Standing for a last moment in the bedroom where she and Dolff had given birth to their dreams, she gazed, sobbing, at the spot where she had last seen him, and then without thinking she reached out a hand to the clothes he had worn only a few hours before. Discarded on the floor before their hungry lovemaking, still smelling of the special spice and lemon scent he wore, she felt them for a moment and ran them through her fingers, pressing his shirt to her face with a sob. And then she ran from the room and down the stairs. It was at the bottom landing that she saw it, the pool of blood where he had lain, and the trail it made where they must have dragged him, unconscious, from his own house. She fled the building and ran frantically toward her car, parked only slightly farther down the street.
She was never quite sure how she had gotten back to Grunewald, but she had driven home, still sobbing, clutching the wheel. She had crawled out of the car, unlocked the gate, driven on to their doorway, and let herself in with her key. Silently, and with tears still streaming from her eyes she had run up the stairs to her bedroom, slammed the door, and looked around her. She was back, she was home it was the pink bedroom she had seen so often the pink ' the pink ' it was all she could see as it spun around her and she sank at last, unconscious, to the floor.
Chapter 6
When Kassandra came to, she was lying on her bed, a cold compress pressed across her head. The room was dark and there was a strange buzzing. She realized in a moment that the sound she heard was in her own head. Somewhere in the distance there was Walmar, staring down at her and applying something damp and heavy to her face. In time she felt her blouse stripped off, and she was aware of a terrible stinging, and then of something warm draped across her naked breasts. It seemed a long time before she could see him clearly, and then at last the buzzing stopped and he sat down quietly in a chair beside her bed. He said nothing, he only sat there as she lay staring at the ceiling, unwilling and unable to speak. He asked her nothing. He only changed the compresses from time to time. The room stayed dark for hours, and when now and then there came a knock at the door, it was Walmar who sent them away. She looked at him gratefully and then drifted off to sleep. It was midnight when she woke again; a dim light burned in the distance in her boudoir, and keeping his silent vigil, he was still there.
At last he couldn't hold back any longer, and he could see from her eyes that she was conscious and no longer in shock, and he had to know what had happened, for her sake and his own. Kassandra, you have to talk now. You have to tell me. What happened?
I disgraced you. , Her voice was the merest whisper, and he shook his head and took her hand.
Don't be silly. And then after another moment, Darling, tell me. You must tell me. I have to know. Anna had come to him screaming that something terrible had happened to Frau von Gotthard and she was lying near death on her bedroom floor. In terror, he had run to find her, not near death, but beaten and in shock. And then he had known. Kassandra?
He was ' going to kill me ' to rape me ' ' I told him ' who I was. Walmar felt a chill of fear run through him.
Who was it?
Them ' they took him ' , And then she whispered horribly. They took Dolff ' they beat him ' they ' he was ' bleeding ' and then they dragged him ' ' down the stairs' . She sat up in bed and retched, emptily, onto the bed, as Walmar sat by helplessly, holding out a monogrammed pink towel. When it was over, she stared blankly at her husband. And one of them stayed behind ' for me' I told him ' I told him ' ' She looked at Walmar pathetically. They thought I was a Jew.
You were right to tell them who you are. You'd be dead by now if you hadn't. They may not kill him, but they would probably have killed you. , He knew that more likely the reverse was true, but he had to lie,
She was never quite sure how she had gotten back to Grunewald, but she had driven home, still sobbing, clutching the wheel. She had crawled out of the car, unlocked the gate, driven on to their doorway, and let herself in with her key. Silently, and with tears still streaming from her eyes she had run up the stairs to her bedroom, slammed the door, and looked around her. She was back, she was home it was the pink bedroom she had seen so often the pink ' the pink ' it was all she could see as it spun around her and she sank at last, unconscious, to the floor.
Chapter 6
When Kassandra came to, she was lying on her bed, a cold compress pressed across her head. The room was dark and there was a strange buzzing. She realized in a moment that the sound she heard was in her own head. Somewhere in the distance there was Walmar, staring down at her and applying something damp and heavy to her face. In time she felt her blouse stripped off, and she was aware of a terrible stinging, and then of something warm draped across her naked breasts. It seemed a long time before she could see him clearly, and then at last the buzzing stopped and he sat down quietly in a chair beside her bed. He said nothing, he only sat there as she lay staring at the ceiling, unwilling and unable to speak. He asked her nothing. He only changed the compresses from time to time. The room stayed dark for hours, and when now and then there came a knock at the door, it was Walmar who sent them away. She looked at him gratefully and then drifted off to sleep. It was midnight when she woke again; a dim light burned in the distance in her boudoir, and keeping his silent vigil, he was still there.
At last he couldn't hold back any longer, and he could see from her eyes that she was conscious and no longer in shock, and he had to know what had happened, for her sake and his own. Kassandra, you have to talk now. You have to tell me. What happened?
I disgraced you. , Her voice was the merest whisper, and he shook his head and took her hand.
Don't be silly. And then after another moment, Darling, tell me. You must tell me. I have to know. Anna had come to him screaming that something terrible had happened to Frau von Gotthard and she was lying near death on her bedroom floor. In terror, he had run to find her, not near death, but beaten and in shock. And then he had known. Kassandra?
He was ' going to kill me ' to rape me ' ' I told him ' who I was. Walmar felt a chill of fear run through him.
Who was it?
Them ' they took him ' , And then she whispered horribly. They took Dolff ' they beat him ' they ' he was ' bleeding ' and then they dragged him ' ' down the stairs' . She sat up in bed and retched, emptily, onto the bed, as Walmar sat by helplessly, holding out a monogrammed pink towel. When it was over, she stared blankly at her husband. And one of them stayed behind ' for me' I told him ' I told him ' ' She looked at Walmar pathetically. They thought I was a Jew.
You were right to tell them who you are. You'd be dead by now if you hadn't. They may not kill him, but they would probably have killed you. , He knew that more likely the reverse was true, but he had to lie,
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