Kristal awoke the next morning feeling more in need of a night’s sleep than when she had gone to bed. For half the night she had lain awake, disturbed by that final embrace. It was Rudi who openly admitted his desire, yet he had been the one able to pull away as if nothing had happened.
She had half a mind to pack her things and leave right away, without even meeting the man she believed to be her grandfather. He sounded half crazy, anyway, having his obituary inserted in the Times.
Yet if she left now she would be conceding defeat, allowing Rudi to believe her a liar, and she didn’t want that. She didn’t want him to think the worst of her. After all, what was she asking for? Nothing! She merely wanted to know that she was not alone in the world, that she had a family somewhere, then she could go back and get on with her life. Couldn’t she?
After taking a cool shower to wake herself up, she put on a cream, linen dress, fixed her hair and added gold studs to her ears, then, looking more composed than she felt, she went downstairs.
A smiling Trudi directed her to the breakfast room, where, to her dismay, there was no Gabi, only Rudi, half hidden behind a newspaper. He mumbled a greeting. Mathilde nodded sourly in response to Kristal’s pleasant good-morning, and carried on with her breakfast.
She approached the table uncertainly. Rudi glanced up, lowering the paper, and she noticed, with surprise, that he was wearing riding gear. There was a hint of understanding in the shadowed, amber eyes.
“Sit anywhere,” he told her. “We don’t stand on ceremony for breakfast.”
With which, as she sat down and accepted a cup of steaming coffee from Trudi, he disappeared once more behind his newspaper. Trudi went off in what she supposed was the direction of the kitchen.
Helping herself to a croissant, she addressed Mathilde.
“That was a splendid meal last night, Mathilde.”
“You enjoyed dining here, did you?” came the unsmiling reply.
“I enjoyed the entire evening from start to finish,” she assured the other woman defiantly, some little devil in her wanting to needle this rude, old woman.
“I’m sure you did.”
With which Mathilde dabbed her thin, dry lips, pushed her chair back and walked out. Rudi lowered his paper and she saw his chest shaking with laughter.
“People usually find Mathilde intimidating,” he told her. “You’ve given her something to think about—especially as she’s just torn a strip off me for saying a rather too enthusiastic good-night to you.”
“Good for her.”
“You’ve just admitted you enjoyed it—I’m glad,” he said smugly.
“I was excluding the last bit.”
“Liar. When you’ve finished eating, I’ll take you up to see Gustav.”
“Oh, will you really?”
Her animosity fled, her eyes shining, her heart thudding at the thought of at last meeting the man she had heard so much about from darling Analiese. What a bonus to find the man still alive. Their joke may have been sick, but without it, she would not be here at all.
Gustav’s room faced south looking out over the garden at the back of the house, which Kristal had yet to explore. There was a figure silhouetted against the window, sitting in a high-backed chair, a folding table with the remains of his breakfast in front of him. He looked up as they entered.
“Good-morning, Rudi.” His glance switched to Kristal. “And whom do we have here?”
He peered towards her. She had stopped, suddenly shaky in the presence of a man she had believed dead, a man whom her grandmother had loved, but who had rejected her. She was swept by an ambivalence of feelings: love, hate, curiosity, indifference. Rudi’s hand at her elbow propelled her forward.
“Gustav is short-sighted, but he refuses to wear his glasses till after breakfast, in the belief that it will strengthen his sight. Kristal saw your obituary, Gustav, and came all the way from England to meet the rest of the family.”
They were a few feet away now. Gustav was sitting stiffly upright, a big man like Rudi, but slightly shrunken with age. He had a proud, noble face, with wonderful bone structure, the grey eyes bright and intelligent. It was not difficult to believe that, in his youth, he would have been a very attractive man.
Kristal was beginning to feel strange to be meeting him at last. She shook her head to clear it, unaware of how her hair was catching the reflected fingers of sunlight that streamed in through the window beside her.
“Mein Gott! Her hair is just like—”
“Just like what, Gustav?” came Rudi’s hard, uncompromising voice.
“Only once before have I seen such pure gold, like sunlight on wind-ruffled water. Ah, but she was beautiful, my Analiese.”
A sob rose in Kristal’s throat. So, he had not forgotten her grandmother.
“Analiese? Who was this Analiese, Gustav?” Rudi demanded.
“The most beautiful girl in the world—and the most treacherous. I thought she had given me her heart, but she turned out to be a shallow creature, out for a good time. She left me, and I married Elfrieda, the staid but reliable Elfrieda.”
“Analiese was my grandmother,” Kristal announced, ignoring the warning pressure of Rudi’s fingers locking cruelly round her upper arm.
Gustav leaned forward. “You’re—Then that explains your beautiful hair. What became of her, Kristal? What happened after she walked out on me?”
“She made for England, and married an Englishman,” Rudi informed him. “David Hastings, wasn’t it?”
He addressed the question to Kristal, who glanced up to meet the mocking triumph on his face, for how could she deny it?
“I told you exactly how that came about.”
“So you did.”
Gustav took in their exchange with interest.
“Pass me my glasses, Rudi.” He slid on the dark-framed glasses and peered up at Kristal. She gazed steadily back.
“Yes, Analiese’s hair, but those eyes! As blue as my mother’s. Isn’t that amazing? As blue as Gabi’s, too. Incredible!”
“Come on, Gustav! The majority of people in Austria have blue eyes.”
Gustav ignored him, asking, “Do you play chess, Kristal?”
She gave him one of her wide smiles. “Rather well, actually.”
“Ah, such a smile. Will you come up and play with me some time?”
“Of course. We could play now, if you like. Gabi isn’t about yet, and I’m sure Rudi has work to do.”
“The chess will have to wait—Gustav and I have some business to discuss.”
“I’ll see you later then, Gustav,” she said and winked at him. “I’m delighted the obituary was a hoax.”
She received a conspiratorial smile in return.
“Not as delighted as I am, my dear. Now then, Rudi—”
She let herself quietly out of the room, wondering what to do next.
“There you are!” Gabi exclaimed, hurrying towards her and linking her arm through Kristal’s. “So you’ve met darling Opa. What do you think of him?”
“He’s terrific. Mind you, I hope to spend more time with him and get to know him better. He and Rudi are discussing business right now.”
“Yes, he likes to keep his finger on the pulse—it keeps him young, in mind, if not in body. Rudi’s taking us into Vienna this morning.”
“Wonderful! Any special reason?”
“You don’t need a reason to go to Vienna. Vienna is a reason.”
Johann chauffeured them in the long, black Mercedes but, when they reached the city, Gabi suddenly remembered a friend she had promised to call on, to discuss a charity ball. Kristal felt both abandoned yet strangely excited to be left alone with Rudi.
“Show her the sights,” was Gabi’s parting order.
“I can easily get a plan of the city and see the sights for myself,” she offered when they were alone.
“Gabi would never forgive me. She’s taken a liking to you.”
He was a splendidly entertaining and informative guide. Johann drove them hither and thither while Rudi pointed out places of interest, eventually taking her to St Stephen’s Cathedral.
As they walked away from the car towards the blue-tiled cathedral she could hear the sound of singing from within. Sweet, high voices, like those of a heavenly choir.
“The Vienna Boys’ Choir?” she asked, entranced.
“Exactly One of them, that is. There are three, one based here in Vienna, one that tours Austria, and a third that travels the world. It’s considered a great honour to join the choir.”
They let themselves into the cathedral, where the sound swelled to fill every corner of the beautiful building. The choir stalls were filled with well-scrubbed choirboys in cassocks and ruffs, their mostly blond heads gleaming, earnest eyes lifted to the choirmaster’s baton. Kristal stood still, rivetted to the spot, letting the sound expand to fill her mind and soul.
Analiese had told her of the choir, and how she had come here in her youth to hear its rehearsals, as they were doing now. The united voices were holding and extending a final note, letting it gradually fade away. The choirmaster issued some instructions, the organ sounded and they began to sing once more. It was the Panus Angelicus, a favourite of Analiese’s. As the pure voices soared in unison, tears filled Kristal’s eyes and ran unheeded down her cheeks. She found herself gently shepherded towards one of the polished pews, where Rudi took her hand in his as she sat down. Her fingers curled round his, seeking the comfort he offered.
After that song, the choir began to shuffle about, taking a break, becoming just another group of normal schoolboys.
“Why did that make you cry?” he asked softly as they wandered round, examining the stained-glass windows among the many interesting features.
“It was one of my grandmother’s favourites.”
“I’m sorry—I tend to forget your loss is so recent.”
His arm went around her shoulders and stayed there till they were out in the spring sunshine once more.
After a delightful trip in a horse-drawn trap around the old, cobbled streets of Vienna, they met Gabi, as arranged, for lunch, in a very exclusive-looking restaurant. Gabi was already there, having a drink at the bar.
They were soon seated round a low table enjoying an aperitif together. “We often lunch here,” Rudi told her once the waiter had taken their orders. It ought not to have been surprising, therefore, when Andreas joined them.
“I thought I might find you here,” he told Rudi. “Don’t forget, you have some appointments in the office, this afternoon.”
“I wasn’t planning on being out of the office all day,” he replied wryly. “I’ve enjoyed this morning, however. One rarely plays tourist in one’s own city.”
Was that the only reason, Kristal wondered with a stab of disappointment. She had enjoyed the tour, very much so, but her pleasure had been more than doubled by having Rudi beside her as escort.
“How did your morning go, liebchen?” Rudi asked Gabi.
“Very well, darling. We’ve decided on a venue for the ball, at least.”
“Well, that’s a start. Where’s it to be?”
“At the von Steinberg residence,” she informed him mischievously.
“Oh, no!” Rudi’s hands went up as if to ward off some disaster. “I’m not having the place turned upside down by a load of drunken revellers!”
“But, darling, I’ve said it’s all right. And anyway, the tickets will be enormously expensive, and by invitation only—it’s not as if we’re opening the doors to all and sundry.”
“Gabi, this is the twentieth century, but loutish, drunken behaviour has never been the prerogative of the poor. It just happens in different venues, that’s all.”
“Darling, don’t be difficult. After all, it is my home, too. Don’t you think the house would be just perfect for a charity ball, Kristal?”
“Leave me out of this,” she begged laughingly.
“But you could help me organise it. I’ll bet you’re marvellous at organising things.” Gabi turned, once more, to Rudi. “Don’t be stuffy. Think what fun it would be, and Opa could come down for a while—he’d love it.”
Rudi looked from one girl’s face to the other. Kristal said nothing, but he couldn’t fail to notice how interesting she found the idea.
“Very well, Gabi, but I shall hold you personally responsible for any losses or breakages—it will come out of your allowance.”
“Oh, I do love you!” she cried, half standing to kiss him on the lips.
Once again Kristal felt that stab of jealousy. Her eyes lit on Andreas for an instant, to surprise a bleak misery in his. There was no doubt about it—Andreas was in love with the impulsive Gabi. It seemed both men were, and who could blame them? She was such a happy creature.
After lunch the men returned to the bank while Johann drove the girls home.
“I must go up and see Op—your grandfather when we get back,” Kristal said on the way. “I promised him a game of chess.”
“He’ll like that,” Gabi replied. “I’ll come, too, if that’s all right.”