He kissed her in front of the barracks, and it was a searing kiss like the one she remembered the very first time.

“We will have an interesting life,” he said as he smiled down at her. Of that she had no doubt.

She sensed correctly that there was an element of danger about him. She wasn’t wrong. He had killed many men in his years in the Resistance, and had managed not to be killed by being smarter than they were. He had helped to save France, and had won the admiration of the British in the process. And the one thing she knew with absolute certainty was that Gonzague de Lafayette was her soul-mate, and the love of her life. They had both known it the instant they met. The rest they could discover in time.

Chapter 17

The nurses of the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron wore their dress uniforms for the ceremony. The base commander was there, and a representative from the Army Air Forces, the Flight Nurses’ Corps, and the RAF on the British side. The roll was called and each of them was given a medal for distinguished service and bravery in combat, which they hadn’t expected. Six women were named posthumously for service to their country and bravery in combat, among them were Lieutenant Prudence Pommery and Lieutenant Audrey Anne Parker. Max accepted the medal for Pru, and Lizzie for Audrey. Lizzie couldn’t stop crying when she accepted it, and she was going to deliver it herself to the cemetery in Annapolis to be put on display.

Max had come to the ceremony to be with Emma, and Pru’s parents had come too. Ed was there with Lizzie. Dan was there for Alex. And Gonzague had come for Louise. He was proud of her when she received her medal. He had come in a dark suit and looked very proper. He was to be decorated soon by General de Gaulle as a Commander of the Legion of Honour. They all stayed together in a group at the reception afterwards, after all the speeches, and photographs were taken, and the London Times had covered it.

The others were intrigued by Gonzague. Louise had told them the story. She was the only one who would be returning to Europe again soon, to live in France with him, as his wife. She wanted the marriage to take place in France. It would have been illegal in North Carolina, nothing had changed. And in France, she would be a countess as Gonzague’s wife. Her parents would come to France, after Gonzague went to meet them in North Carolina. The others had their lives waiting for them in the States, except for Emma, who was going to stay with the Pommerys in Yorkshire for a month. Max had a month’s leave before he was to be discharged.