Part 46, Chapter 602
Chapter Six Hundred Two
28th June 1947
Berlin
As if they needed a reminder of the sort of deep trouble that they were in the rehearsal was all that and more. The hundreds of guests, including people that had to be invited for political reasons, a number of major and minor royalty not to mention every surviving member of the SKA wanting in. The venue for the wedding itself had to be large. They were able to hear the echoes of their shoes off the ceiling high above as they had gone over what would happen tomorrow. Kira needed only ask and the Cathedral was made available. The reception was if anything, worse. Kira said that she didn’t want to attend a reception in a Pankow dance hall. Kira had insisted that the Hohenzollern Palace be used because it was sitting unused for the Summer so long as Kat didn’t shoot it up this time. It was a massive production that was far beyond what Kat would have done for herself or could personally afford.
Kat sat numbly through the rehearsal dinner with the rest of the wedding party in a Berlin restaurant, nibbling at her food while everything went on around her. It was how she worked, all action until she found herself in situations like this. Then she got very quiet. This was like all the formal meals at Judenbach rolled into one and a thousand times worse. She’d seldom been the center of attention at Judenbach, that had not been friends and family either. The past few days had involved preparing for this fiasco. Claus Voll had scolded her over losing weight ahead of the wedding and the dress he’d designed not fitting right because of that. “I know you are nervous and I can’t believe that I’m saying this but eat something, Katherine dear” were the words that Voll had used. This was after he’d been a good sport about having to start over with Helene. They had all thought she would still be pregnant at the wedding. Little Manfred had made other plans. Then Kat noticed that Doug seemed to have vanished.
“Where’s Douglas?” Kat asked Ilse.
“Maria asked to speak with him” Ilse replied and then she went back to the conversation that she’d been having with Gianna.
Kat had been so bound up in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed him slip away.
She looked across the table at the guests and had never felt more alone in her life. Nancy was having an animated conversation with Doug’s sister Emma. Nancy's date, a Lieutenant from the Marine Infantry was talking to Malcolm. He looked familiar, but Kat couldn’t place where. Emma saw that Kat was watching, she motioned that her and Nancy should come over.
“You look lonely Kat” Emma said.
“I’d rather be facing the entire Russian army than deal with this” Kat replied.
Nancy found that incredibly amusing, “You’d find a way to beat the Russians and then you’d get stuck with another one of those medals you hate so much” She said. There were times when Kat hated that the people close to her knew her so well.
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Maria had said that she wanted to get some fresh air and had asked Doug to come with her. They were walking along one of the canals that ran through Berlin.
“It's already not easy, is it?” Maria asked.
“I don’t know what you are talking about” Doug replied.
“Of course, you do” Maria said, “Katherine knows things that could rewrite the history books…”
“And send her to prison for the rest of her life” Doug finished.
“Then you do know what I’m talking about.”
Doug didn’t want to hear that.
“Emil was given a field commission and ordered to get killed on a battlefield, the same thing happened again right before the war ended” Maria said, “In Spain he was just making it up as he went along and was petrified the entire time that he would screw up.”
“This is Generalfeldmarschall Holz?” Doug asked.
“The one and same” Maria answered with a smile, “You’re going to learn Katherine’s secrets and you can’t tell anyone, ever. Even beyond the legal considerations, you’d lose her trust forever.”
“You were never tempted?” Doug asked, “To reveal what you know.”
“There have been times” Maria replied, “Like when I found out that Kat used Fredrich Grossmann to sell the story that Jehane was dead along with the rest of her family and make it easier to hide the girl.”
“Everyone talks about the Romanov girl but in the time I’ve known Kat I’ve never seen her” Doug said.
Maria just shook her head at that, something was going on there that he didn’t realize. “Jehane herself might tell you who she is sometime, but Kat will die before she gives that one up. Kat considers what she did with that girl to one of the few things that she did right over the last few years.”
“Does this get easier?” Doug asked.
“God, no” Maria said, “You just sort of learn to live with it, most of the time anyway. You need to find what works for you the rest of the time, it’s good you’ve got your own career.”
When Maria said that last part Doug could tell that she was about to bust up. “You’ve been saving that one for ages” He said, “Haven’t you.”
“Since your engagement was announced” Maria said, “Do you have any idea how many patronizing assholes have told me that over the last seven years?”
28th June 1947
Berlin
As if they needed a reminder of the sort of deep trouble that they were in the rehearsal was all that and more. The hundreds of guests, including people that had to be invited for political reasons, a number of major and minor royalty not to mention every surviving member of the SKA wanting in. The venue for the wedding itself had to be large. They were able to hear the echoes of their shoes off the ceiling high above as they had gone over what would happen tomorrow. Kira needed only ask and the Cathedral was made available. The reception was if anything, worse. Kira said that she didn’t want to attend a reception in a Pankow dance hall. Kira had insisted that the Hohenzollern Palace be used because it was sitting unused for the Summer so long as Kat didn’t shoot it up this time. It was a massive production that was far beyond what Kat would have done for herself or could personally afford.
Kat sat numbly through the rehearsal dinner with the rest of the wedding party in a Berlin restaurant, nibbling at her food while everything went on around her. It was how she worked, all action until she found herself in situations like this. Then she got very quiet. This was like all the formal meals at Judenbach rolled into one and a thousand times worse. She’d seldom been the center of attention at Judenbach, that had not been friends and family either. The past few days had involved preparing for this fiasco. Claus Voll had scolded her over losing weight ahead of the wedding and the dress he’d designed not fitting right because of that. “I know you are nervous and I can’t believe that I’m saying this but eat something, Katherine dear” were the words that Voll had used. This was after he’d been a good sport about having to start over with Helene. They had all thought she would still be pregnant at the wedding. Little Manfred had made other plans. Then Kat noticed that Doug seemed to have vanished.
“Where’s Douglas?” Kat asked Ilse.
“Maria asked to speak with him” Ilse replied and then she went back to the conversation that she’d been having with Gianna.
Kat had been so bound up in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed him slip away.
She looked across the table at the guests and had never felt more alone in her life. Nancy was having an animated conversation with Doug’s sister Emma. Nancy's date, a Lieutenant from the Marine Infantry was talking to Malcolm. He looked familiar, but Kat couldn’t place where. Emma saw that Kat was watching, she motioned that her and Nancy should come over.
“You look lonely Kat” Emma said.
“I’d rather be facing the entire Russian army than deal with this” Kat replied.
Nancy found that incredibly amusing, “You’d find a way to beat the Russians and then you’d get stuck with another one of those medals you hate so much” She said. There were times when Kat hated that the people close to her knew her so well.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Maria had said that she wanted to get some fresh air and had asked Doug to come with her. They were walking along one of the canals that ran through Berlin.
“It's already not easy, is it?” Maria asked.
“I don’t know what you are talking about” Doug replied.
“Of course, you do” Maria said, “Katherine knows things that could rewrite the history books…”
“And send her to prison for the rest of her life” Doug finished.
“Then you do know what I’m talking about.”
Doug didn’t want to hear that.
“Emil was given a field commission and ordered to get killed on a battlefield, the same thing happened again right before the war ended” Maria said, “In Spain he was just making it up as he went along and was petrified the entire time that he would screw up.”
“This is Generalfeldmarschall Holz?” Doug asked.
“The one and same” Maria answered with a smile, “You’re going to learn Katherine’s secrets and you can’t tell anyone, ever. Even beyond the legal considerations, you’d lose her trust forever.”
“You were never tempted?” Doug asked, “To reveal what you know.”
“There have been times” Maria replied, “Like when I found out that Kat used Fredrich Grossmann to sell the story that Jehane was dead along with the rest of her family and make it easier to hide the girl.”
“Everyone talks about the Romanov girl but in the time I’ve known Kat I’ve never seen her” Doug said.
Maria just shook her head at that, something was going on there that he didn’t realize. “Jehane herself might tell you who she is sometime, but Kat will die before she gives that one up. Kat considers what she did with that girl to one of the few things that she did right over the last few years.”
“Does this get easier?” Doug asked.
“God, no” Maria said, “You just sort of learn to live with it, most of the time anyway. You need to find what works for you the rest of the time, it’s good you’ve got your own career.”
When Maria said that last part Doug could tell that she was about to bust up. “You’ve been saving that one for ages” He said, “Haven’t you.”
“Since your engagement was announced” Maria said, “Do you have any idea how many patronizing assholes have told me that over the last seven years?”
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