“Merci.” Lucette ran a finger over the rim of her cup. “Paul says that France has one of the largest tank forces in the world, which will deter the German military from attempting to cross the Maginot Line. He assures me that our country’s military strength is much greater than that of Denmark or Norway, and that it will preempt an escalation of war between Germany and France.” She lowered her eyes. “His spirit is cheerful, even though it’s a hardship to be a tank commander. I hate the thought of him being confined inside a cramped chamber of armored steel, and I can’t help brooding about his safety.”
“He’ll be all right,” Ruth said.
She nodded. “I needed to hear that.”
Ruth’s mind drifted to the people of Denmark and Norway. Denmark surrendered within a day of their German invasion, while Norway was gradually losing its fight for freedom. She felt awful for their citizens who succumbed to Nazi aggression. With the buildup of Allied forces in France, things will be different for us.
She shook away her thought and nudged Lucette’s arm. “After the war, you and Paul will get married. You’ll have a stellar dancing career, and someday you’ll have loads of children, all of whom will become stars of the Paris Opera Ballet.”
Lucette chuckled. “That would be a beautiful future. How about you?”
Ruth ate a bit of her baguette. “I’ll go back to singing, hopefully somewhere in Paris, but it might be difficult to land a gig considering how I left Bal Tabarin.”
“I was referring to your private life.”
“Oh, that.” Ruth tucked her skirt around her legs. “I haven’t given it much thought. I’ll have plenty of time for personal affairs after the war.”
It had been ages since Ruth had felt the comfort of a man. She’d had a few boyfriends in high school and while living in Paris, but none of the relationships were serious and she’d never been in love. Her focus on her career had hindered her dating life, she believed, and at times she wondered if she would ever experience true intimacy.
“Why wait to meet someone?” Lucette asked.
Ruth picked at a crumb on her plate. “I have my duties.”
“Of course, but you have some free evenings.” Lucette clasped her hands with elbows on the table. “I see the way that young army doctor looks at you.”
“Which one?”
“Doctor Morin.”
“Is he the one who wears two stethoscopes?”
“Oui.”
“I agree,” Ruth said. “He does have his eyes on me—and nearly every woman who works at the hospital.”
Lucette laughed. “True.”
“I appreciate you looking out for me, but I—”
A siren sounded.
Ruth’s skin prickled.
Lucette’s eyes widened. “Is it a drill?”
“I don’t know. We’re usually informed about training exercises.”
They got up from the table and darted outside. Several military trucks, loaded with soldiers, roared past them. As they ran down the sidewalk, a siren wailed from a nearby government building that was being used by the French military. Ruth’s adrenaline surged, and she willed her legs to run faster.
A soldier with a duffel bag darted from a building and bumped into Ruth, nearly knocking her to the ground.
Pain shot through her shoulder.
The soldier extended his hand. “Are you all right?”
“Oui.” Ruth sucked in air, attempting to catch her breath. “What’s happening?”
“The Germans have invaded the Low Countries,” he said.
Oh, God. A knot tightened in the pit of Ruth’s stomach.
“When?” Lucette asked.
“Early this morning.” The soldier turned and sprinted away.
“What about France?” Ruth called after him, but received no reply.
Ruth and Lucette ran to their post in the rear parking lot of the hospital, a large four-story brick building in the center of town. The women of the ambulance corps, their eyes filled with concern, lined up in two rows of five in front of the parked ambulances. Ruth and Lucette took their places, standing at attention in the second row. As the women awaited their orders, they whispered to each other, desperately attempting to gain insight on what was happening.
Army Lieutenant Ravier, a silver-haired man with a lantern jaw and a bow-legged gait, emerged from a rear door of the hospital. His boots clacked over the pavement as he approached the women.
Whispers faded away.
Ruth’s eyes widened at the sight of the lieutenant, who rarely addressed the women. Although the ambulance unit fell under his command, he almost always communicated his orders through a sergeant.
The lieutenant stopped in front of the women and raised a clipboard. “This is not a drill. Germany has invaded Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium.”
A fusion of dread and anger surged inside Ruth.
