The Last Night in London by Karen White

Author:Karen White [White, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-04-20T00:00:00+00:00

She read the note several times before tearing it into hundreds of pieces, then scattering them outside her window, shameful little secrets fluttering toward the ground. Turning toward her dressing table, she spied the bottle, noting the front of it was designed to look like an airplane propeller. She picked it up, ready to toss it away as if it were rubbish to show Alex that he didn’t know her at all.

Except he did. Otherwise he wouldn’t have sent her such an expensive gift, something he knew she coveted yet couldn’t afford. Something she would find quite impossible to return. She twisted off the stopper and smelled the cocktail of flowers mixed with vanilla and spices. She knew what the bottle cost, just as she knew it was too much for her to afford unless she didn’t want to eat for a week.

Reinserting the stopper, she replaced the bottle on her dressing table, and her fingers lingered just for a brief moment before she pulled them away. It’s just a gift, she told herself. And Alex wasn’t asking anything in return. Not yet, her inner voice warned. But he hasn’t, she argued back. It could be that he was simply an admirer who found her charismatic and appreciated her sense of adventure. What harm could there be in accepting this token of his regard?

She recalled something Mr. Danek had told her, how some might see her fondness for beautiful things as a weakness and use it to their advantage. He was wrong, of course. It was a weakness only if she couldn’t walk away. She would if she had to.

She took out her gown from the armoire and finished getting dressed, taking special care with her cosmetics and hair. They were going to Café de Paris in Leicester Square for dinner and dancing. The band was always good and the dancing lively, and it was usually so crowded that one could press more closely than necessary against one’s dance partner without anyone noticing.

Eva stifled her disappointment when David appeared at the door of the flat instead of Graham. Sophia waited in the car with Alex, and Graham would meet them at the café, as he’d had pressing business. She allowed David to place her stole around her shoulders, then walked with Precious toward the lift.

Alex stood by the side of the car as they approached, his eyes giving her an appreciative once-over. His black evening clothes suited him, and she recognized the expert fitting and cut of his dinner jacket. It was one of the things she’d learned at Lushtak’s. It was how she could tell which of their clientele could afford to buy and which were there just to look.

Alex held the door open for Precious and then for Eva, leaning close to her ear. “You smell divine,” he whispered. She almost stumbled as she stepped into the car, but managed to hold on to her composure and greeted Sophia with a wide smile. David and Alex took the jump seats facing them, Alex directly in front of Eva.

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