The Fragile Hour (24 page)

Anna
returned to the drawing-room and exclaimed over all the discoveries she had made in her room.

“
Aren’t you taking anything with you?” Rosa asked.

“
No, I can’t. I have to travel as lightly as possible and at the present time I have all I need. Do you have a dress that needs alteration at the shop? I could take it with me and then bring it back. A perfect excuse to visit you whenever I can.”

“
Do you have such a need for secrecy in all things?” Rosa asked anxiously.

“
I’m afraid so. Make sure that Frida doesn’t talk about my visit now or at any other time.”

“
I will, but you needn’t worry. She has never been one to gossip. I’ll emphasise that your being half English could get you arrested and she would never want that to happen.”

As
Anna left the building, she would have liked to look back and wave, knowing that Rosa would be at the window, but it would not have fitted in with a saleswoman taking a customer’s garment back to the shop for alteration. She carried it over her arm, together with a tape-measure she had borrowed from Rosa to give credence to her visit.

There
were no customers in the shop when Anna returned, but Christina came out of the office.

“
You have a visitor waiting upstairs to see you,” she said with a smile. “And Magnus is safe now in Sweden!”

Anna
thrust the garment into Christina’s hands and ran up the stairs. When she reached the apartment, she hurled herself into Karl’s arms.

Chapter Twenty-One

Their first kisses were frenzied in their joyous reunion, she with her arms wrapped about his neck, he holding her so tightly that her feet left the floor. When Karl did set her down again, it was only to keep her within his embrace while she cupped the back of his neck in her hands.

“
Well, after all that, hello,” he said with a grin as she leaned back in his arms.

She
gave a soft laugh. “I’ve never been so thankful to see anyone before in my whole life! Did all go well? Christina said that Magnus is safe.”

“
That’s right. We had quite an eventful journey, but he’s a courageous kid and never complained, not even when I shoved him under the false floor of a truck. Neither did he whimper when we were hiding in thorny undergrowth within a few feet of a German patrol going past. Now he’s in just the kind of good foster home that you wanted for him.”

“
What a relief it is to hear that!”

He
twisted his wrist around to look at his watch. “I’ve been waiting over two hours for you. At least it gave me a chance to check your security here and Christina told me about the hideout under the cupboard. But now there are only a few minutes left for me to be with you.”

“
Is that all?” she exclaimed in disappointment.

He
nodded regretfully. “I shouldn’t have stayed this long, but I was desperate to see you. I’m not sure when I can get to Oslo again, my darling. I only arrived back in town this morning. The local Resistance group told me what had happened to you and why you were working from here.”

“
I can’t bear to think that I’ve missed time with you.” She pressed her cheek against his shoulder, her eyes closed tightly as she struggled to come to terms with having him snatched away from her again after so brief a reunion. “Can’t you stay a little while?”

“
No. I’m leaving for the west coast right away. Others are waiting to travel with me.”

“
At least tell me how you found London faring under these new rocket attacks.”

His
expression was grave. “They come without warning by day and night. When the engine cuts out and they drop, there is devastation. Great craters are left and they cause a terrible loss of life.”

“
Is it as bad as that?” She was dismayed. “Christina hasn’t a radio and the daily newspapers are full of Nazi propaganda that their new weapon is breaking England down. Not that I ever believed anything could. The Blitz proved that once and for all.”

“
You’re right, but it’s a terrifying weapon and people are war-worn just as they are here.”

“
Sometimes it seems forever since the war started,” she sighed. “How did you get back into Norway from England?”

“
I dropped by parachute into the Jotunheimen mountains. I floated down with a shipment of containers holding German uniforms for our sorties and emergency rations for those having to hide out in the heights. All I could think about was that I’d soon see you again.” His eyes went to her mouth and his voice throbbed with desire. “I’d hoped for so much more when we two were together again.”

“
I, too!” she whispered.

They
kissed again, fiercely and hungrily, while he caressed her lovingly. She scarcely knew how to let him go when he drew away from her, his hands sliding down her arms to her fingers, keeping contact until the last possible moment. He gave her a final look of love that almost made her cry out in anguish at his going. Then he went down the stairs to leave by way of the shop. She darted to her sitting-room window and watched him walk away down the street until he turned a corner and was out of sight.

She
remained by the window for several minutes, holding to the sound of his voice, his strength and warmth, her whole body re-awakened by his nearness and loving hands. There had been no time to tell him of her belief that the Resistance had lost faith in her, of meeting her aunt again, or even of Greta’s and Margot’s arrest.

Finally
she forced herself to stir and went to explain to Christina about the skirt that had been thrust into her hands.

When
Anna visited Rosa again she spent longer with her, Christina being generous in the matter of her being away from the shop. Frida had overcome her initial resentment and made as much fuss of Anna as in the past.

“
Come back as soon as you can,” Rosa said when Anna left again. This time Anna carried away an evening gown that Rosa wanted to sell and she made sure that part of it protruded from the carrier-bag. It was not that she thought anyone would be curious, but it had become second nature to be cautious in all that she did.

On
one of these visits Anna noticed the little doors were closed over the ikon. “Why isn’t the
Virgin
of
Smiles
on view, Aunt?” she asked, missing its rich glow.

Rosa
went to it at once and opened it up. “There was a German raid next door this morning and I was nervous that they might come here too.” She stood gazing at it. “I could lose all else I possess, but never this.”

Anna
moved across to put an arm about her aunt’s waist as they looked at the ikon together. “I know it’s precious to you for many reasons.”

“
That is true, my dear. Spritually it is of great importance to me. I find it both inspirational and a comfort. It strengthened me when I was on the brink of suicide.”

“
You’ve never mentioned that before,” Anna said gently in surprise. It was hard to imagine this woman of forceful character ever giving way to despair.

“
Maybe it’s time I told you then, my dear, especially in these days of uncertainty. Hans had inherited it from his Russian grandmother and it was to be handed down through his children and their descendants.”

Anna
understood. “You were expecting his child.”

“
I miscarried when news of his being killed reached me. He was one of the first casualties of the Great War.”

“
Why didn’t you get a divorce from Uncle long before?”

Rosa
’s lips twisted ruefully as she turned away from the ikon to face her niece. “Divorce wasn’t easy in those days. In any case, Hans was married too. It was an arranged marriage and a tragedy, because his wife had become a housebound invalid. He couldn’t leave her any more than I could have destroyed your uncle’s career with scandal. That’s how it was before the Great War.”

“
I’m so sorry.”

“
Life was bleak for a long time after that,” Rosa admitted as they strolled across to chairs by one of the windows. “But then one day I received that letter from your father asking me to take care of you and I began to live again.”

Anna
smiled as they sat down opposite each other. “I caused a big upheaval in your life.”

“
It was exactly what I needed!” Rosa paused for a moment. “Would it surprise you if I said I would like the ikon to be returned to Russia one day?”

Anna
considered. “No. It’s where it belongs.”

“
If the Hermitage is still standing when this terrible war is over, I should like it to be there. I remember Leningrad as St. Petersburg and once I danced at a ball at the Winter Palace. The Tsar and Tsarina were present. All that has gone forever and poor Russia must have lost many wonderful treasures during the German onslaught, but at least the ikon will have been saved.”

“
I promise to do everything I can to carry out your wishes.”

Rosa
sighed with satisfaction. “I knew I could rely on you.”

*

The summer rolled on. In the shop Anna took over whenever Christina went out on some secret business that she never disclosed. Daily Anna became more exasperated that no call was made on herself.

“
Be patient,” Christina advised. “I’m sure that, sooner or later, you’ll be contacted. I’ve been questioned about you several times.”

It
was a particularly hot day in late August when Anna met Nils again. She had just left the shop when she came face to face with him. With his hair sun-bleached to a lighter shade and his features tanned, he looked much the same as he had done in summers long since gone. She was overwhelmingly happy to see him and guessed he had returned to Norway by the same means as Karl.

“
I was on my way to find you!” he exclaimed, equally pleased. “I heard on the grapevine that you were working in a dress-shop here in Storgaten. Have you been given the afternoon off?”

“
I can take time when things are slack.” Automatically they began walking along together in case they should be moved on. She had no hope that he would be in Oslo for any length of time. “This is a flying visit, I suppose.”

He
had taken hold of her hand. “No, I expect to be here for a while. My office is in Prinsens Gate. I’ll show you it sometime. Where were you going now?”

“
To see Aunt Rosa. We met up again.”

He
frowned and thrust out his lower lip doubtfully. “You know that it was a dangerous thing to do?”

“
You don’t have to tell me, but it came about quite accidently. The housekeeper came running after me in the street.”

He
shrugged. “Well, it couldn’t be helped then. In a way it was to be expected. Oslo is too small a city not to meet anybody one knows here before long. Is it OK if I come with you to see Aunt Rosa again?”

Anna
hesitated. “But you never really liked her.”

“
You’re wrong. The boot was on the other foot. She was the one who never favoured me. But surely after all this time she won’t be holding anything against me?” With his eyes twinkling mischievously, he held up one hand as if taking an oath. “I promise not to argue politics with her.”

“
How could you anyway?” Anna said bluntly, refusing to be amused on such a topic. “There’s only one regime these days.”

“
I know,” he agreed soberly, leaning his head towards her. “But one day things will be better than ever they were before this war started.”

“
Are you going to be instrumental in that?” She threw him a smile. “You were planning on standing at the next election when the war came.”

They
were strolling along where they could not be overheard, but they continued to keep their voices low as a precaution. His brow creased determinedly. “New blood will be needed. It’s needed now! The present government in exile with the King will be totally out of touch with everything after the war is over. I believe I have a good future ahead of me. Quisling is a fool. The sooner he’s kicked out, the better. He thought Hitler would make him master of Norway and he’s still the underdog.”

“
You used to boast that you’d be a government leader one day,” Anna reminded him.

He
raised his eyebrows and laughed. “So I shall be! All wrongs will be put to rights. Don’t ever doubt it, Anna! I remember how I used to enjoy saying I was a future prime minister to your aunt just to rattle her.”

“
She thought your views too extreme and, looking back now, I realise they were. No wonder she disapproved of you.” Anna shook her head in mock reproof.

“
Ah, I’ve sobered down now and know exactly the path our country should follow when peace comes.”

“
I’m relieved to hear it. So remember your promise and keep to ordinary conversation with Aunt Rosa. I won’t have her upset. She has enough to put up with as it is.”

They
entered the apartment building and went up the wide marble stairs, the lift being stationary through an electricity cut.

Rosa
herself opened the door. “Anna, dear! I wondered if you would come today.” If she was disappointed to see Nils as well, she was too polite to show it. “This is a surprise, Nils. It’s a long time since we last met. How are you?”

They
shook hands. “Very well, Fru Johansen. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“
Come in.”

“
Where’s Frida?” Anna asked.

“
She heard there were early apples on sale at the market. I’m sure they’ll be small and sour, but she has gone to line up for some.”

Nils
made an offer. “I think I could get you a little sugar on the Black Market.”

Rosa
’s face seemed to close up. “Thank you, Nils, but we’ll manage,” she said, even though they all knew sugar had vanished from the shops long ago.

Anna
wished her aunt had not rebuffed Nils’s goodwill gesture so quickly, for it had been well-intended. Yet it had always been the same between them.

Fortunately
Nils had not taken offence and stood looking admiringly around the room. “I’ve never forgotten your lovely home here, Fru Johansen. But shouldn’t you hide some of these splendid things away for safe-keeping?”