Gone by Nightfall

by Dee Garretson

  The boys came pounding down the stairs.

  “A physics experiment,” Stepan said. “We’re supposed to figure out a way to cushion the fall enough so the glasses won’t break.” He picked up a small contraption made of sticks and string that vaguely resembled a misshapen birdcage. “Mine worked better than Hap’s. My glass only broke into four pieces.”

  “Where is Dmitri Antonovich?” I asked.

  “He had to go out,” Stepan replied. “I already know how I can modify mine.”

  Archer gave the loudest sigh I’d ever heard. “I’ll get Zarja to clean up,” he said.

  “Don’t put on that face, Lottie,” Hap said. “We’re doing something very educational. You should be pleased.”

  Osip burst out laughing and then covered his mouth, still shaking with mirth.

  “Hello, Baron. That’s true, Lottie,” Papa said as he walked over and picked up Hap’s contraption. “It is educational, though rather an unconventional way to learn. Very clever. A little adaptation will make it better. More rope wrapped around, perhaps.”

  Before he could add anything to his evaluation, screams erupted from the upper floor. The twins. Their screams were unmistakable.

  “Is something wrong?” the baron asked.

  “Just our little sisters,” Hap said. “They scream a lot.” This was true. He pointed at one part of his rope bundle. “I guess I didn’t add enough here.”

  I realized something odd. Someone was missing.

  “Where’s Miles?” I asked.

  “He wrote a new story he’s reading to the twins,” Stepan said.

  I went toward the stairs, my irritation rising. “He’s not supposed to read them his stories. They get frightened.” They actually became so terrified they’d have trouble sleeping and then they’d end up in my bed. The way they flopped around would keep me awake all night.

  “Don’t act like an old lady, Lottie. They like his stories,” Hap said. “You’re turning into Elder Red.” He laughed. “Dmitri was surprised to find out you were a few months younger than him. He thought you were old, like twenty-five. We told him you used to be fun, but I’m not sure he believed that.”

  “Yes, old,” Stepan echoed. “People like to be scared,” he added, “and Miles is really good at scaring.”

  The screaming grew louder, and then I heard a door open upstairs. The twins came into view, running along the landing and then dashing down the stairs, looking behind them as they ran. It was a miracle they didn’t take a misstep and fall. I yelled, trying to get them to slow down. They didn’t, and when they reached me, they grabbed my skirts, trying to hide behind them.

  A figure dressed in rags with long, straggly gray hair came flying down the stairs after them, someone who appeared to be an old hag but who ran exactly like Miles. I recognized the wig. It was the one Miles wore when he was doing his fortune-telling routine, but he’d made the hair all wild in its current appearance.

  “I shall get you, my little ones!” the creature shouted in a high-pitched voice. “You can’t escape from me!”

  Both twins continued to scream, but it turned into that sort of happy screaming they did when they were excited.

  “Miles! Stop!” I yelled.

  He came toward us, his arms outstretched and his fingers curled like claws.

  “Miles! We have a guest!”

  Miles slid to a stop and looked around. When he spotted the baron, he pulled off the wig.

  “Oh, I didn’t know,” he said in his regular voice. “How do you do?”

  The baron seemed to have lost the power of speech. Miles gave the tiniest of shrugs and grinned.

  Osip broke out into laughter again, laughing so hard a few tears ran down his face. He tried to speak but ended up gasping until he finally managed to choke out a few words. “He looks just like my old grandmother.”

  I heard a strange hissing noise coming from the baron. When I glanced back at him, I saw him glaring at Osip, his face an alarming shade of red. A vein throbbed in his forehead. Osip was too busy laughing to notice.

  “Don’t mind the children.” Papa said to the baron as he waved in Miles’s direction. “We can talk in the library.” He chuckled. “We have quite a lively household.”

  It always struck me as odd that my stepfather still considered Miles and Hap to be children, though he’d certainly commanded young men Miles’s age when he’d been in the army. I’m sure he hadn’t been lenient with those boys, but he never rebuked Miles or Hap. It was as if he still saw the two of them at the ages they had been when he’d married my mother, forever young boys running about the house whooping with excitement.

  The baron looked as if he was going to say something, but the bell rang before he could speak. Osip, still chuckling, opened the door and Dmitri came in, limping much more noticeably than he had been the day before. I hoped the wound hadn’t become infected. He really needed to stop going out for at least a few days.

  “Dmitri!” Stepan shouted. “We need help with our experiments.”

  I didn’t think Dmitri heard him. He was looking back and forth between the baron and me.

  “Good morning, Dmitri Antonovich,” the baron said. “I’m glad to hear you accepted the tutoring position. I also heard your great uncle is very ill in Paris. Have you any news?”

  “Nothing recent,” Dmitri said. His tone was sharp, and he didn’t add anything to those two words.

  The baron obviously knew Dmitri. I remembered what Papa had said at the party about telling the baron to send the young man over to our house. I hadn’t thought about which baron he was referring to, but it must have been this one. I looked over at Dmitri. His face was grim.

  “Dmitri, come see what we made!” Stepan shouted again.

  Dmitri’s gaze turned to the broken glass on the floor. “I thought you were going to wait to try this until we could discuss some of the factors you needed to consider,” he said.

  Stepan nudged around the pieces of glass with his foot until they were in somewhat of a pile. “We didn’t want to wait. Let’s get some more glasses. I have another idea.”

  “No,” Dmitri said. “That is not how an actual engineer would proceed. You need to analyze your mistakes first.”

  “Listen to your tutor,” Papa ordered. “This way, Baron.”

  “I’d like Miss Mason to join us,” the baron said. I saw Dmitri’s head jerk around toward us.

  I felt a pain in one of my eyes, a sign the headache from the night before was trying to creep back in. Whatever the baron wanted with me, it wouldn’t be pleasant. I took a deep breath and put on a smile as if I were delighted with his presence.

  Papa twisted one end of his mustache, something he did when he was thinking or confused, though I knew he’d be too polite to ask the baron why he wanted me included in their talk. He motioned again toward the door of the library and then led the way inside. I came last, glancing back before I went in. Dmitri was still watching us. I couldn’t read the expression on his face.

  The baron asked me to shut the door. I came in and sat in one of the chairs in front of Papa’s desk. The baron refused a chair, standing next to me with his hands clasped behind his back.

  “How are you?” Papa asked.

  “I’m sorry I don’t have time for pleasantries,” the baron replied. “I’ll get right to the point. The political situation is deteriorating, and that means there will have to be a severe crackdown on dissent or the czar will fall.”

  “How could the crackdown get more severe?” I asked, not believing what I’d just heard. “I saw a boy who had been beaten yesterday. The police dragged him away for voicing his opinion.”

  The baron ignored me. “The army’s losses are staggering, though we don’t want the people to know. If the czar is forced to give up the throne, there is no one to take his place who will be any better. Even if the czar’s son were not still a child, the boy is sickly and would never make a strong ruler.”

  Hearing those words from a man in the ba
ron’s position was shocking. Even with all the gossip, the official word was always that the situation was under control, and that Russia was strong and would triumph in the end. I’d thought that a revolution would mean the czar would give some power to the people, to hold elections and have representatives, not that he’d be gone altogether.

  I looked over at my stepfather. Papa frowned, his face creasing so much he suddenly appeared ten years older. When he spoke, his tone was different. It was sharp, and I could see him as the military commander he had been.

  “I didn’t know the situation was that bad, and of course steps must be taken. What can I do? I’m ready to step back into a post at anytime.” He put his hand on his heart. “I will always serve the czar.”

  I wanted to protest. There was no way he could go back to the army.

  The baron held up his hand. “That won’t be necessary, though we may call on you for advice.”

  Papa slumped a little, as if he were a scarecrow with his stuffing removed. “Then I’m confused. What can I do for you?”

  The baron turned his attention to me. I squeezed my hands together.

  “I thought you should be made aware of what is happening in your own household. Last night, your stepchildren were seen leaving a place that known agitators frequent.”

  I tried to keep a calm expression on my face. Why had the baron bothered to come to the house to tell Papa that? If the government was practically falling apart, we could hardly be considered all that important.

  Papa turned to me. “What is he talking about?”

  “We went to a birthday party at the Tamms’,” I said. “There were no agitators there, just theater people.” I forced myself to laugh, as if the thought that there was anything else happening at the party was a ridiculous idea.

  Papa nodded. “Ah, of course, the Tamms. Yes, as Lottie says, the Tamms are just theater people. My wife was very fond of that family. If an agitator goes there, it has nothing to do with the Tamms. I know they are a little too free in welcoming people to their home, but that is only because of their generous hearts. Believe it or not, I went there myself once. Very jolly time.”

  The baron spoke through clenched teeth. “Anyone can be an agitator. They don’t advertise the fact. Miss Mason, can you say you’ve never met a traitor at the Tamms’ house? If you have, now would be a good time to say so.”

  I hadn’t actually met the playwright. “I’ve never met anyone at the Tamms who spoke against the czar.”

  The baron raised an eyebrow and then gave a smile that was more of a sneer. “That’s surprising. A man was arrested just a few hours ago, a playwright. He was at the Tamms’ last night, and there is a report he was definitely making his views known. Somehow you didn’t hear him?”

  I couldn’t believe I’d fallen right into the baron’s trap.

  I squeezed my fists so hard my nails bit into my hand. “I didn’t hear every conversation nor meet every guest,” I said. “Their parties are very crowded.” Who had reported the man, and how had the baron found out so quickly? The baron had to be working closely with the secret police. But if he was, I still didn’t understand why he had warned me the other night.

  The baron pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and unfolded it. “The playwright also had in his possession several dozen leaflets that he’s admitted he was going to distribute. He hasn’t yet said where he got them, but he may soon realize it is better to cooperate. This is a bit different from ones we’ve seen before. However, there are some interesting features that are similar to other ones passed around last week.”

  He handed the paper to me instead of Papa. “As I told Miss Mason the other night, most of our revolutionaries quote the French, not the Americans.”

  I took the paper, trying to keep my hand steady as I held it up to read. There were the usual claims that the czar and czarina were leading the country into ruin. Down near the bottom I saw why the baron had mentioned Americans. The very last statement read We have it in our power to begin the world over again. —Thomas Paine, American revolutionary.

  This time my laugh was real. “Surely you don’t think I’m behind these?” I handed the paper to my stepfather. “That’s absurd.”

  I saw the vein throbbing on the baron’s forehead again. “It is no laughing matter. For the well-being of your family, I would suggest that none of you visit these theater people until the situation is brought under control. Or, even better, send your stepchildren back to America, at least for the time being.”

  “No!” I burst out. “Papa, we don’t want to leave.” I felt hot, like the anger inside me was going to catch fire. The baron was a vile man, and I wanted him out of our house.

  Papa tossed the paper down on his desk. “They’re not going anywhere. What nonsense!” His voice was shaking. I examined his face, trying to determine if he was feeling ill again. “I’m sure the baron didn’t mean to imply you’d written it, Lottie,” Papa said. “But he is right. Best to avoid the Tamms for a few weeks. It won’t take long to get the country back on the right track. Then you’ll be able to see your friends as much as you want.”

  The baron cleared his throat. “There is one more issue.”

  I tensed, waiting to hear him accuse me of black-market activities.

  “People are talking about the hospital your wife founded,” he said.

  “Yes, they do fine work,” Papa said. He sounded impatient, like he wanted the baron to leave.

  “No, you don’t understand. The facility could be put to better use. You should consider turning it into a real hospital for patients who actually need the care. Hospitals for our soldiers are overwhelmed with patients. I’m sure a doctor could be found who would be happy to run the facility. It could only enhance your reputation.”

  “We’re not closing the hospital!” I shouted. I didn’t know how much longer I could sit in the room and listen to the man.

  Papa got to his feet. He straightened up as if he were standing at attention.

  “I think you overstep yourself, Baron.” There was a coldness in my stepfather’s voice that I’d never heard before. “My reputation needs no ‘enhancement,’ as you call it. I have spent my life in service to the empire. No one would question that. And as for the hospital, my wife dedicated many hours and much work to it. It will remain as a tribute to her. She was a wonderful woman. Pity you never married, Baron. Perhaps then you would understand. Now, if you don’t mind, I must get back to work.”

  The baron stared at Papa, disbelief written on his face.

  I wanted to clap. I’d never felt more proud of my stepfather.

  The baron picked up the leaflet, folded it, and put it back into his pocket. “I’ll see myself out.” His face had turned so red I feared he was going to have an attack of apoplexy.

  “It would be rude of us to let you do that. Lottie will show you out,” Papa said. “My children know their responsibilities even down to the smallest of duties. Lottie, please come back once the baron is gone. I may need your help.”

  I saw him take hold of the edge of the desk with one hand. I stood up and nodded my head, then walked out the door of the library as fast as I could, wanting to get the baron out of the house so I could see if Papa was actually feeling ill.

  The baron followed me, though he didn’t speak.

  Osip stood by the door, the baron’s cloak in hand, as if he had known the man wouldn’t stay long.

  The baron snapped at him. “If you were my servant, you’d be out on the street after the sort of behavior I witnessed here today.” He spun on his heels and stalked out the door.

  As soon as the door was shut, Osip made a rude gesture at it, or rather at the baron on the other side of it.

  At another time I would have laughed, but I was too worried about Papa. I hurried back into the library to see him sitting there gazing down at an empty spot on his desk.

  “Papa, are you ill?”

  He looked up at me. “Lottie, please be careful.” His voice was so
low I had trouble making out the words. “I can put on a good show, but I don’t know if I can really protect you. I’m just an old forgotten man now, and the Okhrana are ruthless.”

  I sank down in the chair. “I didn’t have anything to do with that leaflet! Surely you know that.”

  “I know you didn’t, but that doesn’t matter. The secret police fabricate evidence if they need to show they are successful. They can try to make an example of you to scare off others. Since you are an American and female, I don’t think they’d send you to prison, but even an interrogation would be terrible.” His voice trembled. “They wouldn’t just question you. They could deport you, and you’d never be allowed to come back.”

  “But I don’t know how to convince the baron he’s focused on the wrong person. It’s all so ridiculous!”

  “If you see him again, just be polite. Perhaps it is better that you laughed. It made you sound innocent.”

  “I am innocent!”

  “I know. I know. But do avoid the Tamms. They will be watched even closer now.”

  “I’ll be careful.” I couldn’t promise I wouldn’t see them.

  He nodded and leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with his hand. “How I wish I could turn back time. I would have been a voice against so much, back when I had a voice that mattered.”

  “Your voice does still matter.” I stood back up. “Thank you for supporting the hospital. It would make Mama happy if she knew.”

  He gave me a faint smile. “I’m glad you are keeping it going, though I know it is a big responsibility for a girl your age. I hope it’s not too much.”

  “Dr. Rushailo and the more experienced nurses are really the ones who do the most work,” I said. “I should go, though. We are short of help.”

  “Yes, go. Everything is fine here, especially now with the new tutor.” He chuckled, and I was happy he didn’t seem as upset. “Physics experiments with glasses! What an idea!”

  I left him still chuckling. Out in the hall, Osip was cleaning the floor where the wet snow had been tracked in.

  “Why was the baron so furious at you?” I asked. “He’s never even seen you before, has he?”