“Gut.” Haber drained his wine and looked at Bruno. “Out of curiosity, were you able to influence the general to increase the use of gas?”
“Ja,” Bruno said. “The ratio of gas to high-explosive shells is one in three.”
Haber stood and placed a hand on Bruno’s shoulder. “Well done.”
“Danke,” Bruno said, struggling to contain his repulsion from Haber’s touch.
Haber retrieved his coat from the back of his chair and left.
Bruno, relieved for Haber to be gone, drew a deep breath and exhaled. He retrieved an extra glass that had been placed on the table and filled it with white wine. He gulped it down, barely noticing its rich, fruity taste, and then refilled the glass. For several minutes he sipped Haber’s wine and waited for the alcohol to deaden his pain.
Celeste, carrying a cup with rising steam, entered the parlor. “Am I disturbing you?”
“Nein,” Bruno said, slumped in his chair.
“Tea.” She placed the cup in front of him. “It might make you feel better than the wine.”
He straightened his back and looked at her. “Danke.”
“Will you be staying?” she asked.
“Ja.”
“I’m glad.” She tucked loose strands of hair behind her ears. “Would you like me to prepare you something to eat?”
“Maybe later.” As he lifted the cup, his hand trembled, spilling tea on his tunic. He put down the drink and brushed his clothing. “Sorry. My nerves are frayed.”
“It’s all right.” Using a napkin from the table, she gently dabbed his clothing.
His eyes met hers.
She paused, resting her hand on his chest.
He clasped the napkin, but instead of taking it, his fingers gravitated to hers. His heartbeat quickened.
She moved closer, her knee touching his leg.
While seated, he placed his hands on her hips, then slid his palms to the base of her back. Pulling her to him, he placed his cheek to her breastbone.
“You’re safe here,” she said softly.
He drew a breath, taking in a scent of lilac perfume. Her heartbeat fluttered beneath his ear.
She gently ran her fingers through the back of his hair.
He squeezed her, feeling their bodies mold together.I cannot do this,he tried to convince himself. But his mind and heart—tired and ravaged—desperately desired comfort, regardless of the ramifications.I’ll be different after the war, he resolved within himself. He stood, his hands gliding over the back of her dress. Their lips met, and his pain slipped away.
* * *
On Bruno’s seventh consecutive morning of staying in the boardinghouse, he rolled over in bed to the warmth of Celeste. Under a dull glow of predawn light, coming from a gap between the curtains, he watched her chest slowly rise and fall with the rhythm of her breath. Unlike previous days, when he would work at the ammunition depot and spend evenings with Celeste, today would be the end of their time together. In a few hours, he would depart for his two-week military leave in Oldenburg, Germany.
A strange mixture of guilt and indebtedness churned inside him. His time with Celeste had eased his trepidation and helped him forget, although temporarily, about the wicked acts he’d committed on behalf of Haber and the Imperial German Army. Each of the past several evenings they’d slept together in his room. But their intimacy was far more than physical pleasure, Bruno believed, considering it was their conversations that had kept them awake until the early hours of the morning. They’d talked of the past, and they’d discussed what they wanted their lives to be like after the war, even though they both knew that they would take divergent paths. And each night, under the glow of candlelight, Celeste read aloudAlcools, a collection of poems by Guillaume Apollinaire. Initially, she’d translated the French to German for him, but he preferred her to recite it in French, so he could get lost in the cadence and timbre of her voice. He’d grown close to Celeste. She was kind, understanding, and beautiful. What they had, Bruno believed, was more than companionship but less than devotion.
Bruno caressed Celeste’s bare shoulder with his thumb.
She stirred and opened her eyes. “Good morning,” she whispered.
“How did you sleep?” he asked.
