Dinner was on the table , she sat next to her son waiting for her
husband to get home , but to no avail . Marguerite helped her child with
his plate and then accompanied him to his nursery , even with the help
around she was never to let them handle her precious child and now she was
planning to accept the orders and leave him , such a dilemma , such
confusion and John was not yet home .
She kissed Eric good night securing the blanket around him and placing his
Teddy beside him. Then she walked out heading to her room to relieve
herself of her clothing .
'It would only take a week , just one week , it'll pass like thunder .' She
thought to herself as she tried to relax resting her head on the soft
pillow . " Damn it John , where are you ?"She whispered getting out of bed
.
She paced the balcony , she loved it out there , the open sky and
the garden surrounding her reminded her of the plateau , of the many hours
they spent outside stealing a moment away from the other inhabitants , a
moment for the two of them , staring at the sky , staring at each other .
She faced the garden clutching the rails , nervous about her husband's
whereabouts , a habit she picked perhaps from the plateau , where an hour
late made the difference between life and death and now they had fought and
he had left her . She knew he was right but she needed to take the
assignment , it would revive her in so many ways , it would let her know
that that spark in her hadn't died .
Marguerite returned to her bed hoping to find peace of mind between
the soft sheets but all she did was toss and turn and still the bed beside
hers was empty .
She woke with a startle the next morning, instinctively looking to her right hoping to find him beside her , but she didn't feel his warmth , his pillow was still untouched . Her features were tired, traces of insomnia surrounding her once sparkling eyes , she tried to hide her state wearing a fancy dress and concealing the shadowy marks , as soon as she was ready she heard a soft knock on her door . "John !" She whispered , followed by a " Come in ." Eric ran to his mother hugging her , as she pulled him up to her chest and gave him a morning kiss , he always looked so much like his father wearing his navy pants and white shirt and shoulder straps . His green eyes were dancing as she kissed him once again , nodding towards the help as a sign that it was alright . "Now let's get our breakfast shall we ?" She asked the boy setting him down and caressing his face . He nodded and they both headed downstairs . As she placed her son in his chair she walked to the butler and asked about her husband , she was told that he had been in the library since yesterday midnight and with that she rushed to the room where John was to be, hoping to settle things between them .
"John !" She spoke as she walked in closing the wooden door behind her. He had slept on the desk amidst papers and folders , he looked up opening his eyes , mumbling , then straightened himself rubbing his stiffened neck . " John , we need to talk . " "Yes your highness if you say so . " He replied with not a very pleasant tune . "I decided to do it ." As she spoke he let out a heavy sigh , running his hands through his hair . " Feel free Marguerite , you want to do it then do it ." As much as she had been hoping for those words to be spoken , she was sad and angry , didn't he care anymore , maybe he'd had enough with her stupid games , yes perhaps that was it , but being Marguerite she wouldn't back off now , she would take on the assignment , and talk to Eric , after all it was only a week , she'd been away for a week before visiting Paris . "I will go talk to Eric now and accept the job ." She confirmed as she walked away once more , as she opened the library door she turned to him , eyeing him with a concerned look . "A bath would do you good and breakfast has just been served ."
The child didn't take it so badly , he was somewhat accustomed to his mother's short travels . Things between Marguerite and Roxton had been tense , but still he didn't try to stop her even as she packed her necessities and prepared her papers . She kissed her son goodbye as the butler put her bag in the car , he was to drive her , she tried to speak to John , to break the ice that had gotten thicker the past two days , she tried to find his eyes but he seemed to always manage to look elsewhere , finally she let out ."I'll see you in a week ." She turned to her son . "Be good little man ." Placing a final kiss on his cheek . " Wish me luck ." She added with a nervous smile looking around her before she followed her driver to the awaiting car . Roxton retired to his room leaving behind a confused Eric with the nurse .
"Mussolini and Hitler are growing stronger , not only is Hitler Fuhrer but his Gestapo has been placed above the law , we have reasons to believe that he plans an expansion at the expense of other European nations ." The room was decorated with dark furniture , a serious atmosphere that seemed to match the seriousness of the case at hand . Marguerite was seated in the corner amongst two other men . Her black dress gave her the perfect aura of a cunning person with much depth , unafraid and ready to attack , but even though she kept her cool , the strain in her eyes was visible , but perhaps none other than lord Roxton himself was able to read those eyes so well . She listened carefully to the speech given by a man she had known for quite some time and worked for many times , an assignment known to her and other three men including him . Finally she was allowed her questions . "Winnie ." She immediately changed her tone as the two other men eyed her in confusion . "I mean Sir , what exactly is my assignment ? Am I to go to Germany ? And how many people would be under my supervision ?" The two other men were now even more confused as Marguerite's questions were asked , "Lady Roxton , I am afraid you have it wrong ." She cut him off . "Pardon me ?" "Well Lady Roxton , it is not a matter of training others to spy ." The other gentleman added ." We want YOU to spy ." " I was sent a letter where I was merely asked to train a few men and women in Germany in the matters of spying and that in no way would I be in direct danger ." She looked at Churchill expecting an explanation , which never came , he just stared at the trio smoking his cigar as the other two men continued with their explanation . "Lady Roxton , we want you on the Hindenburg ." "What ?" She asked , looking around . "The Hindenburg Lady Roxton is a zepplin heading to the United States , but that's not our point , we want you to go to Germany , Frankfurt and infiltrate the crew of the Hindenburg , we want to learn more about the Third Reich and any info is crucial to us at this point ." "What's your name good sir ?" "Names are not important Lady Roxton ." "Indeed , we have a lot to plan and we best begin ." Added the second . "Sir Winston , this was not what I came here for ." She spoke nervously . "This is your assignment Lady Roxton , it won't take you more than five days , this will seal your story with us and will be the last thing the British Empire and the world would ask of you ." She stood silent for a moment considering the plans , 'it wouldn't take more than five days and it would be my final order .' She thought . "Fine , fill me in on the details ." She added . The gentlemen smiled nodding towards each other , Sir Winston Churchill showed Marguerite the way to the conference room followed by the men .
After being informed of the steps that needed to be taken when aboard the Zeppelin, Marguerite was escorted to a car that drove her to a hotel. She was still nervous about what the case had turned out to be, but there was no way she could change her mind at this point. She thought of Eric and Roxton and in so many ways it hurt her , the fact that she had left without relieving the tension between them , one week and
She'd be back " Yes , she thought . One week and I'll be back , revitalized in an ironic way , she smiled . . .One week ." A package lay on the bed and the room was dark , she walked to it taking the folder , it was sealed and marked as many she had once received . She opened it to find a few more instructions . She was to be in Frankfurt wearing a civilian costume as to not draw any suspicion , she was to be a German and a passport was among the papers . " Margarita Dietrich , hmmmm , catchy " She snorted as she put the papers down opting for a nice bath before getting serious with the case at hand .
John Roxton was still mad , even as he was aware that there was no point to his anger , she had accepted the job ." Learn to deal with it old man , this is Marguerite ." He spoke in a very low voice as he headed to his son's room . He had made it a habit to read Eric a story and when Marguerite happened to be on one of her travels he would lay next to his son until dawn , forgetting the hours . As he read to his son stories about a forgotten place and a forgotten time , he remembered the days on the plateau and how much he actually missed Ned , Veronica , Challenger and Finn . He was thinking about going back , visiting his friends , he would talk to Marguerite about it , perhaps they could even take their son , it was time for him to meet the rest of the family . Family ... It reminded him of his mother , how much sad he was when she died , but he was glad he was beside her , when she succumbed to her faith, and not on the plateau . He would have felt extremely guilty if he had not been with her .
He lay next to his now sleeping son , caressing the kid's forehead , lost in thoughts of past , present and future . He was afraid for her , afraid for Marguerite , he knew about the happenings , he read the papers , had many political discussions with his fellow gentlemen. The war to end all wars apparently had not ended grand-scale conflicts and with the way science and technology were evolving ... something was being prepared, ready to burst in flames. Not everybody was aware of it perhaps , but it was there, ready to explode and Britain off course was to take part in it .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
May 3 , 1937 .
She graced the station in Frankfurt , looking as smart and beautiful as always , her hair was pulled back , her face had traces that revealed her age . But only if one looked very closely were the crow feet visible close to her eyes and the lines around her lips . She wore a light gray suit that hugged her waist . Her skirt fell just below her knees revealing her shapely figure and lengthy legs . Her neck was exposed by the cut in her vest and adorned by a heart shaped locket . She had a black purse matching her gloves and shoes , and with each step , attracted more and more eyes towards her . Her attitude and wear helped her get the attention of some of the crew members . Her plan was working so far for a man in a suit stood in front of her . "Captain Albert Sammt , First officer ." " Margarita Dietrich ." She smiled holding out her hand . He slightly bowed his head with a grin on his face taking her hand in his . " German! " "Yes ." She smiled again "Well, welcome to the pride of Third Reich ." "Thank you Sir." "I better attend to my business , we will be flying soon ." "Yes , nice to meet you . " "It was my pleasure madam ."
"Schiff hoch" Commander Pruss spoke . The ground crew released the handling lines giving the giant airship a push upward . The passengers were well accommodated , served the best food and wine and the ride was smooth . Marguerite , a book in hand walked around the passengers , listening to their conversations hoping to find clues that would help her recognize the faceless man she was after . She was told he was to be on the zeppelin , but was only given a first name : Heinrich . The second officer's name was Heinrich Bauer , but he was in the crew chamber and nothing indicated he was the one she was after . She had time . Yes , but none to waste . She kept walking amidst the passengers and the luxurious common places , suddenly the name rang in her ear followed by a feminine laugh she thought to be a bit too loud . " Oh , Heinrich , how amazing ." She gracefully turned , her head still down and looking at the pages of the book she carried , only her eyes roamed across the room , studying the people , until they fell on a giggling woman , holding a glass , wearing a fur coat and far more jewelry than needed , a man stood facing her , a cigar in hand .Marguerite could only see the back of his head . She walked past them , finding a chair that placed the man directly in the frame of her vision , she watched and studied each and every move . Heinrich excused himself from the lady , walking towards a middle aged man . After a shallow conversation , he took a small paper from his left pocket , pretending to take out his handkerchief and slipped the note to the man facing him as he handed him a cigar . Heinrich he was and the other guy ! Another stranger , she could feel the conspiracy being woven around her , the plot thickening and she liked it . All she needed was the envelope Heinrich was supposed to have on board with him and one way or the other , she had to have it .
She stood closing her book and walked towards the two suspicious men , as she glided by she smiled one of her most charming and inviting smile . Heinrich nodded to her , grinning . Marguerite continued towards the window seats and gazed outside waiting for the response to her flirtation . And he came , excused himself and wondered if he could sit facing her and share a glass of champagne and she agreed . They exchanged names but still he was only Heinrich and nothing further , he was a German businessman, he told her , on his way to the United States to check on his investments . She ? Well she was a German business woman herself traveling in hopes to achieve her dream of trading and selling jewelry . He was impressed , she could tell , a single woman traveling abroad to build a business that indeed took alot of brains and confidence and she humored him , trying to get anything from him , the smallest hint about his destination or even his real purpose on the Hindenburg .
She woke with a startle the next morning, instinctively looking to her right hoping to find him beside her , but she didn't feel his warmth , his pillow was still untouched . Her features were tired, traces of insomnia surrounding her once sparkling eyes , she tried to hide her state wearing a fancy dress and concealing the shadowy marks , as soon as she was ready she heard a soft knock on her door . "John !" She whispered , followed by a " Come in ." Eric ran to his mother hugging her , as she pulled him up to her chest and gave him a morning kiss , he always looked so much like his father wearing his navy pants and white shirt and shoulder straps . His green eyes were dancing as she kissed him once again , nodding towards the help as a sign that it was alright . "Now let's get our breakfast shall we ?" She asked the boy setting him down and caressing his face . He nodded and they both headed downstairs . As she placed her son in his chair she walked to the butler and asked about her husband , she was told that he had been in the library since yesterday midnight and with that she rushed to the room where John was to be, hoping to settle things between them .
"John !" She spoke as she walked in closing the wooden door behind her. He had slept on the desk amidst papers and folders , he looked up opening his eyes , mumbling , then straightened himself rubbing his stiffened neck . " John , we need to talk . " "Yes your highness if you say so . " He replied with not a very pleasant tune . "I decided to do it ." As she spoke he let out a heavy sigh , running his hands through his hair . " Feel free Marguerite , you want to do it then do it ." As much as she had been hoping for those words to be spoken , she was sad and angry , didn't he care anymore , maybe he'd had enough with her stupid games , yes perhaps that was it , but being Marguerite she wouldn't back off now , she would take on the assignment , and talk to Eric , after all it was only a week , she'd been away for a week before visiting Paris . "I will go talk to Eric now and accept the job ." She confirmed as she walked away once more , as she opened the library door she turned to him , eyeing him with a concerned look . "A bath would do you good and breakfast has just been served ."
The child didn't take it so badly , he was somewhat accustomed to his mother's short travels . Things between Marguerite and Roxton had been tense , but still he didn't try to stop her even as she packed her necessities and prepared her papers . She kissed her son goodbye as the butler put her bag in the car , he was to drive her , she tried to speak to John , to break the ice that had gotten thicker the past two days , she tried to find his eyes but he seemed to always manage to look elsewhere , finally she let out ."I'll see you in a week ." She turned to her son . "Be good little man ." Placing a final kiss on his cheek . " Wish me luck ." She added with a nervous smile looking around her before she followed her driver to the awaiting car . Roxton retired to his room leaving behind a confused Eric with the nurse .
"Mussolini and Hitler are growing stronger , not only is Hitler Fuhrer but his Gestapo has been placed above the law , we have reasons to believe that he plans an expansion at the expense of other European nations ." The room was decorated with dark furniture , a serious atmosphere that seemed to match the seriousness of the case at hand . Marguerite was seated in the corner amongst two other men . Her black dress gave her the perfect aura of a cunning person with much depth , unafraid and ready to attack , but even though she kept her cool , the strain in her eyes was visible , but perhaps none other than lord Roxton himself was able to read those eyes so well . She listened carefully to the speech given by a man she had known for quite some time and worked for many times , an assignment known to her and other three men including him . Finally she was allowed her questions . "Winnie ." She immediately changed her tone as the two other men eyed her in confusion . "I mean Sir , what exactly is my assignment ? Am I to go to Germany ? And how many people would be under my supervision ?" The two other men were now even more confused as Marguerite's questions were asked , "Lady Roxton , I am afraid you have it wrong ." She cut him off . "Pardon me ?" "Well Lady Roxton , it is not a matter of training others to spy ." The other gentleman added ." We want YOU to spy ." " I was sent a letter where I was merely asked to train a few men and women in Germany in the matters of spying and that in no way would I be in direct danger ." She looked at Churchill expecting an explanation , which never came , he just stared at the trio smoking his cigar as the other two men continued with their explanation . "Lady Roxton , we want you on the Hindenburg ." "What ?" She asked , looking around . "The Hindenburg Lady Roxton is a zepplin heading to the United States , but that's not our point , we want you to go to Germany , Frankfurt and infiltrate the crew of the Hindenburg , we want to learn more about the Third Reich and any info is crucial to us at this point ." "What's your name good sir ?" "Names are not important Lady Roxton ." "Indeed , we have a lot to plan and we best begin ." Added the second . "Sir Winston , this was not what I came here for ." She spoke nervously . "This is your assignment Lady Roxton , it won't take you more than five days , this will seal your story with us and will be the last thing the British Empire and the world would ask of you ." She stood silent for a moment considering the plans , 'it wouldn't take more than five days and it would be my final order .' She thought . "Fine , fill me in on the details ." She added . The gentlemen smiled nodding towards each other , Sir Winston Churchill showed Marguerite the way to the conference room followed by the men .
After being informed of the steps that needed to be taken when aboard the Zeppelin, Marguerite was escorted to a car that drove her to a hotel. She was still nervous about what the case had turned out to be, but there was no way she could change her mind at this point. She thought of Eric and Roxton and in so many ways it hurt her , the fact that she had left without relieving the tension between them , one week and
She'd be back " Yes , she thought . One week and I'll be back , revitalized in an ironic way , she smiled . . .One week ." A package lay on the bed and the room was dark , she walked to it taking the folder , it was sealed and marked as many she had once received . She opened it to find a few more instructions . She was to be in Frankfurt wearing a civilian costume as to not draw any suspicion , she was to be a German and a passport was among the papers . " Margarita Dietrich , hmmmm , catchy " She snorted as she put the papers down opting for a nice bath before getting serious with the case at hand .
John Roxton was still mad , even as he was aware that there was no point to his anger , she had accepted the job ." Learn to deal with it old man , this is Marguerite ." He spoke in a very low voice as he headed to his son's room . He had made it a habit to read Eric a story and when Marguerite happened to be on one of her travels he would lay next to his son until dawn , forgetting the hours . As he read to his son stories about a forgotten place and a forgotten time , he remembered the days on the plateau and how much he actually missed Ned , Veronica , Challenger and Finn . He was thinking about going back , visiting his friends , he would talk to Marguerite about it , perhaps they could even take their son , it was time for him to meet the rest of the family . Family ... It reminded him of his mother , how much sad he was when she died , but he was glad he was beside her , when she succumbed to her faith, and not on the plateau . He would have felt extremely guilty if he had not been with her .
He lay next to his now sleeping son , caressing the kid's forehead , lost in thoughts of past , present and future . He was afraid for her , afraid for Marguerite , he knew about the happenings , he read the papers , had many political discussions with his fellow gentlemen. The war to end all wars apparently had not ended grand-scale conflicts and with the way science and technology were evolving ... something was being prepared, ready to burst in flames. Not everybody was aware of it perhaps , but it was there, ready to explode and Britain off course was to take part in it .
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~
May 3 , 1937 .
She graced the station in Frankfurt , looking as smart and beautiful as always , her hair was pulled back , her face had traces that revealed her age . But only if one looked very closely were the crow feet visible close to her eyes and the lines around her lips . She wore a light gray suit that hugged her waist . Her skirt fell just below her knees revealing her shapely figure and lengthy legs . Her neck was exposed by the cut in her vest and adorned by a heart shaped locket . She had a black purse matching her gloves and shoes , and with each step , attracted more and more eyes towards her . Her attitude and wear helped her get the attention of some of the crew members . Her plan was working so far for a man in a suit stood in front of her . "Captain Albert Sammt , First officer ." " Margarita Dietrich ." She smiled holding out her hand . He slightly bowed his head with a grin on his face taking her hand in his . " German! " "Yes ." She smiled again "Well, welcome to the pride of Third Reich ." "Thank you Sir." "I better attend to my business , we will be flying soon ." "Yes , nice to meet you . " "It was my pleasure madam ."
"Schiff hoch" Commander Pruss spoke . The ground crew released the handling lines giving the giant airship a push upward . The passengers were well accommodated , served the best food and wine and the ride was smooth . Marguerite , a book in hand walked around the passengers , listening to their conversations hoping to find clues that would help her recognize the faceless man she was after . She was told he was to be on the zeppelin , but was only given a first name : Heinrich . The second officer's name was Heinrich Bauer , but he was in the crew chamber and nothing indicated he was the one she was after . She had time . Yes , but none to waste . She kept walking amidst the passengers and the luxurious common places , suddenly the name rang in her ear followed by a feminine laugh she thought to be a bit too loud . " Oh , Heinrich , how amazing ." She gracefully turned , her head still down and looking at the pages of the book she carried , only her eyes roamed across the room , studying the people , until they fell on a giggling woman , holding a glass , wearing a fur coat and far more jewelry than needed , a man stood facing her , a cigar in hand .Marguerite could only see the back of his head . She walked past them , finding a chair that placed the man directly in the frame of her vision , she watched and studied each and every move . Heinrich excused himself from the lady , walking towards a middle aged man . After a shallow conversation , he took a small paper from his left pocket , pretending to take out his handkerchief and slipped the note to the man facing him as he handed him a cigar . Heinrich he was and the other guy ! Another stranger , she could feel the conspiracy being woven around her , the plot thickening and she liked it . All she needed was the envelope Heinrich was supposed to have on board with him and one way or the other , she had to have it .
She stood closing her book and walked towards the two suspicious men , as she glided by she smiled one of her most charming and inviting smile . Heinrich nodded to her , grinning . Marguerite continued towards the window seats and gazed outside waiting for the response to her flirtation . And he came , excused himself and wondered if he could sit facing her and share a glass of champagne and she agreed . They exchanged names but still he was only Heinrich and nothing further , he was a German businessman, he told her , on his way to the United States to check on his investments . She ? Well she was a German business woman herself traveling in hopes to achieve her dream of trading and selling jewelry . He was impressed , she could tell , a single woman traveling abroad to build a business that indeed took alot of brains and confidence and she humored him , trying to get anything from him , the smallest hint about his destination or even his real purpose on the Hindenburg .