AllFreeNovel
Share Us
28. Hülchrath Castle
THE BRIOCHE I was eating for breakfast was as soft as a cloud, not too sweet, not too crunchy, and buttery. Just the right amount of vanilla. The butter had a rich, creamy flavour that melted on my tongue, and the coffee had been roasted to perfection. But nothing could remove the foul taste in my mouth as I was sitting at a spotless table in the dining room. Everything in the room was pristine, from the crisp white tablecloth, to the cutlery that had been polished to a shine, to the gleaming wooden floor. More tapestries and large bucolic paintings adorned the stone walls, and a thick Persian carpet kept the room warm. The walls were at least four feet wide and made with blocks of stone. Not even a gale like that of the other day would chill this place. Everything was pristine. Even the bottle-green dress Lukas had provided for me smelled of soap and had been recently pressed.
“This is Hülchrath Castle,” he said, sitting across from me. “In case you were wondering.”
“We aren’t far from Venlo then.” I spread some butter on the brioche.
“Less than an hour by car.” He sipped his coffee. “I guess Roy won’t take too long to come here and storm the castle.” He laughed at his joke.
That ruined my appetite. That and a nagging feeling at my nape. There was a detail about the castle’s location that bothered me. The Hülchrath Castle wasn’t far from the Erft River, but why the information was important, I had no idea. Yet I’d discussed a detail about the Erft River with someone recently… Nothing. The memory eluded me.
“How do you like your breakfast?” Lukas asked, brow furrowing in concern.
How kind of him to worry about my meal.
“It’s good. But I don’t have a huge appetite. You know, being kidnapped and used as bait can do that.”
Another laugh, a rich deep laugh that would be contagious under other circumstances.
A server asked me if I wanted more coffee, and I replied in German that I’d like some tea.
Lukas winced, putting his cup down. “Has anyone ever told you that your German accent is—”
“Terrible? Yes.” I snapped.
He chuckled again, throwing his head back. “I’m sure Roy must have told you. He’s such a perfectionist about German. About everything, really.”
Roy. Where was he now? Had he been hurt? Perhaps Lukas was right and the man on the stretcher wasn’t him. Then who? Connor? Murphy? The coffee left a bitter trail in my mouth.
“What now?” There was a note of amusement in Lukas’s voice. “What saddened you?”
I pushed aside the brioche. “Who died yesterday in Venlo?”
His smile vanished. “Awful affair. You shouldn’t have meddled with the Gestapo. A police officer died, and I believe that Corporal Murphy has been injured. He’s now in the hands of the Gestapo for interrogation.”
The brioche threatened to come up. My body shivered. “You mean torture.”
His jaw clenched. “As I said, you shouldn’t have meddled with things you don’t understand.”
Head feeling light, I put down my cup with a trembling hand. “I…I might feel sick.”
“Take deep breaths. Fresh air will help you.” Standing up, he offered me his hand, which I ignored. He smirked, a knot of sadness on his face. “You never disappoint.”
Staggering on my legs, I opened the French window, eager to feel the sun on my skin. The air was thick with the scent of pine resin and flowers, but it brought the promise of cold, wet end of summer days. Breathing deeply, I put my hands on the banister of the balcony facing the garden. A complicated pattern of rose bushes and trimmed hedges formed a giant swastika, a reminder of where I was. Hardly what I needed to feel better. That bloody symbol was like a disease, contaminating everything good and green in the world. The breeze lifting from the lake brought a chill, causing me to shiver.
Lukas removed his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. “Here.”
I shrugged it off and fired him a glare. “I’d rather freeze to death than wear a Nazi’s jacket.”
“Suit yourself.” He slid his jacket on, looking every inch a condottiero. “I’m not your enemy, Kristin.”
“Said the lion to the lamb.” I shuddered. Blimey, it was nippy. “Let me go and I’ll consider you my best friend.”
He smiled, a warm smile that was the first difference between him and Roy. Roy didn’t smile or laugh with such wild abandon. “I see why Roy likes you.”
“What makes you think he likes me? He doesn’t seem to like anyone.” I gripped the banister harder, scratching my fingernails on the marble.
“As I said, you don’t know him at all.” He inched closer, hair shuffling in the breeze. “I’ll tell you a secret, a secret no one knows. It’ll also be something that will reassure you about my intentions towards Roy.”
