Chapter 17 Chapter Sixteen

They are in the library.Jamie used to like to sit here with a glass of brandy in front of him.David argued: "We don't have time for a honeymoon, someone has to be here to take care of it, Kate." "Yes, Mr. Blackwell. But who's going to take care of me?" She curled up in David's lap, and he felt the warmth of her radiating through her thin dress.The document he had been reading fell to the floor.Her arms were around him, and he felt her hands slide down his body.She pressed her hips against him and turned slowly, the papers on the floor completely forgotten.She felt his reaction, so she stood up and took off the dress.David looked at her, marveling at the beauty of her figure.How could he have been so confused for so long that he couldn't see it?Now that she was undressing him, he felt a sudden rush of passion.Their naked bodies were pressed tightly together.He caressed her, running his fingers lightly over her cheeks and neck, over her breasts, and she whispered, "Take me, David." They lay down on the thick rug and she felt his strong body Pressing her down, she matched his rhythm and formed a huge wave, pushing her higher and higher until she felt that she could hardly bear it.All of a sudden, she felt extreme pleasure erupting deep inside her, burst after burst.She thought, I died and went to heaven.

※※※ They traveled all over the world, to Paris, Zurich, Sydney and New York, mainly on company business.But no matter where they go, they always make time to arrange some activities of their own.They often talked about late nights, making love, and getting to know each other's minds and bodies.Kate provides David with never-ending joy.She'd wake him up in the morning, and after hours of crazy sex, she'd be sitting next to him again at business meetings, acting more sane and wiser than anyone else in the room.She has a flair for business that is rare and unexpected.In the upper echelons of the business world, women are extremely rare.At first people were accommodating to her.But soon they became cautious and respectful in front of her.Kate felt that fighting these people also brought her a lot of fun.But you have to be thoughtful and resourceful to win.David saw her win over some men who had far more experience than she did.She has the instinct of a winner, knowing what she needs and how to get it.that power.

They ended their honeymoon with an unforgettable week at Pine Ridge Residence in Dark Harbor. ※※※ On June 28, 1914, the war was first heard.Kate and David were visiting at a country house in Sussex.This was the age of the country house, and weekend guests were expected to follow a certain etiquette.Men had to be fully dressed for breakfast, mid-morning break, lunch and tea in velvet jackets with satin trims, and formal dress for dinner. "My God," David protested to Kate, "I feel like a bloody peacock." "You're a very pretty peacock, dear," Kate assured him. "You can walk around naked when you get home."

He hugged her tightly, "But I can't wait." During dinner, news came that the Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and his wife Sophie had been assassinated. Lord Meany, the owner of the farmhouse, said: "It's vile, kill a woman, why? But no one will fight for some small Balkan country." Then the conversation turned to cricket. Late at night, in bed, Kate said, "Did you say there was going to be war, David?" "Just because a certain Grand Duke was assassinated? No way." It turns out that guess was completely wrong.Austria-Hungary suspected its neighbor, Serbia, of a plot to assassinate Ferdinand, and declared war on Serbia.By October, some of the world's major powers were involved in the war.It was a new kind of warfare, using for the first time mechanized equipment—planes, airships, and submarines.

On the day Germany declared war, Kate said, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us, David." David frowned, "What are you talking about?" "These countries need guns and ammunition, and—" "They won't get it from us," David interrupted her firmly. "We've got enough business, Kate. We don't have to make a profit off other people's blood." "Aren't you being a little too romantic? Somebody has to make ammunition." "As long as I'm here, we're not going to do anything like this. Let's stop talking about it, Kate, and it's done."

But Kate thought to herself, fuck the fuck.For the first time since their marriage, they slept apart.How could David be such a naive fool, Kate thought. But David was thinking, how could she be so ruthless?Being in business changed her.In the next few days, both of them were in a bad mood.David lamented the great emotional rift that had arisen between them.But he didn't know how to make amends.Kate is too arrogant and stubborn to give in to him because she always thinks she is right. ※※※ President Wilson had promised that the United States would stay out of the war, but with German submarines torpedoing unarmed passenger ships and reports of German atrocities, pressure grew in the United States to help the Allies. "Make the world a safe place for democracies" was the slogan of the day.

David learned to fly in the bushy countryside of South Africa.When the Lafayette Flying Squadron of American pilots was formed in France, David approached Kate, "I have to join the army." She was horrified, "No, this is not your country's war." "But it will happen soon." David said calmly, "The United States cannot stand idly by. I am an American and I want to do my part." "But you are forty-six years old!" "I can still fly the plane, Kate, and they need all the help they can." Kate could not persuade him to stay.During those final days, the two stayed together peacefully, forgetting about their differences.They're still in love, and that's all that matters.

"You and Brett Rogers can do as good a business as I did here, maybe a little better," David said the night before leaving home for France. "What if you ask me what to do? I won't be able to bear it." He hugged her tightly, "I'll be fine, Kate, I'll come back to see you with all kinds of medals." The next morning, he left. ※※※ For Kate, David's departure is like death.It had taken her so long to have him, and now a nasty, unnerving fear haunted her every moment.She was afraid of losing him, and she was always worried.The tone of a stranger's voice, a sudden burst of laughter in a quiet street, a word, a smell or a song reminded her of him.No matter where he goes, he seems to be there.Every day she wrote him long letters.Whenever she received a letter from him, she always read and reread it until the letter paper was torn.He wrote her that he was fine; that the Germans had air superiority, but that would change, that the United States was rumored to be at war soon, and that he would write again whenever he could, and that he loved her dearly.

Kate thought: "Darling, don't let anything happen to you. If something happens to you, I will hate you forever." She works desperately to forget her loneliness and unhappiness.At the beginning of the war, the French and German armies were the best equipped in Europe, but the Allies had a vast advantage in manpower, resources and materials.The Russian army was the largest in numbers, but it was poorly equipped and poorly commanded. "They all need assistance," Kate told Brad Rogers. "They need tanks, guns and ammo." Brad Rogers was a little disturbed. "Kate, David doesn't think—"

"David's not here, Brad, it's up to you and me to decide." Kate finds David's attitude towards making weapons incomprehensible.Since the Entente needed weapons, Kate felt it would be a patriotic act to provide them with weapons.She had talks with the heads of six or seven friendly countries.A year later Kruger-Brent Ltd started production of cannons and tanks, bombs and ammunition.It supplies train wagons, tanks, military uniforms and guns.Kruger-Brent Ltd. became overnight one of the fastest growing conglomerates in the world.When Kate saw the latest earnings statistic, she said to Brad Rogers: "Did you see it? David is going to admit he was wrong."

※※※ During this period, South Africa was also in turmoil. The leaders of those parties expressed their support for the Allied Powers and were willing to assume the responsibility of defending South Africa from German aggression.But most Dutch descendants are opposed to supporting the British, and they still remember the hatred of the past. The war situation in Europe was very unfavorable to the Allies.The fighting on the Western Front was at a stalemate.Both sides dug in, and the battle line passed through France and Belgium.It was the soldiers who suffered the most.The trenches were filled with muddy water due to the rain.Rats are swarming, and vermin of every kind are everywhere.Thankfully, Kate thought, David was fighting in the sky. On April 6, 1917, President Wilson officially declared war, and David's prophecy became a reality.The entire United States began to mobilize.The first American Expeditionary Force landed in France on June 26, 1917, under General John Pershing.Some new place names gradually became familiar: Saint-Mihiel... Château-Thierry... Meuse-Argonne... Bois de Bellou... Verdun... The Allied forces became an irresistible force. On November 11, 1918, the war ended.The world is once again a safe place for democracies. David set off for home. When David disembarked from the army ship in New York, Kate stood waiting for him.They stared at each other for a long time, forgetting the noisy crowd and noise around them, and then David hugged Kate tightly in his arms.He was much thinner than before, and his face was tired.Kate thought, Oh God, how I miss him!She had a thousand questions to ask him, but let's wait. "I'll take you to Pine Ridge," Kate told him. "That's the best place for you to rest." ※※※ In order to welcome David's return, Kate renovated the house.A pair of sofas have been added to the spacious and airy living room, upholstered in calico florals in rose and green.A matching upholstered easy chair sits by the fireplace.A flower painting by Vlaminck hung over the fireplace.On both sides are antique lampstands.Two glass French doors lead out to the cloister.The cloister wraps around three sides of the house and is covered with a striped awning.The room was bright and fresh, with a wonderful view of the port. Kate took David to look around the house, talking non-stop, very happy.And he was uncharacteristically silent.When they had finished their tour, Kate asked, "Do you like what I have laid out, dear." "It's beautiful, Kate. Now sit down and I want to talk to you." She suddenly felt her heart sink, "What happened?" "We seem to be the arms supplier to half the world." "Wait until you look at the books," Kate began. "Our profits have been—" "I don't mean that. From what I can recall, we were making a pretty good profit before I left. I thought we'd all agreed not to engage in arms production." Kate felt a surge of anger welling up in her heart. "You agreed, but I didn't." She tried to control her anger. "Times have changed, David, and we must change with them." He looked at her and asked calmly, "have you changed?" Lying in bed that night, Kate asked herself: Did she change, or did David change, did she get stronger, or did David get weaker?She remembered his reasons for not producing weapons, but they were weak reasons.In any case, someone has to provide armaments to the Allies, not to mention that such products can make huge profits.Where had all David's business gone?She had always regarded him as one of the smartest people she knew, but now she felt she had the edge over David in running the business.She stayed up all night that night. In the morning, Kate and David had breakfast together, and then went for a walk in the courtyard. "It's beautiful," David said to her. "I'm glad I can rest here." Kate said, "And our conversation last night—" "It's over. I wasn't around then, and you did what you thought was right." "If you were here, would I still do that?" Kate asked inwardly.But she didn't say it.She did it all for the benefit of the company.Is the company more important than my marriage?She dared not answer the question.