Yesterday Was Long Ago: Part One

by Hedy Thalberg James

  “To a very happy future, beautiful ladies!” he toasted, realizing that he had dwelled on the past a little too long within the last few hours.

  ∼

  “The problem with those Romberg girls is that they know how beautiful they are, and therefore are trying to get away with everything!” Sebastian Hofmann was complaining to Karl on their morning ride.

  “Get away with what?”

  “Well, I just believe they are all opinionated! Mind you, my own mother wouldn't dare to tell my father what that girl Louise threw at me!”

  “It's 1840, Sebastian. Times are changing!”

  “Even so! Telling me my forefathers were only silk and lace peddlers, with nothing more on their minds than money and keeping a close eye on China's silkworm production!”

  “I wonder what made her say that. Could it be that you provoked her? And Christina?” Karl asked, as if it mattered.

  “Is remaining mostly neutral, however she seems to be enjoying our dispute.”

  “Well, you won't have to endure it this Sunday. George Auersbach is going to relieve you.”

  “I don't envy him the pleasure. Now I can better understand Baron Altmann's reason for trading her in! He couldn't handle her temperament, for one thing. Her father, the pharmacist, is of course a fine man, I must admit that. But for her to put his mind above my father's? That really was another story all together! Our shop is ten times larger than their corner store, and she called it... well, oh hell, it was a Latin word! Anyhow, this was another thing I loathed about her! She and that outlandish painter were talking Latin together. To keep current or to practice, they explained. The nerve of them! I felt so left out of things!”

  “I didn't know that Louise spoke Latin!” Karl said, astonished, yet trying not to let on how very pleased he was with what he had learned.

  “Thank God, they've never attended any of your parties! Those girls would keep everything in a permanent uproar,” Sebastian concluded.

  Karl laughed out loud, not even sure what Sebastian meant, but also not disclosing the plan he already had, convinced of its creating an uproar but doubtful of its permanence.

  “Be a nice chap and give Auersbach a fair warning, would you?” Sebastian cautioned, before taking his own way home.

  “Thanks again!” Karl waved and smiled, feeling sorry for Sebastian, who was actually never in control of anything, except maybe his horse. “Talking about handling a woman!” he grinned, riding home.

  His sleepless nights and preoccupation with Louise during the daytime had become a daily routine, with nothing more important to think about at present except reflecting, planning, and hoping. He didn't object terribly to the current situation—it was a pleasant change of pace for him and his inner feelings—but he also knew that sooner or later something had to be brought to a head and, he absolutely refused to believe, to an end.

  His father had at times suggested to him, “Let's talk to Mother about it, she always has the most wondrous ideas in respect to solving delicate little problems!” And he decided to do just that.

  “Any problems, Karl?”

  “Yes, Mother.”

  “That's all right, Karl. Resolving them is what keeps us active!”

  “And sleepless, Mother.”

  “Louise?”

  “How did you ever guess?”

  “I just had a feeling that once you met her—” She didn't finish her sentence.

  “Then why on earth did you never introduce us?”

  “Because I never believed it should be handled that way and might just get you off to a wrong start. Don't think I wasn't tempted or that it didn't cross my mind!”

  “What mind?” he joked happily, lifting her up spontaneously.

  “Love has to take its own course, since it is the only thing in life worth pursuing to share,” she continued earnestly.

  “This I have found out in the past few weeks, Mother. It was, as a matter of fact, love at first sight. On my part anyhow. But since I had been smitten with one or the other of my previous acquaintances, I had to be very sure of my true feelings, so I stopped myself from being too impetuous.”

  “I can only congratulate you on your restraint!”

  “Thank you, Mother. Your approval, and what's more, your understanding, means so much to me! But where do I go now?” His question was more or less directed to himself and sounded rather distraught.

  His mother, as usual, had an answer. “To a concert, to start with! She and Christina are like twins, and I am sure that where you find one, you'll find the other.” She continued. “I could arrange it differently, providing you'll agree to it.”

  “Agree? Any help from you in that direction would be more than appreciated by me!”

  “But before we make any other arrangements, I believe we should have her over for dinner. Did you know that this was exactly what your father and grandfather did, when your father had first fallen in love with me?”

  “And it worked out so well for both of you!”

  “Since 1808. And it's still the best thing that ever happened to either one of us!”

  “Are we going to tell Papa?”

  “No, let's put a little romance into this whole affair first. I missed out on that with your father. But then, we are still romancing each other to make up for the loss!” She smiled, pleased and happy with her life.

  “And what about Christina?”

  “She is blind as a bat concerning such matters! She is madly in love with a married man who doesn't even know she's alive.”

  “I had no idea. Not even the slightest notion!”

  “Why should you? You're not any less blind about what's going on around you.”

  “All right, Mother. I concede that I wasn’t aware of much that concerned the heart until Louise. But Christina... and a married man at that?” he asked in wonderment, never considering his sister a woman and having a sense for romance.

  “Well, whatever. It'll be a worry I'll have until this is out of her system.”

  “You can count on my help, Mother.”

  “Thank you, Karl. One day I may just need it. And please... this conversation has never taken place!”

  “Which conversation?” he replied, feigning ignorance, immensely relieved and elated at having been able to open and close this door for the time being. “I am the one who must be grateful. Eternally.”

  “In a lifetime, one takes turns.”

  “What a beautiful and wise human being my mother is, and how lucky for me to be her son!” he thought, returning to his room, also remembering her suggestions of a few years ago. “A Reinhardt woman has to be very a special type of individual or it will never work at all!” Louise had no shortcomings in that respect. This he was certain of now.

  ∼

  The last stand-in session was over and this weekend, the endless hours of motionless sittings to finalize the painting were left up to Karl and Christina.

  They would celebrate with a good supper, a glass of wine, and good, relaxed conversation which Karl had learned to enjoy so much by now. But not before taking a ride through their beautiful woods, enhanced by the blooming trees and shrubbery that gave off their best fragrances.

  “Sebastian's loss was my gain!” George Auersbach said in jest, though somewhat arrogantly. “Since we all had such a great time together, I thought I should reciprocate by inviting all of you to Mozart’s Magic Flute! Bruno Kraus finally received the part to sing Papageno.”

  “Wonderful!” Both girls applauded in unity.

  “Alright with you, Karl?”

  “Yes, of course,” he answered slowly. “I had actually thought of taking all of you, sort of a gesture of thanks.”

  “There is really no difference in who is taking whom. But I will take Christina, the sister, I never had!”

  “How nice of you, George!” Christina said, consentingly.

  “See, Mr. Reinhardt, you will now have to contend with me like Sebby Hofmann did,” goaded Louise.

&nb
sp; “We'll be in the same loge should you be in need of aid!” George teased.

  “I don't believe there will be anything to worry about,” Christina interrupted. “Louise and my brother know each other quite well, and so far, they seem to get along famously!”

  “Let's give him time, Christina,” Louise said with a wink.

  “Please do, Miss Romberg!” Karl answered, amused for reasons only obvious to him.

  “Shall we split up? With the horses, I mean? Louise and I would like to take a different path that we like a lot better. More picturesque for one thing, and a few more benches to rest and talk, for another.”

  “Why, do you believe our path is less picturesque?”

  “Be serious, George! There are only two main roads to take and I've seen both of them.” Louise laughed, trying to leave.

  “And since we've never crossed with you before, one doesn't have to be very observant to know which one you will take.”

  “That's just the trouble with this place! Too large, too far apart, so our paths have never intertwined,” Karl scolded.

  “Grandfather had his good reasons for everything,” Christina consoled warmly.

  “Let's get Tina and Max now.”

  “Tina was a present from your sister to me,” Louise explained to Karl. “Everything nice and valuable I own was given to me by Christina.”

  “And hopefully soon, you'll have her brother and treasure him as much as all these material things!” he thought, before replying. “I seem to find out more and more what a jewel my sister really is. Just a few weekends, and all of a sudden there is a new Christina!”

  “What are friends for?” Christina commented, pleased with her brother’s praise.

  “I say!” George said frankly, when they parted in two different directions to fetch their horses, since Karl's stables were separate from Christina's. “I presume you didn't mind my leading you inconspicuously to spend a night at the opera?” he teased, tongue in cheek.

  “So you've noticed already?”

  “Surely!” he answered, very relaxed. “There is nothing as suitable as to fall in love with the right person!” George stressed, knowing of Karl's previous paramours and hot but short affairs.

  “That's true, George. Only, there is still this Baron Altmann complex which I'll have to deal with.”

  “Forget about Altmann!”

  “How much do you know about him?”

  “Only what I hear, and I might add, it's all quite disturbing information or I would never repeat it!”

  “So tell me, George!”

  “He is not what he seems to be. Bisexual or probably homosexual, you know?”

  “Are you sure?” Karl uttered unbelievingly.

  “Quite! He has reportedly never kissed either Louise or her sister. What I mean is, like a lover would.” He continued. “I am positive it's truth, because my brother Nicholas from whom I have it and Louise’s brother Max are in the same medical school and neither one of them would disclose any untruth.”

  “I didn't know that they attended school together.”

  “How should you? You've just recently met the Rombergs.”

  “You're right, of course. Nevertheless, I do feel as if I had known them all my life!”

  “Why did he become engaged to Anne, if it didn't work out with Louise?”

  “The perfect cover up for him, my friend! And inconspicuous to naïve people like the Rombergs when it concerns things like these. Their knowledge might surpass the skills of some doctors, but in other ways, they just have not kept up with the times. Aside from that, Altmann is very clever, clever as all these men or whatever they must be. If he weren't, it would mean the end of his career!”

  “And Bruno Kraus?”

  “Oh no! That one is above board. Purely concerned with reaping applause and being in the limelight of his theater.”

  “Then, who is the other... I mean Altmann's boyfriend? Or are there more than one?”

  “I know of only one, Thomas von Walden. He is a Major in Altmann's regiment, you know.”

  “How very convenient for the two of them! I just feel that Romberg's girls and his family deserve quite a lot better than that.”

  “Well, I'll certainly keep an eye on Anne. Anyhow, as soon as I'm finished with school, it's my intent to move swiftly!”

  “What has the end of your education to do with that?”

  “I must ensure that I have a career and can make a living. My parents would disown me the minute I even dared to mention the possibility of choosing Anne Romberg to be my wife!”

  “Why?”

  “No money, no title. That is where my father would put his foot down and scream, “You are Count George von Auersbach and don’t you ever forget that! Times haven't changed that much!”

  “And with some families probably never will, I'm afraid. George, if you ever are in need, please think to call on me.”

  “I know. What I now need more than anything is your help with Anne, and I'll be alright. I am actually glad that she is going out with Altmann!

  “You might say she's in good hands, for now!” Karl laughed.

  “She is safe, safe, safe!” George answered light-heartedly as they both spurred their horses.

  ∼

  Mozart's Magic Flute turned out to be not only a completely sold out affair, but one with more than twenty curtain calls, followed by several standing ovations, and it promised to be a great success for the next few months to come. This was nothing unusual for Vienna, where good music or a good play were concerned; but for Bruno Kraus, who bowed, smiled, and reveled in pride, it was the greatest day in his life. He had already been assured a lengthy contract, as even the maestro had commented on his superb performance of Papageno. “The best I've experienced so far!”

  “Maybe—” he thought, still elatedly bowing and smiling. “Maybe I'll be independent now and able to marry Therese!”

  The Reinhardt’s own loge, which they kept from year to year, was the scene for this very special occasion. Both parents were absent, since Otto's pain had not permitted him to attend. “Since it is going to be presented again, we shall see it another time. Aside from that, Christina, you mentioned that Max and Moritz are going to be there, and it will be a good time for Karl to become acquainted with the Rombergs’ sons as well!”

  “All right, Mama. Since we are going to be eight people tonight it will work out perfectly and thank you for letting us use the loge!”

  “Eight?”

  “Yes. The five Rombergs, George Auersbach, Karl, and I. Baron Altmann is on duty.”

  “Oh, well do have fun!”

  ∼

  It was a congenial and beautiful group, cheerfully teasing each other during the intermissions, taking the usual strolls to the tables with refreshments in the vestibule. The Romberg brothers and George von Auersbach tried to outsmart each other in paying for the bill of fare, insisting, “I am paying for Christina because she named her horse after me, my sister, because she is a Romberg, Mr. Reinhardt for the use of the loge, and Count Auersbach because we are in the presence of real nobility. After all, until now we only knew only a Baron who, by the way, hasn't made an appearance tonight.”

  “Duty!” Anne protested indignantly.

  “Very convenient,” added Moritz.

  All four girls looked radiant and Christina was especially dazzling. “A bit too much jewelry, but maybe she looks a little overdressed because my own sisters aren't wearing any jewelry,” Moritz thought.

  They were completely oblivious to stares and sideways glances, nodding to and greeting anyone they encountered with their sweetest expressions, leaving the others plenty of room for gossip and new puzzles to be solved.

  “Reinhardt, Count Auersbach, and the Rombergs? Where is this world going?” one of the husbands in the crowd grumbled in disgust. “To a horrible end!”

  “Altmann must be detained by the Major, without whose permission he is not allowed to leave. Or maybe his mother, who has just
as much command over him, is in need of his company,” George whispered to Karl.

  “Either reason is just fine with me. I wouldn't object if he had been transferred to the moon!” He smiled mirthfully at George. Christina was clinging to Max Romberg, Anne was attentive to every word George Auersbach uttered, and Therese and her brother Moritz reread the outline of the Magic Flute, so that Bruno Kraus, who knew that the Romberg all-time favorite was Schubert, wouldn't be disappointed by their unfamiliarity with Mozart's newest opera. Karl admired Louise in her incandescent blue silk gown, which he didn't doubt was one of Christina's presents to her. The elegance, flair, and serenity she presented was, however, her very own, he concluded. Tomorrow he would go to see her parents and ask for her hand in marriage. It was becoming more and more apparent to him that she did not object to being with him at every given opportunity and had lately even shown delight and happiness at being in his company. But tonight, he had to talk to Christina, as he felt her eyes probing him whenever she wasn't looking at Max. Also, since he owed her his happiness, the least he could do was to share it with her. Father would be told at breakfast, but he already knew the answer. “Whatever will make you happy, son, is fine with Mother and me!”

  He would find out tomorrow if the Rombergs were going to be as easy on him as his parents would be.

  ∼

  “I'm surprised to find you still up, Mother!” a red-faced and frustrated Christina said as she entered the foyer. Frowning, she followed her mother into the kitchen.

  “Papa asked for some of Romberg's miracle tea. It seems to really ease the pain. I just didn't want to wake up any of the servants.

  Christina ignored her mother's explanation. “Oh, I could just scream!” she grumbled, “Karl, that, that—”

  “What has he done now, Christina? Anything Papa and I should know about?”

  “Oh, Mama! He spent the entire evening flirting with Louise. Imagine...my dearest friend. You should have seen how he behaved. Oh God, it was so embarrassing. Once again, he had to find out whether he can still charm all the ladies. And this time, he tried it with Louise! If...if—” she sputtered in frustration and anger.