Yesterday Was Long Ago: Part One

by Hedy Thalberg James

  “Aside from doing him a favor right now, we will always be able to blackmail him with his harlot just in case we run into any problems with ‘our inheritance’.

  “Our plan is getting better by the hour!” Rudolf smiled, pleased, feeling completely safe in executing their well-rehearsed plot.

  “Good thing that idiot Benedict was willing to give that prostitute a ride to town. Luck seems to be on our side all the way!”

  “Here’s to our future!” both toasted each other in a very euphoric manner. Von Walden had, by sheer coincidence, become aware of a sweet-smelling substance called chloroform when visiting a friend at a military hospital in 1847. This man had been wounded by friendly fire during a war exercise and had raved to him about this great medical breakthrough. “You have no idea. No pain. It just puts one to sleep in no time at all, and you either wake up and get well, or you don’t!” he had laughed, having just had his arm amputated. “The doctors know by now, of course, what they are doing, and not to overdose you. The substance has been known and used since early 1830 mostly, however they did overdose or under-dose… so, as I said before, either you woke up, or you didn’t.”

  As of that day, Thomas von Walden had become completely obsessed by the idea of possessing such an ideal tool, and had finally been able to get a hold of a small bottle from a drunken orderly at their military hospital. He had promised to overlook his inebriated condition, saving him thus from being court-martialed by getting him transferred to his homeland in Serbia. Little did this man know that von Walden’s actions purely served his own purposes when thanking him for his kindness. Von Walden, never having been the perfect gentleman everyone thought but always having an evil nature, had been planning to get to some woman’s fortune, not having anything else but his name. He had, however, always at the last moment been found out or didn’t want to indebt himself to some ugly hag, but now he had the tool in his hand to change his future. All he had to do was find a wealthy woman. And his Rudolf just happened to know one…. the wealthiest one around.

  Rudolf had said, “All we have to do is invite a group of the wealthiest people to our New Year’s party, of which Christina Reinhardt will be one. And I can almost guarantee she will come if I invite her.” And she had. It had all worked out very easily.

  “Baron Thomas von Walden. Miss Christina Reinhardt.”

  “Delighted,” both had answered.

  ∼

  “Dear Thomas! Almost to the hour, we met two years ago,” she uttered hoarsely, her cold worsening as the day went on. Both were climbing the stairs to her room, as he had advised her to rest and drink some hot lemon tea.

  “I hope next year we shall have our own big New Year’s party,” she lied, expecting to be rescued by Karl long before that.

  “The largest Lindenfels will ever have seen!” he lied in answer, adding firmly and not so subtly, “Providing you can behave like nobility and not like a scullery maid!”

  “A scullery maid?” She feigned ignorance.

  “Yes, my darling! It was quite demeaning for me to watch that toothless old deaf-mute smiling at you, observing your absurd gesticulations!”

  “But, dear Thomas! I only was trying to wish him a happy New Year and to apologize for missing him during Christmas.”

  “You apologized to him, to a wood cutter? This is preposterous! No wonder he didn’t stop grinning. Even an imbecile like him knows that a mistress has never any cause to apologize to a servant. Yet, to my other staff, you always find cause to be rude, including our newly hired maid, who tries to please you to no end!” He accused her harshly.

  “So sorry, Thomas! It’ll never happen again, I promise. I’ve not been well lately.”

  Both, in their own way, said to themselves, “To be sure, it’ll never happen again,” as they returned to their respective rooms.

  Opening her bedroom door, she added sarcastically, “A happy New Year to you and Rudolf!”

  “We shall see you later. At least have a toast to the coming new year. By the way, I am sorry to have spoken to you so harshly, darling. I just don’t care for this Benedict with his toothless, sinister looks toward me. I did keep him on, only because of your promise to him. I can’t see for the life of me why you feel so sorry for him.”

  “If he makes you uncomfortable, dear, then he will have to go.”

  “Then I shall let Madeleine go. I want you to be happy too.”

  Both smiled at each other and their obvious lies.

  ∼

  Not one of the invited guests had declined to come to Karl’s party; all having a grand time, except for the Reinhardts. Stephany was worrying over Otto, who appeared nervous, mostly conversing with their lawyers.

  “Papa claims to have an upset stomach, but I feel that there must be something else that is not right, Karl. You too seem preoccupied tonight.”

  “Oh mother! I just feel rather uncomfortable, all these eager women again; already hinting at how much they love my children. It’s the marriage market all over again.”

  “It has been almost six years Karl. Some may be convinced that you need a wife again. You are, after all, only thirty-four years old.”

  “It just wouldn’t be fair to anyone. No one can ever replace my dear Louise. She’ll always be closer to me than anyone, no matter how lovely. I hope you do understand, mother.”

  “How well I do, son,” she replied with a sigh, very relieved, having suspected a different kind of problem.

  ∼

  Benedict could not make out where he was to take this overdressed redhead, pointing to him the direction at every turn which was ever more leading to the castle. “How strange,” he mused, since he only knew of two more estates to pass on his way to his master’s mansion. And he knew only too well that a woman of her low caliber would never get a foot through the Reinhardt’s doors. He became more and more anxious to get her to her desired destination. The only reason he had offered her a ride was to ensure being able to leave the von Walden estate in order to deliver his mistress’s urgent message to Karl Reinhardt.

  In his scribbled note he had asked for the night off, pretending to visit a dying relative, and had been amazed at the prompt consent of von Walden and Altmann. Both of them had even suggested he use their sleigh, which in fact belonged to Christina. Madeleine and he had thanked the masters and promised to return by midnight.

  “Never mind. There is no hurry, it’s a holiday!” Thomas had protested, relieved to have both of them out of the way.

  “You think there is something going on between those two?” the infidels derided.

  “Nothing would surprise me with a harlot like her, except that our lawyer is coupled up with her. This is really stooping too low!” Rudolf said in disgust. “I hope he realizes how much he is indebted to us!” Both of them smirked in agreement.

  “Well, now I’m where I wanted to go, but what about her?” Benedict thought, finally having reached the castle. He had stopped the sleigh, trying to figure out how to make her understand that this was the place he needed to go and that he had come to get someone to continue the ride with, even though no one came to his mind. To his surprise, she jumped out of the sleigh, smiling mischievously; and blowing him a kiss with one hand while holding her red wig in the other, she hastened to the castle’s side door. It was Benedict who sat there agape.

  Numb and motionless, he sat, trying to digest the unexpected turn of events, not sure whether or not he should make the incident known to Karl Reinhardt. He wondered if she had been hired to keep an eye on his mistress. If so, why only a week ago? Also, her daily disappearances which both of the masters were taking in stride, had caught his immediate attention. He was sure that Christina was afraid, as she had begged him to bring Karl Reinhardt at exactly midnight to her back door. Obviously, she was counting on all the church bells ringing, shouting and the noise of fireworks to cover her rescue without arousing any suspicions. “Well,” he thought, “there’s still plenty of time….barely nine o’clock and only
forty minutes for the ride there.” He finally descended, covering the horses with woolen blankets since the guests had taken up all the stables. “Soon, all will be over and I will be a Reinhardter once again,” he mused, in great spirits now.

  “Thank God you are back safely, Madeleine! All of us have nearly gone crazy with fear!” Ulrich Wiland’s wife greeted her courageous sister. “I’ll get Karl immediately!”

  “You had better! Something new has developed, and now, I believe, we’ll need to change our plans. Christina has been talking to Benedict in sign-language; I doubt I was the only one who saw it. He is the one who brought me back here, undoubtedly carrying a message. So far, everything has worked according to plan. We must be doubly careful not to put Christina’s life in jeopardy. Look, I even have my very own back door keys to the von Walden estate.”

  “How accommodating of them. Where is Benedict now?”

  “Possibly in the kitchen with the deaf maid, putting in perspective the things he has to tell Karl Reinhardt. Her speech is a bit slurry but easy enough to understand.”

  A Professor of Medicine and Mr. Romberg were monopolizing the attention of Stephany Reinhardt, who had her back turned to Karl as he was now being called away. He had forewarned his mother of his possible absence, claiming to want to spend some time with his children. Both children had been permitted to watch the goings on for an hour from the top of the stairs. Verena, of course, enjoyed it immensely, whereas Alex found it to be dull and boring, and returned to his soldiers early.

  Otto, who had been informed of the plan of rescuing Christina only a day ago, was so relieved, but also anxious, even though Karl’s plan seemed sound to him. They would deal with the consequences of taking Christina away from the von Walden residence through the Wilands, since in the eyes of the church, the pair was considered unmarried and living in sin, being wed only by a registrar.

  Egon and Benedict were already on the sleigh. George’s part was to secure a policeman in case of a fight or any other problems. Every detail had been worked out for any and all complications. Madeleine insisted on going along because she and Benedict had vowed to return around midnight. She had furthermore familiarized herself with the house and was able to find any room in the house in the dark. She did, however, stop to warn them. “Even though we have the full moon on our side tonight, we must still watch our every move!” Accepting her brave offer and knowing she would be very useful in their undertaking, Karl nevertheless reminded her of the possible violence she might encounter.

  She only nodded. “On Christmas Eve, I had already taken care of all the available bottles the servants were permitted to drink. Mr. Romberg’s sleeping potion caused quite an uproar then! Both Barons, although angry about the incident, had laughed at their drunken behavior, which lasted until the late morning, not one of the servants being able to make them breakfast. I obliged, of course, since no one else was able to cook. However, the Baroness became very upset with my interference and really let me feel her ire. Ever since that incident, which occurred on my second day there, she has completely ignored me, which really is not hard to understand!”

  “I know you will be loved by my sister very much after all this is over…and rewarded.”

  “You know I’m not doing it for rewards! I admire her character so very much. She has occasionally seen me snooping around, yet she has never uttered a word about it.”

  “Never any questions?”

  “Not a word. Complete distrust and even more dislike.”

  “With your rouged cheeks and charcoal on your eyebrows, no one can honestly blame her for not talking to you. Even von Walden’s lawyer remarked that you might go very far on the stage!” her sister teased.

  “Great idea! I played his stow-away mistress so well that both Barons shall vouch for my talents, if they should ever find out who I really am!”

  ∼

  Christina’s cough and lightheadedness was increasingly getting worse, the coughing so hard at times, that she blew out the candles standing nearby. She asked Thomas, as he and Rudolf entered her room carrying a silver tray with three goblets, to light at least one candle.

  “The beautiful moonlight should keep the room sufficiently lit, darling,” he chided. “I’ve brought something to drink, and a freshly sliced lemon for you, as I heard your continuous cough. You also seem to have a fever. Maybe it would be wise to fetch a doctor,” he said, pretending to be concerned.

  She, however, thinking of Karl coming to take her away, asked him to wait until morning, knowing that the best care would be back at home.

  “Then at least have a sip of cognac with some lemon juice. It’s an old remedy said to work wonders.”

  “Thank you for being so caring. Both of you. At times, I had the feeling that you didn’t like me any longer and that somehow I’d failed you.”

  Both reacted with feigned surprise. “With our involvement in the legal matters of our military courts, we’ve just been completely exhausted. We have, however, been planning to take a few weeks away from our duties to be with you more, darling,” Thomas added lightheartedly. “Let’s drink to your well-being now.”

  “Would you please squeeze the lemon for me? I feel so weak.”

  “But of course, darling. One more glass?”

  “No, thank you.”

  “Then we shall drink one for you,” Rudolf smiled, enjoying the fine aroma.

  “Speaking of quality, this is really it. No doubt it was shipped directly from the town of Cognac!” Thomas answered, refilling both their glasses for the third time.

  Christina only mumbled incomprehensible words, dropping back on her pillow and falling fast asleep.

  “This is getting better by the minute!” Rudolf was delighted, forever having counted the months, weeks, days, and now finally arriving at the last remaining minutes. “This bad cold of hers is really advantageous to us. No resistance!”

  “We might as well get it over with before she wakes with all the noise from downstairs, or perhaps another coughing spell.”

  “Good idea! It’s almost ten. Just the right time!”

  “But let’s refill our glasses once more and have a toast to our good fortune and all her money,” Thomas added, grinning hideously.

  “Our money!” Rudolf interrupted, adding, “Here’s to us, Thomas!”

  “To our life together, Rudolf!”

  Christina was breathing heavily, gasping for air, as Thomas held her up slightly, administering the chloroform until she fell sideways with a last choking sound.

  “That should do it.” He grinned without a trace of guilt or remorse, looking satisfied at Rudolf.

  “I believe so too,” Rudolf replied, taking a last glance at her ashen face, taking both hands out of his pockets and placing the small bottle on the silver tray, heading towards their bedroom. “I’ll be waiting for you, Thomas.”

  It had been a cinch. Nothing more than the equivalent of the daily routine tasks of the two seasoned officers, who had been so wrongly entrusted with power, misusing it to the utmost. Both were full of pride and satisfied in their merciless pursuit of the poor devils being tried, signing away their lives with death sentences, and taking pleasure in watching their executions. Their only contribution in life was to make it as miserable as possible for their fellow men and then sniffing it out at their pleasure.

  “I’ve left the door to her balcony slightly open and put her cover on the floor, as if it had slid off, just in case!”

  “In case of what?”

  “The redhead returning early!” he told Rudolf, contentedly changing into his pre-warmed nightgown, getting ready for their nightly ritual.

  “The time doesn’t really matter. The maid should never have left her ailing mistress. And how careless of her to leave the door open to the bitter cold.”

  “Madeleine looks very suspicious,” Thomas frowned.

  “I can’t wait to see their faces tomorrow! Our lawyer has his work cut out for him.”

  “Not if he
is as clever as I believe he is! In any case, we shall be rich soon and live just like the Reinhardts!” Thomas rejoiced.

  They both had fallen sound asleep shortly after. Madeleine had made sure to dose their favorite cognac with an extra spoonful of the sleeping potion; and since they had consumed several glasses to celebrate Christina’s untimely death, they would have quite a painful awakening in the morning.

  ∼

  “We may as well get ready to leave,” Karl suggested eagerly to his friends, who were equally anxious to go and retrieve poor Christina. Once again, they rehearsed their new plan, aided by Madeleine and Benedict’s knowledge of the layout of the house, not taking any chances so that they might bring their rescue mission to a successful conclusion. They all knew that they were dealing with two criminals who were widely known as Vienna’s blue blood butchers and perverts in officer’s uniforms.

  At Otto’s insistence, Stephany had been told, and rather than breaking down, she had told them how much she admired their courage and appreciated their willingness to undertake her daughter’s rescue. “I’ve thought of her so much, especially during Christmas, but was apprehensive to mention it due to my husband’s ill health.” It was as it always had been with Otto and Stephany: one protected the other from any unpleasantness or problems.

  “Why didn’t you talk to me, Mother?”

  “The odds of intervening successfully, let alone trying to get her out of that lion’s den, were so slim. I also had a secret contact there and know of their wicked servants and the vicious guard dogs,” she smiled at Benedict. “He’s quite a fellow!”