Eternal Melody (11 page)

Grabbing hold of a dining room chair for strength, she turned to face the most lecherous looking man she had ever seen in her life. 
His
sweaty
face was as red as a tomato and his body as round as one, with great puffy cheeks and a thin line
sketching
a mouth that appeared to be salivating.  Rebecca winced, deducing that this must be
Herr
Gerhard Brecht, the man upon whom her wages depended.

“Hello Mr. Brecht.  Is it all right with you if I start in the dining nook?” She asked, grossly uncomfortable.

“I’d prefer that you start in the bedroom.”
He muttered with a wink.

Alarmed by his response, Rebecca
demanded
, “Where is Mrs. Brecht?”

“Shopping as usual, buying some useless knick-knack or other.”

Desperate to keep the conversation professional, Rebecca commented, “Your English is excellent, sir.
  And your accent has a British undertone to it.  Have you spent time abroad?”

“Indeed, I attended university in London.
  Cambridge
,
as a matter of fact.
”
 
Mr. Brecht spoke with a pomposity and sense of entitlement that appalled Rebecca.

“How nice.” She placated.  “Now, I should go about my duties, as there is quite a bit of ground to cover.  I would like to be as thorough as possible and not dawdle.”

Her voice was firm and decisive
. 
To her tremendous relief, a feminine voice came into earshot.

“Gerhard!  Are you already harassing our new maid?” The woman swatted her husband on the back with a slap that reverberated
in the massive dining room
.  “Please excuse my husband. 
He’s not harmful
, but just an incorrigible flirt.”

Mrs. Brecht spoke with an accent even more refined than her husband’s, and Rebecca surmised that she must be a born and bred Londoner.

“I thought you were out shopping,
Louise
!” Mr. Brecht hissed, painfully affronted.

“Nothing tickled my fancy, Gerhard
, so I returned home early
. 
And not a moment too soon, I see! 
Please resume your work, young lady, and never mind old Gerhard.  He won’t bother you as long as I’m around.”

Mrs. Brecht flounced out of the room with a mortified Mr. Brecht tailing her.  Rebecca had to cover her mouth in order to prevent a wild giggle from erupting, so amused was she by the marital spat that had taken place before her.  So Mr. Brecht liked to flirt?  Well, as
long as he kept his meaty paws
to himself!

Hours later, in dire need of a bath and refreshing lunch, Rebecca took leave of the Brecht mansion and
wearily
walked back to the train station. 
Once she was back on
Kirschs
trasse
, she was amazed at how the place felt like home.  After a morning of laborious cleaning in a strange residence with even stranger
inhabitants, the familiar sight
of her apartment building
was
a welcome greeting.

Before she went upstairs to change into fresh attire, Rebecca
debated
speak
ing
directly with Beatrice
.  Somehow, she needed to
explain
the
predicament
involving
Gregory and Ethel
.  Then she remembered the language barrier and realized that without Ryan as interpreter, any discussion would be meaningless.  Resolving to put
that matter on hold for a little while longer, Rebecca changed into a forest green muslin dress and pr
epared
to go in search of her grandmother.

*****

The porcelain tea cups clinked musically inside Gloria Meadow’s airy hotel room. Rebecca had found the hotel without incident and now felt overcome with joy to once again be talking to the dear old woman whom she
had missed more than she
realized
.

“Grandmother, the voyage
must have been terribly taxing for you.  If I had known that Gregory was
going to accost
you
and bring you overseas, I never would have left Michigan!”

The rosy-cheeked older woman,
dazzling
with shiny silver hair that still betrayed a splash of youthful red, tittered and replied, “Nonsense, my sweet Becky!  That voyage across the Atlantic was the most fun I’ve had in years! 
You know,
I was still a fairly young woman when my dear
Sanford
passed on, and I always felt smothered inside that old house.  It has so many memories for me, not only of your grandfather, but also of your parents.”

Gloria Meadow looked at her granddaughter with eyes that communicated
compassionate
understanding.  She knew long ago that Rebecca would not be contained.  It was unthinkable to keep such a spirited girl away from the world.

“Yes, Becky, I’m happy that you made the decision to come to Vienna.  Don’t let Gregory tell you that it was improper.  Ryan escorted you, and I’m sure has been doing an admirable job of protecting you.”

“I don’t need protection, Grandmother,” Rebecca
quickly
replied.

Gloria’s
understanding and liberal thinking had its limits, and she was compelled to disagree.  “Of course you need protection, darling. 
Too many men in this world are like
ravenous
wolves, and you must beware of them.”

Rebecca opened her mouth to protest that she wasn’t Little Red Riding Hood, but Gloria went on. 
“On the other hand, there are some men who are true gentlemen.  I won’t disillusion you and say that there are princes or knights in shining armor, but there most certainly are good gentlemen.”

Rebecca’s thoughts wandered instantly to Luke and how, even during that passionate kiss in the doorway, he had
shown himself to be a gentleman and not a ravenous wolf. 
Maybe a
ravenous gentleman
, Rebecca thought naughtily, craving the taste of his lips as she usually only craved
a delicacy like
Belgian
chocolate.

“I hope the man who’s courting you is not one of the wolves.” Gloria said slowly, as Rebecca flinched, snatched right out of her own imagination.

“What are you talking about?”

“Gregory told me how he and Ethel found you yesterday.” Gloria explained softly, as Rebecca searched her eyes, gauging if there was judgment or condemnation there, but she saw only concern.

Fuming once again over her intrusive brother, she exclaimed, “Gregory is a donkey’s…”

“Rebecca Sarah Meadow!  I forbid you to finish that sentence.” Gloria scolded harshly,
intolerant of even the mildest profanity.

“I’m sorry, Grandmother.  I just feel so frustrated and betrayed by him.  Did Ryan tell you why he believes Gregory is really here?” A blank look came over Gloria’s face,
convincing
Rebecca
that Ryan had not said anything yet.  “Gregory seems to think that I will become a filthy rich diva and that he can live off of my earnings!”

Gloria seemed perplexed.
“
But that’s what families do, my dear.  They help each other.  If one becomes wealthy, all should benefit, don’t you agree?”

Gloria’s diplomatic approach
incensed
Rebe
cca, but she did not argue.  Inwardly
, though, she felt that Gregory would take her money without any regard whatsoever for her welfare.  If a leprechaun offered Reb
ecca a giant pot of gold coins,
Gregory
would be apt to toss her a penny and keep all the
treasure
for himself
.

Gloria went on, “Greed, pride, and selfishness have torn many a family apart.  Let that not happen with ours.  If you do succeed in singing, which I have every confidence that you will, we will all be basking in
your
glory.”

Basking in
my
money
, Rebecca wanted to say.

Gloria continued,
“Gregory lost his job, as you might know, and saw no reason to stay in Grand Rapids when his employment prospects were slim.  What better thing to do but all be together as a family again?  That’s why we’re here, to show our support of you and Ryan as you pursue musical careers.”

No matter how Gloria sugar
coated it, Rebecca was convinced that the combination of free money and a free nanny had lured
Gregory and Ethel
to Vienna
.  Sensing
that it was futile to argue with her grandmother, Rebecca
sighed and
changed the subject.

“How is your knitting coming along?”
She asked,
as
Gloria lapsed
into a tangent about
the latest blanket she was knitting for Annabelle and how the project
had occupied her time during the entire boat ride.  Rebecca listened to the old woman patiently, though she could feel her heart lurch every time she recalled
Luke
and his unforgettable embrace.

*****

When evening descended, Rebecca was back in her chamber feeling a revival of the restlessness that
had always been
a mainstay of her personality
, but was now even more potent
.  Afternoon tea with her grandmother had been cut short by yet another unexpected visit from Gregory and Ethel, this time with the infant in tow.  Rebecca had rejoiced in seeing Annabelle again, who had already changed and now had silky soft tufts of auburn hair covering her adorable round head.  At nearly a year old, Annabelle showed signs of being able to walk soon, as she happily crawled around the carpeted hotel room and took a few tumbles that lightened the atmosphere and made everyone laugh.

Rebecca’s delight in reuniting with Annabelle had postponed, but not eliminated, her
boiling
avidity to brawl with her relatives. 
For that, she would have to bide her time wisely. 
She
had been
elated, though, to learn that her
apartment
building did not have any more rooms at the moment and that Gregory and Ethel would be residing in the hotel indefinitely.  Rebecca had no idea where they were going to obtain the necessary funds to pay for
an extended hotel stay, but it was not her concern.  Her housekeeping job would barely cover her own living expenses
, let alone those of two other adults and a child
.  She hadn’t asked Ryan about his wage as concert violinist, but she imagined that Gregory and Ethel were probably waiting in the wings to leech onto him
, even if he earned a
paltry amount of cash
.

A rapping sounded at her door, and Rebecca rolled her eyes, certain that Gregory and Ethel had returned to finish their shouting match from the previous evening. 
Plastering a venomous expression on her face, Rebecca swung the door open and gasped when she recognized her visitor.

“Is something the matter, Rebecca?” Luke asked with genuine concern, as Rebecca
quickly
softened her features into
a smile
she hoped he would find coquettish and carefree.

“Not at all. 
How was your day?”
She asked breezily, tilting her head to one side.

“I was about to ask the same of you.  Mr. Graysen was looking for you today.”

“Why?” Rebecca asked, as her heart reeled with hope that he was going to offer her a role.

“You’re the understudy for the role of
Pamina in
The Magic Flute
.  Rehearsals began today.  Didn’t Mr. Graysen tell you?”

Rebecca remembered with a wave of regret how Mr. Graysen had told her that she would be expected to attend rehearsals.  With the
cyclone
arrival of her relatives and the grueling first day as a maid, Rebecca had
completely
forgotten to go to the rehearsal
,
and that
lapse of memory
was unacceptable
.  She could not allow these peripheral people and circumstances
to
blockade her
career
.

“Yes, he did tell me, but I
had an extremely hectic day.” She said vaguely, not wanting to tell Luke what her job was for fear of humiliation.

“I know you must be very upset after that incident with your brother and sister-in-law.  I thought that might be part of the reason for your absence. 
It’s perfectly understandable.  Believe me, I know all about family squabbles.  They can be nasty.” He glanced down at his leg
, permanent proof of how a fraternal misunderstanding could escalate into a heinous duel
.  “
But you also mentioned starting some sort of job today, didn’t you?”  Luke regarded her quizzically
, his expression devoid of the flammable reaction she had seen just yesterday.
  Had his solicitous treatment of her been just a fluke?