paper but turned to her. To her surprise he reached out and took her hand. “This one’s called ‘To Rachel.’ ”
Rachel’s face grew warm as she listened.
“I might have found beauty in the skies,
If I had never seen you.
But after I beheld your dark and lovely eyes
The heavens can offer nothing new!
“If I had never heard your voice,
The song of birds might have been sweet.
Now the mourning doves sound hoarse
And I live to hear my name your lips repeat.
“Before I saw your lovely face,
A new-sprung rose seemed tender and fair—
But once your skin beyond compare
I touched—I found the flower most rare!”
Rachel found herself unable to speak for a moment; then she whispered, “That’s beautiful, Derek. Thank you so much.”
Derek sat very still and watched her. She had not moved, and she was looking at him with her face lifted, her lips motionless. He saw the quick rise and fall of her bosom and the sunlight on her hair, and he drew her toward him in one quick gesture. He waited for her protest and was astonished when it didn’t come. He had found this woman full of grace and beauty, and now the yearning of a lone man moved toward her like the needle on a compass.
She caught his gaze and waited, saying nothing but arresting him with a sweetness that fueled his intense feelings for her.
Derek touched his lips to hers and felt her surrender. He drew her closer, his heart aching with the feelings he had for her at this moment. She had the ability to touch him as no other woman he had ever met.
But then Rachel suddenly pushed him away, her expression disturbed. “We shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered.
“Why do you say that? You must know I’m falling in love with you.”
“But you can’t.”
“Why not?”
Rachel looked at him directly. “What would your father say?”
Her words stopped Derek as if he had run into a door. He had no answer. She rose to her feet and he followed. “We can never be more than very good friends, Derek. That’s all we can ever be.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Parting
January 1937 brought sharp Arctic blasts to Paris and sleet that coated the streets with an icy sheen. As Derek walked cautiously along the street, the sidewalk under his feet was one solid sheet of slippery ice. He had already seen two people slip and fall as if their legs had been jerked out from under them. Keeping his head down, he thought about the months that had passed since the day he had told Rachel he loved her. That had been a fine day! Even now, surrounded by ice and snow, he could almost smell the fresh green grass and hear birds chattering in the trees overhead and see the gleam of golden red that tinted Rachel’s hair in the bright sunlight.
He was savoring the memory when a dog appeared in front of him—an indeterminate breed, thin and with woeful eyes. It was a strange bluish-brown, and its ribs showed so plainly that Derek could count them. “What’s the matter, boy? Are you hungry?” The dog eyed him apprehensively, but as Derek did not move, it began to wag its tail. “It’s hard on fellows like you in the winter, isn’t it?” Derek noticed that there was a meat market across the street. “Wait here, friend. I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared inside the shop and came out almost at once. The dog was still there, and Derek opened the packet and took out a morsel of the meat. “How about this, fella?” he asked and extended the meat. The dog ducked its head, as if afraid of being struck, but when Derek silently stood there, it finally took the meat and swallowed it whole, thenlooked up eagerly, tail wagging again. “Here, you have a good breakfast, my friend.” He put the meat on the sidewalk, then patted the dog, which gobbled the meat frantically. When it was through, it moved forward and leaned against Derek’s legs.
“I’d like to take you home with me, but I’m leaving. I don’t think there’s any place for a French dog in the German army.
Rachel’s face grew warm as she listened.
“I might have found beauty in the skies,
If I had never seen you.
But after I beheld your dark and lovely eyes
The heavens can offer nothing new!
“If I had never heard your voice,
The song of birds might have been sweet.
Now the mourning doves sound hoarse
And I live to hear my name your lips repeat.
“Before I saw your lovely face,
A new-sprung rose seemed tender and fair—
But once your skin beyond compare
I touched—I found the flower most rare!”
Rachel found herself unable to speak for a moment; then she whispered, “That’s beautiful, Derek. Thank you so much.”
Derek sat very still and watched her. She had not moved, and she was looking at him with her face lifted, her lips motionless. He saw the quick rise and fall of her bosom and the sunlight on her hair, and he drew her toward him in one quick gesture. He waited for her protest and was astonished when it didn’t come. He had found this woman full of grace and beauty, and now the yearning of a lone man moved toward her like the needle on a compass.
She caught his gaze and waited, saying nothing but arresting him with a sweetness that fueled his intense feelings for her.
Derek touched his lips to hers and felt her surrender. He drew her closer, his heart aching with the feelings he had for her at this moment. She had the ability to touch him as no other woman he had ever met.
But then Rachel suddenly pushed him away, her expression disturbed. “We shouldn’t have done that,” she whispered.
“Why do you say that? You must know I’m falling in love with you.”
“But you can’t.”
“Why not?”
Rachel looked at him directly. “What would your father say?”
Her words stopped Derek as if he had run into a door. He had no answer. She rose to her feet and he followed. “We can never be more than very good friends, Derek. That’s all we can ever be.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
The Parting
January 1937 brought sharp Arctic blasts to Paris and sleet that coated the streets with an icy sheen. As Derek walked cautiously along the street, the sidewalk under his feet was one solid sheet of slippery ice. He had already seen two people slip and fall as if their legs had been jerked out from under them. Keeping his head down, he thought about the months that had passed since the day he had told Rachel he loved her. That had been a fine day! Even now, surrounded by ice and snow, he could almost smell the fresh green grass and hear birds chattering in the trees overhead and see the gleam of golden red that tinted Rachel’s hair in the bright sunlight.
He was savoring the memory when a dog appeared in front of him—an indeterminate breed, thin and with woeful eyes. It was a strange bluish-brown, and its ribs showed so plainly that Derek could count them. “What’s the matter, boy? Are you hungry?” The dog eyed him apprehensively, but as Derek did not move, it began to wag its tail. “It’s hard on fellows like you in the winter, isn’t it?” Derek noticed that there was a meat market across the street. “Wait here, friend. I’ll be right back.”
He disappeared inside the shop and came out almost at once. The dog was still there, and Derek opened the packet and took out a morsel of the meat. “How about this, fella?” he asked and extended the meat. The dog ducked its head, as if afraid of being struck, but when Derek silently stood there, it finally took the meat and swallowed it whole, thenlooked up eagerly, tail wagging again. “Here, you have a good breakfast, my friend.” He put the meat on the sidewalk, then patted the dog, which gobbled the meat frantically. When it was through, it moved forward and leaned against Derek’s legs.
“I’d like to take you home with me, but I’m leaving. I don’t think there’s any place for a French dog in the German army.
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