her.
‘Hey there, you two – what have you been talking about so earnestly? We saw you, didn’t we, Rosemary?’
Rosemary nodded at Biff.
‘We did indeed.’
Anna, surprisingly, coloured slightly.
‘Oh nothing, just the future.’ She glanced quickly at Biff for support as she lied. ‘Wondered where we’d all be in ten years’ time, didn’t we?’
He nodded. ‘Yes. All with young children by then, no doubt – and you Konrad, you’ll be an admiral, of course.’
Konrad roared with laughter.
‘Oh yes, and I’ll be visited by my friend the air marshal.’
They all joined in the merriment as Konrad cut the end from a large cigar, but it was Rosemary who said: ‘What a wonderful idea.’
Everybody looked at her blankly.
‘I mean, why not meet here – in ten years’ time. It would be fun to see how we’ve changed.’
Anna agreed. ‘I think that is a very good idea, but it is a long time ahead.’
Konrad lit a match and began drawing the air through the cigar, its tip glowing fiery red with every inhalation. When he’d finished he waved the match out and dropped the blackened remains into an ashtray.
‘What do you say, Biff? Good idea or not? Perhaps you won’t want to see us again.’ He gave a chuckle.
Biff grinned and picked up his champagne glass.
‘Why not? To our meeting again.’
For the rest of the evening they danced with their partners, getting more and more sentimental.
Just after midnight Biff and Rosemary returned to the table but stayed standing.
‘We are turning in now,’ said Biff.
Konrad and Anna stood up.
‘You lovebirds, eh? Can’t wait to go to bed.’
Rosemary flushed at Konrad’s observation, but still held on to her husband who grinned.
‘No more than you two, I see.’
‘ Touché .’ Konrad took Rosemary’s hand and kissed the back of it as Biff lightly kissed Anna on both cheeks in the French style.
‘We’ll see you in the morning, then,’ said Anna. ‘We have the car coming at nine o’clock, don’t forget.’
‘We won’t.’
They made their way to the hotel’s ancient lift with its cage-like doors. When they’d gone Konrad murmured to Anna: ‘Nice people. I’m sorry that we may soon be on opposite sides.’
She stiffened. ‘What do you mean? Do you know something?’
He shook his head and held his new wife tightly around the waist.
‘No my dear, I do not, but….’
What he didn’t say hung heavily in the air.
Involuntarily Anna shivered.
She had found in Rosemary a woman friend she truly got on with – who thought and acted so like herself. And soon they would be enemies? It was unthinkable. When they reached their room, and Konrad began to undress her, she found she was still troubled by what he had said. Only when he lifted her on to the bed did she push it from her mind.
But in the deep dark of the night her mind was troubled once again until sleep came at last – despite Konrad’s snoring like a transatlantic liner’s deep siren.
Biff had found Rosemary more passionate than ever. When they’d finished and were cuddling together she suddenly said from his chest, where she had laid her head.
‘Darling, what do you make of the von Riegners?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well – do you really like them a lot? Despite, well, you know, their being German?’
He grinned unseen in the darkness.
‘What’s that got to do with it, sweetie? People are people, aren’t they? I think they are delightful.’
She snuggled happily against him.
‘I’m glad you think that, because I like them very much. I truly would like to see Anna and Konrad again.’
She would have liked to say more but suddenly she realized that his breathing had become slower, more regular. Like Anna in her room, she lay awake, wondering and worrying about the future as her husband was lost in the deep sleep of post-coital bliss.
They had breakfast in their rooms, but they met in the foyer of the hotel with some luggage, not all of it, as they
‘Hey there, you two – what have you been talking about so earnestly? We saw you, didn’t we, Rosemary?’
Rosemary nodded at Biff.
‘We did indeed.’
Anna, surprisingly, coloured slightly.
‘Oh nothing, just the future.’ She glanced quickly at Biff for support as she lied. ‘Wondered where we’d all be in ten years’ time, didn’t we?’
He nodded. ‘Yes. All with young children by then, no doubt – and you Konrad, you’ll be an admiral, of course.’
Konrad roared with laughter.
‘Oh yes, and I’ll be visited by my friend the air marshal.’
They all joined in the merriment as Konrad cut the end from a large cigar, but it was Rosemary who said: ‘What a wonderful idea.’
Everybody looked at her blankly.
‘I mean, why not meet here – in ten years’ time. It would be fun to see how we’ve changed.’
Anna agreed. ‘I think that is a very good idea, but it is a long time ahead.’
Konrad lit a match and began drawing the air through the cigar, its tip glowing fiery red with every inhalation. When he’d finished he waved the match out and dropped the blackened remains into an ashtray.
‘What do you say, Biff? Good idea or not? Perhaps you won’t want to see us again.’ He gave a chuckle.
Biff grinned and picked up his champagne glass.
‘Why not? To our meeting again.’
For the rest of the evening they danced with their partners, getting more and more sentimental.
Just after midnight Biff and Rosemary returned to the table but stayed standing.
‘We are turning in now,’ said Biff.
Konrad and Anna stood up.
‘You lovebirds, eh? Can’t wait to go to bed.’
Rosemary flushed at Konrad’s observation, but still held on to her husband who grinned.
‘No more than you two, I see.’
‘ Touché .’ Konrad took Rosemary’s hand and kissed the back of it as Biff lightly kissed Anna on both cheeks in the French style.
‘We’ll see you in the morning, then,’ said Anna. ‘We have the car coming at nine o’clock, don’t forget.’
‘We won’t.’
They made their way to the hotel’s ancient lift with its cage-like doors. When they’d gone Konrad murmured to Anna: ‘Nice people. I’m sorry that we may soon be on opposite sides.’
She stiffened. ‘What do you mean? Do you know something?’
He shook his head and held his new wife tightly around the waist.
‘No my dear, I do not, but….’
What he didn’t say hung heavily in the air.
Involuntarily Anna shivered.
She had found in Rosemary a woman friend she truly got on with – who thought and acted so like herself. And soon they would be enemies? It was unthinkable. When they reached their room, and Konrad began to undress her, she found she was still troubled by what he had said. Only when he lifted her on to the bed did she push it from her mind.
But in the deep dark of the night her mind was troubled once again until sleep came at last – despite Konrad’s snoring like a transatlantic liner’s deep siren.
Biff had found Rosemary more passionate than ever. When they’d finished and were cuddling together she suddenly said from his chest, where she had laid her head.
‘Darling, what do you make of the von Riegners?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well – do you really like them a lot? Despite, well, you know, their being German?’
He grinned unseen in the darkness.
‘What’s that got to do with it, sweetie? People are people, aren’t they? I think they are delightful.’
She snuggled happily against him.
‘I’m glad you think that, because I like them very much. I truly would like to see Anna and Konrad again.’
She would have liked to say more but suddenly she realized that his breathing had become slower, more regular. Like Anna in her room, she lay awake, wondering and worrying about the future as her husband was lost in the deep sleep of post-coital bliss.
They had breakfast in their rooms, but they met in the foyer of the hotel with some luggage, not all of it, as they
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