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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

Ruby Mills was born to be a thief.

In no time at all, Solly is satisfied that when the coppers call – and they will at any moment – nothing will connect him to the robbery in Kensington. Nothing except the presence of Ruby in his shop. Now he must send her away. He lets her out and locks the door behind her. It is half-day closing – as he will tell the police.

He has not yet noticed that the crescent moon is missing.

8

8

Wednesday, early evening

Ruby runs her hand over Billy’s scalp as he kisses her. His hair’s cut short at the back, shaved with a razor down to the nape, like a lot of the Elephant Boys. She likes it short; she can see the scars on his head, feel them under her fingers. The wounds read like stories of his life – the battles he’s survived, here and in France. He’s proud of them, and the close crop displays them to anyone who sees him bareheaded. They serve as a warning that he’s a fighter. He fights hard, like there’s a storm crammed inside him. He swears he’d never hit her, but Ruby knows better than to believe any man who tells her that.

The scars on his back tell different stories; she’s familiar with these, too, absorbing his history through the sweat of his skin. Stories of young Billy, on the wrong end of his father’s drunken rages and belt buckle, and on the wrong end of the birch during his first spell in prison. His only spell, as it happens. He’s never been caught since then. And three years with the infantry kept him mostly out of trouble.

He rounds his back as she touches him, kisses her again, groaning into her mouth as he pushes into her. She lifts her knees higher, needing more of him, matching his rhythms, urging him harder, deeper, feeling the mattress give under their bodies, until he suddenly shudders and cries out and then is still.

He rolls off her.

‘Christ, Ruby, I’ll have spent all Solly Palmer’s cash on rubbers by next week at this rate.’ He wraps the soiled item in a piece of torn newspaper and then reaches for his cigarettes. ‘Not that I’m complaining, course.’

Ruby tucks an arm behind her head, watching him light up. He’s not managed to satisfy her this time, and her thoughts skip quickly elsewhere.

‘It was good, wasn’t it?’

‘You’re always good for me, baby.’ He grins at her, cigarette between his teeth.

‘No, not that – I mean the raid. It went well. We did well.’

‘What? Yeah, it went well. Solly was pleased enough. Annie’ll be happy, too, once the money comes in.’