“I don’t know.” Lilly shook her head.
Another crash came from downstairs in the kitchen, and a startled Edith pulled the sheets close to her chest as she looked wide-eyed at the door.
“What was that?” Edith whispered.
“I hope it’s Papa.” Lilly walked into the hallway to find that his door was open.
“He’s not trying to cook again, is he?” Edith grew concerned.
“Let’s go find out.” Lilly walked downstairs as Edith trailed her.
But as Lilly walked down the stairs, she couldn’t hear anything else from the kitchen. It was too quiet for comfort, and Lilly held her breath as she braced herself for whatever lay within.
Pushing the door open gently, Lilly and Edith peeked inside to find their father fumbling around with the pots. Lilly thought that he almost appeared drunk with how sluggish his movements were, and her heart broke to see him in that condition.
“What are you doing?” Lilly asked as she walked into the kitchen, and Mr. Sommer spun around as he pointed the pot at them as though it were a weapon.
It would’ve been comical had he still not appeared in such a dreadful state. While the swelling had gone down, his eye was now a dark purple, and he looked skittish, like an abused animal wary of everyone’s intentions.
“Oh, it’s only you.” Mr. Sommer relaxed as he placed the pot on the island.
“Were you expecting someone else?” Lilly glanced at Edith quickly. Remembering that Mr. Sommer had been abducted from his own home only a few nights ago, Lilly supposed it was reasonable for him to be cautious.
“As a matter of fact, yes.” He nodded. “Mrs. Baumann is collecting the new maid, and they should be back shortly.”
“Papa,” Edith began as she shook her head, “do you really think that is a good idea? I mean, especially now?”
“She knows.” Lilly nodded to Edith, reassuring her father. “She wants to help us with the major.”
“You do?” Mr. Sommer shot his head back in surprise as he spoke to Edith. “Well, that’s excellent.”
“I also think that Edith has a point.” Lilly looked sorrowfully at her father.
“How so?” Mr. Sommer threw his hands onto his hips defiantly, though he did wince at the sudden movement.
“You’ve barely begun to heal.” Lilly examined him. “You’re in no condition to undergo further questioning if our intentions with the maid are discovered.”
“If I don’t take this new maid in, what will happen to her?” Mr. Sommer raised his eyebrows, as best as he could at least, as he looked between his two daughters. “Mrs. Baumann told me what the major did to that family in the market. I can’t allow that to continue.”
“But you’re in no condition to—”
“I! Won’t! Stop!” Mr. Sommer slammed his fist on the island with each defiant word. “I can’t stop,” he said quietly.
“Papa—” Edith began.
“No!” He waved his hand to silence her. “I know what you’re going to say. Believe me, I’ve run through all the excuses too.”
“They’ll kill you.” Lilly’s eyes welled.
“Then I’ll go to your mother with a clear conscience.” Mr. Sommer’s lips trembled as he spoke.
“And what about us?” Edith crossed her arms. “How will we survive without you?”
“Listen”—he leaned on the island— “we can’t be ignorant about our fate.”
“What do you mean?” Edith watched him closely.
“Unless something drastic happens”—he stared into the island, and Lilly knew that he couldn’t bring himself to look at them— “we, at the moment, are traitors to the state. I don’t believe that I have to explain the consequences of our actions any further.”
“That’s your plan?!” Edith couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “If you’re not here to take care of your daughters, you’ll let the state to kill them off as well?”
“What would you have me do?!” Mr. Sommer glared at Edith. “I can’t do nothing! Do you know what happens to the Jews that they find?”
“They’re sent to retirement settlements out east or to re-education camps.” Edith shrugged.
“No!” Mr. Sommer shook his head adamantly. “They are sent to slave camps, or labor camps, and there have even been reports of murders possibly in the thousands.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Edith scoffed.
“Why would the major shoot the family if he could’ve sent them off to a camp instead?” Lilly interjected as she thought.
“Exactly!” Mr. Sommer pointed at Lilly as he looked at Edith. “This is only the beginning.”
“But…why do you care?” Edith looked at her father sincerely. “We’re not Jewish. Nobody close to us is Jewish. I don’t understand why you’re so concerned with them.”
“I couldn’t care less if they’re Jewish.” Mr. Sommer scoffed. “They could be redheaded Irishmen for all I care. The fact of the matter is that a specific group of people are being systematically targeted. I know that this course I’m on is going to lead to my death. I know that.” Mr. Sommer struggled to contain his emotions. “I also know that if I don’t do something to help, I will regret it for the rest of my life. I cannot live with that burden.”
The room went silent as the sisters absorbed the gravity of their father’s statement.
“I’ve never seen this side of you before.” Lilly tilted her head.
“I didn’t know I had it in me, to be honest,” Mr. Sommer chuckled as he shook his head.
“How, and when, did you get involved in all of this, anyways?” Edith frowned. “I don’t recall you doing this in Berlin.”
“Someone slipped a pamphlet in my jacket as I was walking one day,” Mr. Sommer began. “They were very sneaky about it because I didn’t notice until I got home and found it in my pocket. I looked at it briefly and, when I realized what it was, crumpled it up. Before I could throw it away, something stopped me.”
“A pamphlet?” Lilly frowned.
“One of those illegal anti-Nazi pamphlets that you sometimes see here and there.”
“What stopped you from throwing it away?” Edith pressed, completely engaged in the story.
“Let him finish.” Lilly grew annoyed.
“It was a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche, written on the side. It wasn’t part of the actual pamphlet, but someone had taken a pen and written, ‘without music, life would be a mistake.’”
“That’s what got you into the resistance?” Lilly looked at him with incredulity. “A quote about music?”
“There was a record your mother and I loved, by Benny Goodman.” Mr. Sommer smiled as he recalled. “It was banned by the Nazis because it was swing music. Your mother and I used to put the gramophone on and dance or be ridiculous with you two when you were little. Even when she was sick and barely had any energy, she still enjoyed watching me.” Mr. Sommer put a hand over his mouth to stifle an outbreak of tears.
“I think I remember that.” Lilly searched her memory.
“Anyways”—Mr. Sommer sniffled as he composed himself— “when the Nazis banned that sort of music, and specifically Benny, we were too scared to play it. I regretted that, I really did. So, when I saw the pamphlet and that quote, it grabbed my heart. I don’t mean to sound too irrational, but it is almost like your mother wrote that quote herself, just for me to see it.”
“So, how did you become part of the resistance then?” Lilly asked. “I doubt the pamphlet put the address!”
“I didn’t mean to, actually.” Mr. Sommer grinned. “When we were offered the position of Aryanizing this property, my first instinct was to say no, out of principle, of course. Then, again, it’s as if your mother was guiding me. I felt that the right thing to do would be to agree to it. After all, who would suspect us of having any involvement with any sort of resistance? I assumed it would put us above suspicion, but the major is a cunning man.”
“I’m not following.” Edith squinted.
&nb
sp; “Yeah, me neither.” Lilly shook her head.
“I’m getting to it!” Mr. Sommer griped and then gently touched the side of his face. “It’s painful to talk. Anyways, just before we left, I was at a restaurant with your uncle when I overhead some SS in the booth next to us complaining about how they were having trouble with ridding the west of Jews, and especially areas like Marburg. What are the odds of that? They then mentioned that the Jews kept slipping by undetected and that someone in a position of authority was likely assisting their escape.”
“Sergeant Wolf!” Lilly threw a finger in the air. “He wrote something else besides the directions, didn’t he?!”
“What did he write?” Edith asked.
“He wrote a time for me to meet him.”
“And you trusted him?” Lilly glanced at Edith.
“Not at first, no.” Mr. Sommer shook his head. “But, again, I had that feeling in my spirit. I thought that he might be a spy, and he, too, thought I was a little too trusting. Still, he heard how I was sympathetic to the Jewish man who killed himself and thought that he would take the risk in involving me.”
“That must’ve been nerve-wracking!” Lilly leaned on the island.
“Well, yes,” Mr. Sommer huffed, “especially when they blindfolded me.”
“Blindfolded?!” Edith looked stunned.
“I went to where Sergeant Wolf told me to meet him, but when I arrived no one was there. Then, I felt the cold metal of a gun pressed to the back of my head and I thought, for certain, that I had been deceived. A blindfold was thrown over my head, and a couple men took me to an abandoned shed outside the city.”
“What did you do?!” Lilly put a hand over her mouth in disbelief.
“They sat me down in a chair, tied my hands behind my back, and then placed the gun to my head again. They asked if I would take a bullet for my convictions. When I agreed, even as I wept and embarrassed myself, they took the blindfold off and welcomed me into their ranks. I was almost startled to see Wilhelm was the one with the gun! We then came up with a plan for me to help some of the Jews on their way to England or the Netherlands.”
“So, when did you receive the orders for the major’s assassination?” Lilly pressed.
“We have a spy in our ranks,” Mr. Sommer leaned in and whispered. “Someone informed the major that a resistance group was active in Marburg and helping Jews escape.”
“Did you find out who the spy was?” Edith also whispered, but Mr. Sommer shook his head in reply.
“We know it’s not one of us!” Lilly glanced at her sister and father.
“I’ve been working on a process of elimination for who I suspect it may be.” Mr. Sommer rubbed the stubble on his chin.
“And? Do we know them?” Edith leaned forward.
“I’m hesitant to mislead you.” Mr. Sommer crossed his arms. “I don’t want to say anything until I’m certain.”
“We have the right to know!” Edith pointed at her father.
“Tell us!” Lilly agreed with her sister.
“It’s either Sergeant Wolf or Wilhelm,” Mr. Sommer blurted.
“Well, you can rule out Wilhelm,” Lilly scoffed.
“I wish I could, Lilly,” Mr. Sommer sighed.
“Lilly’s thinking with her heart.” Edith narrowed her gaze, and Lilly clenched her jaw as she glared back at her sister.
“What do you mean?” Mr. Sommer examined Lilly curiously.
“Nothing.” Lilly tried to brush the subject aside.
“They’re romantically involved,” Edith elaborated.
“Romantically involved?!” Lilly’s blood boiled with indignation. “We share mutual affection, but nothing has been officially stated. Besides, he was arrested last night, saving us, so I would say that puts him above suspicion.”
“He was?” Mr. Sommer shook his head in shock.
A knock came to the door.
“I’ll go get it. Edith can explain.” Lilly burst out of the kitchen, hoping beyond hope that it would be Wilhelm.
My Wilhelm, a spy?! Lilly scoffed inwardly at the absurdity.
But before Lilly could even reach the door, it swung open, and Mrs. Baumann marched in with a younger woman in her trail, which Lilly assumed was the maid.
“Where’s your father?” Mrs. Baumann demanded, though still sounding sweet.
“He’s in the kitchen.” Lilly pointed over her shoulder. “Is everything alright? Where’s Wilhelm?”
Mrs. Baumann didn’t reply as she rushed into the kitchen and the younger woman followed her without so much as looking at Lilly while she kept her gaze at her feet. Lilly was happy, however, to see that she was carrying a bag of groceries, although she did find it odd that she didn’t have any luggage with her.
“You must be Miss Schultz?” Mr. Sommer spoke to the maid, and she gave a quick nod while still keeping her gaze low.
“Don’t worry, we’ll do everything we can to keep you safe,” Mr. Sommer spoke reassuringly, yet Lilly noticed that she didn’t react, and it seemed as though she wanted nothing more than to disappear.
“We need to act, quickly.” Mrs. Baumann got straight to the business at hand but then paused as she looked at Edith.
“Don’t worry, she knows.” Lilly nodded to calm her fears.
“Good.” Mrs. Baumann threw her hands onto her hips. “Because we’re in serious trouble.”
“Why did they arrest your grandson?” Mr. Sommer asked. “Edith was just filling me in on some of the details.”
“He was bringing the vehicle back to the police station after the dance. They spotted him lingering as they were arresting Sergeant Wolf.” Mrs. Baumann shook her head in disbelief. “I’m guessing they assumed he was spying, or else they were suspicious why he brought the vehicle back so late.”
“Dance? What dance?” Mr. Sommer frowned and glared at his daughters for this omission.
“You didn’t tell him?” Mrs. Baumann looked at the girls as well.
“Dances are illegal!” Mr. Sommer grew irate.
“Without music, life would be a mistake,” Lilly quoted, and Mr. Sommer grunted as he relented.
“They have the sergeant and my grandson.” Mrs. Baumann pursed her lips as she barely contained an outburst of tears and rage. “It’s only a matter of time before they uncover our conspiracy. We’ll be hung like seditious criminals.”
“Then let’s waste no more time worrying. We need to strategize!” Mr. Sommer tapped his fingers on the island as he looked around the kitchen thoughtfully. “Let’s go to the dining room. Miss Schultz, would you be able to make us something to eat?”
With a nod, the maid set the groceries on the counter as the company moved into the dining room and sat around the table.
“I’m certain that this goes without saying, but just in case, I will reiterate the obvious. Nothing that is spoken here, today, will leave this room.” Mr. Sommer looked around at each of them carefully.
“I think the first order of business is my grandson.” Mrs. Baumann folded her hands as she leaned forward.
“With all due respect, I disagree,” Mr. Sommer spoke tenderly.
“How dare you?!” Mrs. Baumann’s face flushed red with indignation. “If it wasn’t for me, you’d be dead already. I helped restore you to health, I sat with you all night, and this is the appreciation that I get?!”
“Mrs. Baumann, please—”
“Don’t you patronize me!” Mrs. Baumann pointed a crooked finger at him.
“Listen!” Mr. Sommer slapped his hand on the table, which seemed to sufficiently quiet her enraged disposition. “I’m not stating that he won’t be a target for extraction. What I am saying is that the merchant comes tonight, and we need to decide who is going.”
“Wilhelm won’t last the day.” Mrs. Baumann began to rock as she grew frantic.
“They won’t hurt him like they hurt me,” Mr. Sommer pressed. “I gave them cause for suspicion. He was simply out late and returning the vehicle that the Hitler Youth b
orrows.”
“Anything is cause for suspicion these days.” Mrs. Baumann ran her hand through her disheveled hair.
“Regardless,” Mr. Sommer began calmly, “I don’t have the means to extract your grandson, but we do have the ability to get either Lilly or Miss Schultz out of the country.”
“Lilly?” Edith frowned.
“Not me, but the Lilly that used to live here. She’s hiding in Mrs. Baumann’s attic,” Lilly explained.
“Is that right?” Edith stared at the table in disbelief that she had been so blind.
“I can take the maid,” Lilly spoke up. “I won’t be much use with helping Wilhelm, and I might as well do some good.”
“It’s too dangerous.” Mr. Sommer shook his head.
“Wilhelm told me about the merchant. I can do it,” Lilly pressed.
“If Lilly takes the maid, then that will free up more of us to help Wilhelm.” Mrs. Baumann nodded.
“I’m not risking my daughter.” Mr. Sommer remained resolute.
“But you’re willing to risk my grandson?” Mrs. Baumann again grew irate.
“Mrs. Baumann!” Mr. Sommer stood, and his chair flew backward. “I didn’t put your grandson at risk. You did that when you let him go to an illegal dance where he took my daughters. You, ma’am”—he pointed at her— “risked everyone. Because you allowed them to go the dance, we now find ourselves in this precarious position.”
“Me?!” Mrs. Baumann also stood. “No one suspected a thing until you arrived. I hadn’t so much as heard of Major Wagner until he came snooping around your house. Now the sergeant is in custody because of your carelessness. I let my grandson out, for one night”—she shook a finger in the air— “to enjoy a morsel of life. There is nothing for a boy of his character outside of the Hitler Youth.”
“I—” Mr. Sommer began.
“Both of you!” Lilly shouted, and everyone turned to her in surprise, and even she was a little startled at her own outburst. “Blaming one another won’t bring us any closer to helping the maid or rescuing Wilhelm.”
The Daughters of Marburg Page 22