A Journey from Germany 3

Chapter 3

Daniel chuckled, "I'm not that oblivious, Gretchen, it's rude you'd think that I don't know when women are flirting with me," he commented.
I looked at him, "You've been flirted with before, and didn't even know," I said.
Daniel gave up with a sigh, looking out the window again.

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After two hours we finally got to Oxford, I saw the warm colours of the sunset on the horizon, there was probably only an hour left of daylight. We got a taxi cab to the Whitestones. By the time we got there, it was 5:30, Julia opened the door, "We've just started supper, I'm afraid we didn't know when you'd get here, or that Daniel was coming with you," she explained.

I looked at Daniel, "Julia, is it okay if I take Gretchen out for dinner, we'll try to get back before it's too late, hopefully by 10 or 11," Daniel said.
Julia chuckled, "If only it were Alfred here, not me, you sound like a boy taking his girl's father to take her out, not informing his fiancée's mother, well, adoptive mothers in this case,"  she commented, letting us in.

We went to my room and put our bags on the table, "You plan for us to be away for five hours?" I asked.
Daniel chuckled, "I don't plan to, but it never hurts to give some warning, we'll probably be back around 6 or 7, but if we get occupied or distracted, or if there's a delay, it's fine for us to be late, and maybe they won't wait up," Daniel reasoned.

I nodded slightly, looking in my wardrobe, I noticed an unfamiliar dress on a hanger in the wardrobe. I walked down and went to Julia who was about to sit down, "I'm so sorry to stop you right before dinner, but there's a column dress in my wardrobe, it's not mine," I muttered

Julia nodded, "I brought it for you, you don't have an evening dress here, and you might have something come up, like today," she explained.
I nodded, "Thank you, Julia," I said.
"There's a matching silk shawl next to it," she added before I walked away.

I returned to my room and took the dress out, it was a statin black and had thin straps and a low neck and back, silver sequins around the cuts, the hem almost touching the floor. I grabbed the matching black silk shawl with silver sequins.

"Gretchen?" Daniel asked.
I turned to face him, "Yes?"
"Are you okay? You seem slightly spaced out, nor do you own that dress, I've never seen it," he questioned.
I nodded, "Julia brought it for me in case we ended up being in a situation like this," I explained.

Daniel nodded, "I don't think you've worn a dress with that low of a neckline," he commented.
I sighed, "It's from Julia, and I don't own any other dresses to wear out," I explained.

Daniel looked through my wardrobe, finding a formal suit that he would use for reports. We quickly got changed, I could feel the cold winter air on my back. I grabbed the shawl, "Is there a broach or pin somewhere?" I asked.
I turned and noticed that he was still getting changed, "Never mind," I added, searching through some drawers for a broach. I managed to find a small deep blue broach to hold my shawl in place.

I slipped on black heels before going into the bathroom to put on cosmetics, I looked out the open door into my room from the bathroom, making sure Daniel had his trousers, suspenders and undershirt. He was reaching for a vest, "Daniel? Can you search my bag for the necklace you got for my birthday?" I asked.

Daniel looked toward me, "I'll get it in a second," he called, slipping his vest on before opening my suitcase.
I started to curl my hair with rollers, using a hair dryer to set the rollers in place.

I removed the curls and was glad they had set. Daniel had come in and clipped my necklace on. My now-curled hair brushed my neck, barely passing my chin, although it probably wouldn't last too long since I hadn't had it set overnight.