Nine

The next morning after breakfast, Maria stood up from the table first. "Children, go into the school room and begin your studies, please."

The children all got up from the table, grumbling but obedient to Maria's command. But before Liesl could leave the dining room, Maria took her hand. "I believe we should have a talk, Liesl," said Maria with a quiet, gentle authority. Liesl nodded, and the two women walked from the dining room to the drawing room. They settled on the sofa and Maria took Liesl's hands in hers. "Liesl, I would like you to be honest with me. Did you and Rolf plan your meeting last night?"

"No, Fraulein," said Liesl, shaking her head fervently. "I haven't seen or heard from him since your first night here." She looked at her fraulein imploringly. "You know me, Fraulein. If I had been still seeing him, how could I have kept it from you?"

Maria smiled at her. "I know that, Liesl. I wondered, perhaps, if something had started again while I was gone."

Liesl shook her head. "No, tonight was the first time I'd had any contact with Rolf since the night of the thunderstorm. He was able to explain a lot of things to me, about why he stayed away."

"Liesl," said Maria with a quiet firmness. "You know that you can trust me with anything; I will keep anything you say in confidence. Your father told me before he left that no one who swears loyalty to Hitler can be trusted. So, if I am to allow you to see him again, you must convince me he is as trapped in their clutches as your father is."

The sixteen-year-old knew this was only fair, and that what Fraulein Maria said was true. After all, she had never told her father about Rolf; Liesl knew she could trust Maria with what Rolf had told her. So she told Fraulein Maria basically what Rolf had told her, of how Rolf and his sister were trapped under such a tyrannical father, and how everything Rolf did was to protect his sister and protect himself. Maria listened attentively, and remained in silent contemplation for a few minutes after Liesl was finished.

Finally, the older woman spoke, her voice firm and her face set, "He and his sister will always be welcome with us. Please make that clear to him the next time you see him. If ever they need a place to escape to, our doors will always be open to them. But I meant it when I said I would prefer no more secretive visits in the night, young lady, especially in these troubled times."

Liesl smiled a beaming smile, and hugged Maria on the spot. Maria returned the hug, but then turned serious as she took Liesl's hands again. "Liesl…there is something else I feel I must prepare you for…and you may not like to hear it…"

The smile faded from Liesl's face, frightened at this tone of voice her fraulein barely used with her. "What is it?"

Maria sighed. "Before he left, your father left me a few things, including instructions of what he has planned for you all, now that Austria is no more. He planned for all of you to leave Austria before the summer is over…and he told me that he intends for that to be carried out, even if he is not with you children."

Liesl's face immediately paled with fright. "…L-leaving? Leaving to where?"

"To your grandmother in England."

"But…what about Father? What about Rolf? What about you?"

Maria put an arm around Liesl, pressing her forehead to Liesl's hair. "Don't worry about me. Of course I will not abandon this family; once nearly killed all of us. As for your father, you know how strong and smart he is. He would walk the ends of the earth to come back to his family, no matter the cost."

Liesl tried to calm her trembling by taking a deep breath, but it didn't work. "When will we tell the others?"

"Soon. By the time August is upon us, I think, so by the end of next week at the latest."

Liesl tried to speak through the lump in her throat, but it was impossible. Maria immediately pulled Liesl in for a hug. She spoke in her most loving voice, "As for Rolf, I'm afraid that it between the two of you, my dear. All I ask is that you remember all I've told you, even when you don't want to."

Liesl let out her silent tears into the dress fabric of Maria's right shoulder. Maria rubbed her back, humming a soothing tune as she did. Both silently spoke the same prayer for the future.

Rolf rode his bicycle from the telegram office home with a renewed vigor of energy and excitement, which was much needed. This was the most happy and excited he had felt since he and Liesl had kissed so many weeks ago. In the innermost pocket of his bag was his latest payday. Having gone over all of the practical math in his head, Rolf could conclude that he now had more than enough money to get him and his sister away from their father and this country. It had taken two years of work, but it had been more than worth it. He couldn't wait to get home and tell his sister about it; the sooner they left, the better.

This had been a very welcome piece of news to Rolf after yesterday and today. Even though his shift at the Nazi headquarters had only been half as long as his first, it was no less terrible. For four hours he had stood by the locked cell door, trying to block out the sounds when Zeller and his two muscled cronies had gone in to taunt and beat him. Rolf would never know what it was that stopped him from screaming or running away. At least after they left, Rolf could cover his ears so he didn't have to listen to the Captain's groans and cries of pain.

The young man still felt very torn about whether or not to tell Liesl of her father's true whereabouts, to the point where he didn't even know if he had planned to tell her last night or not. The thought of her reaction had been what he was afraid of, but he was also afraid of doing anything that would jeopardize the chances of getting him and his sister to safety. If Zeller, Amsel, his father or anybody else in the party found out he had told anybody or that he was trying to help the Captain…Rolf wouldn't allow his thoughts to travel down such a dark road.

Talking late last night with his sister had helped him a bit. After coming back from the villa and recounting the events to Mina, she had said that he should tell Liesl once they had escaped their father's house. Now, that time was fast approaching.

Little did Rolf know, that time was coming much sooner than he thought.

As he was locking the chain of his bike, Rolf became aware of noises coming from the house. Noises that made his blood run cold: His father yelling, his sister screaming…and the horrible sounds of impact on a defenseless body he was becoming much too used to hearing.

Not a second passed before Rolf was bolting for the door and almost bursting through it. The sight that met his eyes was one he would – unfortunately – never forget: His drunken father standing over Mina, who was in a fetal position on the kitchen floor, beating her and beating her, his shouts not masking her cries at all.

It was pure brotherly instinct that caused Rolf to act so quickly. He hadn't been watching this for one second before he'd grabbed the first thing he could reach for – one of his father's empty whiskey bottles – stormed to his father and hit him over the head from behind. His father never saw Rolf or saw the blow coming. Impact, brown glass shattered, and the drunken figure fell like a sack of bricks onto the tiles.

Rolf's attention immediately went to his little sister, lying bruised and small on the kitchen tiles, sobbing after screaming at what had just happened. Rolf, pale as a ghost, rushed to his sister and cradled her in his arms as she clung to him, her cries and sobs coming out without restraint.

"It's all right…you're safe…it's going to be all right…" Rolf breathed to his sister, trying to convince himself as much as her, as he looked at the figure of Werner Gruber on the kitchen tiles, surrounded by the broken glass of the whiskey bottle.