Chapter 28

Spiez, July 1915

The drive to Lake Thun took all morning and felt endless. Rebecca attempted to relax by watching the clouds floating slowly across the bright blue sky, but her body kept fidgeting in frustration. The car was now making a slow ascent up the winding road to Spiez. She inhaled the crisp morning air, enjoying its sweet taste. She would enjoy it much more if she weren’t being dragged here as a prisoner. She coughed quietly into a handkerchief.

She wasn’t ill! She was fairly sure it was only a mild case of a respiratory virus. But after seeing Father’s concerned face, Mother had overreacted to her cough and ordered them all to the lake two weeks early.

Mother patted her hand. “We’ll be in Spiez soon, and you can start your inhalations and hydrotherapy.”

“I don’t require any of these therapies! It’s just a common respiratory virus. It should resolve on its own.”

“None of this would’ve happened if you and Sarah didn’t choose to work with those women from the slums,” Mother said, her lips pursed.

“We’re doctors, Mother. That’s what we do. Someone has to help these women.”

“If you die, you can’t help them.”

“I won’t die. I’m just a little ill. I’ve not been exposed to some of these illnesses before. My body will get stronger and I won’t get sick again. All physicians go through the same experience.” She coughed violently from the effort of talking and watched Mother turn pale.

Grandmother intervened. “My dear, when your husband first began working in the hospital, he was terribly ill all the time. I had to ask him to stay in the hospital rather than come home, for fear he would infect us all. With time, his body accustomed, and he stopped catching diseases. This is the life of a physician. Rebecca must bear it.”

“How can she ever become a mother?”

“That is quite an irrelevant question at this point, isn’t it?” Grandmother asked.

Hannah interrupted. “Mother, can I please spend some time with the Steins, since Rebecca is ill? I don’t want to be sick for my wedding. They invited me to stay as long as I wish.”

“Of course, dearest. It would be good for you to get away.” Mother bent her head to Hannah, and they whispered about what Hannah needed to pack to stay with the Steins. Thankfully, Hannah’s wedding kept her and Mother occupied enough to allow Rebecca to do whatever she wanted.

Until this blasted virus!

When they finally arrived at the chalet, Rebecca had to admit she felt exhausted. She wasn’t tasked with opening up and airing out the house, and she was grateful for this small blessing. She sat outside on the deck, watching the birds flying from tree to tree and thinking of Mark. Being away from the clinic didn’t worry her; Sarah was there to run it, and Lara would come every evening to make sure it would continue running without Rebecca. But being away from Mark made her feel only half alive. She simply could no longer exist without him. She needed him as much as she needed air to breathe. Why couldn’t she just fly to him like one of these birds happily flying back and forth?

She got up off her chair, went down the steps off the deck, and walked to the lake. She knew no one would miss her. The surface of the lake was brilliant emerald and calm, settling her mind somewhat. She walked for a while, wondering how she would survive the next few weeks until she could manage to convince Mother that she was well and needed to return to Bern. Thoughts swirling, she picked up a stone and threw it into the water.

“That’s not the proper way to skip stones.” A voice she loved so much made her spin around. She picked up her skirt to run to him, but he reached her first, embracing her, holding her head to his chest, and stroking her hair.

“I can’t live without you in the city,” Mark said, lifting her chin and kissing her.

“I’m so sorry I left. I love you so much. I hate being here,” she said, kissing his cheeks.

“Is your health really so poor?” he asked, examining her with concern.

“It’s only a minor chest congestion. It’s going to resolve soon. I’m certain.” She looked around to make sure no one was watching, suddenly aware that they were in public. But there were only a few children playing.

“I wanted to surprise you,” Mark said.

“I love surprises. But how did you manage to travel here, and where will you stay?” Rebecca asked, worried.

“I’m here with Vlad—we took the train. We’re staying with friends; there are many in Spiez.”

“I doubt they come for the hydrotherapy.” Rebecca raised her brows.

He laughed. “Don’t worry, I won’t get in trouble. And at least I have a place to stay until you’re ready to return to Bern.”

“Is it safe for Vlad to leave Lara alone in the city? What if she gets arrested?”

“She’s not the one doing anything illegal. It’s him they are really watching. If she only works at the clinic, she is safe.”

“And where is Lenin?”

“He and Nadezhda are also in the mountains, in Sorenberg. She’s been feeling ill after her mother’s death, and they’re staying at Hotel Marienthal for the summer until her health is better.”

“Is he going to make you travel to Sorenberg to work with him?”

“I’m here only for you, that’s it. Until you recover.”

“I’m not ill.” She waved at him in protest. “What of your work at the hospital?”

“I took a leave for a while. I’m entitled to a leave.”

“You are so kind to me.”

“Kind? I’m desperately in love with you and will do anything for you. Don’t you know that?” He kissed her lips gently.

“Then go now. I have to go back before they miss me.”

“When can I see you again?” He wasn’t letting her go.

“The family is going for a boat ride tomorrow after tea. I can say I’m feeling dizzy and wish to lie down instead.”

His face fell. “Always hiding. Always a secret. Give me a chance to talk to your family, please?”

“No, not yet. I promise I’m going to talk to Mother. Soon, very soon. I love you, my darling. Come by around four tomorrow. See that house over there with a brown roof? That’s ours.”

He whistled. “Like a palace.”

“It’s no such thing.” She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. “I love you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She ran back to the house, heart heavy. She had to tell her family about Mark. But how?

The night was sleepless, with Rebecca staring at her dark window, thinking of ways to explain her feelings toward Mark to her parents. She knew she had to get one of her parents alone, or at least with Grandmother present. Grandmother was on the side of tradition, but also not necessarily against the idea of love.

Rebecca dressed quickly the next morning, hoping to catch Mother before anyone else woke up. She ran downstairs and hid briefly in the stairway until she conquered a fit of coughing. She arrived at the morning parlor, still out of breath, yet with enough of it to discuss what she needed. Her face fell when she saw that Mother was entertaining company.

“Oh, Rebecca, good morning,” Mother said. “Fräu Einhorn and Fräu Stein have joined us for breakfast. Come sit down.”

“Good morning, Fräu Einhorn and Fräu Stein,” Rebecca said, holding back her tears.

“We were in the middle of discussing charity efforts in the city. The last few years we’ve been helping the Russian students with coats and hats in the winter, but now they seem to all be leaving. So we need a new proposal.”

“Mother, I didn’t know that was your charity.”

“Well, you never ask what it is that I do in my free time. You think you are the only one who does any important work.”

There it was—her opportunity to start a conversation with Mother about Mark!

“I apologize,” she said as mildly as possible. “I do believe your work is important. Any work women do to help others is important. I’m so pleased to know you helped those students.” She turned to Mother’s friends. “You know they arrive here with only one change of clothes and sometimes not even a hat?”

“Of course we know that, dear.” Fräu Stein shook her head. “What kind of families would send their children so far away with no money and no belongings?”

Rebecca felt her cheeks flush. “Well, I really don’t think these families have much choice. The Tsar doesn’t allow Jews to attend the university, and there is violence against the Jews in Russia and Ukraine.”

“I’ve heard from some of the students,” Fräu Einhorn chimed in, “that Jews have to apply for special permits to live in the cities. They are restricted to living in the countryside only.”

“Yes, that appears to be the story,” Mother said. “They have to live within a restricted area called the Pale of Settlement, and may not move outside of the boundary unless they receive the Tsar’s permission.”

Fräu Einhorn turned to Rebecca. “Is it true? I heard that all the students live together in Bern in what they call ‘a colony,’ in tiny rooms with no heat or electrification, and eat nothing but stale bread.”

“They do tend to live in cramped quarters, but there is plenty of good food that they cook in the common kitchens, or they buy food in the boardinghouse. They have electricity, and they attend concerts and lectures. Their life is not awful at all, and they’re all like a family,” Rebecca said emphatically.

The ladies stared at her.

“And how exactly do you come in possession of such knowledge?” Mother asked in an icy voice.

Here it goes… “Mother, there are some Russian students I’m friends with. Close friends.”

Mother set her cup of tea down. “How close?”

Fräu Stein cleared her throat and set down her teacup.

Rebecca sat near Mother. “Some closer than others. There’s one student. He is a surgeon, not a student anymore. He works at the hospital. His name is Mark Minchin, and he has become very special to me. He’s helped Papi with some of his patients before.” She turned toward Mother’s friends. “And one time I was hurt and he helped me get home.”

“Well, it was very kind of him. I hope you will have no further accidents and we shall have no further need of his services.” Mother’s face turned a strange ashy color. “Would you be kind enough to excuse me for a moment?” she asked her friends.

Mother grabbed Rebecca’s arm and pulled her outside onto the deck.

“Ouch, you are hurting me. Stop!” Rebecca pleaded.

“This is exactly what I was worried about when you insisted on going to the university.” Mother raised her voice.

Rebecca straightened up. “He is not just a poor student! I told you—he is a surgeon. He is a kind man. So what if he is from Ukraine? He has suffered so much to receive his education. And he loves me!”

“It is irrelevant whether he loves you or not. You may not get involved with a foreigner who has no prospects of joining our community!”

“How can you be such a hypocrite? You just said you’ve been giving charity to these foreigners. And now you say you don’t want me to be friends with one?”

“But you are not talking about friendship, are you? You are talking about marriage, and that’s out of the question. You’ll marry who I and your father choose for you, and that’s the end of this conversation. If you haven’t noticed, I’m entertaining company.” Mother left, slamming the deck door.

Rebecca stormed off the deck and down to the lake, kicking at the grass and dirt, and muttering angry words, tears streaming down her cheeks. She picked up a few rocks and threw them as hard as she could into the water. What was she going to do now? This was all ruined!

“Fräulein Miller, may I be of some assistance?” A hand touched her shoulder gently, making her jump.

She turned around, still furious, and found herself looking at Edward Fischer, the American she’d met at the ball the winter before last.

“Oh, Mister Fischer. I do apologize for my appearance,” Rebecca said, wiping at her tears. “You caught me at a bad moment.”

He bowed to her. “Just Edward, please. Is there anything I can do?” he asked, his eyes kind and filled with concern.

“Arrange for a new mother for me?”

He laughed. “I have a sister. I know all about difficult mother and daughter moments. Might I help by inviting your family to dine with us later? My mother heard you were in town and sent me with the invitation. We are renting a home just a few minutes’ walk from here.”

Rebecca thought for a moment. She was definitely going to be scolded for the rest of the day and possibly for several. A dinner invitation from Edward could rescue her quite nicely.

“Yes, I do believe it might help. Thank you.” She smiled at him, feeling better.

They walked back to the house, where Edward issued his invitation, to Mother’s complete surprise. Rebecca felt smug as Fräu Einhorn and Fräu Stein blushed at Edward’s smiles and flirted with him. He really was a handsome man. Rebecca walked Edward back to the lake, torn between feeling awful about her earlier failure and relieved about being rescued.

“Can I convince you to finish my walk with me?” Edward asked. “This time without tossing rocks, hopefully. Although I do happen to be very good at this activity, if you wish to continue.”

She smiled. “Thank you, but I think I’d better head back. I’m very grateful to you for rescuing me. It’s awfully kind of you.”

“Not at all kind. Rather selfish, actually. I’ve been quite bored here in the country; these walks around the lake are very dull.”

“They are, but the water can distract you from some troubles as well,” Rebecca said.

“I don’t have any troubles. I’m lucky.” Edward took her hand, kissed it and walked away slowly.

Rebecca watched him and thought of how strange this morning had turned out to be. Then her heart began to hurt. What was she going to tell Mark? And how was she ever going to convince her parents to accept him?