Beneath the Dover Sky (25 page)

If Caroline is no longer the bait to trap Kipp, will that be Kate’s role? Edward says she is quite lovely. I wonder if Kipp will find her attractive? However, when he returns from the Rif it will not be Lady Kate he seeks out. It will be Caroline. I am sure of that. But will she receive him? She’s said she won’t countless times now. Caroline says Kipp blames her for his wife’s death, but we’re not sure why he’d do that. Apparently Kipp called Caroline an awful name and said she’d be an unfit mother. I can scarcely believe it, but something happened that set Caroline against him like rock.

One thing we Danforths are united about is praying daily for protection against Lord Buchanan’s villainy. He told Edward he still hopes to destroy us. We can only place Christ between
ourselves and his darkness. Thank goodness Mother and Father don’t know the half of it.

But on to pleasanter things. Terry and Albrecht. What to do? I see Terry two or three times a month, and I enjoy his company very much. Albrecht writes every week, and his letters are beautiful to read. He’s so articulate. Cornelia, I wonder if he isn’t in love with me? Not infatuated but actually in love? I haven’t given him an answer on going on the sabbatical trip with him. I can’t decide what to do. I think I’d adore being in his company every day, just as I was in Switzerland. Terry will be on the
Hood
somewhere in the Med during that time. I’d still need to have a chaperone of some sort or Papa and Edward would become positively unstable. It seems ridiculous at my age, but there you are. Who on earth would the chaperone be?

Well, I can’t equivocate forever, much as it seems I should like to. Albrecht and the baron are paying a visit on the tenth of September, a Friday, and staying the weekend, which is grand. What answer I can give Albrecht about the sabbatical is a different matter. I must continue to pray, read my Bible, and go to church. Perhaps God’s light will shine in with the answer. Albrecht and I have been very close in the past. Perhaps I gave my kisses too freely, but I did think of him as the only man in my life a year ago. Now I must be more careful and discreet. Explaining why to my theologian won’t be easy.

One bright spot! Albrecht’s book has been translated into English, and he’s bringing me a copy! We can use it to set the mood by talking about it and praying together before we do anything else. That, I hope, will help the rest fall into place. Don’t you think?

“Here it is!
Voila!
as the French say.”

Albrecht handed Catherine a square package. They were standing by a dry fence of fieldstones Skitt and Harrison had erected to the west of the manor of Dover Sky.

“This is exciting!” She ripped at the brown paper and string with her fingers. “Em and Vic always open things so carefully. They try to save the fancy paper Christmas presents are wrapped in. I’ve never been able to do that.” The book finally was in her hands, and she dropped the torn paper and broken string on the grass. “The book jacket is wonderful, Albrecht! Mountains, a sunrise, a cross on a peak…is this Pura?”

“Yes.”

“
My Spirit
. What a wonderful title. What is that in German?”

“
Mein Geitz
.”

“And Hitler’s is
Mein Kampf
, which translates as
My Struggle
. How are your book sales compared to his?”

“I suppose I sell one to every three of his.”

“Isn’t that still good?”

“
Ja, ja
. It’s just a question of how much we’re reaching the German people. And while Hitler’s message is covering a lot of ground, so is mine.” He opened the book to the third page as she held it. “Look here.”

This book is dedicated to the German people. And to C.F.D., without whom its grace and breadth and depth would not have been possible.

Catherine immediately felt heat creeping up from her neck and spreading over her face. “My goodness, Albrecht. I haven’t blushed like this since I was sixteen and thought I was in love with one of the Coldstream Guards at Windsor Castle. Why did you do me such an honor? All I did was proofreading duties.”

“No, Catherine, you did much more than that. I value you as a friend, and as a thinker, and as a woman with a rich heart.”

“You’re making my blush worse, Albrecht. Who told you what my middle initial is?”

“Your father. He mentioned you once by calling you Catherine Faith. It’s an extraordinary name and utterly who you are, so I’ve remembered it ever since.”

“Thank you. I don’t know what else to say. I shall read the book, of course.”

“And keep a pen and pad of paper by your hand so you can make
note of misspellings and poor grammatical structure, yes? Those can be fixed when the book gets reprinted.”

She laughed. “I suppose I shall.” She opened the book in the middle and read a paragraph. She looked up at Albrecht. “And what is Herr Hitler doing these days?”

“Not much. Germany is coming along well—the best we’ve been since the war. He’s toned down his rhetoric and likes to portray himself as a moderate. Regardless, his Nazi Party continues to hold very few seats in the government, in the
Reichstag
, and no one appears much interested in him anymore.”

“That’s good.”

Albrecht shrugged and gazed at a horse cropping grass on the other side of the stone fence. “Yet his book is selling, and membership in the Nazi Party is growing by tens of thousands each year. So what is really going on in Germany, hmm? Suppose we encounter economic struggles again. Would he gain in popularity?”

“If he does, you’ll just have to write another book to counter his influence, won’t you?”

“
Oh, ja
. Just like that you think?”

“Why not? You have the mind for it…and the spirit.”

“Ah, Catherine, you have such confidence in me.” He placed his hand over one of hers. “Come to the mountains with me. Please. You mean so much to me. I adore you.”

“Albrecht, I—I can’t just drop everything…”

“I know you have your brother and his wife to welcome back from several years in America. Naturally you must be at Dover Sky for that. And there is that naval officer to see. He will be going south to the Mediterranean in January, yes?”

Her face burned again. “Yes, Terry will be on the
Hood
. I didn’t know you knew him.”

“I’ve never met him, but it’s no great secret that he’s in your life. Catherine, it’s not a surprise. How could a rose of such beauty like you go unnoticed year after year? I can’t blame him for falling in love with you. I can’t blame any man.”

“He has never spoken of love or marriage, Albrecht.”

“But his love is revealed in his eyes, isn’t it?”

She flipped through pages in the book without responding.

“Catherine, I am not a jealous man. Any attention another pays you is just a confirmation in my heart and mind that what I see in you is not based on some wild Teutonic notion of romance. It pleases me to know others understand what I understand and admire about you. I am acknowledging that you will want to bid him a proper farewell when he leaves for his sea duties.” He kissed her hand. “Then please do me the honor of coming away with me to Pura and, in the spring, the Rhine.”

“What are you proposing?”

“That the baron and I come and get you after your friend has sailed. We will go to Switzerland together and reside in the chalet until Easter. At that time, we will embark by boat for a spring journey down the Rhine. A delightfully slow journey to appreciate the beauty of the country and our time together. When we reach my family home, we can stay there for some time. My parents would like to meet you. And I promise there will be a few surprises along the way—pleasant ones, I assure you. Please say yes.”

“It sounds like you plan for us to be gone a long time.”

“Until June or July. And Sean must join us, of course. The horses will be watching for him in Pura.”

Catherine smiled into his intense eyes and serious face. “It sounds splendid, Albrecht. And Sean would love to join us, not only for the white horses but to go on a long boat ride. He’d love to see ancient castles. Yet you are speaking of being gone six months. I can’t conceive of it without a member of my family along as an escort to save us from public scrutiny and scandal. But everyone has lives of their own, and six months is a long time to ask someone to accompany us. That’s half of 1927!”

He nodded. “I understand completely. Are you averse to spending the winter at Pura in the company of the baron and me like you did last year? Our servants would be there as well, of course.”

“No, I feel quite all right about that. But to extend our time together another three months on some sort of river cruise? No, I feel that is much too much.”

“What if your mother were to join us for the journey down the Rhine?”

Catherine stared. “My mother? You’re joking. I don’t think she’d leave Father. And she loves having Vic and Ben there. And now they have the baby Timothy Mum dotes on, and young Ramsay, of course. She would never agree.”

Albrecht brought a letter out of the pocket of his suit jacket and gave it to her. “Read this,” he said with a smile.

My dear Professor Hartmann,

Thank you so much for broaching the subject of the Rhine tour directly to me and not through my daughter Catherine. I have talked things over with Lord Preston and also with my youngest daughter, Victoria. We have all prayed about the matter and are in agreement. I shall join you most gladly. Victoria and her children also accept your kind invitation. We will plan to meet you at Dover Sky the first Monday after Easter.

We look forward to the Rhine journey very much. We will, of course, bring two of our servants to see to our needs and be a nanny to the children. I shall ring up Catherine about the matter.

I do look forward to seeing the baron again and to meeting your mother and father.

You are most kind.

Lady Preston

“I don’t know what to say.” Catherine read the letter a second time. “Should I be angry that you went behind my back and orchestrated this? Or should I be grateful you cleared up all the messiness that created an obstacle to my joining you?”

“If it’s any consolation, it was the baron’s idea. He felt it would spare you a great deal of stress and confusion.”

“Hmm. Does he tell you what to do, Albrecht?”

“Not at all. But he knows how much I’d hoped to spend time with you. So he suggested I approach the matron of the family herself. I was
well aware if she said no that nothing would come of my hopes and plans. Even now with her approval, you are free to say yes or no. I’m well aware of that and accept the risk.”

“I see.” She handed the letter back to him. “Well, I don’t feel any anger whatsoever. If anything I feel relieved. I can sit in the chalet at Pura and look at the mountains if I like. I can go along the Rhine in a boat if I wish. I can say hullo to my sister Libby and goodbye to my friend the naval officer. As my mother wrote, you are too kind.”

A smile moved over Albrecht’s lips. “So you are saying yes?”

She swatted him on the shoulder with the book. “It’s only so I can have the time to read this through from cover to cover and make notes on it.”

“And what about the author?”

She tapped
My Spirit
against his cheek. “You may use the months in Switzerland and on the river to introduce me to him again.”

Train Station, Port of Dover

Lord Preston slapped his gloves against his pant leg. “The train should be here by now.”

Catherine had her arm through his. “My goodness, Dad, it’s not due for another five minutes.”

“Are you sure we have the date right?”

“Of course. Tuesday, the twelfth of October. Stop fretting.”

“I wanted to be in the House today. Lord Buchanan and Labor are up to more mischief.”

Lady Preston had his other arm. “The prime minister can handle the situation. So can Edward.”

He peered down the track. “Why all this nonsense? ‘Meet us at Dover.’ Why couldn’t they have taken a ship that docked at Liverpool and be done with it? What does Dover have to do with it?”

“They want to be at Dover Sky, Father.”

“Whatever for? Why is the whole world moving to Dover Sky? First
you, and then Lady Caroline, and then Kipp’s son Matthew, and now this. Absurd.” He took out his pocket watch and snapped back the silver lid. “Ha!”