Marilee shook her head, not wanting to talk about last night.
“Well, whatever happened shows on your face, because your eyes are shining, and I think you’re even blushing.”
Marilee forced a laugh. “Come now, Aunt Jade. I think you want to get me married off so badly you’re letting your imagination run away with you.”
Elenore walked in, and both Jade and Marilee were taken aback by her tight, angry expression. She mumbled a halfhearted greeting, sat down, and hungrily reached for the platter of eggs and salmon.
Jade exchanged a bewildered look with Marilee, then dared to ask, “How is your mother this morning?”
“Fine,” Elenore replied curtly. “I hope you two will excuse me today, but I’ve got some personal plans.” Did she ever, she mused furiously. She was going to find Cord, because, no doubt, he would be angry with her for not showing up last night, and she wanted to let him know her goddamn hateful brother was responsible.
Marilee had never seen Elenore in such a foul mood. “Of course, we understand, but if you change your mind, we’d love to have you join us for sightseeing.”
Rudolf entered, wearing his most buoyant smile. “What’s this? My dear sister isn’t going with us today?” He knew why, of course, but did not care. He paused to kiss Marilee’s cheek before taking his seat at the head of the table, then continued to goad Elenore. “My, my, that’s a shame. I’ve got such a lovely day planned. What could be so important to rob us of your delightful company?”
Elenore’s glare was one of barely contained rage. How she ached to scream at him to go to hell. “I’m sure you have a good idea,” she said between clenched teeth.
Jade suddenly felt very uncomfortable and decided it was time to ease the tension that had descended. Brightly, she announced, “Elenore has just given me an idea. I think I’ll pass on the sightseeing, too.”
“But you have to come, Aunt Jade,” Marilee pleaded, desperation an undertone. “You heard what Rudolf said—he’s got our day already planned. We’ll both be disappointed if you don’t join us.”
Jade was not to be dissuaded. “Oh, I’ve got a feeling Rudolf wouldn’t find it too great an imposition to have to spend the whole day alone with you.”
“Not at all,” Rudolf agreed, “but what will you do if you don’t join us?”
“Have you prepared quarters for my servants?” she wanted to know, was not disappointed when he apologetically shook his head, because, although she did not want to say anything just yet, she doubted she would be staying much longer. “Well, then, I’ll just pay them a visit and see how they’re doing, maybe treat them to lunch.”
Elenore was aghast. “You mean you take your servants to lunch?”
Rudolf shot her a warning look, which she ignored, too angry to care what he thought.
Jade was momentarily taken aback by such a question and stiffly defended herself. “Well, yes. Why wouldn’t I? Even though they work for me, they can still be my friends.”
“But they are servants.” Elenore’s laugh was haughty. “I mean, one hardly socializes with one’s servants, does one?”
“One does what one wants to,” Jade crisply informed her. “At least I do.”
Elenore shook her head, still astonished. “But you—you’re a Romanov, and everyone knows—”
“Everyone knows you have a big mouth sometimes,” Rudolf quickly interjected, then apologized to Jade. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh, there’s no need for apology,” Jade said with an airy wave of her hand, attempting once more to lighten the mood. “Some people have different ideas about things, that’s all.” Dear Lord, she wished for the hundredth time she had just stayed at home and let her niece take care of herself!
It was a perfect day—a warm majestic sun, framed by a flawless peacock-blue sky, and a gentle, cooling breeze. Except for one brief interlude when Rudolf again began to pressure Marilee and which she quickly put a stop to, the day was splendid.
When they returned home, Hanisch stopped the Fiat at the back entrance, then got out to perform the usual duties of a chauffeur. Opening the door on Rudolf’s side so he could get out first and then assist Marilee, he glanced up to see Elenore running across the porch. She looked distraught, and he growled in Rudolf’s ear, “What now?”
Rudolf followed his angry gaze, saw his sister, and tensed. She was waving her arms, motioning him to hurry. Dammit, if something was amiss, did she have to let it be known in front of Marilee?
Marilee saw, of course, and wanted to know what was wrong. He mumbled it was probably something to do with his mother, thinking how he wanted to wring Elenore’s neck. He had no choice but to hold out his hand to Marilee so she could get out of the car to hear whatever ghastly news there was.
Hanisch deliberately hung back, not taking the car on to the garage, because he also wanted to know what was going on.
Elenore could contain herself no longer. “Oh, do hurry, Rudolf.” She was near tears. “It’s Mother and Frau Coltrane. There’s been a terrible row!”
“Goddammit!” Rudolf did not try to control his fury. “How in the hell did you let that happen?” He ran up the steps, Marilee right behind him.
Elenore tried to explain as they hurried inside. “I went out, but only for a little while. I couldn’t find the person I needed to see,” she added pointedly.
Rudolf didn’t care about that and said so. “Just tell me what happened here.”
“I came back and Mother was screaming at Frau Coltrane to get out of the house, that she’d not have a Romanov under her roof.”
Rudolf truly exploded then. They were inside the house, in the rear foyer. “Just tell me how the hell she found out Jade is a Romanov. I thought we agreed that we wouldn’t say anything about it!”
Marilee felt her own indignant ire rising. “Wait a minute, Rudolf. What do you mean you agreed not to say anything about it? Is it something to be ashamed of around here? I mean, we were invited as guests to your home, and nothing was ever said about hiding the fact we have Russian blood! Aunt Jade isn’t responsible for the war any more than I am, and it’s not fair—”
He turned to grasp her shoulders. “No, no, darling, you don’t understand. It has nothing to do with being ashamed of anything. It’s just that when Mother drinks too much, she gets crazy. She probably started thinking about how my stepfather died of a heart attack when the Russians invaded Galicia. Who knows? The liquor poisons her mind. I can only apologize for her behavior.”
Marilee drew in her breath and let it out slowly. She did not like the situation but could understand why Amalia would be less than tolerant, especially when she’d had too much to drink. She asked of Elenore, “Where are they now?”
Rudolf didn’t give his sister a chance to respond, curtly reminding her, “You didn’t answer my question. How did Mother find out?”
Elenore shook her head, bewildered. “I honestly don’t know. I walked in as Frau Coltrane was walking out, and Mother was ranting and raving.” She looked at Marilee. “She’s in her room and Mother is still in the parlor.”
Marilee started to go to Jade, while Rudolf could only run his fingers through his hair in agitation and say once again, “I don’t understand how she found out—”
“Because she told me, you idiot!”
They all whirled to see Amalia coming down the dimly lit hall, holding a glass in her hand and struggling to stay on her feet.
“The haughty little bitch told me! I asked her about her family, and one thing led to another, and the next thing I knew, I realized I had a goddamn Romanov in my house. I won’t have it.” She raised the hand holding the glass, pointed her index finger unsteadily at Marilee. “But you can stay, dear. My son loves you, and it doesn’t matter your father is Russian. You can’t help that. We’ll get along fine, and—”
She slumped to one side, and Rudolf managed to grab her in time to keep her from falling.
Marilee felt tears sting her eyes, and her heart went out to Rudolf
as she saw, felt, his misery and humiliation.
“Come along, Mother.” He lifted her in his arms, and as he did, the glass fell to the floor and shattered.
He started walking down the hall, intent on carrying her to her room, and as they passed Marilee, Amalia’s head lolled to one side, and she mustered a timorous smile and begged, “Please…don’t be angry. If you leave him, he’ll hate me forever…”
Marilee turned in the direction of Jade’s room, hesitated as she felt Elenore’s touch.
“She’s right, you know.”
Marilee stared at her, not understanding.
“If your aunt leaves and you go with her, Rudolf will never forgive Mother.”
Marilee did not know what to say, knew only that she wanted to get to Jade and hear exactly what had happened. She hurried on her way with Elenore gazing miserably after her.
Rudolf did dump Amalia on the bed this time, teeth grinding together in fury. It was all he could do in his rage not to start pummeling her with the pillows…or worse. Damn her!
He turned sharply at the sound of footsteps, was relieved to see Hanisch.
Their eyes met in unspoken agreement.
It had to happen tonight.
Chapter Fourteen
Marilee knocked, and when Jade did not respond, she opened the unlocked door and walked in to see that her aunt had already started packing.
“There’s no need to say anything,” Jade said without glancing up as she crammed clothes into a wardrobe trunk. “It’s best I leave. The sooner the better. I shouldn’t have come, anyway.”
“Neither should I!”
At that, Jade straightened. “Please don’t say that. Rudolf can’t help what his mother says or does. She’s a sick woman, and he has a pitiful situation on his hands. And now that she knows I’m a Romanov, it will only make things worse. It’s best I go. Besides”—she managed to smile—“you two will have more time to get to know each other with me not around.”
Marilee shook her head stubbornly. “If you leave, I’m leaving, too.”
“Nonsense!” Jade turned back to her packing. “I’ll call a taxi and get myself a room at Cavasia’s hotel tonight so we can take the first train out in the morning. Frankly I wish we could leave on the midnight train. The sooner the better.”
Marilee could not bear the thoughts of her going. “Wait till tomorrow, please. Maybe Rudolf can straighten things out with his mother. When she’s herself again, she’s going to feel awful about what happened, and even worse when she realizes you left before she could apologize and make things right.”
Jade shook her head adamantly. “Don’t you remember what Rudolf said about how his stepfather died of a heart attack when Russia invaded Galicia? His mother blames me for that because, to her, I’m representative of the Czar and the imperialism she blames for her husband’s death. Drunk or sober, she’ll hate me, too, now that she knows I’m a member of that family, and it can’t help but put a strain on your relationship with Rudolf.
“No,” she repeated, “I’m leaving. She ordered me out of her house, and even though it’s sad it turned out this way, I’d been thinking about going, anyway. I want to go home, to wait for Colt and Travis and be with my grandchildren. This is your future, Marilee. Not mine.”
My future, Marilee silently scoffed. Why was it everyone wanted to plan her life for her? Didn’t what she wanted count…even if she didn’t know what it was she did want? Last night something wonderful had happened, and if she never learned the identity of the man responsible, she would forever be in his debt for the awakening of a new self-awareness, for she had learned one important thing—there was nothing wrong with her! Rudolf just didn’t make her feel like a woman—the way she so desperately wanted, and needed, to feel.
“I won’t allow you to go with me,” Jade went on to say. “Besides, if you left, too, Rudolf would blame his mother, and the poor soul has enough trouble without her son hating her forever.”
That, Marilee dismally agreed, was true. Besides, she was not altogether sure she wanted to go back to Spain. She had her own money. She could stay till things were smoothed over between Rudolf and his mother, then find a small apartment in Zurich and live there till it was safe to return to Paris and Daniberry. But, of course, she was not about to tell Jade of her plans, because she’d have a fit to think of her living alone.
“If you feel so sorry for her,” Marilee suddenly pointed out, “why are you leaving? Rudolf will be angry with her over that, you know. What not stay a few more days just to smooth things over?”
“I’m sorry. It’s best I leave now.”
“But will you at least wait till morning?”
Jade sighed. “I guess so.”
Marilee grinned, elated. “Good. Maybe by then I can change your mind.”
Jade knew that was not going to happen but did not say so, and Lord, she hated to lie, but she had no intention of staying till morning. As soon as she could sneak away, she would. “I’m going to call a taxi to take this trunk on to the train station and get it checked.”
Marilee then left to find Rudolf. He was in the parlor, sitting by the fireplace looking doleful and forlorn as he sipped a brandy.
Marilee watched him from the doorway for a moment before entering. She revered him as a friend, could not bear to see him so distressed. Walking over, she knelt before him and gently said, “Don’t feel bad, Rudolf. And don’t be angry with your mother. Drinking is a sickness. She can’t help herself.”
He shook his head. “There’s no excuse for what she did. How is Jade?” he asked worriedly.
“She’s upset. She’s in her room, packing, determined to leave. I got her to wait till morning, but she’s having her trunk sent to the station tonight.”
Rudolf suppressed a gasp of joy. Everything was falling into place. When Jade disappeared during the night, Marilee would merely think she’d not kept her promise to stay till morning.
Struggling to keep his voice even so his apprehension would not show, he pressed for reassurance. “You’re sure she won’t leave till morning? We have till then…to change her mind?” he hesitantly added.
Marilee nodded.
Reaching to lovingly caress her cheek with his fingertips, he whispered, “I’ll make it all up to you, I swear. I want only sunshine for you, Marilee, the happiness of sunshine and the contentment of blue skies…and love.”
Marilee tensed, then withdrew from his touch. “You don’t owe me anything, Rudolf. And you mustn’t think any of this is your fault. Now…” She got to her feet, escaping his attempted embrace. “It’s time to dress for dinner.”
He did not protest. He also had things to do, and it was difficult to keep from trembling in anticipation.
Dinner was uncomfortable for everyone, a meal eaten in silence. Jade and Elenore finished quickly and left the room as soon as they could.
“I think we should retire to the parlor for a sherry,” Rudolf said when at last he and Marilee were alone.
Marilee agreed, wanting to speak her mind and get it over with.
When they were settled, once more before the fireplace, she did not give him a chance to embrace her or kiss her, for she maneuvered herself to the far end of the sofa and turned sideways to face him squarely as she firmly declared, once and for all, “I think it’s time we understood each other, Rudolf.”
He was momentarily taken aback but murmured, “Well, yes, I suppose—”
“I don’t want to marry you,” she rushed on to say. “Not now. Maybe not ever. There is nothing wrong with me. Nothing wrong with you. We just weren’t meant for each other, that’s all. I like you for a friend, and maybe once I thought I might be falling in love with you. But I’m not. Someday I might feel different, but for now, I won’t consent to be your wife.”
Rudolf listened, wide-eyed and astonished. Never had he heard her sound so—so in control. She was firm, resolute, and he could tell by the way she held herself, looked at him, that if he made one move towar
d her right then, she’d push him away. With a nervous little laugh, he said, “You don’t mean this, Marilee, any of it. You’re just angry about my mother causing your aunt to leave, and you won’t admit it, but you’re mad all the same and this is your way of punishing me. You love me, and you know it.”
Staunchly, she disagreed and pointed out, “I never led you on. I never said I loved you. I only agreed to give us time to find out how we feel about each other, and you wouldn’t give me that. You’ve pressured me, and that’s not fair.”
Infuriated, he could only tightly mumble, “I see!” and reach for the bottle of sherry on the coffee table.
“My aunt and your mother have nothing to do with it.”
“That, I don’t see!” he snapped irritably, then asked incredulously, “And you accuse me of being unfair? It’s certainly not my fault your aunt hasn’t got sense enough to keep her mouth shut about being a Romanov, for God’s sake. Anyone with a grain of sense would know that’s not something you brag about these days, especially to an Austrian!”
Marilee was struggling for control but could feel her temper rising. “Then, you should have told us that before you invited us here.”
He nodded, laughing cynically. “Oh, I should’ve known there would be a problem, all right. Imperialists are like that—bragging about who they are to make sure everybody else knows. And besides, we both know the only way I got you here was to invite her, too.”
That did it.
And Rudolf knew it.
Marilee bolted up from the sofa, and he was right behind her to grab her arm and hold her back, instantly contrite. “Please, forgive me. I didn’t mean it. It’s just that I love you, and you’re making me crazy.”
Marilee sighed, sank back onto the sofa once more. “Above all, I want us to be friends, and friends aren’t supposed to hurt each other.”
“Oh, God, Marilee…” He sat down beside her, tried to take her in his arms, but she struggled against him. “Don’t you know I’d never intentionally hurt you? And you might think you don’t love me, but you do. You’ve just got so much on your mind right now. Thanks to my mother, your aunt is leaving, and you’re worried about that. And you’ve got your father to be concerned about, too. Don’t you think I know all that?”
Love and Triumph: The Coltrane Saga, Book 8 Page 10
