Having finished his letter, Rolf put the pen and the paper aside and went downstairs for another cup of coffee. He noted that Aletta was still outsidem and the fire wasn't lit yet. It seemed odd to him; such a trivial task wouldn't take more than 10 minutes of her time. He started to get worried with her. The man rubbed his hands together because of the cold and went to the front porch; she was on her way back, with a hunk of wood in her hands.<em>"Want some help with it, sweetheart? I was worried, you certainly took your time!"</em>That last sentence was spoken jocularly, no hint of suspicion in it. Rolf truly loved her, and now more than ever, he wanted her to be his until the end of their lives. Greeting her with a smile, he reached for the wooden logs to relieve her of the burden.