The Bormann Testament by Higgins Jack & Fallon Martin

Author:Higgins, Jack & Fallon, Martin [Higgins, Jack & Fallon, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: thriller, Historical, Mystery, Adventure, Suspense
ISBN: 9780425212318
Amazon: 0425212319
Goodreads: 346475
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Published: 1962-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 9

It was a damp, misty morning when they set out, and they halted in Hamburg only for as long as it took Anna to purchase a ready-made tweed jacket for Chavasse and a cheap gold wedding ring for herself.

Berndorf was only twenty miles out of Hamburg on the road to Lubeck. Chavasse did the driving, and after forty minutes, Anna tugged at his sleeve as they approached a signpost. He swung left into a narrow lane that plunged into thickly wooded country, and three miles farther on, they came to the village.

It consisted of a single street of stone-built houses and looked completely deserted. The inn lay beyond it, an old two-storied building in heavy, weather-beaten stone, with great wooden gables that seemed almost too large for the house.

They parked the car and entered through a door that had the date 1652 carved on the lintel. The main room was long, with a low roof crossed by great beams, and had a huge fireplace in which a man might comfortably stand. There was a bright fire burning and Anna stood in front of it warming her hands, while Chavasse went to the small reception desk near the door and rang the bell.

After a while, there was movement in the dim interior and an old woman with a face wrinkled and bright entered and bobbed a curtsy.

“We’d like a room for a couple of days,” Chavasse said.

She nodded her head. “You must see Herr Fassbender. I will fetch him.”

She disappeared into the rear of the house and Chavasse lit a cigarette and waited. After a moment or two, a large, red-faced man, with close-cropped hair, emerged from the kitchen. “You wish for a room, mein Herr?”

Chavasse nodded. “Yes, for my wife and myself—just for a couple of days.”

He tried to look suitably embarrassed, and Anna moved beside him and they linked hands. “Ah, I understand, mein Herr. I have a very nice room available, as it happens.”

He went behind the desk and produced a register, which Chavasse signed in the name of Reimarch. Fassbender took down a key and led the way upstairs. “A pity the weather is so bad, but then, it takes more than a little rain to spoil a holiday.”

He opened a door and led the way in. It was a pleasant room with a fireplace, dark oak furniture, and a large double bed in one corner. “This should suit us admirably,” Chavasse told him.

Fassbender smiled again. “I will have a fire lit for you. Would you like something to eat now?”

Chavasse shook his head. “No, we’ll wait. I think we’ll spend a little time exploring, shall we, darling?” He looked inquiringly at Anna.

She smiled. “I think that would be very nice.”

Fassbender nodded. “There is not a great deal for you to see, I’m afraid. To truly appreciate the beauty of this region, it is necessary to visit us in the summertime.”

“Any special places of interest?” Chavasse asked casually.

Fassbender shrugged. “There is the castle, of course. You can have a look at it, but it isn’t open to members of the public.

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.