When Mark opened the door of their bedroom, the light was still on. Margaret lay with a book in her arms, asleep, her mouth open. Her suitcases were not immaculately ordered as was usual for her, but strewn with clothes. He had taken his shoes off when he came into the apartment, and he crept round the room, undressing as quietly as he could.
It was three in the morning.
He found his pyjamas and slipped them on. He went round to her side of the bed and turned off the light. He thought he’d managed not to wake her.
He slid gratefully between the sheets. Her presence beside him was comforting, but he did not touch her, he must not wake her. He probably smelt of tobacco, he hoped not anything else. She was always swift to sense such things.
‘Is that you?’
‘Shhh.’
‘What time is it?’
‘It’s. . . it’s one o’clock, I think. I had a drink, I met an old friend, it was fun. I’m sorry I disturbed you.’
‘You didn’t. You don’t.’
There was a silence. He thought she’d fallen asleep. And when she did speak, it was as though from the bottom of a well of somnolence. ‘Quite understand. . . Berlin is Berlin after all, not like Moscow. . . When we married. . . Do be careful, darling.’
‘Careful?’
‘Not everyone. . . so understanding. Do be careful. Good night, Markie.’ And this time she did fall asleep, he could hear her steady breathing.
He lay in bed thinking, a long time. Careful – yes, careful was what he always had to be. How fortunate he was, such a wife. . .
He’d taken a taxi to the Cosy Bar. It was still there, hardly changed. He did not want to meet Karl, of course not, and happily Karl was not there. But the barman recognised him even though it was a long while since they’d met. He said, ‘Ah, the friend of Karl. Are you visiting Berlin, dear sir?’ Mark asked how Karl was, they’d lost contact. The barman said Karl had moved to Paris, he had an excellent job in a big hotel there. Which hotel, Mark wondered. The barman laughed, he did not remember. But he did recall Mark’s favourite drink and gave him one on the house.
A young man sat down on the banquette next to Mark. Blond, well built, very German.