Eternal Melody (32 page)

“If you don’t care, then why were you watching?” Rebecca countered
, unconvinced that he would truly feel so nonchalant after seeing her with another man
.

“Do you really think I have nothing better to do than stand vigil by the window while you and your new lover prance around the city?  I was struck with a case of insomnia and decided to take a walk around the building.  When I reached the window, you happened to be there with your lover.”

“Don’t you dare call him that!  He is not my lover, nor will he ever be, not that it is any of your concern. 
If you have nothing
respectful
to say to me, then I will bid you good night, Mr. Springwell.”

Rebecca turned on
her heel
and headed towards the next flight of stairs, disconcerted by Luke’s impersonal demeanor and his denial that he was spying on her and Milton.  Why couldn’t the man just
be straightforward?

Fuming, Rebecca walked with deliberate slowness to the stairs, darting her eyes sideways, wondering if he would follow her.  But he did not.  When she reached her chamber, she swung the door open and slammed it shut like a madwoman, throwing herself onto the bed and pummeling the pillows.  Quickly, she got hold of herself and
pulled off her shoes followed by her ugly dress, which she crumpled into a ball and tossed to the corner of the room. 
How ironic, she thought, that just a day ago her options had seemed so plentiful as two men courted her, and now she was lonelier than she had ever been.

*****

In the days to follow, Luke and Rebecca ignored one another, save to mutter a civilized “hello” upon passing in the apartment building or at the theatre.  To Rebecca’s chagrin, her performance suffered along with her emotions.  Having never been in love before, Rebecca was struck by how consequentia
l her heartbreak over Luke was i
n every other aspect of her life.  She
rarely visited her grandmother, spent
less time with Annabelle, and
even avoided
Ryan.  It was as though she inhabited a
miserable
little bubble
,
transparent
so she could glimpse the outside, but sealed so she was unable to escape.

Milton courted her sporadically, disappearing without notice or explanation for an entire week and then returning to pursue her with
renewed vigor. 
She reluctantly accepted his tokens of affection, including additional bouquets of flowers and several boxes of chocolate.  But when he presented her with a glittering sapphire bracelet
, she emphatically refused it no matter how many times he tried to change her mind. 
After he
had offered the bracelet, Rebecca
knew
that he was trying to purchase her love, and the thought made her ill. 
U
ndeterred, he lurked around the theatre, still attending shows and infuriating Luke whenever their paths crossed.  But as plain as Luke’s jealousy was, he remained stubborn and did not confess his true feelings.

When October finally arrived, relief streamed through every vein in Rebecca’s body, as she was desperate to start anew, albeit for the second time in one year. 
Mechanically, Rebecca completed the last week of performances of
The Magic Flute
, still fond of the opera but infused with an artist’s desire to begin another project.

The night before her departure, Rebecca was organizing her clothing into neat piles, determined to transport her belongings in a more orderly fashion than she had coming from Michigan. 
Emptying the drawer
s
of her
nightstand
, Rebecca found the compilation of love poems that Luke had given her. 
She didn’t dare open it, lest she fall to pieces and weep, but she resolved to bring it with her, not willing to give up on the idea of being with Luke.  Sliding the book in between two dresses and transferring the whole pile into her suitcase, Rebecca walked to the other side of the room where her armoire stood, waiting to be emptied.
When Rebecca finally sealed her last piece of luggage, she felt a bittersweet twinge at the realization that she was leaving Vienna.

After the orchestra’s swansong performance, Mr. Graysen had read a telegram announcing that they had been commissioned to spend a full four months in Italy.  It seemed so surreal to be leaving behind a building and a country that she had come to know as home.  But Rebecca did not dwell too long on reminiscences, convinced that going to Italy would prove to be a
positive
change of scenery and lifestyle.  After all, she would no longer be residing inside a suffocating little room, but sharing a spacious waterside villa replete with amenities.

Stuffing her rent money into an envelope and signing her name on the outside, Rebecca mused h
ow she might return to Vienna
but would probably never see this apartment building again.  The proposed salaries for the musicians in Italy were high enough that she would be able to afford more comfortable accommodations even if her group of housemates disbanded.

Absorbed in her thoughts,
Rebecca
fuzzily
became aware of a rumpus
downstairs.  Freezing in place,
she listened to the raucous sounds of what seemed to be a heated argument.  Within seconds, Rebecca had identified the muffled voice of Luke and, listening more attentively, the strident accent of Greta Schiller.

Unbelievably, the clamor became louder
. Had they raised their voices? No,
they were headed upstairs! 
Still traumatized from her onstage attack, Rebecca rushed to the door to lock it, but Greta was too swift and charged into her room.

Chapter Twenty-T
wo

Greta had l
ost some of her beauty in jail
, as she sported bluish circles under her eyes and coarse lines around her chapped lips.  Her hair was loose, a straw-colored mop that looked as though it hadn’t been washed since the night she assaulted Rebecca.

Retreating several wide steps, fearing that Greta would harm her, Rebecca bumped into her bed and fell backwards on the mattress.  Jumping up as soon as she fell, Rebecca looked beyond Greta to Luke, who stood by complacently.  Was he waiting for Greta to claw her again?  Is that what he wa
nted, Rebecca wondered bitterly.

“Luke!  How could you let this beast barge into my chamber? Why are you even with her?” She demanded.

“Relax, Rebecca.  Greta merely came up here to apologize.” Luke replied levelly.

His explanation flabbergasted Rebecca
,
and she screamed, “Apologize?!  Since when does a person come flying into a private room, late at night, to
apologize
?  It seems to me that she is here to finish off the attack that she started in September.  Besides, I heard you yelling downstairs.  What was that all about if she is here to apologize?”

With infuriating calmness, Luke explained, “Greta was released from jail earlier today and came to my room this evening. 
I was suspicious to see her at first and, frankly, didn’t want her anywhere near you.”
He looked accusingly at Greta.  “I told her not to come running in here because it was inappropr
iate and she would frighten you.
  But Greta still proves to be a willful woman.
And I honestly don’t see any harm in her apologizing.
”

Rebecca listened, still finding it incongruous that her attacker had truly meant to apologize, especially in such a crazed, invasive manner.  “Apologize, Greta.  Go ahead.” She challenged.

Greta sucked in a heaving breath before she spoke, and Rebecca noticed upon closer inspection that the woman’s eyes were moist with what looked to be fallen teardrops.  “It is true.  I do want to apologize.  I am very sorry.  When I was in jail, my father became very sick in Switzerland.  He died.  I
could not
attend his funeral.  This made me
know that I am being punished.”

Certainly it was tragic that Mr. Schiller had passed away while his daughter sat in jail, and Rebecca felt compassion, but not guilt.  She had not incited the attack in any way and would not be made to feel responsible
.

“Yes, I am sorry.  Tonight I will go home to Switzerland to be with my
mother
.  I also came to say goodbye. 
Auf wiedersehen
, Rebecca.”

“I accept your apology.  But why didn’t you say goodbye to Luke?”

“Because Luke will bring me to the train station tonight.”

Luke affirmed this with a nod.  “Yes, that’s right.  Greta doesn’t have anyone else in Vienna to walk her to the train station, and it would be too dangerous to let her go unaccompanied at night.”

“Why should you care about her safety?” Rebecca clipped
.

“I am merely trying to be a gentleman, Rebecca.  I would help anyone in need.  It’s nothing personal, I assure you.  Good night.  See you tomorrow morning at the train station.  Don’t forget our train departs at half past seven.”

Luke walked out of the bedroom with Greta following
him like a wounded child.

*****

In a blurry state halfway between sleep and consciousness, Rebecca stirred in her bed, shielding her eyes from the sun penetrating her chamber. 
Lethargically, she peeled
back the covers.  Glancing over at her timepiece sitting on the nightstand, she was alarmed to discover that it was ten o’clock!

With a cry of disbelief, she blinked, reading the time again.  She had read correctly.  It was ten o’clock
. S
he had overslept and missed the train to Venice!  Lunging with uncharacteristic clumsiness from the bed, she wondered why Ryan hadn’t awakened her.  How could he have left for the train station without her?  Did he just assume that she would make it there on time?  After Luke’s curt, dismissive goodbye last night, she did not expect that courtesy of him---but her own brother!

All her careful planning and packing had gone to waste, she mused bitterly, looking at the dress she had laid out over a chair. 
Seizing the dress violently and forcing it over her head, she blamed Luke for her oversleeping.  After he had gone with Greta, Rebecca had not been able to fall asleep until the
somber predawn hours.  Even then, sleep had not come swiftly or restfully.  Instead, she had switched positions dozens of times, not finding comfort in any of them.

Eventually, she had tumbled into sleep, but it was very shallow and now caused her head to throb as she dragged her luggage to the door, hoping there would be another train to catch.

Fifteen minutes later, Rebecca burst into the rail station,
which was
quiet and deserted in the middle of the morning. 
She rushed over to a ticket booth to inquire if there were any other trains leaving for Venice that day.  Rebecca took her place in line behind an elderly man, who
held a ticket
to
Luxembourg.  As she stood impatiently waiting, a
deep
voice called out to her.

“Fashionably late, I take it?” Luke drawled, standing next to her in line.  “You don’t have to buy yourself a ticket.  I already took care of that.”
He said, taking her hand and trying to guide her away from the ticket booth.

Flustered, she asked, “Luke, why are you here?  Why didn’t you leave with the others?”

“Because someone had to accompany you on the next train, which doesn’t leave for another two hours, by the way, so we have some time to spare.”

“But how did you know I would be here?”

“I didn’t, but I assumed you would show up at some point.  Earlier this morning, Ryan and I had a bit of
a misunderstanding
, as I thought he was going to take you to the station.”

“And he thought you were going to.” Rebecca concluded
.
“So he left with everyone else?”

“Yes, including your grandmother, who was very worried and quite furious with both of us.  I promised her that I would stay behind and see you safely to Italy.”

Luke spoke matter-of-factly and with just the slightest bit of arrogance.  It sounded to Rebecca as though he thought he were doing her a tremendous favor.

“Aren’t you the gentleman?” Rebecca bit sarcastically.  “Last night, you chauffeur a convict to the train station, and today you have volunteered as my chaperone.  It must make you feel very special to be doing such good deeds one after the other.”

Luke regarded her with a disappointed frown and retorted, “You’re quite the ingrate, aren’t you Rebecca?  Do you suppose that it would be wise for you to travel alone to Italy?”

“I’m sure I would manage just fine on my own!” She exclaimed defiantly.