Part 14 (1/2)

”You think I don't know what you've been up to, hiding Jews and making trouble! Always the innocent aristocrat, looking down your nose at us. And now you think you can blow up a munitions train and get away with it! We've been watching you for months.” He was shaking with anger. Alex only smiled.

”Have you? It must be disappointing for you. I lead a quiet life.” If he was trying to scare him, he hadn't, but Alex had his hand on the pistol in his pocket, just in case. It was the gun he'd been given the first night his tenant came to see him with the man he had hidden in his wine cellar for two days.

”Not so quiet as you'd like us to think. And when the Allies come, you'll welcome them with open arms?”

”Are they coming?” Alex asked, feigning surprise. ”What interesting news. I haven't heard that on the radio.”

”What have you heard?” the colonel asked, as the horse danced and he approached.

”About our victories on the eastern front, and how the British are cowering beneath our bombs. Is that not true, Colonel? Propaganda or truth?”

”You traitor!” the colonel said as he drew closer. ”I hate your kind! Always supercilious! You think you're better than everyone else, because you were born with a t.i.tle and a schloss, and can do anything you want.”

”And you think you can steal it from us, and be one of us. You're not, any more than the Fuehrer. You can't steal it, Colonel. You have to be born to it. That's how it works.”

”You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” the colonel shouted at him, and c.o.c.ked the pistol he held at Alex's head.

”You can kill me, or drive us out of Germany.” Alex was speaking for Nick then. ”But there are thousands more like us, and we'll win in the end. Truth is mightier than the sword, and so is honor. You can't dishonor us. You can kill us, but there will always be more of us than of you.” As he said it with eyes full of hate and rage, the colonel pulled the trigger. He wanted to silence him forever. But Alex had had his pistol pointed at him, ready and c.o.c.ked. And as the colonel fired, so did Alex-not at the man but at the horse, which Alex knew would be the final blow to him, and far more subtle. As Alex fell dead to the ground, so did Favory beneath the colonel. Alex had had the last laugh, and he had chosen the most elegant exit, which was so like him. He was a n.o.bleman to the end.

Chapter 25.

The summer of 1944 was a strange season for the circus, too, a summer of disasters. They had decided to change their route that year, and went north in the early months of the tour, planning to head west later, so instead of California in July, they were in Hartford, Connecticut. And on July 6, with the big cats in the center ring for the first act, a fire broke out in the first twenty minutes of the show. It began as a small blaze but ran up the sidewall of the tent. The band broke into ”Stars and Stripes Forever” immediately, which was the agreed-upon SOS signal to all circus personnel that something was amiss, without alarming the crowd. And the ringmaster attempted to warn the audience to leave the tent and not panic, but a power failure caused his announcement to go unheard when the microphone died, just as people began noticing the flames. They stampeded toward the exits, two of which were blocked by the big cat cages and tunnels that funneled them into the ring. Pandemonium broke out, as people became separated from their children, and the paraffin-coated tent, which had been treated for waterproofing, erupted in a blaze and collapsed within eight minutes, to the horror of the audience, the crew, and all who saw it. From then on it became a battle to save those inside, rescue children, find parents, get the animals as far away as possible, and put the fire out. A hundred and sixty-eight people were killed, and more than seven hundred were injured, and everyone a.s.sociated with the circus was devastated and shocked at the loss of life and the damage. Some of the victims had been burned beyond recognition, but many were killed by the crowd trampling them as they tried to flee. It was a tragedy like none other they had experienced.

Five officials of the circus were later charged with involuntary manslaughter, and the circus accepted full financial responsibility to pay whatever damages were requested. But the tragedy had left its mark on them all. John Ringling North was no longer running the circus then and had left it a year earlier, but everyone a.s.sociated with the circus was in deep grief over what had happened. Nick and Christianna and everyone they knew were deeply shaken. And tragically for those who knew and loved him, Joe Herlihy had been killed in the fire. He had just come back from a scouting trip and wanted to see some new additions to the show. Nick and Christianna were heartbroken by the loss of a good friend.

The circus closed down during the investigation, and opened in Akron, Ohio, a month later. Disheartened by what had happened, and working without a tent in heat and bad weather, they made it as far as Texas, decided to end the season early, and went back to Sarasota. And once back in Florida, after the disaster, Nick knew it was time. He wanted to leave the circus. It was an insecure, nomadic existence, and he wanted a normal life for their children, and he said as much to Christianna.

”This is normal,” she insisted. She had never known anything else, but he had, and even if he could no longer provide the way of life he had grown up in, he wanted stability for them. He wanted more than tattooed freaks and bearded ladies, high-wire acts and big cats, and jugglers and contortionists, for Chloe and Lucas. He knew that Lucas would miss the clowns and the friends he had made in the past six years, but he wanted Chloe to grow up in a healthy, sane atmosphere, like other children. But no matter what he said, he couldn't convince Christianna. She wanted to stay at all costs. And what her father had predicted was proving to be true. Nick knew he would leave someday.

In November, Nick got a letter from Marianne that nearly broke his heart. He had been afraid of hearing it for months. British Military Intelligence, at the request of Charles Beaulieu, had been able to discover that Alex had been engaged in subversive activities in his area, against the authorities on a small scale, and had saved many lives. He had done all he could to undermine the n.a.z.is and help Jews, and had even helped to blow up a munitions train as a final mission. And the same morning, he had been shot and killed and his body dumped on his doorstep. He was buried in the family cemetery by one of his tenant farmers. But there was no question now as to what had happened to Nick's old friend. Alex was dead and had been for several months, and Marianne was devastated when she shared it with Nick.

He wrote her a long letter of sympathy in response, but once again Nick had suffered another painful loss, and Christianna was worried about him. He was restless and unhappy and sad, and even Chloe's antics didn't always cheer him. The war had gone on for too long for all of them, and taken too high a toll.

And in England, Isabel said the same to Charles. She was frantic about Marianne, who was a young girl leading an old woman's life, and was seriously melancholy after she learned in October of her father's death. After the shock of losing Edmund two years before, she was deeply depressed again. She had been widowed for two and a half years. And although Marianne adored Violet, her sadness over her father's death was greater than any pleasure she derived from her little girl.

”There's nothing we can do about it,” Charles said, looking tired. Isabel was always trying to solve everyone's problems, but there was no lightening the burden of the war until it was over. Simon had been injured the year before and was back in action. That was stressful enough for them after losing Edmund. It was a terrible time for them all. Charles thought they just had to tough through it.

”I think we should send her to London,” Isabel said with her latest brainstorm.

”What, and have her killed by a bomb or falling debris from a burnt-out building? Are you mad?”

”Not everyone gets killed in London. I'll admit I don't like the idea much myself, but she's twenty-three years old, and she has no friends here, nothing to look forward to or to do. They may be dropping bombs on London, but there are parties and people and young officers to flirt with.”

”Oh, for heaven's sake. Wait till the war is over, Izzie.” But she was worried about Marianne and how despondent she had been since her father's death. She didn't even seem to be enjoying Violet these days, who was an enchanting child.

”We can keep the little one here. At least send her up for a visit. She's too depressed over her father's death. She needs to get out of here.”

She argued with him for a month, and finally after Christmas, she sent Marianne to London to stay with cousins of the Beaulieus who had a lovely house on Belgravia Square, near a bomb shelter. At first Marianne said she didn't want to go, but by the time she left, she looked brighter again, and she was excited about her London visit. Isabel had chosen their cousins for Marianne to stay with because they had a daughter the same age, and she could introduce Marianne to some young people for a change. She had seen no one but her parents-in-law for four years. And Marianne herself didn't realize how much she had missed being with people her own age since Edmund died, until she got to London and their cousin Julie took her to a score of parties, and introduced her to everyone she knew. She convinced Marianne to extend her stay and got her a volunteer job at a hospital two days a week, and the rest of the time they were out every night. She missed Violet, but her time in London was therapeutic and restoring her, so Isabel urged her to stay there. Her trip to London was doing for her what Isabel had hoped. She sounded young again, and happier than she'd been in years.

Marianne called the Beaulieus regularly, and she sounded like a different person. And she didn't tell her mother-in-law, but on New Year's Day she had met a young officer from Virginia, an American named Arthur Garrison, and she had seen him almost every day since. She had never had so much fun in her life. And when she came back to Haversham in February to see her daughter, she looked like a different person. Even Charles had to admit it, and that Isabel's mad idea had been the right thing, as always. Her ”mad ideas” were usually her best.

Charles had a serious talk with Marianne when she got back. The war was by no means over, but when it would be, she would have to decide what to do about Schloss Altenberg, and whether she would want to keep it or sell it. She couldn't imagine living in Germany again. Her life was in England with them, and it would be too sad for her at Altenberg without her father. She thought she would probably sell it, although she knew it would be painful to do so. For all this time she had hoped to go back, but without her father, it had lost meaning for her.

”I thought you'd feel that way,” Charles said sensibly. ”But I wanted to ask you. I'll help you when the time comes. And of course, my dear, we want you to stay here with us. You will always have a home here.” And Edmund had left her a substantial amount in his will, which she hadn't expected. Charles knew that her father had had a considerable fortune and extensive lands. Germany was liable to be in very bad shape after the war, but she was his sole heir. And between Edmund and her father, she'd been left a very substantial amount of money. She was set for life.

Marianne went back to London after a week and saw Arthur Garrison again. They shared a pa.s.sion for horses. He had a horse farm in Virginia where his family raised them. He had inherited it right before the war when his parents died, and she told him about her father's Lipizzaners. He was fascinated by them, and by her, but he also noticed how reticent she was to let any romance develop between them. She had fun with him, and loved talking to him, but she treated him more like a friend, and he finally questioned her about it one night after dinner.

”I lost my husband two and a half years ago,” she said quietly, ”in a bombing raid over Germany. And my father this year. I hadn't seen him in four years since I came to England. And my mother died when I was born.” She took a breath and tried to explain to him what she was feeling. ”I just don't want to lose any more people in my life. All I have are my daughter and my parents-in-law. I'm afraid that if I get attached to anyone else, they'll die too.” It was as honest and direct as she could be with him, and tears stood out in her eyes as she said it.

”You're twenty-three years old, Marianne. You can't be afraid to love anyone for the rest of your life, because they might die. That's not fair. When the war is over, we'll all go back to normal lives. No one will be flying bombing raids, or having bombs dropped on them. We'll live with the risks of ordinary life.”

”The only family I ever had was my father,” she said sadly. ”Now he's gone. My best friends died or left Germany. And I'll never go back to live in Germany again. My parents-in-law want me to stay here. And the only man I ever loved was Edmund, and he died the day before my daughter was born. I don't know if I have the courage to try again.” Arthur was five years older than she was, and mature for his age.

”You've paid a high price for this war. Now you're going to have to learn to live with peacetime.”

”It's not over yet,” she reminded him. He could still die, as any number of people could.

”It will be soon. You can't live hidden away in the country forever either. You're too young to do that.”

”Maybe I'll move to London,” she said vaguely. She really didn't know what she wanted to do yet. He was kind and attentive, and they had the same interests. He was very attractive, and protective of her. And she truly liked him.

”Will you give me a chance, Marianne?” he said softly. ”Please?” He had never met anyone like her.

”I don't know if I can,” she said fairly.

”Let's do it together,” he said with a kind expression. It was one of the things she liked best about him, his gentleness, and how well he treated her. So had Edmund and her father. Arthur reminded her a lot of Edmund in that way, although he was very American and soft-spoken with a Southern accent, and not British. And he didn't look anything like Marianne's late husband. He was as fair as Edmund had been dark, which was a relief. It would have been too strange if he looked like Edmund. But they had the same loving spirit. ”I won't push you,” he promised. He was smart enough to know that that was a bad idea. She didn't answer, but she smiled at him, and she seemed calmer.

And for the next several weeks, they went to dinner and saw friends. He was an adjutant to a general, so he was not flying missions, and she didn't need to worry about his dying from being in danger. He came down to Haversham to visit her one weekend, and her parents-in-law liked him too. He was well bred and polite and as aristocratic as they were, in an American way. And he was wonderful with Violet, and she responded to him. Most of all, he was terrific to Marianne. But his circ.u.mstances and ”real life” worried Isabel greatly about him, and she expressed it to Charles after he left.

”What if she marries him and goes to America with him?” she said sadly.

”Then we'll visit her, and she'll visit us. You said it yourself, we can't keep her locked up here forever. She's a young woman.”

”I was thinking London, not Virginia,” she said wistfully. And she would miss Violet so much if they left, but she knew Charles was right, and she wanted whatever was best for Marianne. And Arthur Garrison looked like he might be it. Only Marianne still wasn't convinced. She was keeping him at arm's length.

By early April, Arthur was discouraged. He had the feeling that Marianne would never let herself love again, or not for a long time. And he had fallen in love with her. He stopped calling her for a few days to give himself some air, and Marianne was surprised. She had gotten used to spending a lot of time with him for the past few months, and hearing from him constantly, whenever he wasn't working. She mentioned it to Julie, who suggested that she might have finally scared him off, and Marianne spent the next few days thinking about it, afraid she had. And she suddenly realized that she didn't want that to happen. She liked him more than she wanted to admit.

She sounded relieved when he finally called her again. ”I missed you,” she confessed, and he beamed when she said it.

”Well, that's good news. I figured that you'd be relieved not to hear from me.” He had almost given up on her.

”I'm not relieved, Arthur,” she said honestly. ”I'm just scared.”