Eternal Melody (15 page)

“You have no right to be working in Vienna.  You are evading taxes with your cash payments from Alice Denmaker’s housekeeping service.  Therefore,
the government
could throw you in prison.” She said with rich satisfaction that sickened Rebecca.

She looked at Ryan for support as well as for clarification, knowing that he was the only one who could have leaked the information.

“I’m sorry, Becky.  When I told them about your job, I didn’t think they would try to use it against you.”  Ryan shot Gregory and Ethel a darkly disapproving look.  “What you’re proposing is blackmail, you know!”

Ethel shrugged.  “Rebecca has cost us enough money already.  She should be home in Michigan caring for Annabelle like a good aunt, not whoring through Europe
sporting
paint and perfume trying to become a singer!”
Ethel’s words spilled a burning envy that Rebecca
had
always suspected was there
.

“Grandmother, are you going to
allow
her speak to me that way?” Rebecca demanded, not wanting to dignify Ethel’s crass words with a direct reply.  As poor as Gloria’s ears were, she had heard every escalating decibel of Ethel’s remarks to Rebecca and could remain a neutral
peacemaker
no longer
.

“I do not tolerate that kind of language from anyone.  Not even when my husband was alive did he dare to speak to me that way! 
This family needs to unite, not disintegrate.  We are all on foreign soil with a limited amount of funds.  Therefore, Rebecca and Ryan, I do expect you both to help Gregory as much as is feasible.  Gregory and Ethel, I expect that you will not provoke Rebecca as you have
done
thus far.  The language that has passed across this table is utterly unacceptable, but the divisive sentiments are even worse!”

Gloria’s heartfelt monologue reminded Rebecca of Mr. Graysen’s equally effective speech from that afternoon.  The two had
much in common, Rebecca thought.

The family finished their broth in the same tense silence that had marked the beginning of the
meager
repast.
 
Afterwards,
Rebecca was grateful that no one had a stomach for dessert, and she bolted up from the table as soon as Gregory paid the check.  Where he had gotten the money from, Rebecca did not know and did not care to inquire.

Walking alongside Ryan towards their apartment building, Rebecca mentally replayed the disastrous dinner.  Even though Gloria had finally spoken up, Rebecca felt Ethel’s threat looming over her.  The woman was a
cunning
fox who would resort to blackmail if it were the only way to keep herself financially solvent. 
Kicking some stray pebbles on the road, Rebecca sought her brother’s advice.

“What do you think I should do, Ryan?  Should I just give Gregory and Ethel a portion of my wages and bite back my pride?”

“No, I would suggest giving Grandmother a portion of your earnings
,
and she can disperse them as she sees fit.  I plan on doing accordingly
.
”

“But you know Gregory sees himself as the patriarch of this family,
and he would be
even angrier than he already is
if
we
dethroned him.  Besides, I don’t think it’s fair to place Grandmother in the middle.”

“I disagree, Becky.  Grandmother is an excellent mediator, and she
can handle Gregory better than you or I can. 
Just trust me on this.”

Ryan obviously was not going to relent, so Rebecca nodded and tried to convince herself that his idea was a constructive one.  Frankly, between her housekeeping job and rehearsals, she had neither time nor energy to exert over a family squabble.  In fact, as the ten o’clock hour drew closer, Rebecca felt her head begin to throb from a combination of physical exhaustion and
frayed nerves.

Upon arriving at the building, Rebecca bid a hasty good night to her brother and walked tiredly to her fifth floor chamber. 
As she tiredly climbed the stairs,
Rebecca was beginning to feel as though she resided in an attic.  She hoped the room would not be too infernal, as she had neglected to leave a window open during the day.

Setting free a mighty yawn, Rebecca approached her doorway, then shrank back into the hal
lway.  Alarmed, Rebecca blinked, as a shadow bounced across the walls.
A
menacingly large male
shadow
.  There were no men in residence on the fifth floor.  Whoever this man was, he had no business being there, and Rebecca had to stifle a scream as she turned to run down the stairs and
get
Ryan.

A warm hand covered her shoulder as
she
parted her lips soundlessly.  The man’s hand came over her mouth at once, muffling any piercing that might have emanated from her powerful operatic lungs.  She squirmed, trying to set herself loose as the man whispered hoarsely, “Rebecca, please don’t scream…and don’t be afraid, it’s me Luke!”

Immediately, he uncovered her mouth and released her so that she could turn around and give him her most deadly glare.  “Luke!  You almost scared me out of my skin!”

“And y
ou almost woke the entire building!”

“Well of course I did, I thought you were some kind of criminal!  What are you doing on this floor anyway?” Her pulse slowly returned to normal as she looked into his comforting brown eyes.

“I was waiting for you.  Apparently not the most brilliant idea, but I thought you’d be happy to see me since we didn’t have a chance to talk at rehearsal.” He explained calmly.

She managed to curve her lips into something resembling a smile.  “I am happy to see you.  But standing in a dark hallway in the dead of night is not the way to approach a lady, you know.”

Luke perceived the gentle scolding in her voice and chuckled.  “You’re right. 
I’m very sorry.  For the second time today, I’m very sorry.
”

“For the second time today, you’re fully pardoned.”
Rebecca said amiably, broadening her smile.
  “I had dinner with my family tonight,
and I’m so
glad to be back here.”

“Did your brother and sister-in-law upset you again?” He asked, sensing that another confrontation had taken place.

“Yes,” Rebecca admitted, “but I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Very well.  I suppose there’s nowhere we can go at this late hour, but I was hoping you could at least spare a few moments.”

At this point, Rebecca suspected that she would be too wound up to sleep, and she was not about to pass on an invitation to spend time with Luke.  It had been all she could think about since their sunrise kiss.

“Yes, I believe I could spare a few moments.”

“Good.” Luke hesitated
. 
Rebecca’s eyes widened expectantly, as she wondered what he was struggling to say.  Finally, he asked, “Would you like to see my chamber?  I promise, I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”

She was not nearly as scandalized as she ought to have been.  With a carefree note to her voice, she replied, “I believe you, Luke.  Yes, I will come see your chamber.”

Chapter Ten

Luke’s quarters were immaculately kept, with not a
trace
of unlaundered clothing or other disorganization anywhere. 
Several pairs of newly polished shoes sat in a row alongside his violin case.  On his desk were stone bookends housing about a dozen hardcover volumes whose titles
were
multilingual, with an equal
distribution
in English, French, and German. 
Rebecca
considered herself a
rather
orderly
person, but even
her room was not so meticulous
. 
Her poor wrinkled dresses were still splayed across the bed waiting to be pressed,
while
the rest of her belongings were buried in
dark,
unknown places inside her luggage.

Luke was either obsessive about organization, or
he had tidied the room in expectation that she would accept his invitation.  The image of this burly Wisconsin fa
rm-boy turned-athlete turned-
musician
sweeping a broom around the chamber made Rebecca bite her lip to keep from giggling.

As though reading her mind, Luke admitted, “I tidied up a bit today.  Usually, my chamber is a
pigsty,
but I had hoped you might let me give you the tour.  I know it’s quite a
letdown
from the tour of Salzburg, but it will have to do at this late hour.”

Rebecca laughed and said, “Good to know that
I’m not the only one w
ho gets a little lax about
cleaning.  I haven’t even unpacked most of my luggage.  And after scouring a mansion for half the day, the last thing I feel like doing is cleaning!  My chamber is a place to sleep and nothing more.”

“I told you you’re earthy.” He chuckled appreciatively, as she gave him a quizzical look, still confounded when he described her with that term.  “Allow me to show you some of my prized possessions.  First, I have something for you to taste.” Luke spoke huskily all of a sudden
, and Rebecca wondered if he were teasing her or if he was about to proposition her.

“Pardon me?” She asked.

Luke walked over to his desk and pulled out a decorative tin, painted with a
sparkling
winter scene
amidst a snowcapped mountain range that resembled the Alps
.  He opened the tin as foil rustled inside
,
and he
unwrapped
a colorful sweet shaped like
a star.  “This is marzipan.  Have you ever tried it?”

“No, I haven’t.” She eyed the candy with intrigue, as it looked more like an art project than something edible.

“Taste it.” He offered her the candy, and when she would have taken it with her hand, he held it up to her mouth.  She obliged him and parted her lips, taking a bite of the star-shaped
treat
.

“Mmm.  It tastes like sugary almonds.” She remarked.

“Yes, marzipan is made from almond paste…and loads of sugar.
  I’m surprised you’ve never had it.”

“I’m very deprived.” She
sighed
, as he fed her the remainder of the star.  “Everyone always says that it’s women who have a fondness for sweets.  I didn’t expect to find a stash of confections in your room.”

“Well, you may find there are many surprising things about me.” Luke said evasively.

“Such as the fact that you read in three languages?” Rebecca pointed towards his books.

“I’m not perfectly proficient, though.  Not even in English!” He joked
, as Rebecca laughed, careful not to choke on the granules of sugar that filled her mouth.

Suddenly, Luke’s eyes clouded over with sadness as he said, “So this is my palace.  I know it’s not much.”

Rebecca regarded him as though he had just babbled utter nonsense and interjected,
“I live upstairs in an identical room, Luke.  I don’t have much either, and I think it’s fine that way.”

“Do you really?  Would you really be content to live out the rest of your life like this, renting a tiny room above a storefront?”

“No, but I don’t believe in peering into the future.  We can never see more than a hazy picture there, and it can be very misleading.” Rebecca looked at him with grim thoughtfulness.  “It’s ironic that you’re asking me such questions, Luke, as you were the one who accused me of coveting wealth.  Do you recall what you said to me the first day we met?”

“Yes, I do.” He said quietly.  “
So I suppose
I’m the one who should really be answering those questions.  Truthfully, I could be happy living in a tree house, but society conditions us to desire more.  If I had a normal job, then
I would be able to have all those
things that society flaunts seductively in our faces.  But as a musician for an orchestra that is still
bicycling
with training wheels, I cannot afford to buy a house…or settle down with a wife.” Luke turned his back to her after that final statement.

Rebecca wondered what had prompted Luke to
mention taking a wife.  She
did not want to conjecture whether he had her in mind.  Instead, she challenged what he had just said.

“You claim that you’d be happy living among nature, but if that’s true, then why do you desire more?  Society can be influential, but can it truly alter the desires of your heart?
Has it really persuaded you into believing that you don’t have enough?”

As Rebecca asked these questions, she felt like a hypocrite, recalling
how
just that afternoon she had wished for a lady’s attendant to help button up her dress.  Had
the
slithering
serpent of greed
swallowed
her
whole as well?