The Room on Rue Amélie

Lucien and Charlotte meet in secret while Ruby is asleep. Charlotte wants to do more for the Resistance, worrying that there will be no place for her if the Germans win the war. As they discuss what they can do to help, Lucien kisses her. Charlotte vows not to tell Ruby, thinking she’ll disapprove.

As time passes, Ruby forbids Charlotte from leaving the apartment at all. Charlotte is growing restless. One night, Charlotte asks Ruby about her parents; Ruby feels guilty for leaving them behind. Charlotte believes her parents are dead. Later that night, Lucien comes to see her. Charlotte tells him she feels guilty for surviving when her parents didn’t, and Lucien tries to comfort her.

Thomas is assigned to a dangerous mission that involves drawing fire as a distraction. Once he embarks, his plane is hit quickly; he parachutes to the ground and prepares to make his way back to Paris.

Ruby suspects Charlotte and Lucien are romantically involved with one another. One day, Charlotte snaps at Ruby and demands to be allowed to make her own choices. Feeling guilty for her treatment, Ruby agrees. Charlotte begins staying out late with Lucien and appears more optimistic and fulfilled. Ruby begins to realize she was wrong about Lucien and that he cares for Charlotte deeply.

Soon after, Ruby walks by her old apartment and sees Thomas waiting for her. They reconcile and take a long route to Ruby’s new apartment, evading suspicion. Thomas waits outside until sunset, and Ruby dresses nicely for the first time in years. When night falls, Thomas comes inside, and they spend the night together.

Thomas and Ruby catch up and recount their adventures. Ruby suggests Thomas stay with her until they find a new escape line, and they begin kissing. Suddenly, Charlotte and Lucien return, surprised to see Thomas.

The four of them become a family, finally happy amidst the tragedy. Charlotte becomes Lucien’s assistant and helps forge documents, while Ruby and Thomas get to know each other better and fall deeply in love. The American Thanksgiving comes, and Ruby prepares a makeshift dinner for her and Thomas. They discuss their plans to return to America together. That night, they make love for the first time.

The group covertly celebrates Hanukkah together, shortly followed by Christmas. Ruby considers her love for Thomas and the surprising love between Charlotte and Lucien. Soon, the German army begins weakening and there is hope for the future.

Lucien arrives with word that a new escape line has been formed, so Thomas can return to England. He explains that Thomas will have to prove his identity so the network doesn’t think he’s a German spy. He and Charlotte leave Ruby and Thomas alone to say goodbye. They talk about their plans for after the war. Ruby tells him about her parents’ house and the poppy fields; as a child, she always believed the flowers were magical. Thomas offers to adopt Charlotte after the war. Soon, Charlotte and Lucien return, and Ruby feels hopeful that things will get better.

Thomas and Lucien depart, leaving Ruby and Charlotte heartbroken. Lucien returns late at night, and he and Charlotte discuss Thomas’s fate. He tells her that the new escape line is looking for more volunteers and asks if they’d be willing to offer their home as a safe house. Charlotte agrees, knowing it will give Ruby a sense of purpose.

Thomas joins a group of other escaping pilots and begins his journey home. Along the way, he thinks about Ruby. The pilots travel through the countryside, spending a few weeks at a farmhouse. They continue onwards to a beach to await a ship; they’re forced to climb down a steep cliff and then wait for several hours. Finally, boats come to collect them and bring them to a boat which carries them to England.

Ruby adjusts to her life without Thomas and her role in the new escape line. The atmosphere in Paris shifts as the German army becomes more desperate. One day, while standing in line, Ruby is approached by two soldiers who ask her if she knows a woman named Adele. Ruby is mystified, and the soldiers leave. A kind woman encourages Ruby, giving her food as a thanks for her Resistance efforts.

When she gets home, Ruby speaks with Charlotte about backing out of the escape line. However, Charlotte is adamant about continuing. They continue welcoming a range of pilots. One day, Ruby realizes she’s quite ill, and she discovers that she’s pregnant with Thomas’s child. When Charlotte returns, she guesses at Ruby’s pregnancy through her countenance and mood. They discuss Ruby’s relationship with Thomas and their future.

Soon, the escape line is breached and Ruby and Charlotte refrain from calling attention to themselves. Ruby wants to stop taking pilots but feels guilty at the thought of abandoning them. One day when she’s escorting a pilot to the train station, she’s stopped by a group of German officers and arrested. Once imprisoned, Ruby wallows in guilt over involving Charlotte in such danger. The guards threaten her, but she holds onto her American citizenship in hopes that it will save her.