Kiss From a Rose: A sweeping family saga of love, war and betrayal set in London during the Blitz (The Rose Park Chronicles Book 1) by Ann Bennett

Author:Ann Bennett [Bennett, Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Andaman Press
Published: 2024-03-29T00:00:00+00:00

15

May

London, 1941

May sat in the living room of Ruby’s flat, paralysed with shock, staring at the man who’d just delivered the devastating blow. All she could think of was Ruby’s shining eyes while she danced with the officer. She’d looked so happy. How could this possibly have happened?

‘I’m sorry, my dear, but I have to ask; do you have the details of Miss Winter’s parents?’ the ARP warden asked after a few moments. ‘I need to inform them as soon as I can. They will have to come and identify her body.’

‘Oh!’ May’s hand flew to her mouth at the thought of Ruby’s poor parents having to go to the morgue to see her battered and bruised body drained of life. No parent should ever have to do that.

‘One moment,’ she said vaguely, realising it was unavoidable, ‘I think they must be in the address book.’

She went to the telephone table and with shaking hands flicked through Ruby’s leather address book and found the details of the Winters’ address in Northamptonshire and their telephone number. She scribbled them down on a piece of paper, having to pause several times to wipe the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. She couldn’t get that final image of Ruby’s face out of her mind, bursting with pleasure at being at the Café de Paris and dancing with a handsome officer. If only… if only…

‘Thank you, miss. I will ask the local police to inform Mr and Mrs Winter straight away. Now, do you have anyone you could ask to keep you company? You look very shocked.’

She shook her head. All her friends from the Ambulance Service would be on duty. But then she thought of Gerald. He was only across the courtyard. The thought of talking to him made her feel a little better.

‘Actually, there is someone. They live in Dolphin Square, in another block.’

‘Could you go over there now do you think? Only I need to get off.’

She nodded and showed the man to the door, then she wandered back into the living room and collapsed into the armchair, her head in her hands. She was sobbing her heart out, still hardly able to believe what had happened. It suddenly occurred to her that, but for her unfortunate experience with the lecherous officer, she herself would have been in the Café de Paris when the bomb hit. Shock washed through her, thinking about it. It was difficult to believe that she owed that odious creep of an officer her life.

She couldn’t stop shaking. On the sideboard were some bottles of spirits and liqueurs Ruby’s father kept for his infrequent visits. She needed something to calm her down. She poured a generous measure of brandy into a glass and drank it in one gulp. The fiery liquid burned her throat, but within a few seconds she was feeling the effects, the instant relaxing of her limbs, a heavy feeling creeping through her body.

She wanted to collapse on the settee and go to sleep, but she remembered the ARP warden’s words.

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