Eternal Melody Read online

  “Luke, thank you so much for everything you showed me today. It was a day that I will surely never forget.”

  When she would have reached out her hand to shake his, Luke caught her delicate fingers inside his grip and lifted them to his mouth. One by one he softly kissed her slender fingers as she stood motionless, unreasonably thrilled by that slight contact.

  “It is a day I surely will never forget either.” Luke said in a low, intimate tone before clasping her face between his hands and kissing her firmly but tenderly on the lips.

  Startled, Rebecca inhaled sharply before submitting to the sweet force of Luke’s embrace, rubbing her lips tentatively against his. As Luke began boldly to deepen the kiss, the door to Rebecca’s chamber swung open violently. Rebecca gasped, breaking off the kiss and cringing with bitter shock as she recognized the faces of Gregory and Ethel.

  Chapter Six

  Luke took a defensive step forward, furious for the interruption of these strangers--- trespassers---who had somehow broken into Rebecca’s room.

  “Just who do you think you are?” His voice was a beastly roar that caused Ethel to shrink back into the room and Gregory to glower menacingly. “How dare you invade these private quarters?”

  Before he could rant any further, Rebecca hissed urgently, “Luke, please! This is my brother and sister-in-law!”

  Luke’s eyes widened with this new knowledge, and he refrained from spouting the enraged words that were rolling over his tongue.

  Gregory stepped out into the hallway and sneered, “Thank you for that lovely introduction, Rebecca. It’s hard to believe that you’re not even three months out of the United States and already behaving like a whore.”

  Rebecca flinched at her brother’s crude words, then grimaced as she noted the supremely haughty look on Ethel’s chubby face. Ethel Meadow stood barely five feet tall, but had an obnoxious personality the size of her blubbery body.

  “How dare you speak to me that way?” Rebecca demanded angrily. “This is my friend, Luke Springwell.”

  “Friend? That’s an interesting term for it.” Ethel taunted from the doorway, as the greasy, unkempt cape of her mousy brown hair tumbled past boxy hips.

  “Shut up Ethel!” Rebecca screamed, instantly mortified that she had let Luke see her temper flare, but unable to rein in her emotions at this galling moment. “What in the world are you two doing here anyway?”

  Gregory explained gruffly, “After you so viciously broke Grandmother’s heart with that farewell epistle, we had to take the poor woman across the seas to see her precious little Rebecca.”

  Immediately, Rebecca sensed that he was lying, as her grandmother’s heart might have been pained, but not broken, with the news of her trip to Europe. Her grandmother loved her too much to behave so selfishly. This cataclysmic arrival in Vienna could only be the artifice of Gregory and Ethel, the laziest and most egotistical parents ever to exist. The words Gregory spoke next confirmed her viewpoint.

  “Poor baby Annabelle was also devastated by your rude departure, crying all day and night. We couldn’t explain to the baby that you had decided on a self-seeking whim to chase after a stage career, so she is here with us as well. You’ve done very well to turn all our lives upside down.”

  Rebecca looked at him disgustedly, “I’ve done nothing of the sort! Ryan and I made the joint decision to come to Vienna in search of a more stimulating life. As unmarried adults, we have the right to do that, you know!”

  She shook her head in wild despair, still not quite believing that Gregory and Ethel were in her private space. Suddenly, she remembered Luke and how he had been standing quietly by, beholding the whole disastrous scene. She turned to him with a grave expression.

  “Luke, this is terribly humiliating. I don’t even know what to say.”

  “Say goodbye to your paramour because we need to have a family meeting!” Ethel interjected outrageously and, in that moment, Rebecca could have derived enormous pleasure from whacking her oily face until it bruised dark purple.

  Luke spoke up finally, but in a voice as intimate as though he and Rebecca were the only ones present. “Rebecca, would you like me to stay, or would you be more comfortable if I left?”

  She looked gently at him, relieved that he did not seem aghast by the antics of her family. “I need to sort out some business with my family, but thank you for asking.”

  She then fell mute, desperate to be alone with him and continue the kiss that they had started, to carry on her life like the grown woman she was. But first she had to battle with her ill-timed relatives. That was likely to be a display of fury that he would not want to see.

  “Very well, Rebecca. You know where to find me if you need anything.” Luke squeezed her hand reassuringly before turning to leave.

  She stared after him with a swelling heart, wondering frantically if Gregory and Ethel had just ruined any future possibilities with the man. In slow motion, Rebecca turned to face her relatives with a murderous glower in her dagger-spewing eyes.

  “How dare you? What is the meaning of this? I live and pay rent here, and I will not have you barging in on my property nor on my personal affairs, in which you have no interest whatsoever!” Rebecca was just getting warmed up, but Gregory nonchalantly interrupted her escalating tirade.

  “Dear sister, your behavior is appalling. I never heard you speak this way to me before. Perhaps there’s some sort of poison in Viennese drinking water that strips one of all decorum? That could be the only plausible explanation for this unacceptable treatment of your eldest brother.”

  Gregory’s arrogant monologue made Rebecca feel as though she were about to implode if someone didn’t explain to her, in a considerate adult manner, just what was going on here.

  “Gregory!” Rebecca gritted, exasperated, “stop dancing around the subject and tell me why in the world you’re here! Don’t you have a job to worry about back home?”

  Gregory and Ethel exchanged a secretive look that made Rebecca arch a suspicious eyebrow, but she said nothing. If she were going to get the truth, it would have to be from Ryan. These two evil jesters clearly had no intention of explaining themselves.

  “Fine, don’t answer me, but please get out of my way. I’ve been out all day and need to retire to bed. I start a job tomorrow and need to awake refreshed.” Rebecca pushed her way past Ethel, thinking glumly of her pending first day as a maid.

  Unbelievably, Ethel said, “My husband and I will inhabit this room now. You’ll have to find yourself another.”

  If Rebecca had wanted to strike Ethel before, the impulse was exponentially greater after the portly woman uttered those callous words. Clenching her hands into fists at her sides, Rebecca said through clenched teeth, “No, you and my brother will have to find yourselves another room. Today is Sunday, and the leasing office is closed. But if it were open, I am quite certain the secretary, Beatrice, would support me in the fact that this floor is reserved only for women, not for married couples. You will have to see tomorrow if there are any more rooms to rent.” Rebecca concluded, praying that all the rooms would be occupied. Then, assaulted with a fresh concern, she demanded, “Where is Grandmother?”

  “We put her in a hotel with Annabelle.” Gregory clipped.

  “Which hotel?” Rebecca persisted, further outraged by Gregory’s lack of concern for the matriarch of the Meadow family.

  “Just down the road, number five hundred twenty-five, I believe, not far from the Ringstrasse.” Gregory provided, and Rebecca felt a little comforted, as the Ringstrasse was a lovely area of Vienna, a large circular boulevard bustling with museums, cafes, and universities.

  “Then I suggest you and Ethel find yourselves rooms there as well. Now please leave me alone. I have just been stricken with a pounding headache and must go to sleep before I faint.” Rebecca exaggerated, though her head had begun to dully throb from the stressful encounter.

  To Rebecca’s relief, Gregory finally relented. “Ethel and I will find accommodat
ions for tonight, but this discussion is not over. We shall be back in the morning.”

  Rebecca smirked triumphantly, knowing that she would be at work when he came back. Gregory really was a poor listener, she thought, as she had moments ago told him that she was to begin a new job on the morrow. Gregory and Ethel filed out of the room, and Rebecca marginally resisted the compulsion to slam the door so hard that the impact would rattle the window panes.

  Minutes after they left, Rebecca hurried downstairs to find Ryan. From the hallway, she could hear a somber melody flowing from his violin. Rebecca did not want to interrupt her brother in the midst of his art, but she had no choice. She knocked firmly on the door.

  “Becky, come on in.” Ryan opened the door and looked at her with a compassionate expression that told her indisputably that he knew what was going on.

  “Ryan, will you please tell me why Gregory and Ethel are in Vienna? They concocted some ridiculous story about Grandmother and Annabelle missing me so much that they had to bring them here! But I want you to tell me the truth.” She implored desperately.

  “Sit down, Becky.” Ryan motioned towards the corner of the room where a round wooden table sat with two chairs.

  Rebecca plopped into the seat.

  “Gregory lost his job at the steel mill. It happened just two days after we departed Michigan. When Grandmother told him that you and I had come to Europe, he saw that as a perfect opportunity to cash in and lead the life of leisure he’s always coveted.” Ryan saw that Rebecca was staring at him in blatant perplexity, so he explained. “Gregory and Ethel seem to think that if you’re an opera singer in Vienna, you will make a fortune. They also fancy that they’ll be able to live off of this fortune.”

  Rebecca had been sitting rigidly on the chair, listening intently to Ryan’s account, but when he revealed Gregory and Ethel’s true intentions, she jumped up like a feral animal on the attack in the wilderness. “What?! Come again? Please tell me that you’re joking, Ryan.” She looked pleadingly at her brother, not willing to believe that Gregory and Ethel expected her to be their benefactress.

  Ryan folded his hands and looked down absently at them, despising his role as messenger of ill tidings. “I’m so sorry, Becky. I wish I could tell you that it’s not true. But it is.”

  “So Gregory just came right out and admitted that?” Rebecca asked as she wildly paced the narrow confines of the room.

  “Not in so many words, but he did strongly allude to it by asking what part you had gotten in the orchestra and how much you would be paid. When I told him that there had been no more singing roles and that you were to stand by as an unpaid understudy, he and Ethel exchanged a transparent look that gave them both away.”

  Rebecca recalled vividly the look that Ryan must have seen, as she had just bore witness to it in her chamber and knew it amounted to deception.

  “What else did they say?” Rebecca asked with a sick feeling in her stomach.

  “Gregory said that since you indirectly dragged them across continents that you should be

  responsible for the outcome.”

  “Why do they keep blaming me? You also came to Europe of your own volition.” Rebecca pointed out, trying to make sense of the whole situation.

  “Yes, I did, and I reminded them of that. But they have stars in their eyes, Becky. They truly believe that you will become a famous singer and provide a decadent lifestyle for them, that it is your duty to do so.”

  “Well at least they think highly enough of my singing to imagine that I’ll become famous.” Rebecca snorted cynically. “What kind of provider is Gregory anyhow? I can’t believe that he would actually want to live off the earnings of his baby sister. It seems somehow emasculating.”

  “I agree. I certainly wouldn’t want you to support me. But Gregory has always been cut from different clay. Being married to that princess Ethel hasn’t helped develop his character either. She expects to do nothing and gain everything.” Ryan mused.

  “Well at least they’re compatible, then. Though you’d never know it by the way they interact.”

  Rebecca sat back in the wooden chair across from Ryan, grateful that she had at least one sibling with whom she could speak freely. She did not, however, feel comfortable enough to raise the subject of Luke and how the confrontation had occurred in his presence.

  “What do you think I should do, Ryan? I mean, first thing after work tomorrow I’m going to see Grandmother and then…”

  Ryan interrupted. “Did you say work? I haven’t even had a chance to ask you if you found anything. Attending rehearsals and then the symphony performance with Luke has precluded me from doing all else the past few days.”

  “I know. But let’s not talk about my work, it’s not important. Suffice it to say that I am legitimately employed and will commence my duties tomorrow.”

  Ryan peered at her curiously, wondering why she would be so secretive. “Becky, you know I’m not going to bid you good night until you tell me what you do. Just spill it. I promise I won’t judge.” Ryan said sincerely, sensing that Rebecca had found a post that was less than prestigious.

  “I’m a maid, Ryan. A maid. Are you happy now? The job pays cash, and I need it in order to pay rent.” She turned her face away, embarrassed.

  “Becky, why are you looking as though you’re ashamed? That’s as honest work as any! At least you have a job, which is more than I can say for our brother. If anyone should be doing a job that is less than spectacular, it’s him, the husband and new father. I’m proud of you that you got this job. It just confirms how determined you are.”

  Rebecca had the courage to meet her brother’s gaze and gave him an impulsive hug and kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, Ryan. I should have known you would react with such love and encouragement. I’m going up to my room now, but we’ll talk tomorrow and iron out this whole sticky mess. Good night…I mean Gute Nacht.” She managed a small smile.

  Ryan replied solemnly, “Gute Nacht, Becky. Don’t worry about a thing. Music might sound dissonant in the black of night, but all will ring in harmony come the morning light.”

  Chapter Seven

  Rebecca suffered a fitful night of sleep, her comfort once again compromised by the horrendous mattress. But her racing mind also kept her from slumber, as she tormented herself speculating what Luke was thinking after the humiliating hallway showdown. Worries about how Gregory and Ethel’s presence in Vienna could affect her career also plagued her through the long hollow night. By the time the waxing sun flooded the room, Rebecca was a wreck of nerves and troubling scenarios.

  Trying to cork the bottle on her anxiety, Rebecca hopped out of bed, remembering the parting words Ryan had spoken to her last night: “Music might sound dissonant in the black of night, but all will ring in harmony come the morning light.”

  She reflected on him affectionately, how he was a born poet, possessing a gentle heart that had soothed her as a young orphan and continued to do the same in womanhood. Saying a silent prayer that Ryan would one day find happiness with a lady who would shower him with love and appreciate his poetic heart, Rebecca slipped into a plain beige frock. She was not sure if the job would require her to wear a uniform, but if it did not, she wanted to wear the most unattractive garment she owned.

  Arriving to ground level, Rebecca peered inside the rental office, but it was not yet open at that early hour. If it had been, Rebecca would have rushed in there and begged, or even bribed, Beatrice not to rent Gregory and Ethel a room. They did not belong in such an apartment building anyway, which was really a glorified youth hostel and did not house any families.

  As she walked down the road, a picture of Luke in his uncomfortable bed materialized in her head. She smiled to herself, remembering his comment about men’s muscles being more durable than women’s. With a surprising tingle coursing through her veins, Rebecca found herself imagining what those muscles of Luke must look like when he was sans attire. Even underneath his suits, Rebecca could see the Adonis-like di
splay of hard, braided muscles in his abdomen and chest and his arms like blocks of iron. He might not be an Olympic athlete, but he certainly has the body of one, Rebecca thought with a shiver.

  Once at Alice Denmaker’s housecleaning service, Rebecca shoved aside her tempting daydreams of Luke and walked through the door with her typical theatrical flair. “Guten Morgen, Frau Denmaker. Are you here?” She called as the older woman emerged moments later.

  “Right on time. Just what I like in a new employee. Today, you will be spending the morning tidying the mansion of Gerhard and Louise Brecht. Here are directions to their abode. It is only one train stop from here.” Mrs. Denmaker handed Rebecca a slip of paper with directions and an address hastily scrawled.

  “Upon your arrival, you will ring and announce yourself to the butler. Tell him that you are the maid substituting for Dahlia, who is presently in Poland visiting relatives. The butler will present you with a list of duties, all of which must be completed before you clock out. Is that understood?”

  Mrs. Denmaker spoke with the calculated efficiency of a scientist, and free-spirited Rebecca could not understand her personality at all. It seemed such a dull way to interact with people. But she merely nodded respectfully and awaited further instructions.

  “The butler will provide you with a uniform that you may take home with you, as you will be cleaning the Brechts’ residence daily, until further notice. Now, please be on your way.” Mrs. Denmaker dismissed Rebecca with the wave of her hand.

  “If I may ask, when do I receive my first payment?” Rebecca ventured to inquire, not about to let that crucial detail go unmentioned.

  “Friday morning.” Mrs. Denmaker said tersely.

  Rebecca scurried out of the building and over to the rail station that was beginning to seem like an old friend. Inwardly, she imagined what it would be like to have a horse-drawn carriage at her service, or one of the new automobiles complete with a chauffeur.