"I love her."
"I know. I’ve known that for a long time."
"You did not; don’t be funny," Eva gently slapped her friend on the arm.
"I knew you liked her before you knew you liked her."
"What?"
"I saw your face whenever she started talking; you stood straighter, you lit up even when you were attempting to hide it; you stole a look here and there when you thought she wasn’t looking."
"She wasn’t looking."
Henry leaned back against the wooden beam and laughed and slapped his thigh as he tried to control himself. "Zoe is the most observant person I have ever met. She noticed."
"Isn’t it a bit late to tell me now?"
"I had too much fun watching the both of you dancing around each other. The night Zoe slept on the floor after your nightmare, she showed you how much she meant to you. It was a good thing Reinhardt didn’t find her on the floor because that would have been difficult to explain."
"Is that when you developed your mysterious cold?" Eva asked tapping the ex-guard on the knee. "I think you would have woken the dead by shouting so much."
"Reinhardt thought I had lost my mind. Stupid bastard. And it was a good thing Nurse Gestapo wasn’t around—"
"A very good thing," Eva replied with a knowing smile which wasn’t lost on her friend. He tilted his head a little and regarded her. "Zoe was responsible for the ‘accident’."
"I thought it might have been Zoe who orchestrated it," Henry chortled. "Other than her hating all the Nazis, why did she choose Nurse Gestapo?"
"Zoe found out that Edith was the one that laughed as her mama was dying."
"Ah!" Henry slapped himself on the side of the head. "I was wondering why Zoe’s mood changed when we were in the pantry together."
"You were in the pantry together?"
"Zoe was stacking flour and she asked me to come in and store it on the top shelf. Whilst we were in there, Edith and Uta were discussing you. Edith laughed and Zoe looked like she had had a revelation."
"She did and Edith saw the bottom of the gorge," Eva replied and snickered. "Oh, I’m horrible."
"No, you’re not. I wanted to dance around like a fool when the news came through," Henry glanced down as Eva rested her head against his shoulder. "Zoe does love you."
"She doesn’t love me yet; she just ‘heavy likes’ me."
Henry put his arm around Eva and kissed her on the cheek. "You are so blind. The woman loves you; just accept that finally something good has happened."
"Something good happened when I met you, Henry."
"You have a guardian angel looking after you, Evy. I looked after you and now it’s Zoe’s turn." Henry said as he put his arm around his ex-charge. The two friends sat in silence for a few minutes enjoying each other’s company. Henry turned to Eva and took her hand.
"I have to get going or the ship is going to sail with me on board."
"That wouldn’t be a bad thing."
Henry reached into the pocket in his jacket. "I have something for you," he said and opened the hand to reveal a ring.
"My mother’s ring!" Eva exclaimed on seeing the silver band with the intricate lacing. She snatched it from Henry’s hand and kissed it "How did you find it?"
"I went back into the rubble; the house was pretty much burnt down and I was looking around trying to see if my photographs were still in that tin box but I didn’t find them."
"You lost all your beautiful photographs? Oh, Henry, I’m so sorry."
"That’s war," Henry replied with a tiny shrug of his broad shoulders. "I did find the ring so something good came out of it."
"Thank you, my friend," Eva leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. She put the ring on her finger and admired it for a moment.
"It’s a beautiful ring."
"This ring was given to her by her sister Theresa before she died in a fire in Athens two years before I was born. My mother wanted to honor her sister by giving me part of her name," Eva related as she continued to gaze at the ring.
The two friends were startled by the call for all guests to disembark. Henry got up and held out his hand to Eva, who took it. "It’s time to say—"
"No," Eva shook her head. "I’m not going to say goodbye. I will see you again. It’s farewell until we meet again."
Henry put his arms around her and gave her a gentle hug. "Farewell, Fräulein Muller. It’s been an honor to protect you," he whispered as he held her and looked into her eyes. "I love you," Henry quietly said and gently kissed her on the cheek.
They hugged a final time before Henry smiled and walked away. He stopped and looked back at his friend for a moment before waving goodbye and disappearing down the gangway.
With a heavy sigh Eva quietly saluted her friend and decided it was time to go and find out how uncomfortable she was going to be for the next two months. Eva put up the hood of her cloak even though it was quite humid, but she didn’t care.
Walking through the corridor she could see the various cabins which held six to ten bunks and winced on the thought she was going to be stuck in a cabin with no privacy. Eva rounded the corner and noted the number of the cabin. This was the number Henry had given her. No one was in the cabin, but their luggage was there.
Eva stood at the threshold with a perplexed look on her face. "This cabin is smaller than the corridor," Eva muttered to herself. "This can’t be right."
"Yes, it is."
Eva turned around to see Zoe leaning against the wall and smiling at her. "How long have you been there?"
"Long enough to witness your disbelief," Zoe chuckled as she pushed herself off the wall and ducked under Eva’s arm, which was braced against the doorjamb. She entered the room and crooked a finger at Eva to come in.
"Are you sure this is ours?"
"Yes, very sure," Zoe replied and closed the door. Before she turned she locked it and turned to her very confused partner. "Hello there," Zoe put her arms around Eva’s waist and looked up.
"What’s this, Zo?"
"This is our cabin for the next two months."
"But our letters—"
"That was before I bought us a cabin."
Eva’s eyebrows rose at the revelation as she gazed down at the very satisfied look Zoe was giving her. "How?"
"I sold the fields that belonged to Michael—"
"No, Zoe, you shouldn’t have done that!"
"Calm down," Zoe took Eva’s hand and led her to the bottom bunk, where they both sat. Eva sat forward making sure her head wouldn’t hit the top bunk. "I didn’t want to share a cabin with ten other women; I’ve had enough of that at the camp."
"But it was your inheritance, Zo."
"Yes, and I’m quite sure my brother would think I put some dirt to good use," Zoe giggled. "It’s just dirt, Evy. I couldn’t bear the thought of not being able to hold you in private for two months."
"You couldn’t?"
"No, I couldn’t and I didn’t want an audience."
Eva’s face hurt from grinning so much and she tried to stop but she just couldn’t force herself to do it. They both gazed at each other for a long moment before Eva threaded her hand through Zoe’s red hair bringing her lover closer. She captured Zoe’s mouth in a gentle kiss.
Epilogue
Somewhere out to sea between Egypt and Australia…
"Can you please stay in the bunk?" Zoe pleaded for the umpteenth time and gently pushed Eva back into the bunk. She didn’t need to push hard—a gentle nudge was all it took for Eva to lie back down.
"I’m okay...argh, no, I’m not okay," Eva groaned and heaved again into the bucket Zoe held for her. Zoe patted her on the back and gave her a glass of water, then opened the cabin door to slip the bucket outside. It was bad enough that the cabin was small; they didn’t need that smell in there as well.
"I need to sit up, Zo."
"You’re staying in the bunk, right?"
"Uh huh."
"Any better?" Zoe asked as she hel
ped Eva sit up. The tiny bunk, with its thin mattress, was almost too small for Eva. She had to sleep with her legs pulled up, lest they hang over the end.
"Oh, yeah, fine. Wish I could stop this cabin from spinning."
"Oh, is that all?" Zoe responded and kissed Eva on the forehead.
"Can I ask you something?"
"No, you can’t ask the Captain to stop the ship and get off. I tried," Zoe replied and got a chuckle from Eva. She perched on the edge of the bed and caressed Eva’s cheek for a moment, before moving her hand up to softly stroke her dark hair. "What do you want to ask me?"
"I know it’s not a good time and it’s not very romantic here, but..." Eva swallowed. She got out of the bunk and fell to her knees in front of a very confused Zoe.
"What are you doing?"
"Has your Heavy Like progressed yet?" Eva asked quickly, ignoring Zoe’s question.
"Huh?" Zoe replied and looked down at Eva for a moment before she realized what Eva was talking about. She went down on her knees and gazed at Eva. "I told you that I loved you in Larissa."
"You did?"
"You were asleep at the time."
"I was?" Eva asked and then sneezed, which started a coughing fit. After a few moments she looked at Zoe.
"I was waiting for the right moment and wanting to be sure that you truly felt the same. I think I passed ‘Heavy Like’ at Athena’s Bluff."
"Before or after I redecorated it in red?"
Zoe was caught off guard by Eva’s sense of humor and started to laugh. "Oh, way before that."
"Oh. You did?" Eva said in a small voice that sounded so young to Zoe, even though Eva was the older of the two.
"Eva Muller, I have bad news for you," Zoe said, suppressing a grin.
"Oh?" Eva sounded alarmed and looked up with a frown.
"I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. It’s too late to throw me back, as you know. I can’t swim," Zoe joked. Her eyes gentled as she gazed at the woman she had almost lost to the cruelty and hatred of war. "I love you so much that it hurts. That’s how much I love you."
"Oh!" was all Eva could say.
Zoe leaned down and gently wiped Eva’s face with the moist towel and kissed her. "So tell me, is that what you wanted to ask me,
love?"
"No, I mean...um...Zoe," Eva stammered.
"You know, that fever is going down. You remembered my name," Zoe teased.
"Will you be with me?" Eva asked quickly.
"I thought I was with you."
"I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
"Isn’t it a bit late to ask me that? We’re heading to Australia."
"No, I mean, be with me...together...um."
"We are together." Zoe was genuinely puzzled by Eva’s uncharacteristic fumbling that had nothing to do with her flu.
"I want you to be my…I don’t know what to call it, but if I could I would marry you."
"Um, are we allowed?" Zoe asked quietly.
"Not legally and I don’t think it’s allowed in Australia, but you know, in Ancient Greece it was allowed. I don’t see why we can’t follow your ancestors and their traditions..."
"That’s good. I’m sure there was a wild woman in my past."
"So is that a yes?" Eva asked tentatively.
"To what question?" Zoe teased.
"Will you spend the rest of your life with me?" Eva asked again.
"I would spend an eternity with you, Evy," Zoe announced and took Eva’s hands in her own. "I love you with all my heart and soul."
Eva smiled and produced a ring. "I promise to love you for the rest of my life," she said as she settled the ring on Zoe’s ring finger. "This was given to me by my mother and it was a gift to her from her sister."
"I love this ring," Zoe replied as she gazed at the silver band. "I don’t have a ring for you."
"You already gave me everything I could ever want." Silent tears tracked down Eva’s cheeks as she scooped up Zoe in her arms and kissed her. They stayed on the floor for a moment longer before Eva got back into the bunk.
"Can you please get some sleep?" Zoe fussed with the blanket and brought it up to Eva’s chin. The smile that greeted her made Zoe lean down and kiss Eva. "Go. To. Sleep." She enunciated each word with a kiss.
Eva giggled and snuggled down under the blanket as Zoe left the cabin with the bucket once again.
***
Zoe stepped out onto the deck and took a deep breath. The sea churned as the huge passenger liner slowly and steadily made its way towards its destination. The full moon above pierced the darkness of the night sky like a beacon, overpowering most of the stars and glinting from small waves in the black sea. The Patris was a huge beast which showed the wear and tear of heavy use during the war. Used first as a troop ship and now a refugee carrier, she had carried many thousands of people. If she could talk, she would certainly have some tales to tell.
Zoe’s red hair whipped around her face as she stared up at the twin funnels. She could just make out the black smoke billowing into the air. This was the first time she had sailed and she wanted desperately to be back on dry land. That wasn’t going to happen for at least another month.
She braced her arms on the railing and stared off into the dark horizon. She had come a long way from Larissa. She had survived the war, lost family and many friends, but she had also gained a good friend in Thanasi and someone very precious — a lover and a best friend rolled into one very special person. Eva had come into her life and, although the circumstances were tragic, she had recognized a kindred spirit and couldn’t help being drawn to her.
The refugees were packed like sardines, something Eva had mentioned to her not long after they left port in Egypt. Eva made Zoe laugh when she screwed her face up and puckered her lips like a fish. They were luckier than most, though. They had their own cabin, although it was so small Eva thought it could have been used as a broom closet.
"I wish you could be here, Father H," Zoe said quietly into the night, tears tracking down her face as she remembered the dear priest who gave up his life like so many of her compatriots. She twirled the silver ring around her finger. It wasn’t much in worldly value, but it didn’t need to be. It was connected to Eva, her mother and her sister, and it was from Eva, serving as a reminder of the love she had for her.
A sound made Zoe turn around and she smiled. Standing near the door was Eva with a blanket around her. Zoe wanted to scold her for coming out into the night air, but she just smiled. Eva joined her at the railing.
"I couldn’t sleep and I wanted to be with you."
Zoe held out her hand. Eva took it, brought it up to her lips, and kissed it before she put her arm around Zoe. They cuddled under the blanket and watched the stars twinkle as the ship churned through the sea.
Whatever lay ahead of them was going to be quite an adventure and they were going to face the challenges together. A new life awaited them in The Lucky Country, the land of milk and honey and new beginnings.
The End
….(For Now)
What’s Next for Eva & Zoe?
No, this is not the end of the story of Eva and Zoe. Follow their lives to Australia in the second novel “Where Shadows Linger”
WHERE SHADOWS LINGER
Where Shadows Linger follows the ever popular In the Blood of the Greeks. Having survived Nazi-occupied Greece and its liberation, Eva Muller and Zoe Lambros are still very much in love, wanting nothing more than to fulfill their dreams and hopes for the future.
Emigrating to Sydney, Australia, Eva and Zoe find themselves making new friends and forging a new life together. Eva struggles with the ramifications of her tortured past all the while trying to fit into a society marred by prejudice and the machinations of old enemies plunging them into mortal danger.
Will the unique connection between Eva and Zoe be destroyed? Will they lose their new-found friends? Or will Eva and Zoe’s love prove strong enough to overcome the shadows of the past that continue to linger in
their lives?
MORE OF THE INTERTWINED SOULS SERIES
Book 1 – In The Blood of the Greeks
Book 2 – Where Shadows Linger
Book 3 – Hidden Truths
Book 4 – Awakenings
Book 5 - No Good Deed
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary D. Brooks lives in Australia and has been writing for forty years including short fiction stories for various Australian magazines and some non-fiction articles. Mary published her first novel "In the Blood of the Greeks" in 2001 and that soon became evident that there was more to the characters and their story that needed to be told so the Intertwined Souls Series was born. Mary works as a web designer in addition to being the chief editor and owner of the AUSXIP Network,. When she's not writing, reading, creating art or designing new sites, Mary travels when the travel bug hits and is always on the lookout for new adventures. Mary’s latest venture is to open the doors of her own publishing company AUSXIP Publishing.
You can find Mary's sites at http://ausxip.com, her official author site at http://nextchapter.net and the AUSXIP Publishing site at http://www.ausxippublishing.com.
In The Blood Of The Greeks (Intertwined Souls Series Book 1) Page 32
