The Daughters of Marburg

by Terrance Williamson

  “If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn’t thinking.”

  General George Patton

  Nearing their new house, Lilly could scarcely think of anything other than what she had just witnessed in the market. Her mind kept playing the image of Major Wagner removing his gun and shooting four people. It was a rotting, terrible feeling in her gut, and she believed that all the joy in the world had been lost forever.

  Glancing over at Wilhelm, Lilly was comforted by the fact that he, too, was troubled by the events. She knew he was hiding something of significance, but she didn’t want to press him for the details, especially with how little he knew her.

  Edith, in contrast, was lost to some perverse pride for her involvement, and Lilly caught the grin in the corner of her mouth. Lilly didn’t understand how her sister could be just as removed as Major Wagner. Lilly didn’t consider for a moment that Edith would ever kill a family like he had, but still, she didn’t seem at all disturbed by what happened.

  Turning the corner to their street, Lilly spotted Mrs. Baumann standing outside and smoking. Lilly grasped that she couldn’t bear any trivial discussion with the sweet lady at this time, despite how lovable she was, and wished that they had taken the back street.

  Yet as they grew closer to the property, Mrs. Baumann didn’t appear at all like her cheerful self. Even when she had spotted them, Lilly didn’t believe that Mrs. Baumann had any interest in conversation. Despite only knowing Mrs. Baumann for such a short period, Lilly sensed that something was not as it should be.

  Then, as they continued to approach the property, something caught Lilly’s eye. Through the attic window of the Baumann residence was a pair of light blue eyes staring back at her.

  With a double glance, Lilly looked up in surprise, but the host, realizing they had been spotted, turned and disappeared into the room, and Lilly caught the sight of long, golden locks.

  Glancing at Wilhelm, Lilly noticed that he was staring back at her and shaking his head slightly so as not to draw Edith’s attention, warning her not to mention anything about what she had just seen. With a quick nod of understanding, Lilly swore her silence.

  Who is in his attic? she wondered. If he doesn’t want me to mention anything about it, then she must be a Jew! Is that Lilly from the diary? She did mention that she had blue eyes and blonde hair. Poor Wilhelm! Seeing what happened in the square must’ve shocked him severely. I’m glad that he trusts me, at least.

  “How are you this afternoon, Mrs. Baumann?” Edith asked cheerfully.

  With a quick shrug, Mrs. Baumann turned and entered her house, and even Wilhelm seemed shocked at the unexpected discourtesy.

  “I should tend to her.” Wilhelm stopped as he looked grudgingly at the door to his property. “And I apologize for her disregard. That is entirely unlike my grandmother. I should really see what could possibly be making her so unfriendly.”

  “Thank you for taking us to the market.” Edith spoke pleasantly as though nothing out of the ordinary had transpired. “Would you like to come over for supper tomorrow as well?”

  Lilly examined Edith with the greatest disgust. How could she possibly be so detached? she marveled. ‘Thank you for taking us to the market’?

  “Um…” Wilhelm stumbled with the unexpected invitation, and he searched in vain for a plausible excuse.

  “I know, it’s a great honor to dine with the major”—Edith became lost to her own vanity—“so I’ll put you down as a yes.”

  “Can I have a moment with Lilly?” Wilhelm asked quietly.

  “Oh, yes, of course.” Edith nodded and then turned towards their house. “Don’t keep her too long.”

  “Listen,” Wilhelm began softly as he kept an eye on Edith to make sure that she was securely out of earshot, “about what you saw.”

  “Don’t blame yourself.” Lilly shook her head. “How were you to know that they were going to have a public execution?”

  “I wasn’t referring to that.” Wilhelm glanced up with his eyes but kept his head stationary as he referenced the girl Lilly had seen in the attic.

  “Oh, right!” Lilly looked up.

  “Keep your head down!” Wilhelm whispered harshly, and Lilly complied though her face grew red with embarrassment for the blunder.

  “I won’t say any more than you need to know so that if you’re ever questioned, you’ll be telling the truth.” Wilhelm rubbed the stubble on his chin as he spoke.

  Lilly remained silent as she waited for him to elaborate but felt her shoulders tightening with apprehension.

  “Can I trust you to forget her?” Wilhelm looked intently into her eyes.

  “Is she the girl from—”

  “Shush!” Wilhelm gritted his teeth. “Don’t ask questions.”

  “Sorry.” Lilly looked at him apologetically.

  “It’s fine.” Wilhelm relaxed a little. “I’m just making sure that you’re protected.”

  “That’s kind of you.” Lilly grinned and felt a slight fluttering in her heart for the admission of his concerns.

  “Oh, no.” Wilhelm glanced behind her, but just as she was about to turn to inspect, he added, “Don’t look behind you!”

  “Why?” Lilly froze in place.

  “Do you trust me?” Wilhelm asked quietly.

  “I do, actually.” Lilly studied him, finding it odd that she so naturally accepted his interest in her as genuine.

  “Then I’m going to ask that we pretend that we’re…um…involved.” Wilhelm cleared his throat.

  “I don’t under—” Lilly began.

  “Wilhelm and a lady? Is it possible?” a voice spoke from behind Lilly, and she turned to spot a gangly, scrawny man with small glasses and about the same age as Wilhelm.

  Behind this man were two younger boys, about the ages of fourteen or fifteen, and they were all wearing the Hitler Youth uniform. With tan, long-sleeved shirts accompanied by revolting, long brown shorts with white socks that stretched up to their thighs, the boys looked ridiculous. With little caps and a red armband featuring a swastika, Lilly understood how dangerous they were, despite their silly appearance. One word from them and someone could find themselves on the wrong side of the political line, which was growing thinner each day.

  “Is that so shocking?” Wilhelm replied as he slipped his arm around Lilly’s shoulder, and she relished in his strong arm around her, even if the affection was a mere fiction.

  “It is, actually,” the ringleader with the little glasses replied as he looked at Lilly suspiciously.

  “Want to know what I think is shocking?” Wilhelm asked.

  “What’s that?” The ringleader raised an eyebrow.

  “That you and I are the same age, yet you’re still in the Hitler Youth.” Wilhelm narrowed his gaze, and Lilly had to stifle a giggle. “Little Guenther still hasn’t grown up?”

  “I’m a leader,” Guenther retorted as he looked at Wilhelm with loathing. “It’s an important position. I help raise the next generation.”

  “What are you raising them for?” Wilhelm continued testing this man, and Lilly wondered why he was being so bold.

  “For the glory of Germany, of course.” Guenther raised his chin high.

  “No, see”—Wilhelm took a step towards him—“you’re raising them to be soldiers. You’re raising them for war, to be cannon fodder.”

  “And what if there is a war?” The man shrugged. “Dying for your country in battle is glorious.”

  “That’s not glorious.” Wilhelm returned to Lilly and again put his arm around her. “The love of a woman, now that is glorious.”

  “All men must die!” Guenther took a generous step towards them. “If die we must, then I will decide how I meet my end.”

  “Have you ever known the love of a woman?” Wilhelm grinned as he asked. “Your mother doesn’t count, by the way.”

  The boys with Guenther chuckled before he turned towards them with a severe gaze of disapproval.

  “I’m watching you.” Gu
enther pointed a finger in Wilhelm’s face. “You’re not a patriot, and someday it will come back to haunt you. And I, for one, can’t wait to be there when it happens.”

  “Well, this encounter should make an excellent entry in your diary.” Wilhelm patted Guenther’s chest patronizingly.

  The diary! Lilly grew pale as she remembered that Edith was about to leaf through it before disclosing the information to the major. If the girl in the attic was, in fact, the Lilly who had lived in the property and was now in hiding, then Wilhelm’s life could be in jeopardy. She couldn’t bear the thought of him taking a bullet from the major in the market.

  “I have to go!” Lilly broke off from Wilhelm’s embrace but then called over her shoulder, “Make sure you’re at supper tomorrow! I’ll need your assistance.”

  Throwing the door open, Lilly sped past the foyer and up the stairs to find Edith searching under the bed which, Lilly found perplexing, had been made. The clothes, too, had been hung, the suitcases were neatly set aside in the closet, and their novels had been stacked on top of the dresser.

  “Where did you put it?” Edith looked up at Lilly when she entered the room.

  “Did you clean in here?” Lilly asked as she examined the room curiously.

  “No, it was the maid,” Edith panted as she stood. “Now, where did you put it?”

  “Put what?” Lilly played dumb.

  “You know what! The diary!” Edith barked.

  “It was on the floor.” Lilly shrugged. “Maybe the maid put it somewhere? I’m surprised she already started. Do you know where she is, by chance?”

  “She’s downstairs in the kitchen talking to Papa.”

  “Let’s go talk to her then.” Lilly nodded.

  “You go, I’ll keep looking around here.” Edith bent down again as she resumed rummaging under the bed.

  Do I leave Edith here by herself? What if the maid placed it around here? It’s unlikely she knew what she was dealing with. Lilly wondered about the correct course of action. No, go talk to the maid. She’ll hopefully know where she placed it.

  With a quick breath, Lilly ran down the stairs and burst into the kitchen to find her father embracing a young, pretty woman.

  “Lilly!” Mr. Sommer broke away from the maid and looked at her with wide eyes for being discovered in the compromising position.

  “Sorry,” Lilly began but didn’t quite know what to say. “The door was…um…”

  “It’s not what it looks like,” her father explained, but Lilly noticed the mark on his neck growing red and recognized that he was either lying or simply uncomfortable.

  Not even with their mother had Lilly seen Mr. Sommer behave in this manner. He was seldom affectionate, and she certainly knew of fathers who were much more distant, but to see her dad embracing another woman was shocking. While Lilly comprehended that it was absurd for her to feel betrayed, she couldn’t resist the urge to hate this young woman.

  Lilly assumed that she was likely in her mid-twenties, but she was crying, and her eyes were red and puffy, so it was hard to discern an accurate age.

  “Is everything alright?” Lilly asked, not sure if she should simply retreat out of the room entirely or if it would be rude for her not to show concern.

  “Yes, thank you,” Mr. Sommer replied on the maid’s behalf as he glanced at her with grave distress. “Ruth here was simply…um…adjusting to her new employment.”

  “I see.” Lilly cleared her throat.

  “Is there something that I can help you with?” he asked Lilly with a tone that indicated she should be on her way.

  “Yes, actually,” Lilly replied and then turned to the maid. “Ruth, correct?”

  The maid nodded as she trembled, still trying to contain her tears.

  “I don’t mean to be indelicate, but this is a pressing matter. You cleaned our room, and thank you, by the way,” Lilly began as she tread carefully, “but I believe that you may have come across a diary?”

  At this, the maid glanced up sharply at Mr. Sommer and then frowned as she tried to recall.

  “Diary…” Ruth thought aloud. “Yes, yes, I remember something about that.”

  “Do you remember where you put it?” Lilly pressed.

  “I’m not sure.” Ruth shook her head.

  “Please, it’s important.” Lilly moved closer to her. “A family’s life may be in jeopardy.”

  Again, Ruth glanced sharply at Mr. Sommer who, Lilly noticed, was studying her curiously.

  “Lilly,” Mr. Sommer leaned over the island and whispered, “I’m about to ask you a question that you can never repeat to anyone. Do you understand?”

  “Not entirely,” Lilly whispered back, glancing between Mr. Sommer and Ruth.

  “Do…” he paused. “Do you know?”

  “Know what?” Lilly studied them with increasing curiosity.

  “It’s not in the room!” Edith barged into the kitchen, startling everyone inside.

  “You really can’t hear anyone approaching from outside, can you?” Lilly muttered to herself.

  “What’s not in the room?” Mr. Sommer asked his daughter with a twinge of apathy as his concerns seemed to be resting on Lilly’s ability to remain silent.

  “The diary.” Edith threw her hands onto her hips as she studied the maid with distrust.

  “Lilly was already asking about it,” Mr. Sommer replied. “Don’t worry, it will turn up.”

  “I need it immediately,” Edith continued.

  “What’s the hurry?” Mr. Sommer asked.

  “Edith wants to look for clues concerning the previous owners and where they may have fled,” Lilly interjected.

  “They were resettled out in the east,” Mr. Sommer shrugged, “along with many other Jewish families.”

  “Major Wagner mentioned that they haven’t found the family yet”—Edith crossed her arms—“and I’m going to help him find them.”

  “Why were you speaking with the major?” Mr. Sommer shot his head back in shock.

  “It’s an unfortunate and long story.” Lilly swallowed as she recalled the harrowing events. “But the major is attending tomorrow evening for supper.”

  “Attending where?” Mr. Sommer asked, and it was evident to Lilly that he didn’t quite understand.

  “Here.” Lilly swallowed.

  “What did you do?!” Mr. Sommer grew indignant as he glared at Edith.

  “We met him at the market,” Edith stated proudly. “He talked to me personally, and he began asking about the family that lived here. I mentioned that I would scour the diary for any clues as to where the treacherous rats scurried off to.”

  “Do you have any idea what you have done?” Mr. Sommer walked slowly towards his daughter as he struggled to keep his rage in check.

  “A prominent man in the city is attending our residence to dine,” Edith retorted angrily. “You should be thanking me. This will seriously elevate your status in town and, respectfully, you should be grateful.”

  “Grateful?!” Mr. Sommer nearly laughed in his astonishment. “You don’t understand what kind of man Wagner is. If you think that he’s your friend, then you’re gravely mistaken. He seeks personal gain, nothing else. Even other SS members believe that his methods are too extreme.”

  “Good,” Edith spoke sarcastically, “you can tell him that yourself when he arrives tomorrow evening.”

  “You have to undo this!” Mr. Sommer pleaded with his daughter, and Lilly found it unsettling to see him in such a frightful state. Nor did she blame him, for that matter, after witnessing the major’s brutality at the market earlier. Though, she was confused as to how her father was familiar with the officer’s conduct.

  “I can’t, and I won’t,” Edith spoke defiantly.

  Lilly examined Edith with incredulity, wondering what had influenced her to behave in this manner. Edith was normally quite compliant with their father, but now she was being entirely disrespectful. It felt, to Lilly, as though her sister had withdrawn altogether, and
some other, spiteful creature had emerged.

  “You’ve doomed us all, my daughter,” Mr. Sommer spoke with sorrow.

  “You’ll see.” Edith smiled rebelliously. “By tomorrow evening, you’ll be thanking me.”

  “Can it at least wait until the house is in order?” Lilly asked. “Our movers won’t arrive for another six days, and the property is not up to our standards.”

  “I’m not missing out on this opportunity.” Edith crossed her arms.

  “You don’t understand what you’re doing,” Mr. Sommer spoke solemnly.

  “What options would be available for supper tomorrow night for six people?” Edith asked the maid who, startled, looked at her with wide eyes before glancing at Mr. Sommer.

  “Six people?” Mr. Sommer frowned.

  “The three of us, of course, Wilhelm, Major Wagner, and Sergeant Wolf.” Edith counted on her fingers.

  “Sergeant Wolf?” Mr. Sommer staggered further into disbelief. Lilly remembered that he had not only been whispering harshly with the officer earlier that day but had also adamantly denied the allegations when he was discovered.

  “Maybe it’s a bit too soon to be putting all that on our new staff?” Lilly gestured to the maid’s state, indicating to Edith that she was not mentally fit.

  “What can you make?” Edith pressed.

  “I suppose I’ll have to see what ingredients are available.” The maid shrugged slowly.

  Tapping her finger on the island, Edith studied the maid before turning and storming out of the kitchen.

  “I want that journal and your options for supper by this evening,” Edith shouted over her shoulder as the door closed behind her.

  “Can you stop it?” the maid whispered to Mr. Sommer, who then glanced over at Lilly.

  “If the major was set on coming and we cancel, he will be suspicious.” Mr. Sommer shook his head.

  “Suspicious of what?” Lilly whispered as well. In normal circumstances, she would be enjoying the secrecy, but this was far from ordinary.

  “Lilly, my dear”—Mr. Sommer looked at her with care—“I’ll need you to forget that this conversation ever happened.”

  Glancing between the two of them, Lilly wasn’t entirely sure what she was supposed to forget. What was their father hiding? Why had she caught the maid and him in the compromising position earlier? There were too many unknowns, and Lilly’s mind was still swirling from the events at the market. Forget the girl in the attic, forget the conversation with the maid. If I forget too much, then I won’t remember the truth!