An American in Paris by Siobhan Curham
Author:Siobhan Curham [Curham, Siobhan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction & Literature, Historical, Romance, Contemporary Women
ISBN: 9781800190108
Google: -oUAEAAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 55847902
Published: 2020-01-01T08:00:00+00:00
* * *
The address Iâd been sent to was in the twentieth arrondissement, right by Père-Lachaise cemetery. I tried not to take this as some kind of sign. The Métro was crawling with German soldiers, and although they werenât doing a formal check of papers, their eyes felt like searchlights as they swept over my body. It made me realise that dressing so chicly might not have been the greatest idea. Next time, if there was a next time, Iâd wear something a little more drab and dreary. I was just breathing a sigh of relief that Iâd gotten to my destination safely, when the flow of passengers out of Père-Lachaise station came to a halt.
âWhat is it? Whatâs going on?â a young guy next to me kept asking as we all queued by the steps to the exit. He kept looking around anxiously and sweat was beading above his lip. With his chestnut hair and brown eyes, he kind of reminded me of Otto. His anxiety reminded me of him, too.
âWhy arenât we moving?â the guy said again, louder this time, causing people to turn and stare at him. I wanted to take him to one side and tell him to cool it, that he wasnât doing himself any favours by doing such a convincing impression of a startled rabbit, but I thought of the sheet music in my bag, and the secret message it must contain. I hadnât been able to figure it out, but what if the Germans did? I couldnât afford to bring any attention to myself by association. So, as the young man began cursing under his breath, I kept my gaze fixed straight ahead. Then I heard a kerfuffle behind me. Two German soldiers had appeared from out of nowhere and grabbed the young man by the collar.
âWhat are you so nervous about?â one of them asked him in French.
I suppressed a shudder. Had this all been a deliberate ploy? Had they planted soldiers at the back of the queue to see who panicked at the thought of going through a checkpoint? Theyâd caught us like rats in a trap. In spite of my growing panic, I kept looking ahead and focused on my breathing. Inhaling and exhaling, slow and steady.
âIdentity card and papers!â one of the soldiers barked.
The young man fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a card.
âJewish!â the other soldier spat.
My heart sank.
The young man began pleading with them in French. He had a wife at home and a newborn baby, he said. He needed to get back to them.
There was a loud cracking sound as one of the soldiers hit him hard across the face. The young man staggered into me. I wanted to hug him, hold him, protect him, but I couldnât, and that feeling of impotence enraged me. Once again, I stared straight ahead and started mentally reciting Walt Whitman to try and stay calm. âApart from the pulling and hauling stands what I am ⦠amused, complacent,
Download
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
African American | Contemporary |
Divorce | Domestic Life |
Friendship | Mothers & Children |
Single Women | Sisters |
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne(18754)
Still Me by Jojo Moyes(10814)
Most of All You by Mia Sheridan(9313)
The Break by Marian Keyes(9091)
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens(8344)
Darker: Fifty Shades Darker as Told by Christian (Fifty Shades of Grey Series) by E L James(7078)
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang(7005)
Burn for You (Slow Burn Book 1) by J.T. Geissinger(6901)
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng(6887)
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins(6824)
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult(6697)
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid(6489)
The Mistress Wife by Lynne Graham(6256)
Without Merit by Colleen Hoover(5892)
Royally Screwed by Emma Chase(5092)
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman(5091)
Beach Read by Emily Henry(5020)
Elite Ops - 01 - Wild Card by Lora Leigh(4926)
Beloved (The Salvation Series Book 1) by Corinne Michaels(4557)
