A Flicker of Light by Roberta Kagan Page B

Petra. “Warm day, yes? Perhaps one of the last ones this year. Soon comes the dreaded winter.”
    He smiled at Petra. What a pretty thing, he thought, although a bit too slender for his tastes. Unconsciously, he licked his lips as he considered future possibilities. A night of wild abandon, perhaps, something his wife need never find out about. This golden-haired girl tucked away on a farm out in the country might be just the thing he needed to spice up his life.
    “We were not so lucky as to have children of our own; she is my husband’s brother’s daughter. Her future husband is fighting at the Russian front, and s he is waiting for him here,” Sie gland said.
    “And where is your home, young lady?” Too bad there is a future husband involved, especially a soldier fighting for the Fatherland, he thought. Even if they are not yet married, it would still be wrong to pursue her. Ah, well, nothing would have pleased him more than an affair with an attractive young girl. Never mind, he told himself, he would visit the women at the Lebensborn . There he could engage in extramarital sex and help the cause at the same time. A smirk came to his lips as he considered his own cleverness. Still, it would be nice to see what she looked like naked. And who knows, she might just get lonely while she waited, and find that she needed a man to keep her warm at night. No harm done if she came to him.  Of course, in that case he would be ready to oblige.
    “My father is dead , and my mother is in Poland. She moved there before the war, but I wanted to be here in my native Germany.”
    “Very wise, good choice, and what is your name?”
    “Petra.” She hoped that she had done a sati sfactory job covering her Norwegian accent.
    “Hello Petra.” The other officer, who stood beside him, smiled and nodded his head as he too watched Petra with an intense stare. The thick lenses of his glasses made his blue eyes look enormous, wild, and strange.
    Although still slim, Petra’s body had filled out since she had moved in with the Bruckmei e rs . Her breasts stood firm and full , while her hips fell in rounded curves. This officer did not miss the budding nipples of her breasts as they strained against her blouse. A crooked half-smile came to his lips; when Petra caught sight of it, she shivered slightly.
    “Why don’t we just take a few crates of those juicy berries with us right now? In a week or so we’ll bring some labor to help you with your harvest . That sounds good, yes? It seems like you have a crop of asparagus quite ready to be brought in , ” Officer Hauptman said .
    “Yes, take the strawberries; it is my pleasure. The asparagus is almost ready, too. And let me carry these crates of fruit over to your auto.” With his strong arms, Klaus lifted the two large crates and brought them to the car. Then he put them in the back seat, careful not to scratch the leather. Petra cast a glance at Siegland as the car pulled away.
    Relieved, but shaken, for the moment Klaus stopped working. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the perspiration from his brow. Then he walked to the house. His old heart had pounded so fiercely that he now suffered exhaustion and felt unable to continue his work for what remained of the day. Rest, he needed rest. At his age, the exertion of his work , coupled with the jolt he’d suffered as he considered possible arrest or detention , had caused a sharp pain in his chest th at surged down his left arm. Sie gland and Petra were worried. His face had turned a dark red, and cold sweat covered his entire body. Siegland ran him a lukewarm bath, and he stayed in the bathroom for more than an hour, wiping a cool towel across his forehead. For at least forty minutes , he had difficulty breathing as he panted like a bird in a cat’s clutches.

 
    Chapter 13
     
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    ogether, the women prepared the evening meal. With little Hans at play on the floor between them, they