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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

Half an hour passes quickly with similar stories of crazy musicians and foolish waitresses. Peter finishes his drink and pushes back his cuff to study his wristwatch.

‘I ought to go. I have business to attend to, and you, I think’ – he looks fondly at Harriet – ‘must be wishing me gone, so that you may have a delightful evening with my dear friend Ralph.’

‘No, not at all –’

‘I’ll see you later I hope, Christie.’ He squeezes Ralph’s shoulder as he passes behind him. ‘Lovely girl, by the way. Congratulations, again.’

Harriet watches him leave. He does not look back as he heads towards the door, stopping only to speak to the bartender once more.

‘What did you make of him?’ Ralph’s query interrupts her thoughts.

She ought to have eaten lunch. Two cocktails have made her woozy.

‘Oh, he’s a charmer. A little too pleased to paint himself as the black sheep of his family, as if that would amuse me – I assume they are well-placed, his family?’

‘They were. His parents are dead, despite his quip about keeping the nightclub a secret from his mother. But yes, he’s extremely well-placed.’

‘I wonder why he chooses to run a nightclub, then? Or own one, at least.’

Ralph shrugs. ‘I can only imagine he would be bored otherwise. You’ve seen how he is. He enjoys the intrigues, the peccadilloes and indiscretions.’

‘Although he chose not to share anything too outrageous with me.’

‘Certainly not. He is, after all, still enough of a gentleman to behave properly.’

‘At least while you’re here to protect me.’

Ralph straightens his tie. ‘We should move to the dining room, if we’re going to eat.’

She needs something to soak up the cocktails.

‘Yes, we should.’

He clasps her hand firmly and helps her up. His strength steadies her. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she feels as though she has missed something, that she should have paid sharper attention to the conversation, beyond the foolish stories. But the cocktails have taken the edge off her critical thinking, and she does not really care about anything except the fluid sensation in her limbs and the warmth of Ralph’s hand.

28

28

Friday night

The heels of Ruby’s shoes click along the Soho pavement, matching the quickening beat of her heart. Daisy’s dismal house is far behind her, over the river. She might as well be in a different country. Lights blaze from shops and pubs, scattering bright colour across her path. Even the streetlamps are like spotlights, following her as she walks, lighting up her way.

Ahead of her, somewhere between the groups of wandering people, laughing and joking together, out for a good time, Ruby sees that a motor car has drawn up on the pavement. Two men are carrying boxes, wooden crates, and loading them into the back of the car. She knows the men.