Note: this chapter does not use Single Line Breaks, unlike the previous two.
I prefer SLB's, it shows the paragraphs better, but I was adviced to try the non-SLB format.
Please tell me which has your preference, my dearest reader.

Chapter 3

"Now, you silly woman, stop stuffing our ears with all this talk, and be on your way," said the nurse smiling, but seriously. She had only been ten minutes in the room, but she found the midwife very annoying, at some moments even irritating. It was the midwife's duty to tell her about the child's welfare, and she had, but the secondary information she had also eagerly shared, had annoyed her profoundly. She wanted to release not just herself, but everybody of the midwife's presence, so she had resolved to being a bit harsh.

"Silly woman? No, not silly. I speak of ancient wisdom!"

"Old woman's babbling, you mean. Be on your way," said Nurse, waving the midwife away with her hand, not looking at her. The midwife, her cheeks mottled with pink, rose with a lot of groaning from her chair.

"We'll see who is right," she muttered and left.

When she was gone, Nurse addressed the rest of the servants sternly.

"All children are children. They are not gnomes, trolls, demons, devils or whatever, not while I'm around. Now, does Madame know I have arrived?"

"Yes," said Lothar, "she asked me to show you your room and then introduce you. And please, do not rush. Madame wants you to feel at home, just like all of us. 'First things first', she said to me. You'll find her a very amiable mistress."

.

"The government has accepted the ultimatum, unconditionally," said Giedrius to his wife.

"It was to be expected. Did they have any choice?"

"There's always a choice, Simonetta."

"Yes, there is always a choice. But some choices are not an options, depending on circumstances and priorities. You would have preferred to turn down the ultimatum and face the Soviet troops? Not only the twenty thousand already stationed in Lithuania, but also the troops that would come to their aid? The result would have been the same – Soviet domination. You know our soldiers would have been slaughtered."

"Signing the Soviet-Lithuanian Mutual Assistance Treaty last year was a mistake. Yes, we got Vilnius, but we agreed to station up to twenty thousand soldiers 'to protect us from the Nazi's'. And now it's these soldiers that forced us to accept this ultimatum."

"Giedrius, maybe the Treaty was the first step in the plan for Soviet occupation of Lithuania. But it was a Treaty; our government signed it. This time, it was an ultimatum. Nothing the Soviets will say or do will change that. The fact that it was an ultimatum is enough to show the world that it is unjust. But by accepting it, we have saved a lot of lives that otherwise would have been wasted."

"Yes, but what have we gained by accepting? We have accepted an unspecified number of Soviet soldiers in our land and the formation of a pro-Soviet government! We have given up our own identity. We have given them carte blanche to do as they please."

Simonetta took his hands.

"Perhaps. But the fact is that the government has accepted the ultimatum," she said.

"Yes, that's true. But I will not accept any domination of Lithuania. I will do all I can to free my country from any foreign interference."

"And I support you completely. But we have to choose the best option. I believe we can achieve more for Lithuanian freedom if we support others in the battle, and not fight ourselves. We have the means, let's use them."

Giedrius kissed his wife's hands and smiled.

"I'll contact our friends."

A knock on the door announced that the nurse had finished unpacking. Giedrius rose and opened the door. He saw Lothar and the nurse, stepped aside and motioned them inside with a gallant motion.

"If you will excuse me, I have matters to attend to," he said. He bowed and took his leave.

The nurse, unaccustomed to affable employers, forgot to greet him as he left the room.

"I hope your room is sufficient?"

"Yes, Madame, it is."

"Lothar, could you get us something to drink? Some tea, perhaps?" asked Simonetta and looked at the nurse, who nodded her head to accept the offer.

"Yes, Madame," answered Lothar, and withdrew.

"The Count and I find it our obligation to provide our personnel with whatever they need to live and function as good as possible. I'm sure you would claim you need nothing if I asked now, but keep it in mind, please. Because, the moment you feel you are in need of something, you will remember my words, and act upon them."

"Yes, Madame."

"How was your journey?"

"It was fine, thank you."

Simonetta tried to engage the nurse in a conversation. But Nurse, unaccustomed to having her employers for company, had a hard time shaking off her restrictions. After a while, she succeeded - partly anyway - and warmed to Madame. All new members of staff had. Simonetta was indeed, as Lothar had stated, a very amiable mistress.