Page 23 of Library of Forbidden Books

June 24, 1933

The wedding location was ideal, and the day was pleasantly warm, though it looked like a storm was brewing. Perhaps the weather would ruin things. But what concerned Derek more than rain was that his fiancée seemed more focused on her books than she was on him. He understood her frustration and fears, but sometimes he sensed that literature separated them more than it united them. He knew that Helene could say the same thing about his work, though. Words and bullets did not tend to coexist in harmony.

Helene was with her mother and sister in the bridal room, putting the finishing touches on her appearance. She was happy, and she loved her fiancé, but her mind was elsewhere.

Kaiser, looking precious with a pink bow tied around his neck, watched her from a couch at the villa hosting the wedding and reception. The midday sun illuminated the quaint room, and the aroma of lilies sweetened the air. The only firm request Helene had about her wedding was that it be full of flowers. There was even a human-sized rose archway over the wooden altar.

“Where’s your mind, honey? You seem distracted,” Maria asked. She was wearing an elegant blue gown.

What weighed on Helene was far more than the books. “Mom, I’m perfectly happy, but you know how things are going. Your parents and the rest of our relatives are still in Berlin. I’m really glad they get to come to the wedding, but I wish they were somewhere safe, far away from here.”

“You know how stubborn they are. But if I were in their place, I figure I’d be the same way.”

“That’s another thing. I don’t think it’s safe for you and Dad to stay in Germany either. Dad’s been part of liberal administrations and has spoken out against the Nazis. And you’re a Jew on both sides.”

“But if we all leave, who will stop these people?” Amalia chimed in, furious. She was as anti-Nazi as Helene but rarely spoke up about it, since she didn’t want her plans for college to get wrecked. “Did you know they’ve threatened to keep me from finishing high school?”

Helene gaped and turned to her mother.

Maria gave an apologetic shrug. “I didn’t want to worry you. She’ll be able to finish at one of the Jewish schools. This madness can’t go on forever. They’re saying that the military is fed up with the SA and that they’re planning a coup.”

“Those are just rumors. Derek says the army is fawning before them. The Nazis have managed to buy off the general staff, raise everyone’s salaries, and give them what the country has been begging for: an army that can bring back the glory days of Germany.”

“Let’s leave politics for another day. Today you’re getting married. You’re doing it for love, like I did, and that makes me so happy.”

Helene stood up and hugged her mother. Her white dress was tailored to flatter her figure, which she typically hid behind formal clothing appropriate for a librarian. Today, her makeup showed off her cheeks, red hair, and lovely gray eyes.

“You look gorgeous!” Amalia exclaimed, as if realizing it for the first time.

Outside, the guests were already seated in the shade of the huge poplar and elm trees. The surrounding fields of wildflowers seemed to have been sown precisely for that day. Bouquets lined the central aisle leading up to the rose archway.

Derek had not yet taken his place at the altar. He was still fixing his bow tie and hair while Blaz passed his gloves from one hand to the other impatiently.

“Shouldn’t you be wearing your uniform?” Blaz asked for the millionth time.

“Dad, I don’t want to turn this into a military event. I’ve only invited a few of my colleagues, and the general isn’t able to come after all.”

Unsatisfied, Blaz smoothed his Prussian mustache. He did not approve of the wedding. Half of the bride’s family was Jewish, and this was no time to play around with destiny. He was a retired officer, a veteran of the Great War decorated with the Iron Cross. His blood was as Aryan as von Hindenburg’s. Mixing it with a half-Jew was not a good idea.

Derek’s brothers were waiting a few yards away with the bridesmaids and the ringbearers. Most everyone was wearing light-colored clothing, given the warm humidity that had settled over Germany a few days prior. There was tension in the air. On one side of the aisle sat the groom’s family. Most bore an aristocratic aloofness, both cool and martial, with tailor-made suits and the ostentatious nature of old Prussian traditions. On the other side of the aisle sat mainly businessmen, lawyers, and doctors. Most were Jewish and some wore Orthodox vestments.

When the first few notes of the “Spring” movement in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons began, the bridesmaids and their escorts began the procession. Joy and health shone out of their beautiful young faces. The groom and his mother followed. Gisela had chosen a lightweight, neutral-colored dress that fit her like a glove. While not stern, she only smiled to return the greetings of the close family members she passed. Beside her, Derek’s heart was pounding so loudly he was sure others could hear it. His mouth was dry. He concentrated on breathing in the perfume of the flowers mixed with the afternoon smell of the surrounding countryside.

Derek helped Gisela settle in her seat, then took his place before the altar. The bridesmaids and groomsmen had fanned out on either side, awaiting the bride.

Helene carefully walked down the stairs with her parents beside her. When she had heard the music from afar, it all became real: She was about to marry the finest man on earth. It felt like the ground was melting beneath her. She would love this man forever, no matter what fate threw at them.

When they got to the edge of the garden, before turning to slide through the hedges and step onto the aisle of flowers, Helene squeezed her mother in a tight embrace. A few tears dropped down onto her cheeks.

Maria kissed her forehead. “Be happy, my daughter! Don’t expect anything more.”

Helene steadied herself on her father’s arm, which he held out to her as he beamed.

“Shall we?” he said softly. His graying red hair was perfectly combed, and his kind eyes were a bottomless well of tranquility for Helene.

They commenced the walk behind the little girl and boy who held the rings steady on the pillows. The guests momentarily forgot their differences and rose in collective admiration of the bride’s beauty.

Helene’s step was sure, but her emotions spilled out of her lovely eyes as she beheld Derek standing at the altar. She knew he would give his life for her. Scenes from their early days together flashed before her: when he walked up to her that first time at the jazz club, when he later confessed that he had fallen in love with her at first sight, and when she returned his declaration with a smile, because she had already known it.