The Lisbon Affair - A WW2 Novel: Flying with the Swallows - Volume One by Cat Gardiner

Author:Cat Gardiner [Gardiner, Cat]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Unionport Hill Books
Published: 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

Spring is Here Again

Situated on the corner of a quiet intersection where the sidewalks and façade were tiled with cobalt blue, Moor-inspired mosaic, Livraria Lagos held the largest selection of books in the country, but by appearances, passersby would never know that. Evie had been apprised of its reputation by Lupescu, a great lover of not only Carol but also one of the written word. Will wonders never cease?

Evie couldn’t resist stopping at the display windows before she hailed a taxi back to the Palácio. Rain was imminent, and her spectators pinched her feet given the amount of fruitless walking this morning. In her heart, she held onto the small fragment of promise both the old German woman and the French communist had offered. She tried not to feel disheartened, ignoring that intuitive sense of foreboding she’d had earlier when crossing the square, and vowed again not to return to New York without Mr. Drucker’s family. It was just as she feared, the PVDE, in possible collaboration with the Germans, had transferred them to a “camp.” What kind of camp? The kind that O’Shea had told her about? The kind that required the reported cattle cars? Oh goodness! She hated the thought and despised that her humanitarian effort was what made front-page screamers, not the Jewish plight. Tomorrow she would venture north to the refugee camp and continue the search.

Pushing the last warning from the Frenchman to the back of her mind, she focused on the positive: At least the interview with the Romanian had gone off without a hitch. Impossible as it was to get Lupescu to own to her Jewish heritage or remark on the widespread anti-Semitism in Romania she had read about, she still had a strong article. For that, she could hold her head high, having achieved her primary goal to independence.

The chilled wind blew, and she clutched the brim of her hat to keep it in place, then promptly entered the old bookshop. The door slammed behind her from the gale force. The dimly lit shop smelled like Richard’s library, which had come by its scent from his grandfather’s antiquities shipped from England. She delighted in the shop’s rich wood paneling and the old world feel of the floor to ceiling ebony and dark rosewood book cases, some with glass doors to protect special editions. The arched entryways, accented by Florentine gilt carvings, led to each of the reading rooms reminding her of those within The Dakota. Small details showed the age—and care—that the bookshop had been cherished. She unbuttoned her sweater then removed her gloves as she noted the few browsing bibliophiles, mostly men, their manner of dress different than native Lisboetas; baggy trousers and well-worn shoes were indications that they were transient visitors from France or Germany. The one thing she had learned today was the Portuguese, when in town, were dapper dressers, and their fashion style more tailored than other European countries.

She cleared her throat and the shop girl looked up from her task.

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