White Daisies

Chapter 19

September 15th, 1941

"I just don't think they would make a good pair," Frances complains about the girl who had been coming into the bakery every day to flirt with Ben. "She's not his type at all."

"Ana, are you listening to me?" Frances waves her hand in front of my face.

I blink. "Huh?"

She goes back to filing her nails. "You've been staring at the wall for the past ten minutes. What's wrong with you?"

Bitterness fills my mouth. "I almost got caught making the drop last night."

Frances drops her file. "Wait, what!?"

I throw my hands over my face. "I almost got caught. By Elias Norgaard."

"Elias Norgaard!? I haven't heard that name since he finished gymnasium."

"Yeah, well, he's part of the Gestapo and the SS now," I say grimly.

"Gentle Moses," she breathes. "What happened?"

My mind immediately flashes to the night before. I fall back onto the covers of her bed and begin to recount what had happened after he stopped me.

"Elias Norgaard!?" I had exclaimed.

"In the flesh," Elias smiled at me. He took a few steps towards me as thick drops of water fell around us. My hair was drenched and stuck to the sides of my face. The wind whipped against my back, and a wooden board on the house slammed into the glass of one of the windows. I had to keep myself from jumping when a big clash of thunder shook the ground.

"I haven't seen you in a while! What are you doing out here in the storm?" He yelled so that I could hear him.

"Oh, you know, I just wanted to go for a bicycle ride to get out of the house!" I falsely explained. "Thought I would make it back before the storm hit."

He scowled. "What are you doing all the way in Østerbro?" He motioned towards the house. "And why did you stop here?"

I looked at the house. "I thought it would be a cute house to live in someday. That is if the renovations are ever finished."

He eyed me skeptically for a minute. Finally accepting my answer, he stuck his arm out. "Come on, I'm going to walk you home."

My stomach rolled. "No, you don't have to do that," I tried to decline. But he just shook his head.

"It's dangerous out here," he insisted. "You shouldn't be alone."

I tried to think of an excuse, but nothing came. I accepted his offer, not really having any other choice. I didn't want to raise any more suspicion.

I rolled my bicycle beside me as we wandered back to Indre By. Although the rain had died down a bit, he still held an umbrella above us. As we walked, he tried to make small talk by asking what I had been up to since I finished school. I only gave him the basics: I had been teaching violin lessons, playing some shows, and had plans to go to a music conservatory.

"That's incredible," he remarked. "I've never heard you play, but I'm sure you're amazing."

I felt myself blush against my will. "Thank you," I accepted the compliment.

Neither of us said anything for a few moments. Out of courtesy, I knew I had to ask what he did after finishing gymnasium.

"Well, obviously I joined the Gestapo," he grinned and pointed at the pins on his uniform. Traitor, my mind insulted. "After a while, I got promoted to the SS. I've always wanted to make a difference, and now I can. We can get back everything we lost in the last war," he said bitterly.