The Last Innocent Hour by Margot Abbott

Author:Margot Abbott [Abbott, Margot]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Publisher: Sand Hill Review Press
Published: 2017-06-19T23:00:00+00:00

I HAD SO much to do before we were to leave: packing, arranging for the house to be looked after, and, finally, letting people know we were going.

I telephoned David and had a very unsatisfactory conversation with him. I was still embarrassed by my father’s attitude toward David, and by my own reaction, even though David knew nothing of it. I felt there was too much left unsaid between us, but he wished me a happy vacation and rang off.

Sydney I met for coffee at her flat the day before I left. I had told her some of what had happened between Christian and me and she agreed that my father was right.

“I wish he weren’t. It’s been so strange, Sydney. Everyone behaving so well. And I don’t know how I feel about Christian, so I don’t know how sad to be.”

“If you stayed and fell in love with him, then what would you do? Marry an SS officer? You couldn’t, Sally.”

“He’s not like that.”

“Doesn’t matter, darling. He wears that uniform, the SD diamond on his sleeve. You just can’t have anything to do with him.”

“Can’t. Can’t. Can’t. Can’t what? Nothing happened. We saw each other a few times. Nothing happened. We barely talked.”

“Then count yourself lucky. You’re out of it unscathed.” I looked at her, cool and elegant in a gray sweater and skirt.

“I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I am. Now, tell me about your trip to Italy. Brian and I are going this summer as well. We should arrange to meet you. You know, at noon on the twelfth of August, in front of the Fontana di Trevi. I’ll be the one in the big hat.”

“I’ll be the one with my feet in the fountain,” I said, and we both laughed. I cheered up as we planned a rendezvous. It made me feel I was not cutting myself off from everyone I had met and cared for in Berlin.

Maestro was not pleased that I would be missing five months of fencing and I could not promise him that I would practice. But I did promise to return, and also to visit a certain shop in Rome. There I would buy an Italian foil. Maestro gave me the address and I left the salle thankful that Daddy had suggested the trip to Italy. It promised to be the salvation of the summer.

Finally, I telephoned Lina Heydrich. She was sweet and enthusiastic about my travel plans and promised to pass them on to Heydrich, relieving me of the necessity of talking to him.

I hadn’t spoken to him for almost a month, since our last musical evening. I wondered if he knew about Christian and me, if he knew already that I was leaving.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.