Buried Angels. Camilla Lackberg

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       FJÄLLBACKA 1919

       It was a marvellous day to wake up to, and Dagmar stretched her limbs like a cat. Now everything was going to be different. Finally she’d met someone who would silence all the talk and make the laughter stick in the throats of all those gossiping women. The Angelmaker’s daughter and the hero pilot – that would certainly give them something else to chatter about. But it would no longer have any effect on her, because they would be going off together. She didn’t know where, but that didn’t really matter.

       Last night he had caressed her as no one had ever done before. He had whispered so many words in her ears, words that she couldn’t understand, but in her heart she knew they were promises about their shared future. His passionate gasps had made desire spread through her whole body, and she had given him everything she possessed.

       Dagmar slowly sat up on the edge of the bed. Naked, she went over to the window and opened it wide. Outside the birds were chirping, and the sun had just come up. She wondered where Hermann was. Had he gone to fetch breakfast for them?

       In the bathroom she carefully performed her morning ablutions. She would have preferred to keep the scent of him on her body, but at the same time she wanted to be as fragrant as the most beautiful rose when he returned. And she would soon smell his scent again. She had a whole lifetime to breathe in his scent.

       When she was finished, she lay back down on the bed to wait, but he was taking his time and she felt her impatience grow. The sun had climbed higher in the sky, and the chirping of the birds was starting to seem annoyingly loud. Where had Hermann gone? Didn’t he know that she was waiting for him?

       Finally she got up, put on her clothes, and left the room, holding her head high. Why should she care if anyone saw her? It would soon be clear what Hermann’s intentions were.

       The house was very quiet. Everyone was in bed, sleeping it off, and no doubt they wouldn’t be up for a few more hours. The guests didn’t usually appear until eleven. But there were sounds coming from the kitchen. The staff were up early, preparing breakfast. The party-goers always had a ravenous appetite when they finally awoke, so the eggs had to be boiled and ready, the coffee made. She peeked into the kitchen. No, Hermann wasn’t there. One of the cooks saw her and frowned, but Dagmar tossed her head and pulled the door closed.

       After searching the house, she headed towards the dock. Could he be having a morning dip? Hermann was so athletic. He’d probably gone down to have an invigorating swim.

       She walked faster and then began to run down to the shore. Her feet seemed to fly over the grass, and when she reached the dock, she smiled as she gazed out over the water. But her expression soon turned solemn. He wasn’t there. She took one more look around, but Hermann was not in the water, and there were no clothes tossed on the dock. One of the boys who worked for the doctor and his wife came sauntering towards her.