Mandie Collection, The: 4 (37 page)

“And you say it really does jump up and down?” Mandie questioned her as she tied her long blond tresses back with a ribbon.

“I have never seen it do so, but others have, and as I mentioned, it happened just last night after dark,” Olga said, straightening the bow in Celia’s sash.

“We’d better go, Mandie,” Celia urged her friend.

Mandie looked in the mirror and decided Celia’s dress did fit all right. It was a bit loose in the waist, and almost too long, but no one would know it wasn’t hers.

“Yes, yes, we must go,” Olga agreed. “I will take you to the dining room. Then I will get the man to open the trunk, so I can finish unpacking. I will bring food for your cat also.”

“Thank you,” the girls said at once.

As Olga ushered them into a large dining room, they found Mrs. Taft and Senator Morton sitting at opposite sides of a linen-covered table, with the Baroness Geissler seated at one end. The housekeeper stood nearby, and they soon learned she was acting as interpreter since the
baroness could not speak English and Mrs. Taft could not speak German. Senator Morton had some knowledge of it but was not fluent.

The girls smiled at the baroness, and greeted Mrs. Taft and Senator Morton as Olga seated them, Celia by the senator and Mandie by her grandmother.

Frau Jahn spoke to the girls after the baroness said something in German to her, “The Baroness Geissler welcomes you to her home and hopes that you will have a comfortable, happy time here.”

“Thank you,” the girls said together as they smiled at the baroness. Then Mandie asked Frau Jahn, “How do you say thanks in German?”

Frau Jahn smiled and said,
“Vielen Dank
.” She pronounced it slowly, “FEEL-en DAHNK.”

Mandie picked it up at once and repeated the words to the baroness, who beamed with pleasure, and then spoke to Frau Jahn in German again.

“The baroness says you have a talent for German, and that you must learn the language so you can converse with her,” the housekeeper told Mandie.

“Thank you,” Mandie said, repeating it in German. “And please tell the baroness that I will teach her English if she would like.”

When the housekeeper told this to the baroness, she responded immediately, and Frau Jahn once more told Mandie what she had said. “The baroness says she is much too old to learn another language, but she will ask her grandson to teach you our language.” She paused as someone entered the room.

Mandie turned to see Rupert and Jonathan.

“Here he is now.”

The baroness spoke to her grandson in German, and he sat down next to Mandie. The housekeeper seated Jonathan by Celia.

“Good morning,” Jonathan greeted everyone. “Sorry I overslept.”

“Yes, good morning, everyone,” Rupert added as the greetings were returned.

Rupert was a tall, robust young man with a rosy complexion and eyes almost as blue as Mandie’s. He was a few years older than she.

Mandie remembered when she’d met him in Rome for the first time. He seemed snobbish then, but this morning he was the perfect
gentleman. She noticed that he kept glancing at his grandmother, as if to see if she were looking. The baroness continued to speak in German, with Frau Jahn interpreting for Mrs. Taft and Senator Morton.

Mrs. Taft related their experiences in getting to the castle. The baroness was shocked.

The maids began serving the food, and the young people carried on their own conversation.

“Rupert, I hear you have a forty-foot juniper tree that jumps up and down,” Mandie said casually to the young man. Celia listened from across the table. Glancing at Jonathan, Mandie remembered that he had not been present when Olga told them about the tree.

“A what?” Rupert said in surprise, and then added arrogantly, “Where did you hear such a stupid tale?”

Mandie decided instantly not to reveal her source and replied, “One of the people who works for you told us about it. Do you not know of it?”

Celia watched him closely. Jonathan looked from one to the other.

Rupert laid down his fork and turned to Mandie. “I can assure you there is no such thing on this estate. Now, I’d rather not hear tales someone has composed about our property.” He picked up his fork and resumed eating.

Mandie looked at him in surprise and then at Celia. She couldn’t hear her, but Celia was obviously explaining what they’d heard to Jonathan under her breath. He smiled mischievously at Mandie.

The young people finished the rest of their meal in silence. According to Frau Jahn’s interpretation, the baroness was planning a dinner in their honor for the next night. Several hundred guests had been invited.
Hundreds?
Mandie wondered if the housekeeper had made a mistake. It was evident the castle was large enough to accommodate that many people for a meal, but did the baroness have that many friends?

Celia cleared her throat to get Mandie’s attention. Then she smiled and rolled her eyes toward the adults. Mandie quickly looked at Rupert. He didn’t seem to notice.

Mandie, Celia, and Jonathan all caught their breath as they heard the housekeeper say, “The Baroness Geissler says she has also extended an invitation to the father of our young guest, Jonathan Guyer. He has not yet replied.”

Senator Morton spoke up, “Why, that would be nice if Jonathan’s father could visit while we’re here.”

“Jonathan!” Mandie gasped softly as she leaned across the table. “Do you think your father will really come?”

“I have no idea, but I would like to know how she knows my father,” Jonathan replied.

“I can tell you that,” Rupert spoke up. “My grandmother met your father at a ball in France not long ago, a charity ball, or something like that. He promised to visit my grandmother the next time he came to Germany. And since he is presently in Hamburg, she asked him to dinner.”

“My father is in Hamburg? Right now?” Jonathan questioned. “How does she know that, when I don’t even know it?”

“Aha!” Rupert replied with a knowing grin. “He is a widower, she is a widow. Maybe they were attracted to each other.”

Jonathan gasped, and Mandie and Celia listened intently to the conversation.

“Besides,” Rupert added. “Your father knows my mother and her American husband. They live near your father in New York. Did you not know that?”

“No, no, I didn’t,” Jonathan said, confused. “You see, I’m always gone to a boarding school somewhere. I’m not home much.”

“I always had tutors stay here when I was your age,” Rupert said. “Surely your father could afford tutors with all the money he has, instead of—”

Mandie quickly interrupted, “Of course Jonathan’s father could afford tutors. But you see, we’re Americans, and we don’t do things the way you do them over here.”

“You are right on that point,” Rupert replied with disdain. “And we don’t want to do things like the Americans do. Our way is much better.”

Mandie felt her face burn with anger. She quickly asked, “Why do you not live with your mother in New York, Rupert?”

“There are several reasons why I do not live in the United States, none of which is your business,” Rupert said haughtily.

Mandie noticed Frau Jahn’s angry look at this last remark. She was no doubt aware of what they were talking about, or at least of Rupert’s rude behavior. The baroness was speaking to the others in German, and
when she paused for Frau Jahn to interpret, she turned to her grandson and smiled lovingly.

Rupert returned the smile and spoke to her in their language. Mandie was amazed at the way he could so suddenly change from being overly rude with her and her friends to being loving and attentive to the baroness.

When everyone had finished eating and they rose from the table, the baroness spoke again to Rupert, and he replied cordially in German. Then his grandmother, with the help of Frau Jahn, invited the adults to the parlor, adding that Rupert would entertain the young people.

Mandie hurried around the long table to join Celia and Jonathan while Rupert took his time—pushing his chair up to the table, adjusting his jacket, slowly circling the table, and heading toward the door. By that time the adults had left the dining room.

As Rupert approached the young people he asked, “What would you like to do to be entertained?” He frowned as he waited for their answer.

“Could you show us through the castle?” Mandie asked.

“Yes, would you?” Celia added.

Jonathan remained silent, appraising the tall young man.

“Why, it would take days to go through this place,” Rupert replied, sounding offended.

“Well then, show us whatever part you have time for,” Mandie replied, determined that she would see as much of the old building as was possible.

“We will begin here, then,” Rupert decided, indicating the dining room where they stood. “This is the smallest dining hall in our home. Now I will show you the largest.” He led the way out the door, down a corridor, and then opened a set of huge double doors at the end. “And here is the largest.” He motioned them inside.

The room was enormous. Several extra-long, hand-carved tables were arranged in rows. Matching carved, red-upholstered chairs adorned each of them. Several elaborate chandeliers hung from the ceiling that was so high it seemed to reach the sky.

The three young people gasped in surprise as they took in the enormity of the room. Even their voices echoed as they spoke.

“So this is where your grandmother will have the dinner for the ‘several hundred’ guests she mentioned,” Mandie remarked, walking
around the tables, and running her hand along the soft, red plush upholstery.

“Yes, this is where we entertain, and believe me there has been some lavish entertainment in this room throughout the history of our castle—weddings, birthday parties, dinner parties; with special guests, including several presidents, kings, and queens from other countries,” Rupert went on in a monotone as though he were reciting a speech. Then suddenly his speech quickened, and he added, “There have also been ghastly events here—murders, even cold-blooded murders.” He held his breath and blew it out with a
whish
.

Celia shivered. But Mandie, knowing Rupert wanted to scare them, merely smiled and said, “Were you there when the murders took place?” She saw Jonathan grin at her.

Rupert seemed let down because he had not succeeded in frightening them. “Of course not. Those would have been duels—a long, long time ago when such things were permitted. People aren’t murdered anymore over a simple disagreement.”

“I hope not,” Jonathan remarked. “Where is the dungeon? This place must have one, for all the prisoners who were captured in the feuds and wars so long ago, when your family were noblemen.”

“Of course there is a dungeon. Follow me,” Rupert told them as he quickly led them through various corridors, down two flights of stairs, and finally into an underground cavern where it was necessary to use candles for light.

The young people shivered as they gazed about the cool, dimly lit place.

“You can see some of the chains used to shackle the prisoners,” Rupert explained as he bent to pick up the end of a heavy metal chain. Then he dropped it, and hurried toward another section. “And when they died, the prisoners were dumped into this pit and buried.” He indicated a huge hole in the dirt floor.

The girls stayed close together as Jonathan spoke up, “All right. You’ve made your point, trying to upset the girls. Now let’s go back upstairs where the air smells better.”

“He hasn’t upset me,” Mandie protested. “We do study history in school, and we do learn about things like this. If he meant to scare us, he hasn’t succeeded as far as I’m concerned.”

Rupert tightened his lips as he glared at Mandie in the candlelight.

Then he hurried toward the doorway and led the way out. They returned to the first floor of the castle where they had started, in silence. As they entered the dining hall corridor, Rupert stopped abruptly and announced, “I have no more time for you today. Do whatever you like.” Then he quickly disappeared down the hallway and through a doorway at the end of it.

The three young people stood there a moment, stunned at Rupert’s outrageous behavior.

“Let’s find our way outside,” Mandie suggested. “I want to see that jumping juniper tree that Olga told us about.”

“Yes, let’s do,” Celia agreed.

“Anything outside would be better than the dreary, moldy interior of this place,” Jonathan remarked.

The three had started down the hallway when Mandie suddenly stopped. “Oh, I better get Snowball. He’ll need some fresh air, too. I believe the steps are this way.” She started to her left down the corridor and Jonathan and Celia followed.

The hallways in this part of the castle were carpeted, muting their footsteps as they hurried along, passing several closed doors. Then suddenly they heard laughter, and loud, merry talking in German from behind one of the doors. They stopped to listen.

“It’s Rupert!” Mandie exclaimed under her breath. “It sounds like he’s with a girl.”

“Well, he is old enough to have a girlfriend,” Jonathan teased. “Come on, let’s go,” he urged as he walked on.

“If you insist,” Mandie replied with a smile as she and Celia followed him.

CHAPTER FIVE

MYSTERY IN THE WOODS

Jonathan waited for the girls in the hallway upstairs while Mandie and Celia went into their rooms to fetch Snowball.

Olga was hanging their clothes in the huge wardrobe.

“I hang all clothes in this one, since both you sleep in this one room,” she told the girls. “All pressed, ready to use.”

“Thank you, Olga,” Mandie said, looking around the bedroom. “I came to take Snowball outside.”

“Yes, thank you,” Celia added.

“Shut in bathroom, cat is,” the maid replied, picking up more clothes from chairs around the room and hanging them in the wardrobe.

Mandie found Snowball sitting on the bathroom floor, licking his paws and washing his face. There was an empty bowl before him. Apparently he had eaten everything the maid had brought.

“Come on, Snowball, we’re going outside,” Mandie said, scooping him up and returning to the bedroom to get his red leash from the dresser. “I’d better fasten this on you, so you can’t run away.” He sat still in her lap as she hooked the leash to his collar, and jumped down as soon as she was finished.