her at times.
He pulled back and said, “One day I’ll ask you to marry me.”
She had wondered, of course, what it would be like to marry him, but she thought it was much too soon to get serious. They had only known each other for a few months. Now that the word marry had been spoken aloud, she felt a shock run along her nerves. “But we’re too different.”
“Of course we’re different. I’m a man and you’re a woman.”
“Oh, it’s more than that, and you know it! Your family would never accept me.”
Erik did not argue, but he said firmly, “They can change.”
“But, Erik, there are . . . things in Germany—political things—I don’t understand, and I’m afraid of them.”
Erik stroked her hand, and for a moment he did not answer. Finally, he lifted his eyes and said, “There are some things in this new order that I do not accept myself. My father blindly accepts whatever the führer proposes, but Hitler is only a man and subject to error.”
“That’s what bothers me. The men and women on the street, the working people, everyone seems to think he’s . . . almost like a god. That whatever he does is right.”
“Strong men always elicit that sort of feeling from people. You don’t know what it was like in Germany after the war. It was terrible. Money became worthless. People were starving in the streets. We didn’t know which way to turn, and then Hitler came along. And he made things work. He’s a man of destiny, Gabby. He will make Germany the strong nation she once was.”
“But he’s breaking treaties, invading other countries. There’s something wrong with that, isn’t there, Erik?”
“Yes, I think there is, but he’s a relatively young man and new to all this power. He’ll gather some wise men to advise him. It’ll be all right.”
“I should go in.”
He turned so he could look straight into her eyes. “Don’t be afraid of me, and don’t be afraid of Germany. If you andI love each other, we’ll find a way. I love you—I’m sure of it—but I sense your fear, Gabby. It won’t stay. My love for you will send it away. You’ll see.”
Gabrielle got out of the car, and they were silent as he walked her to the door. She turned to him and smiled. “Thank you for the wonderful time.”
He leaned over and kissed her lightly. “We will have many times like this. Things will work out for us. You will see, my dear.”
Gabrielle watched as he turned and went back to the car. Their conversation had excited her and frightened her at the same time, but she knew that somehow the future was rushing toward her at a furious speed, and there was nothing she could do to control it.
****
“You look tired, dear. Didn’t you sleep well?” Liza asked.
Gabby’s aunt was right. It had taken her a long time to drop off to sleep, and even then she had not slept soundly. Erik’s mention of marriage had filled her mind with many thoughts. Fitfully, she had tossed on her bed, waking several times, and had risen the next morning with swollen eyes and feeling groggy.
“Not very well, I’m afraid.”
“Perhaps after breakfast you can lie down and take a nap.”
Gabby laughed. “I need to get to the hospital.”
The two women looked up as Dalton entered the room and greeted them cheerfully. He sat down at the table and told them excitedly about the research he was doing at the university. He was working on developing a new kind of power that involved splitting the atom. It would be so much more powerful than any of the known energy sources that Gabby could hardly comprehend the scope of the project.
Gabby said little but listened as her uncle spoke of the progress that was being made and how Germany would become the envy of the world when this discovery was madepublic. She was puzzled about her uncle, for he was a genius in his field, but he appeared to have little sensitivity to some things. She knew he read the newspaper and was familiar with the excesses of the Nazi
He pulled back and said, “One day I’ll ask you to marry me.”
She had wondered, of course, what it would be like to marry him, but she thought it was much too soon to get serious. They had only known each other for a few months. Now that the word marry had been spoken aloud, she felt a shock run along her nerves. “But we’re too different.”
“Of course we’re different. I’m a man and you’re a woman.”
“Oh, it’s more than that, and you know it! Your family would never accept me.”
Erik did not argue, but he said firmly, “They can change.”
“But, Erik, there are . . . things in Germany—political things—I don’t understand, and I’m afraid of them.”
Erik stroked her hand, and for a moment he did not answer. Finally, he lifted his eyes and said, “There are some things in this new order that I do not accept myself. My father blindly accepts whatever the führer proposes, but Hitler is only a man and subject to error.”
“That’s what bothers me. The men and women on the street, the working people, everyone seems to think he’s . . . almost like a god. That whatever he does is right.”
“Strong men always elicit that sort of feeling from people. You don’t know what it was like in Germany after the war. It was terrible. Money became worthless. People were starving in the streets. We didn’t know which way to turn, and then Hitler came along. And he made things work. He’s a man of destiny, Gabby. He will make Germany the strong nation she once was.”
“But he’s breaking treaties, invading other countries. There’s something wrong with that, isn’t there, Erik?”
“Yes, I think there is, but he’s a relatively young man and new to all this power. He’ll gather some wise men to advise him. It’ll be all right.”
“I should go in.”
He turned so he could look straight into her eyes. “Don’t be afraid of me, and don’t be afraid of Germany. If you andI love each other, we’ll find a way. I love you—I’m sure of it—but I sense your fear, Gabby. It won’t stay. My love for you will send it away. You’ll see.”
Gabrielle got out of the car, and they were silent as he walked her to the door. She turned to him and smiled. “Thank you for the wonderful time.”
He leaned over and kissed her lightly. “We will have many times like this. Things will work out for us. You will see, my dear.”
Gabrielle watched as he turned and went back to the car. Their conversation had excited her and frightened her at the same time, but she knew that somehow the future was rushing toward her at a furious speed, and there was nothing she could do to control it.
****
“You look tired, dear. Didn’t you sleep well?” Liza asked.
Gabby’s aunt was right. It had taken her a long time to drop off to sleep, and even then she had not slept soundly. Erik’s mention of marriage had filled her mind with many thoughts. Fitfully, she had tossed on her bed, waking several times, and had risen the next morning with swollen eyes and feeling groggy.
“Not very well, I’m afraid.”
“Perhaps after breakfast you can lie down and take a nap.”
Gabby laughed. “I need to get to the hospital.”
The two women looked up as Dalton entered the room and greeted them cheerfully. He sat down at the table and told them excitedly about the research he was doing at the university. He was working on developing a new kind of power that involved splitting the atom. It would be so much more powerful than any of the known energy sources that Gabby could hardly comprehend the scope of the project.
Gabby said little but listened as her uncle spoke of the progress that was being made and how Germany would become the envy of the world when this discovery was madepublic. She was puzzled about her uncle, for he was a genius in his field, but he appeared to have little sensitivity to some things. She knew he read the newspaper and was familiar with the excesses of the Nazi
Similar Books
