Suite Francaise

Chapter 8 -

           

"You have a complaint about a German soldier?" Bruno spoke as he stood beside me in his uniform. "I apologise."

"So you'll do something?" Benoit asked as he looked to the German; the gun hidden somewhere else so Bruno would not arrest him.

"I have no influence over him." Bruno frowned as he put his hands behind his back, my eyes looking to his face as I stood beside him. "We are of equal rank."

"So it's one rule for us and another for them?" Benoit snapped and I knew Bruno was getting agitated by the second.

"That's not what I said." Bruno snapped.

"We lost the war. We don't have to lose our women as well." Benoit argued as he stepped forward. Bruno moved towards him, pretty annoyed.

"Then perhaps you should have thought of protecting them earlier, my friend." Bruno glared and I turned my back to Benoit as I looked away.

"Please." I beg him as he looks to me; my shoulder against his arms.

"I will try." Bruno calmed down as he looked to Benoit. "But it might only make it worse."

"Tell him to leave her in peace." Benoit snapped as he walked away. "I won't ask again."

Marthe took Benoit out of the house; assumingly, she brought the gun to him as he walked out. I walked to the table, clearing it as I felt Bruno coming close to me; his smell tingling my nose; his chest was very close to my back as he moved to me.

"Our regiment could leave at any time. I couldn't stand to think." He softly spoke as I placed the plates in the kitchen. "That you hated me."

"I don't hate you." I stress as I walk back to the dining room table, clearing some bits from it; before my mother in law came back.

"Then invite me for tea." He stands in front of me, blocking me from moving.

"There's hardly any left." I smile as I look up to him. "Your men have taken it all."

"Or wine." He smiles and I walk away; shaking my head at the thought of having wine with this man, it was 8pm at night – too late to be drinking.

I cleared everything on the table; making it look neat and tidy. Before I could do anything else, I felt a large hand grip my forearm, turning me to face him.

"I'll talk to Bonnet, but in return I only ask that we be decent to one another." He begs as I shake my head; frowning slightly. "Where's the harm in that?"

"My mother-in-law would throw me out." I stress as I look to the floor, then looking up to the man in front of me. "I've got nowhere else to go."

"She has church tonight. She'll be another half an hour." He smiles to me as I bite my lip. "Just one drink."

I sigh and walk away; grabbing the glass bottle of wine from the cupboard, alongside some glasses to fill up. Placing them down, I slowly filled up the glasses; feeling the intense stare of the German officer in front of me, who had sat down. Once they were full to the top, I sat down and we both took a sip of the wine. Wrapping my fingers around the glass, I felt my heat leach into the drink as I placed the glass to my lips, taking the burning liquid into my mouth as I sipped it slowly. Placing the glass down, I looked to the German as he stared to me.

"How did you become a soldier?" I asked him as he leaned back into the chair.

"I'm from a military family." He sighed, smiling at the same time. "It was expected of us. My brothers and I signed up on the same day."

"Your brothers, where are they?" I questioned, trying to get to know him – which felt so strange, I felt as I was committing a sinful deed.

"One was killed in Poland." He coughed as he sipped more of the wine. "Another one in Normandy. The youngest has just left for Africa."

"People shouldn't be sacrificed like this." I frown as he looks to me. "I mean none of us."

"I can't think like that." He smiled as he placed the empty cup back down. "Questioning only makes things more difficult."

"Do you believe in the war?" I say and it goes silent for a moment. If a pin was dropped at this particular time, I am sure we would have been able to hear it.

"Let's say I believe in the communal spirit." He shrugs as he holds the glass in his hands. "None of us like to admit it, single actions on their own don't mean anything."

"So why is it that whenever I see you you're always on your own?" I ask as I lean my head against my hand.

"When do you see me?" He smirks as I blush profusely. He grins even more and stands up; walking over to the record player that was on the side near the glass bottles.

Reaching out to the records he placed one down; starting to play the music as he walked back over to me. He pulled his hand out to me; looking at it, I shied away; thinking of the reaction Madame would have if she caught me.

"Forget all this for two minutes." He smiles as I look up to him – our eyes connecting. "Come on."

I stand up and put my hand in his. He pulls me close to him as we sway to the music; our bodies against each one another's as the music brings us together. For that moment, I did forget about everything. I felt as if this man was not even our enemy at war. I felt as if he was a normal person. Which I know he was. But the fear of war drew in everyone's hearts; hating the people we used to call our friends. From this moment, I felt normal. I felt alive. Something I had not felt even before the war. My head laid on his chest, while one of his hands was against my lower back and our hands entwined together.

"Lucile." Marthe panicked as she rushed into the room, turning off the music and tidying away the glasses. "Madame is on her way back. Go into the garden."

I looked to Bruno as adrenaline rushed through my veins.

"Quickly!" Marthe ushers us; I run into the garden, still holding Bruno's hand as we hide behind the bush outside the dining room window.

"I'm supposed to be the one everyone's afraid of." Bruno laughs quietly as he looks to Madame as she comes into the dining room. "But she could easily scare the plague away."

I try not to laugh too loud as I see her moaning about something in the window. As I looked to Bruno, I heard Madame's voice.

"Why are all these lights left on?" She snapped as she looked to Marthe; reminding me to thank her for keeping us from getting caught. As the lights were turned off in the house, I turned to see Bruno looking to me.

"I just wanted to thank you." He whispered as he stood up to see everyone in bed. "You were very kind. It's been a long time since I talked to anyone like this. I thank you."

He looked up once more to see if the coast was clear and then turned to me once more.

"Gute Nacht" He smiled as he walked away into the night; back to his room.