Yesterday Was Long Ago: Part One

by Hedy Thalberg James

  “I’ll wait for her return!” he said, with a little more self-assurance than Hannes had seen on him in the past few days. “And I left word for her that I would be waiting for her at Prachers daily. I have a feeling that the Kronthalers will arrange a little rendezvous for Victoria and me. No doubt they are quite well informed of her father’s opposition!”

  “And if all goes well, Philip? Have you thought about any commitment?”

  “Ever since I had the good fortune to meet Victoria! I never told you that, but I told Papa on his deathbed and I do hope he heard me! It’s been a year, now, that I have thought of it and I do wish that I would have had the courage to have told you and Papa about it earlier. But I am sure. Yes, I am sure that I am very much in love with Victoria!”

  “It’s not necessarily enough to be in love with someone beautiful to spend a whole life with them. I have known people who, after years of marriage, have become extremely disappointed and disillusioned. To be very candid with you, I am a bit afraid that you may have developed an obsession concerning a girl who, in your opinion, is very beautiful and very different from all your previous acquaintances. And this presents a new challenge to you. What if you have a fight ahead of you in order to achieve your goal? Quite exciting at the moment, I’m sure. But what we, especially your poor mother, are most distressed about is—” Hannes’ voice sounded strained and worried. “What type of a social life will a marriage with the daughter of a Prussian Count present for you? How many of your friends will you be able to keep? People who have known our late Papa will question not only yours, but our good judgment, if not our sanity! A Reinhardt and a Prussian? Have you thought about being excluded from most parties? I know they mean a lot to you, or at least they have in the past. You must think about later on. In time, you might get bored and start to live with bitter regret! And what about the girl who would have to bear your bad moods?” Hannes sighed. “Are you going back to your old, independent ways?”

  “You may not believe me, Father, but I am a lot more worried about having a family life, and that includes children, and everything entailed by it. A lot more than a social life! To be sure, this so-called social life has mostly served me as a substitute and a refuge from my actual loneliness. I believe in the past, you yourself have said this much also! And what of it? There are only two or three powerful titular cliques in Vienna, aside, of course, from those that belong to the court. And who would care to belong to this useless nobility anyhow? Names and fortunes only, otherwise they represent nothing!” He paused. “Lillian and Kurt are actually the only real noble family I can think of at the moment!

  “I’m glad you added this, Philip.”

  “I really do love them and their way of life! Horses and farm life. You know how much Lillian and Kurt mean to me!” he replied sincerely. “And there is also yours and mother's circle of friends that busy themselves in medicine, science, or philanthropy, immeasurably more noble than all of Vienna’s formal nobility!” Raising his eyebrows, he smirked sarcastically.

  After a slight pause, giving Hannes time to digest all the outpour, Philip continued anew. “Be this all as it may, there is also another younger, ‘future set’ on the horizon, which I am proud to be a part of. We are quite industrious and civic minded, as well as generous, and are trying to bring about better working conditions and a new infrastructure to this city. We are really trying to continue what Mayor Lueger, Grandfather, Uncle Robert, and so many others have started. Observing their progressive endeavors and ideas have so changed my life! I shall always be grateful! Believe me, it’s not because of Victoria being German that I have indeed become less prejudice of foreigners coming into Vienna at a fast pace. Most of them are very honest and motivated and just seeking to work here. There is only so much one can do!”

  “Philip! How can you say that? Austria is the most nondiscriminatory monarchy in Europe! Frankly speaking, it’s not a nation like any other. Just consider the diversity of it’s over fifty million inhabitants.”

  “Mostly subjects, Father.”

  “Nevertheless, only one-fifth speaks German! The others speak Hungarian and all of the other Slavic languages, not to mention the Italians. One could go on and on.”

  “And stop when it comes to the Prussians?”

  “Well, if one thinks about it, isn’t it quite justified? However, come to think of it, over the past thirty years we have been left in peace,” Hannes corrected himself.

  “Twenty-nine, Father, almost to the day! Contrary to all your previous statements, might there be a chance for me to live happily ever after, even with a Prussian in the family?” Philip asked, a bit more relieved, seeing his father soften on the subject.

  “That, my son, will depend on the young lady herself. And for the sake of both of you, I hope you succeed.”

  “Then I can only say to you, as I had to grandfather, ‘if only you could meet her, you’d approve’!”

  Hannes shrugged, but more encouragingly than not, and looked to get his coat and satchel, ready to leave for home and face Verena again. But Philip was, by far, not ready to let him go. “May I also tell you of my immediate intentions, Father?”

  “But of course, you should. But let’s talk while you accompany me on my walk home.”

  “Maybe I will be coming home soon, but only after I have apologized to Mother via letter. I’m afraid I have hurt her badly and she might not be ready to see me as of yet. For now, let’s just take a little detour.”

  “I hope it has taught you never to speak in anger or haste. And you should also remember that this is also a good prescription for a good marriage!” Hannes emphasized, closing the door to his office. “Now let me hear about your plans, son.”

  “As the six-month mourning period will be over by October, I thought I’d like to get married at that time, providing that I can convince Victoria. We could then go on an extended honeymoon. Perhaps to the South of Italy, France, and Switzerland. She has an affinity for skating, and I’m told the St. Moritz skating rinks are the finest to be found.”

  “You really have made plans, haven’t you?” Hannes asked, amused by the display of his son’s élan.

  He, however, could not be stopped now. “And on the business side of my plan, right after Easter, I’ll give that good for nothing Auersbach clan one year of notice to finally move out of Grandfather’s and Louise’s dream house on the marketplace. It’s in dire need of repair, and not only are they never taking care of anything going wrong there, but they are also constantly late on the rent! I suppose Grandfather let them stay there in memory of his friend George, but it seems that none of his descendants are ever going to be able to live up to him, squandering all his money and constantly fighting their infantile duels! I have absolutely nothing in common with them and there are plenty of other Auersbachs around to choose from.”

  “Neither do we, Philip. I am glad that you have the Rombergs and Wilands for your friends. They surely are worthy and hard-working citizens. And how happy we can be to continue our and their forefather’s friendships!” Hannes hugged his son in parting when they arrived at the crossing, where each went on his own way.

  25

  Manfred von Wintersberg, with his expressionless face, could have fooled anyone, but he was actually counting the days of his wife and daughter’s return. After they had arrived, he went out of his way to be as kind and considerate as possible, carefully avoiding any questions concerning Oscar's re-burial or any details thereto, remembering Consul Kronthaler’s warning that, “every individual reacts differently to the death of a loved one and that only time is the great healer.”

  Lotte and Victoria, however, did not rely on time to heal their wounds, and he had to once more accommodate the tremendous change in both of them. It seemed to him that they both had become even more headstrong, which certainly was not to his liking. Victoria was still not speaking to him and stayed in her room from the minute he set foot in the house. Lotte barely acknowledged his presence and busied herself in
shuffling through pages of journals she had apparently brought back from Berlin. The atmosphere was, therefore, very tense and it was certainly not made easy for him to start a conversation. He cleared his throat several times before he finally gulped, “I’ve decided to buy a new piano for Victoria. A Bösendorfer! The best craftsmanship Austria has to offer! I read an advertisement and went right out to see about it. It’s very beautiful!” he finished with pride.

  Lotte only shrugged indifferently and he rasped again, “Some gentleman had ordered it for his ailing wife, but since it takes over a year to be finished, his wife has died in the meantime and never even saw it. It arrived two months too late!” He tried very hard to put feeling into his voice.

  “I’m sure Victoria is quite satisfied with the present one.”

  “But the child was always so eager to have a Bösendorfer!”

  Lotte could not ignore him any longer and said intently, “Since when have you started caring what anyone of us has ever wanted? Our whole, miserable life has always consisted of only pleasing you!”

  He cringed as though a whip had struck him, but soon regained his composure and replied very calmly. “This is the way that it is supposed to be! You knew that when you took my name, it would make you my property. You just have to read the Bible!” he smirked.

  “I don’t have to again! I have never believed what is written in that book! God to me means love! Not cruelty, Manfred!”

  His fury suddenly mounted as his face turned an almost purplish red. If ever in his life he had been something other than a Prussian officer, then it was a Prussian Lutheran. It had always been a toss-up. Being a diplomat was only a profession that provided him with the more pleasant commodities in life and a standing in society, which did not mean that he had ever been diplomatic or would aspire to be so.

  “Quiet, Lotte!” he screamed. “I have always known, and should have today also, that it never pays to be kind! And the fool that I am, I had thought about a few great ideas before we would leave for Spain!”

  She interrupted his tirade and gave him some of her own. “Victoria has just returned from Berlin, having to transfer Oscar from the poor man’s cemetery to our family’s grave-side. I am still very upset and so is our daughter! Have you no feelings, no remorse? Where in God’s name is your decency?”

  “I’ll let your verbal abuse go for today and mark it up to your present state of mind. But tomorrow, we shall all sit down and it will be I who is doing the talking again. I am not about to let women rule my life; in this case my wife and daughter! Ha! I am still the provider in this family, and a good one at that! Is there anything amiss in this house? Look around and tell me what we don’t have!” He was well on his way to becoming his old self again, all good intentions thrown to the wind.

  “Nothing has changed!” Lotte thought, and got up and left the room. It was just exactly as she had expected it to be, only this time, it didn’t make any difference. She no longer had to depend on him as she had to so many times before. The visit to Berlin, sad and tragic as it was, had also proved to be a blessing in disguise. Upon her arrival, Lotte had gone to see her oldest brother to have him agree to bury Oscar in the family grave. Although she had not seen Friedrich for quite some time, she had always kept in close touch. And her consoling letters during his late wife’s illness had been a great comfort to him and had brought them even closer. Upon hearing, dumbfounded, of Manfred’s cruel decision to put his only son in a pauper’s grave, he felt that a real intimate brother to sister talk was long overdue. The fact that he had never really liked Manfred was secondary. First, he had to be concerned with his sister and niece’s welfare. He had not only provided them with a considerable amount of money, but also offered them an unlimited stay at his estate, which he, as the eldest of the family, had inherited, and had made it sound as if they would be doing him some kindness.

  “My household is in dire need of a mistress! Having been a widower for the past five years has not left me with much vigor. Sometimes I feel as if it’s not even worth it to get up in the mornings. But when I hear the servants squabbling, I know that I must force myself to make an appearance in order to settle their differences.” With a lump in his throat, he continued. “It’s not as if I could call on any of my children, with all of them living too far away and their less than frequent visits. I don’t know why they all had to move to the city, but I guess they preferred it. It was not easy to accept, Lotte! So, if you feel that things are not going to get better for you in Vienna, I would welcome both of you with open arms. I am a very lonely man!”

  Just to know that they had this offer had given them immeasurable strength, and the assurance that if it should become necessary, they would not be at the mercy of Manfred von Wintersberg any longer. She had, therefore, not held back with her anger and it was now time for Manfred to be challenged by their newly acquired security.

  ∼

  The next day, von Wintersberg unexpectedly let the maid have the day off, which was welcome opportunity for Lotte to send a letter to Irma Kronthaler. It had been an ongoing practice since Lotte and Irma had become friends. Lotte, in her letter, invited Irma to the café Pracher for a chat, mentioning that family concerns would be the subject. Victoria also had included a short note to Philip in which she noncommittally replied to his former letter, agreeing to have a few words with him. She had, on purpose, held the note very reserved and gave away nothing, to make sure he was aware she would not be easy prey for him. If Philip had expected a more spontaneous answer to his letters and telegrams, he might be slightly disappointed.

  Arriving at the dinner table on time, as usual, his monocle in place and his pocket watch in hand, so as to be able to correct any tardiness, the Count solemnly awaited both ladies. He did not feel at all at ease taking a seat between his wife and daughter, both of them only slightly giving him a nod before reciting a short prayer. They all ate silently. Martha, who was well on her way to the Kronthalers, had left a casserole dish on the table, but none seemed to be eager to eat. Finally, Manfred stated pontifically, “I have an important list in front of me.” He cleared his throat nervously and continued. “With all the many interruptions lately, I haven’t been able to say half of what I intended. As of right now, I will not be tolerating any remarks unless I ask for them. And any type of denial on your parts is out of the question!” he said scornfully, glancing at Lotte in particular.

  “As I have already said yesterday, we are going to be leaving for Madrid. I am sure your mother has related the good news to you, Victoria. But before our departure, I thought it an excellent idea to enjoy ourselves at the health spa in Baden-Baden. You might find the tennis courts in better shape! As with everything else in this town, Vienna’s are in deplorable condition!” He might as well have spoken to marble statues, which would possibly have given him more of a reaction by tipping over. “In your absence, I have also taken the initiative to check the background of some suitors for you, Victoria! There are quite a few who are constantly inquiring about you. And I am talking about refined Germans in our Corps of Diplomats!” he declared proudly. “I’m quite fearful that once in Spain, you might encounter all of these rumored Romeos and Don Juans. You are, after all, very beautiful!” he soothed, again clearing his throat, pride welling up.

  “Aha! Now he wants to get rid of me!” Victoria thought, but she did not utter a word. She soon found her suspicions confirmed as he continued.

  “One must take into account that you are twenty-five years of age. At that age, most ladies are already married with a family of their own!” Again, he looked from one to the other, hoping for some kind of favorable response. But again, there was none. “You’d better say something!” He frowned, irritated. “I am not accustomed to being ignored in my position as a diplomat and I won’t stand for it here!”

  “We are only following your orders!” Lotte said matter-of-factly.

  “Oh, pardon me! I am not used to that at all!” he replied in annoyance, convinced she was ba
ntering with him.

  “Well then, Manfred, if you insist! Victoria and I are not going to Spain,” she said calmly but firmly.

  His face tensed up and it took on the appearance of a distorted mask. “Would you repeat that, Lotte?”

  “With pleasure! We are not going with you. Anywhere. Now that you have eliminated Oscar from your life, you are setting your goals on Victoria and soon it will be my turn. And regardless of what you might believe, we are not your property! By or through marriage, or whatever you want to call our togetherness, this union had started to crumble years ago, and with Oscar's death, it has finally fallen totally to the ground!”

  “That syphilis-ridden pimp, whose latter years revolved only around harlots? He’s bringing our marriage down? You don’t know what you’re saying, Lotte! We had a good marriage!” he screamed in an unbelieving and shrill voice, searching nervously for his cane. “I have always been a happy man!”

  They both laughed with mirth, and Lotte replied coldly. “You were a happy man! Oh yes! But what about our poor son who had not known one single day of happiness in his life? Forget Victoria and me! If ever anything good came out of our constant sufferings, it is that it made us strong. I am convinced that Victoria and I shall be able to handle anything alone!” Having said that, Lotte arose, motioning for Victoria to follow her.

  Manfred’s head was spinning in full circles. He was still struggling to get to his feet. Usually, there was always someone nearby to assist him, but both women had already left and probably wouldn’t have helped him had they been about. He became suddenly aware of the fact that life as it had been would never be the same for him again. He was unable to achieve a picture of the woman he had been married to for twenty-seven years! “Totally unrecognizable!” he thought, again trying to get up, only to fall back into his chair. He finally pulled himself up and realized that he had to come to terms with his lot.

  The prospect of a transfer to Madrid became unrealistic at present and with no alternative at hand to his dilemma, he saw himself forced to turn down the much-wanted change. One was practically required to have a wife, at least at his position. It was mostly only for show, but nonetheless required. No wife, no guarantee for promotion. A separation was, therefore, unacceptable! A divorce, out of the question! He envisioned Ambassador von Ritter and there were the Kronthalers! Although better friends of Lotte and Victoria, the Consul was nevertheless his superior and outranking him. Oscar's face was presently swimming in front of him; a boy he had despised from early childhood on, just because he had shown a strong artistic inclination and just as strongly loathed the military. The first von Wintersberg ever to do so!