The First Spark of Fire: A totally gripping WW2 historical novel about bravery against the odds (German Wives Book 1)

THE FIRST SPARK OF FIRE A TOTALLY GRIPPING WW2 HISTORICAL NOVEL ABOUT BRAVERY AGAINST THE ODDS MARION KUMMEROW BOOKS BY MARION KUMMEROW German Wives The First Spark of Fire Margarete’s Journey A Light in the Window From the Dark We Rise The Girl in the Shadows Daughter of the Dawn The Orphan's Mother Not Without My Sister AVAILABLE IN AUDIO Margarete’s Journey A Light in the Window (Available in the UK and the US) From the Dark We Rise (Available in the UK and the US) The Girl in the Shadows (Available in the UK and the US) Daughter of the Dawn (Available in the UK and the US) The Orphan’s Mother (Available in the UK and the US) Not Without My Sister (Available in the UK and the US) CONTENTS Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26 Chapter 27 Chapter 28 Chapter 29 Chapter 30 Chapter 31 Chapter 32 Chapter 33 Chapter 34 Chapter 35 Chapter 36 Chapter 37 Hear More from Marion Books by Marion Kummerow A Letter from Marion A Light in the Window From the Dark We Rise The Girl in the Shadows Daughter of the Dawn The Orphan’s Mother Not Without My Sister 1 MUNICH, NOVEMBER 1923 Early in the morning, Edith Falkenstein woke up, realizing her husband Julius had once again not returned home to sleep in his bed, because she couldn’t hear him snoring in the adjacent room. Fixing her eyes on the clear blue sky streaming in through the curtains, she gave a sigh. Julius had a habit of throwing himself into work, and with rampant hyperinflation, he was needed at the bank he owned day and night. Another sigh escaped her throat. Despite all their riches, even they felt the desolation taking hold of the German population. After they had lost the Great War, the country had rapidly spiraled downward until it seemed like everyone was out of a job. Beggars and war invalids lined the streets of the formerly rich and beautiful city of Munich. She rang the bell on her nightstand, and mere moments later her maid Laura entered the room in her freshly starched black dress, a white apron and white bonnet completing the outfit. At least some things hadn’t changed. Laura curtsied. “How may I serve you, gnädige Frau?” It had taken Edith a long time to get used to having servants around, speaking to her so formally. In contrast to her husband, a rich and powerful man fifteen years her senior, who came from a long line of merchants and bank owners, she’d grown up as the daughter of an elementary schoolteacher on the outskirts of Berlin. Five years ago, after their wedding, she had followed Julius to Munich, way down in the South of Germany, far away from her family and friends. “Please prepare coffee for me, and advise the driver to shine the car, as I’m going to pick up my brother from the train station later today.” “Yes, gnädige Frau.” Laura was an industrious girl, quite versatile in all household chores and a devout Christian. Unlike Edith and Julius, who were Protestants in name only, and rarely, if ever, went to church. “Have you had word from Herr Falkenstein?” She only ever referred to her husband by his last name in the presence of staff. “He called around three a.m. to advise the driver that he had been held up at work and wished to be picked up for breakfast,” Laura said. “If you wait for another hour, you may eat with him.” “Thank you, I will wait then. Bring me the coffee now, will you?” Even without comprehending much about business, Edith understood that Julius was fighting for the survival of his bank. Nonetheless, she wished he would spend more time with her. After moving to Munich she had barely made any friends. In all honesty, Edith was horribly bored. Brought up as the daughter of a teacher, she’d never been idle in her life. That had changed after marrying Julius, when she suddenly found herself with a plethora of servants taking care of her every wish. At least in Berlin she’d had her friends to spend time with. Here, the days were endlessly dull. She could go shopping only so much, especially now that there was barely anything on display in the glamorous Maximilianstrasse. In these unusual times the pendulum was swinging from a frantic urge to spend before the paid salary lost its worth, to not buying anything at all because the money wasn’t even worth the paper it was printed on. An hour later, her husband arrived home. She heard the car engine long before she peeped out the window to see his Mercedes limousine coming up the driveway toward their beautiful mansion, right next to the English Garden near the center of Munich. Edith glanced in the mirror to make sure she looked her best. A habit Julius appreciated not only for himself, but also because he often brought unannounced guests with him. “Good morning, Julius,” she greeted him, since he’d long ago told her never to call him darling or some other term of endearment in public—their servants counting as public for him. “Good morning, Edith,” he responded, giving her a tired glance from bloodshot eyes. “Is breakfast ready?” “Yes, I have ordered the cook to prepare scrambled eggs for you, and, of course, coffee.” “Will you join me?” he asked with a pleasant smile. “I took coffee already, but waited with breakfast for your return,” she said. “You look beautiful this morning,” he complimented her. “Have you slept well?” “I did,” she lied, not wanting to let him know that she woke up several times, listening for whether he would arrive