The earliest train to Salzburg left Vienna at seven o’clock next morning. Henry brought Eleanor, Charlotte, and Rose, the lady’s maid, to the station where they boarded the train after Parker made sure their luggage was safely stowed away. The whistle indicated the departure, and Henry closed the door of their compartment and exited before the train rolled slowly out of the station.
First class was most comfortable. Their compartment featured plush white seats, and the restaurant car they would use for a late breakfast and luncheon was roomy and well-appointed. The nine-hour ride to Salzburg across Lower and Upper Austria was a beautiful experience if one could concentrate on the landscape. Unfortunately, though, Eleanor was too preoccupied to focus on anything else but Sophie’s health and her hope that they would be there right on time.
While Rose spent time with her needlework, Charlotte enjoyed the book she purchased before they boarded the train. Eleanor truly envied them. If it was possible, she would have paced the corridor just to calm her nerves, but that was out of the question, so she sighed heavily and settled on viewing the landscape. Her eyes swept over the hills, forests, and lakes. She saw people on the fields bringing in the harvest in Lower Austria. When the scenery changed to mountains and lakes in Upper Austria, she felt herself growing tired. After their luncheon at midday Eleanor finally closed her eyes for a short nap and only opened them again when Charlotte gently shook her awake.
“Mama, Mama, we are in Salzburg.”
She slowly opened her eyes and blinked uncomprehendingly at first until she remembered where she was.
“Sorry, I must have fallen asleep.”
“It’s fine, Mama.” Charlotte said, amused at her mother’s embarrassment. “Rose is taking care of our luggage and is looking for the carriage to the hotel.”
“Good, good.” Eleanor put on her hat and gloves and followed her daughter off the train and out onto the platform. They spotted Rose at the back of the train asking a street-porter to take their trunks to the carriage. The man lifted his cap and saluted before he loaded everything on to a cart to wheel it to their carriage.
They joined Rose who followed them to the waiting carriage where she paid the porter and asked the driver to take them to the hotel. They arrived at the hotel at four in the afternoon and were shown to the suite Jonathan had booked for them. Eleanor was exhausted from the travel, but she couldn’t wait until tomorrow before she went to see Sophie, so she left everything in Rose’s capable hands.
With Charlotte, she went downstairs to drive to Therese von Hochstetten’s estate on the outskirts of the city of Salzburg.
“Are you expecting visitors, Mummy?” Adele asked from the window in her mother’s study.
“No. Not that I’m aware of. Why?” The countess abandoned the papers she had been studying.
“A carriage is coming up our driveway.”
“Most curious.”
Together they left the study to greet their unexpected guests. At the front door they waited for the driver of the carriage to open the door before they stepped out for proper introductions and a warm welcome.
First to climb out of the carriage was a young woman dressed in a red travelling dress, her hair the colour of the sun, with eyes equalling the sky. Adele couldn’t suppress a gasp as she laid eyes on the woman. To say she was beautiful was an understatement. She was tall, slender, her skin was fair and flawless, and her smile made Adele feel weak in the knees. Adele felt herself blush at the scrutiny from those brilliant blue eyes.
The visitor was dressed according to the latest fashion and her hairstyle was done as meticulously as the light make-up she wore. When the young woman stepped aside to let the other occupant of the carriage exit, both Adele and her mother could only stare at the sheer regal air the woman exuded. They were uncannily mother and daughter. Their elegant features, blue eyes, and fine bone structure gave them away. But whereas the younger woman’s eyes were open and sparkling, the older woman’s were guarded, distant and cool. She was just as tall as her daughter, but her hair was short and snow white. A lock fell daringly over her forehead into her eyes.
The woman was not as old as the colour of her hair would have suggested for her skin was smooth and pale. Her dress was light blue and brought out the colour of her eyes perfectly. To the Countess von Hochstetten, it was clear as day that their visitors were of high rank, so she smoothed down her skirt and stepped forward to greet them properly.
“Welcome to Hochstetten. I am Therese von Hochstetten, and this is my daughter Adele.”
“Good afternoon.” Charlotte stepped forward with an outstretched hand to greet them, which Therese found slightly unusual. The young woman’s mother looked nervous and closed off, so the daughter jumped in to make introductions in her place.
“Please, accept our humblest apology to intrude in such a way. There was no time to announce our visit beforehand. My mother was anxious to get here as soon as we arrived from Vienna.”
“Not at all.” Therese waved her off, her interest perked by the mention of the capital. “You’ve come from Vienna?”
“Sorry, how silly of me,” Charlotte offered apologetically. “I am Lady Charlotte Edgewood, and this is my mother, Eleanor Edgewood, the Duchess of Darnsworth.”
“Indeed,” Therese stated curtly.
After their visitors made introductions, and Rose had emerged from the carriage, everybody was shivering, feeling the sudden chill that surrounded them.
Therese thought of her niece and all she had been through: the heart-ache, the pain, the delirium, the unhappiness. Though she wanted to maintain proper etiquette, harsh words slipped out anyway. “What makes you think you are welcome here?”
The bitterness of the words must have gotten through the befuddlement the Duchess of Darnsworth was displaying. She jerked up her head, her face whiter than before. She appeared in pain, as if her breath had been taken away, and she put her hand over her chest as if in fright.
“Please, just tell me if she is still alive or not! Am I too late? We shall leave this instant, but please tell me! That is all I am asking.”
Therese doubted she had ever seen somebody’s demeanour change as fast as she had witnessed in this woman. There was a myriad of emotions now clearly visible in the woman’s eyes which hadn’t been there only moments before. She had seen her guard drop, rather involuntarily at her words because Therese was sure they had cut deep. Now she observed pain, regret, longing, and fear on the duchess’s face, which made her seem more approachable and human. So, she was capable of those deep all-consuming feelings her niece had spoken of every time she had mentioned this woman.
Therese felt for her but was determined not to make it easy for her. She had a lot to answer for, after all.
“You have no right to ask this,” Therese said.
“I know, but please, let me assure you that I only wish to know if I am too late.”
“You are not.” Therese stood silent for several moments, then finally relented and admitted, “She is better actually. Soon after I sent the telegram her fever broke, and she was on her way to recovery. She is up again, still weak and coughing, but better.”
Covering her mouth with a trembling hand to suppress a sob, Eleanor felt her eyes water at the good news, but refused to let tears fall.
“Thank you. Come on Charlotte, we do not want to make a nuisance of ourselves.”
As she turned on her heels to climb into the carriage, Therese rushed forward to halt Eleanor’s departure, stopping her short with a hand on her arm.
Therese couldn’t believe what was happening. “Oh no, certainly not,” she said, full of indignation. “You came here to demand an answer to your question, which you could have easily gotten by writing a letter. But you are here for whatever reason, and I want to know what the hell took you so long? I sent a letter when Sophie first fell ill which was never answered. Why now?”
Charlotte saw her mother’s nostrils flare at the accusation and the unpermitted touch. She stepped between the two women and took her mother’s arm to calm her down and was grateful when she saw Adele do the same with her mother.
Charlotte said, “I believe there were quite a few misunderstandings which caused this whole unfortunate situation. With your permission, Countess, let us go inside, and we will explain how and when we came upon the knowledge of Sophie’s illness.”
“That sounds sensible, mother,” Adele agreed with a grateful glance at Charlotte.
“Well, ah,” Therese stammered, “I may have spoken too quickly—and more forcibly than I should have. I suppose it is a good idea to sit down and discuss this with reason.”
Adele led them into the sitting room and ordered tea to help everybody calm their nerves. Their guests were seated on a sofa while she and her mother took opposite chairs. The battle lines had been drawn, but Adele knew her mother’s bark was worse than her bite and that she was determined to spare Sophie further heartbreak.
“Here we are,” Therese said. “I’m all ears. Now what happened!”
When she heard the impatient tone in her mother’s voice, Adele rolled her eyes, all the while wondering when they would inform Sophie of her guests’ arrival.
“Beforehand,” Eleanor said, “let me tell you how glad I am that Sophie is well again. Now, I assure you that I didn’t know anything about her illness until yesterday when Anton von Hagendorf came to our residence to show me your telegram.”
“But how can that be?” Therese said, flustered. “What about my letter?”
“I don’t know and neither does he, I’m afraid. The only correspondence I received since Sophie’s departure was a letter from her telling me in no uncertain terms she did not wish to continue our friendship.”
“Are you sure?” Adele asked, unconvinced. This didn’t sound like her cousin, especially after she’d heard her call out for this woman in her fever delirium.
“Quite so. I have the letter with me.”
“To sum this up,” Therese insisted, “you had no idea of my niece’s fight for her life until yesterday? No idea whatsoever?”
“None. You have my word.” Eleanor solemnly swore
The door to the library suddenly opened, revealing the source of her distress. Sophie appeared paler than usual, but she was alive and angry. “And when did you think to tell me about our guests, Aunt Therese?”
“I had to make sure—”
“What? Make sure what? She would have honourable intentions? Don’t be ridiculous! This isn’t a drama novel. I’m quite capable of speaking for myself.” Sophie was beyond angry at her aunt. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought to find Eleanor in her aunt’s sitting room looking as beautiful as she did when she herself felt weaker and more inadequate than ever before.
“As for you, your Grace,” Sophie said, “thank you for your concern. I am well again, and you can go back to Vienna with a relieved mind.”
Sophie turned on her heel and slammed the door behind her, making them jump at the sudden noise and her bitter words.
Sophie rushed out of the house and down to the pond where she collapsed on a wooden bench. Her breathing was shallow, and her chest hurt from the strain. Doctor Wagner had made it clear she had to take it slow otherwise there was the possibility of a relapse. Up until now, she had done as she was told, but she had to get away from the only person who occupied every moment of her waking hour and her dreams as well.
Eleanor was not only here in Salzburg; she was in her aunt’s house. This was unbelievable. Slowly her breathing returned to normal, her racing heart slowed down, and she found said woman standing right in front of her looking worried.
“May I sit or are you going to run again?” Eleanor asked tenderly.
Sophie exhaled audibly, “I’m less of a runner these days than I usually am. So, suit yourself.”
“Thank you.” Eleanor gingerly sat next to Sophie, keeping her distance though. She was careful not to put any pressure on her. They sat in silence for a while watching a family of ducks gliding over the pond.
“Why are you here?” Sophie asked.
“I needed to see you. Your aunt’s telegram was very blunt expressing your state of health.”
“It was close for a while,” Sophie said softly. “But I’m better now.”
“I’m glad.”
“You don’t need to stay, now that you have confirmed I’m still alive.”
“No, there isn’t,” Eleanor agreed sorrowfully. She had hoped that Sophie would change her mind. “I suppose what you wrote in your letter still holds then?”
“What letter?”
“Your letter. The one you wrote after receiving mine in which I explained everything about my necklace.”
“I never received a letter nor did I write a reply.” Sophie was confused. “Do you still have my supposed letter?”
“Yes.”
“May I see it?”
Wordlessly Eleanor reached into her bag to retrieve the letter. Sophie pulled her reading glasses from inside her jacket and read through the two pages, shaking her head all the while in sheer disbelief. When she was finished Sophie took off her glasses and gazed uncomprehendingly at Eleanor. She had an idea whose handwriting it was, but she hoped her suspicion could be confirmed.
“Who gave you this letter?”
“Your sister, Emma. Why?”
“I didn’t write this, and you have just verified what I feared,” Sophie explained sadly. “I can’t believe she did this. What I don’t understand is why.”
“Don’t worry yourself. It doesn’t matter.” Eleanor covered Sophie’s hands with one of her own, giving it a reassuring squeeze.
“It matters to me!”
“You do agree with the content, then? I had hoped our friendship was worth something more.”
“I can’t be your friend, Eleanor,” Sophie’s voice was tinged with sadness.
“Why ever not?” Eleanor asked huskily. She had thought that a friendship between the two of them was the least she could hope for, but now she felt distraught if that was also out of reach.
“Because what I feel for you goes way beyond friendship,” Sophie explained hoarsely. “I am in love with you. I desire you. I long to be near you, to touch you and kiss you.”
There it was, out in the open. She had unveiled her heart for Eleanor to turn away in disgust and revulsion. Once Sophie had thought their attraction was mutual, but how could she be sure now, especially when she didn’t have much experience. She couldn’t look at Eleanor, couldn’t bear to see anything but gentle amusement in those sky-blue eyes that kept haunting her sleeping and waking hours.
When she felt the soft touch of a warm hand on her right cheek she gasped in surprise. Eleanor turned her head and found the truth of her words written in those brown depths. With her thumb she gently brushed away the silent tear that had escaped its prison.
“I love you, too, you silly woman.” Eleanor smiled radiantly. “I desire you and would love to share everything with you. We still have so much to talk about. So much you don’t know that I want to tell you.”
“Stay then,” Sophie urged with newfound courage. “I am sure Aunt Therese would be delighted if you were to stay.”
“I don’t want to impose.”
“You wouldn’t. I still have to recuperate, and it would give us more time to spend together, and you could tell me everything you think I need to know.”
“I would like that very much.”
“It’s settled then.” Sophie was elated by the prospect of spending uninterrupted time with Eleanor. She felt bold enough to seal the promise with a light brush of her lips over Eleanor’s who welcomed the touch and prolonged it by holding Sophie’s head more firmly in place.
“Your mother certainly knows what she wants,” Adele said appreciatively to her companion. From the back of the house, they had been watching the two women at the pond. Charlotte had worried about her mother, and Adele had offered to take her to a spot where they could keep an eye on them. A peek at Charlotte told her she was a bit embarrassed by her mother’s and Sophie’s unexpected display of affection, if the pink hue of her cheeks was any indication.
It wasn’t as if Charlotte had never seen her mother kiss somebody because she had. Her mother and Cathleen had always been affectionate, which had led to their children catching them kissing or holding hands every now and then. She just felt like an intruder and if she was honest, it also felt slightly awkward to see her mother kiss somebody else but Cathleen.
“Yes, I suppose we wouldn’t be here in Salzburg if she didn’t,” Charlotte said softly.
“It doesn’t bother you?”
“No, not really,” Charlotte shrugged. “I mean, it will take some time to get used to it, but our family isn’t what one might call conventional, although my parents have a special relationship built on trust, respect and shared goals.”
“It certainly sounds unlike the marriages of the nobility I am exposed to,” Adele said thoughtfully.
“What is even more out of the ordinary is that they didn’t withhold from expressing their love for us children. My brothers and I always felt loved and cared for. They never treated us as if we were an obligation or nuisance. We were truly fortunate to have parents such as them, and the best thing of all was to have two sets of parents.”
At the last piece of information, Adele appeared startled, wondering what Charlotte meant by that. Charlotte saw the surprise in Adele’s face and couldn’t help but laugh aloud at the flummoxed expression, so she took her by the elbow and led her on the path at the other side of the pond and explained the unusual constellations of her family. She didn’t mind in the least. Spending more time near Adele von Hochstetten was something she enjoyed immensely.