Double Duet: A gripping WW2 novel (A Stella Bled Thriller Book 7) by A.W. Hartoin

Author:A.W. Hartoin [Hartoin, A.W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-05-21T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

The line for the telegram office stretched around the block. Stella and Marie had been waiting for half an hour and were only within shouting distance of the door.

“This is a kind of hell,” said Marie, stifling her tenth yawn in five minutes.

The surrounding people nodded their agreement and groused about the time. They were wasting their Sunday, the day of rest, praying for news that probably wouldn’t arrive. Stella had been surprised at the number of people interested in the invasion, but mixed in with the local journalists, French government officials, and Nazis were ordinary French men and women. She gathered from their nervous chatter that they had relatives in Alsace who had joined the Wehrmacht and others had husbands or sons that had joined to get out of prison, which said something about the prison conditions if fighting for your former enemy and invading Russia was deemed the better option.

Marie draped herself dramatically over Stella’s shoulder. “I’m going to die in this line.”

“Me too,” said the man in front of them. “This is worse than getting new ration cards.”

“I’d rather renew my licenses at the Hotel de Ville,” said a woman.

“Those licenses must be a pleasure compared to this,” said Marie. “Why is it taking so long?”

The woman whispered about some of the Germans cutting in at the head of the line. Stella wasn’t surprised that the high-ranking didn’t feel the need to wait with the common rabble. She was surprised that any of them did. There were quite a few low-ranking Nazis among them, and they were proving to be as social and fun as she found them to be in Berlin. They joked and shared cigarettes, even sneaking some to the women with sly smiles.

“I wish we had a pack of cards,” said Marie.

“Are you going to sit on the pavement?” Stella asked.

“I’m willing.”

There was a chorus of agreement on that. Decorum could take a flying leap.

“You don’t have to stay. Tell me what you want to say to Mom, and I’ll put it in the telegram,” said Stella.

“Oh, really?” Marie asked. “You’re not going to tell her I was up to all hours having fun and nearly missing Mass?”

“No. It would only upset her.”

“I don’t trust you. If you get Daddy all upset, he might say I have to come home.”

“Would you?”

“No.”

“Then why worry about it?” Stella asked, highly aware of the people listening in on their conversation. She’d underestimated how hard it was to keep up that kind of chatter for such a long period without something distracting going on, like dinner or dancing.

“I guess I could just go, but you know we’re going to miss our lunch date with Oberführer Waldheim,” said Marie. “And I hate to miss a drive in the country.”

“There’s no reason you have to miss it,” said Stella. “Just go.”

A young soldier with a noticeable limp and a missing ear turned to his companion and whispered something with a glance back at Marie.

Here we go.

“Do you think I can make it back in time?” Marie asked.

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