Chapter 15

During the first few days, Kurt hardly noticed Edna. Everything seemed to be taken care of by itself, and a fresh cup of tea was waiting for him on the kitchen table. By the time Kurt emerged from his study around eleven, after his usual morning's work, Edna had already left the house. At times, Kurt wondered if his excessive curiosity during their first meeting had frightened Mrs. Hoggart, causing her to avoid him.

After seeing his patients, Kurt went to Ellington's to dine. For the third day in a row, nothing interesting or unusual happened to him. His life had suddenly returned to its old, peaceful track, but strangely enough, Kurt didn't desire such tranquility.

"If I want something to go differently, I have to do something unusual," thought Kurt. Instead of going to Ellington's, he headed to the city center. As he passed by Danee's gallery, he noticed that it was closed. He even came closer, hoping to see a notification with the reason for closing. But there was only a sparse sign that read "Closed".

Kurt continued his stroll through the city center, where the usual bustling activity was in full swing. People with anxious expressions rushed past him. As he walked, Kurt's hunger grew, and he was pleased to spot the sign for the Solar restaurant, which promised both a delicious meal and excellent service.

Entering the restaurant, Kurt noticed a distinctly different atmosphere compared to Ellington's, and it was much busier here.

Kurt walked over to a table in the corner and sat down. He had to wait for a waiter for about five minutes, during which time he studied the ambiance and other patrons. At a table across the room, he noticed a group of young men, some of whom seemed familiar to Kurt.

He recognized Thomas Walter, whom he had met at John's house, sitting with Archie Tains. Archie's face looked exhausted, and he wasn't actively participating in the conversation, appearing burdened by the presence of his companions.

Kurt couldn't hear what they talked about, but the meeting itself with Archie, a man who had unsuccessfully requested his help, was not pleasant. Kurt thought that lately, he had completely forgotten about Archie, as he was taken again by his own experiences associated with John, Philip, and Eliza.

During the young man's first and only visit, Kurt could not quite understand what Archie felt but now, with his heart awakened, Kurt felt genuine compassion for Archie.

Kurt had lunch and was going to leave. Deciding not to wait until the waiter brought him the bill, he went to the counter. Now snatches of the conversation reached Kurt.

"What? What are you talking about? John doesn't do anything, but his father left him enough to squander money until the end of his life!" said one man.

"No, my friend," objected the second, probably Thomas. "He has people who run his business, and he isn't anybody's fool! His father was an investor."

"Yeah, people!" interrupted the first person. "He broke all contacts with those with whom his father worked! You know who gathers at his place. There is no one to have business with, if you don't want to go broke, of course."

"I noticed something else," Thomas said. "The guests that appear there every week, it's one thing, but there are a few people - five or six, who rarely go out, but I often see them in the house where John doesn't allow guests. I think they are the elite if you will."

"I'd like to be among them," someone laughed.

Kurt left the restaurant, without speaking to them.

"Elite? Could it be that John has friends? People whom he trusts?" Kurt thought This didn't accord with John's image of being completely aloof and self-sufficient.

When Kurt returned home, he smelled the sweet scent of currants and smiled. On the table in the hall, he found a fresh newspaper and a few letters.

Sitting comfortably in the living room with a cup of tea, Kurt began to study the correspondence. One letter caught his attention. When he saw the address and handwriting on the envelope, he became nervous. He even put down his cup and straightened in his chair, putting the other letters aside. His peace was destroyed by the only line on the envelope, "To Kurt Rhein from John Fenrir."

Kurt could not wait to open it, but he hesitated, savoring the moment. His excitement was growing with each passing second. Finally, he opened the letter, and there was an invitation from John to his Friday evening. Kurt stared at it in surprise and looked inside the envelope again. But there was nothing more.

Why? Why would he invite me? Especially after the incident at the charity event. Does he want to play some joke on me?

Kurt became more and more conflicted. He was tempted to burn the invitation, as he had done with the previous one. But he forced himself to stop and calm down. Or maybe he didn't force himself. Maybe, it was the other way around; he showed weakness, because his heart, sensing an opportunity to meet John again, leaped gleefully in his chest.

His mind told him to decline the invitation. Kurt held out his hand to the blazing fireplace. But the risk of losing the opportunity to see John caused a sharp pain in his chest. Kurt placed the invitation on the table and weighed his options once more.

Kurt stood up and walked around the room. Driven by his restless thoughts, he went back to the table, pulled out the invitation, and strode over to the fireplace. The heat of the fire touched Kurt's outstretched hand, where the envelope was trembling. Kurt clenched his teeth and hid the invitation in his pocket. He could not burn the letter; it was not in his power. He knew it was a sign of weakness. And all he could do was seize upon the idea that he would use every chance to study John in order to defeat him. Although Kurt hardly believed in it.