War Girls Complete Collection Chapter 293

Chapter 12: Ursula

U

rsula was sitting in the garden with Evie and the other younger children when a shadow fell over her. She looked up and then quickly got to her feet. “Herr Keller.”

“Frau Hermann.”

“Did you need something?” Ursula asked, shocked to see him after what he’d pulled when the Allied Forces had arrived.

“I just stopped by to see your aunt. She’s out in the fields?”

That lying snake. He never paid social visits, he always wanted something. She forced a honeyed smile. “Yes, bringing in the harvest.”

“Well, please let her know I stopped by. As the mayor it is my duty to check up on all the families in the area.”

“Is it?” Ursula asked in dismay. She’d gritted her teeth at the fact he’d gotten away without punishment. But now she yearned to scratch out his eyes and strangle the vile monster with her bare hands.

He smirked. “Well, yes. Will you please let your aunt know I wish to talk to her?”

“I’ll tell her you stopped by,” Ursula said, still wondering how the man wasn’t rotting in a prison.

“You do that. Since she’s having difficulties tending to her farm properly, I might be able to help,” Herr Keller said with an appalling air of self-importance. “Have a good day.”

Repulsive snake!

Ursula’s mind flashed back to the day when she’d arrived home to the news that her sister Lotte had gone missing. Herr Keller personally had sent her to a concentration camp for the crime of hiding four Jewish children in Lydia’s barn.

She strained her brain to remember what had happened to the children. Oh, yes, Lotte’s friend, Rachel Epstein, and her baby sister, Mindel, had been caught and deported to Bergen-Belsen. The two boys, though – she didn’t remember their names – had made it to the convent in Kaufbeuren, which was only twenty miles from Kleindorf.

In the evening Ursula asked Katrina if she could take care of the young children, so she could take a trip to the convent. Now that she remembered the Epstein boys, she wanted to find out whether they had survived the war.

Jörg provided her with the boy’s names. They were both only slightly younger than he was. “Israel is the older one, and Aaron the younger.”

The next day she took the old bicycle and pedaled to Kaufbeuren. It was a hot and sunny August day and she actually enjoyed the trip, in spite of the many hills where she had to jump off the bicycle and push.

With a thundering heart she arrived at the convent, which showed no trace of war damages, and knocked on the door. She waited for quite a time and was about to leave, when the door opened with a creak and an old nun in her black habit stepped outside. “How may I help you?”

“Sister, I’m looking for two young boys, Israel and Aaron.”

“I’m sorry. We don’t have boys with those names.” The nun gave her an empathetic smile and went to shut the door.

“Wait. Please.” She now remembered that the boys had been given false papers with Aryan names. “They’re Jewish. Twelve and nine years old. I believe they came here under different names.”

The nun raised a brow. “I wouldn’t know anything about this.” Ursula’s heart sank. “But the Mother Superior would. Follow me.”

Ursula followed the nun through the dark and quiet corridors of the ancient convent dating back to the Middle Ages. Despite the oppressive August heat, a chill permeated the air and she shivered.

The nun stopped at an open door into a courtyard that was filled with light – and noise. Dozens of children of all ages played in the yard and Ursula’s heart hurt, thinking that all of them had in one way or another lost their parents.

“They are in recess after lunch.” With a wave of her hand, the nun excused the noisy behavior, obviously expecting a much more subdued one from the children.

They crossed the courtyard and entered another dark corridor on the other side. Ursula admired the beautiful dancing lights in different colors on the floor, caused by rays of sunshine entering through the stained glass windows. It was a gleeful beauty and stood in stark contrast to the serenity of the dark, chilly corridor.

The nun stopped in front of a door and knocked, then opened the door and announced Ursula. “Mother Superior, this woman is looking for two Jewish boys living here under false names.”

“Thank you, Sister Agnes, you can return to your duties,” the Mother Superior said and invited Ursula to take a seat in her office. “Can you tell me more, please? Are you a relative?”

Ursula clasped her hands together, her nerves suddenly getting the best of her. “I’m not. I… don’t even know them. My sister Charlotte Klausen brought them here about two years ago.”

The Mother Superior furrowed an eyebrow, seemingly not recognizing Lotte’s name.

“She… she lived here for a while, too.” Then it dawned on Ursula and she added. “You may know her by the name of Alexandra Wagner.”

Finally the old woman showed a reaction. Her lips pursed into the tiniest of smiles. “I well remember Alexandra. She was a very headstrong thing, and frankly, we were quite relieved when she left us again.”

Ursula could only imagine how her wild tomboy sister had stirred the strict daily routine at the convent and said in a low tone, “Yes, that would be her.”

“Has your sister survived the war?”

Ursula gave a deep sigh. “We don’t know. She’s still missing somewhere in Denmark.”

“I will pray for her safe return,” Mother Superior said. “Knowing your sister, I’m confident she will make her way home.

“The two boys you’re looking for are still with us. They have papers identifying them as Peter and Klaus Müller. Are you here to take them with you?”

Ursula flinched. “I... I’m afraid not. Neither their parents nor their older sister Rachel have returned. I just wanted to make sure they are still alive.”

“Come with me.” Mother Superior got up and led Ursula to the courtyard again. She whispered a few words with one of the younger nuns and then explained, “Sister Margarete will fetch the boys for you. As you can see we have too many children here and more are brought here every day. If you could find a home for the two boys, we would be very grateful.”

Israel and Aaron were adorable boys, but Ursula could hardly take them with her. Aunt Lydia had her hands full with her own six children, the refugee family living with them, Ursula and Evie and now Richard and Katrina. There simply wasn’t more space in the farmhouse to host additional people.

“I’m sorry. The only thing I can do is try and find their family. I’ll go and file a missing persons report with the Red Cross in Mindelheim. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“God willing, you’ll receive positive news.”

Ursula smiled. “I’ll return with news when I can. I wish I could do more.”

“Your sister saved them; that’s more than enough. I will pray for all of you,” Sister Margarete said as Ursula took her leave.

Ursula rode back to the farm, her mind in turmoil. The two boys were well and alive, and now she yearned to hear about Rachel’s and Mindel’s fates. With all the excitement about finding them alive, she’d almost forgotten her sorrow about Tom and her need to get to Berlin. Maybe there she could find out his whereabouts.