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Back The Dazzle of the Light Save as PDF
Chapters (55)
  1. Praise for Georgina Clarke
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3
  5. 4
  6. 5
  7. 6
  8. 7
  9. 8
  10. 9
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. Historical Note
  52. Acknowledgements
  53. Also by Georgina Clarke
  54. About the Author
  55. Copyright

His hands begin to skim over her hips, up and under the jacket. The fabric of her dress is flimsy. She can feel his fingers running over her skin, touching, squeezing, probing, sending shivers through her body that have nothing to do with the cold air. He presses his hips hard against hers, while all the time kissing her.

He has never been like this with her before. His hands are everywhere. It suddenly startles her. She wanted passion, yes, but she anticipated tenderness and gentle kisses. This feels like some sort of attack.

Cold air whisks across the back of her thighs, and she realises with shock that he is pulling up her skirt. Touching her, higher and higher up the inside of her leg, where her flesh is soft and warm. The sensation is extraordinary – so extraordinary that she begins to panic. She cannot breathe.

‘No,’ she gasps as she struggles away from him. ‘No, not that, Ralph. I don’t want…’

He lets the skirt fall and draws her tightly to his chest. She can hear him breathing hard, his heart pounding. Her own pulse drums loudly in her ears.

‘God, I’m sorry. Too much port. I forgot where I was. I’m sorry. Your dress. It’s just too…’ He groans quietly into her hair.

‘Don’t be sorry.’ Her voice is muffled by his shirt. ‘I’m sorry. I was just – I’m just – not ready for that. Not yet. And my parents…’ She lifts her head and sees him frowning down at her. She buries her head back into his shirt front, abashed. ‘It’s not that I don’t want… I was surprised, that’s all. I’m sure, in time – I do want to, you know…’

‘I won’t rush you into anything, of course. I can wait. Even when we’re married, we can take all that sort of thing slowly.’

‘No, Ralph, I didn’t mean…’ The dress was a mistake. She should never have worn something so provocative. And now he will think her a tease or a prude. ‘Oh, I don’t know what I mean. Only that I’m sorry.’

She wraps her arms around his waist.

‘I love you.’ It seems like the right thing to say. The sort of phrase to make everything better.

He kisses the top of her head but does not reply.

24

24

March 1920

Friday, early morning

Ruby stares into the window of the jewellery shop. The reflection is not attractive. The bruises have now disappeared, and the broken cheekbone has healed, but her face has grown hollow, and there are dark circles around her eyes.