A Breach In Berlin

Eight - Acht - The Gateway to the World

9:00am December 20th 2014, Berlin (Currently)

All at once, snow collapsed into rain, like summer falls into autumn. So suddenly. For once, the room was silent. Jared had taken my warning glance when the first business call of the morning chimed and had left to the lobby with his laptop and files. I took this opportunity for some down time, my legs had begun an argument with my body and my muscles were ready to retire for a few days. I had taken an hour long soak in a full to the brim bubble bath courtesy of one of the hotel assistants providing my every need as I had lazily laid in bed at seven o'clock in the morning.

But now I was curled up in a thick cable knit sweater that hugged my neck and fell loosely over the rest of my body. I had also discovered some extra pillows and blankets and had made a nest on the window seat, burying myself within it. I was reading 'The Great Gatsby' and sipping on a hot sweet cup of tea when the rain began to fall. Overnight it had got warmer – only by a few degrees – and instead of snow, rain came.

As much as I loved snow, rain was next best along with the sunshine. Rain gave me the perfect opportunity to curl up in blankets and my warmest jumper and socks, just like I was now, and either watch the weather or read. Gently, I closed my book and set it aside, turning my head and resting it upon the cushioned windowsill, watching droplets bounce off the ledge outside. I raised myself up to sit on my knees, fully leaning towards the window to watch. The irregular patter of droplets hitting the ground and the window, I found, incredibly therapeutic and more often than not Jared had come home to find me asleep on our window seat, the droplets quietly drumming being the cause of my sound slumber.

Yet to turn a light on, I sat in the dark room, the overcast skies preventing it from getting much lighter. Well, by natural light. I didn't have any plans as of today, but was instead planning what was to come in two day's time on the twenty-second. Anna would now be accompanying all our family outings, if we had any, but she had also insisted on joining me at eleven o'clock when I went to see Kurt. In the back of my mind I knew there was a big risk bringing yet another English girl into 1914 Germany, and I knew it was another body on Kurt's back if we were to be caught. But, the twenty-second was when both he and Thomas had leave, so as long as I could get her to the dance, I was liking the idea of making her Thomas's responsibility, they were a similar age after all.

Amongst the excitement, mainly on Anna's behalf, of going dancing again I was also full of worry. So far I had visited Kurt at least every other day, but I couldn't for the life of me, remember if I had planned with him to meet tonight. I hadn't see him in roughly three days and I was worrying myself senseless that he thought I had abandoned him.

Behind my whirlwind of thoughts that had come about from the constant tapping of the rain which had seemed to have got my brain in gear, my mother walked into our room. I heard here kitten heeled shoes click against the partially wooden floor of our suite, causing me to turn my head in her direction.

"Sweetheart, are you okay?" She looked mildly concerned by my away with the fairy's act, "We've been trying to ring you on the phone for the past ten minutes."

"Oh," I glanced up at her, she didn't say anything but her eyes was looking at me for an answer, "I was just thinking about some stuff, you know, wedding and everything." I smiled softly at her before turning back to the window.

"Darling you know it's all finalised, I helped you with that." She reassured me gently, resting a hand on my shoulder.