure. In hopes of distracting herself from her solitude, she purchased a paper at a newsstand and sat on a bench. She scanned the front page and wished that she’d bought a magazine when her eyes locked on a headline:
VICHY FRANCE PASSES ANTISEMITIC LEGISLATION
She felt sick to her stomach as she read the piece, which claimed that France’s new puppet government for Germany had enacted laws that excluded Jews from most public and private occupations, and allowed for the internment of foreign Jews. Nazi Germany’s antisemitic plague has spread to France, Ruth thought, gripping the paper. She prayed for the safety of Colette and Julian, and hoped that their medical profession would preclude them from suffering the consequences of the laws. Unable to read any longer, she put down the paper and took deep breaths to quell her nerves.
A woman and a girl, who was approximately nine years of age, walked along the landing and stood near a large metal clock. The girl leaned to her mother and wrapped her arms around her waist.
Ruth smiled softly and thought of Aline, who’d left with the USCOM chaperone five days earlier. She’s likely on a ship and will soon be in America. She imagined the beautiful life that Aline would have while living with her parents in Maine, far beyond the reach of Luftwaffe bombing raids. She was eternally grateful to her parents for welcoming Aline into their home, and she was relieved that Aline would be safe, cared for, and loved. More than ever, she was determined to pass her SOE training and do her part, albeit small, to fight fascist cruelty and make the world a better place for children to live.
The crowd grew, and people milled around the landing.
Ruth glanced at the clock and saw that the train was running late. Minutes passed and talk spread through the crowd that the train might be canceled. Ruth, growing restless, got up from the bench and retrieved her suitcase and travel bag. She weaved her way through the crowd to the edge of the landing and peered down the empty railway track.
