On the Night of the Seventh Moon

Now I could think of nothing but the possibility.

It was nine years ago since the day I left. Nine years! I should have made greater efforts to discover what had happened. I had accepted the solution given me by Ilse and Ernst; but they had faded into the past and seemed more unreal than Maximilian could ever be. Perhaps if I could go back I might discover the answer.

I must go back. I could take a holiday there perhaps with Anthony. No, that would not do. I should have to go as his wife and I must be free free for whatever I should find.

I did not wish to go as a tourist. But to go to the schloss on the mountainside, looking down on the capital city . that was what I wanted. I knew then that I must go.

I lived in a fever of excitement. I was absent-minded in the shop. I kept away from the vicarage as much as possible.

“You are letting those Elkington women’s gossip bother you,” said Anthony.

“You mustn’`t, you know. We’d face anything there was to face together.”

But it was not that. I was obsessed by the thought that I might find him. So it would be throughout my life. If ever I had known that marriage with Anthony would be unfair to him and perhaps wrong for me, I knew it now.

And at length there was the letter.

I was trembling so much that I could scarcely open it. The words danced before my eyes.

She had spoken to the Count. He agreed that the idea was excellent and as she had already vetted me there would be no need for any other recommendations. Would I let them know when I should be arriving and the sooner the better as far as they were concerned.

I was so excited I rushed into the shop and told Amelia.

“Go away to teach I You’re crazy. What about Anthony?”

“Nothing has been settled between us.”

Aunt Matty was distraught. Just as she had thought I was nicely settled!

“Perhaps it won’t last long,” I said.

“I might not like it.”

“Go for a holiday,” advised Amelia.

“Take a month or so and when you come back you’ll have made up your mind to marry Anthony.”

But what could they know of this violent longing.

Mr. and Mrs. Greville were clearly hurt but Anthony understood.

“Go,” he said.

“This place meant something to you when you were young and impressionable. You see it different now you’re grown up. You’ll come back and then I’ll be waiting for you.”

He understood as no one else could.

I did love him but not in the wild unreasoning way I had loved before. I knew I was saying goodbye (but he said au revoir) to the best of men.

All the same, when the day of my departure arrived I felt more like the young girl I had once been than I had for nine long weary years.

TWO

It was dark when I arrived at the Schloss Klocksburg so that it was not until morning that I was able to take stock of my surroundings. I awoke to the sunshine of an early summer’s morning which filtered into my room through two long narrow slits of window. A feeling of overpowering excitement was with me and for a few moments I lay still, saying to myself: “I’m here. I’m back.”

Then I got out of bed and went to the window. From it I could look down on to the plateau from which the castle rose; I knew we were high because of the laborious manner in which the horses had climbed the previous evening; and I guessed that the castle had been built in the twelfth or thirteenth century, like so many I had seen in this part of the world, as a fortress, and had been added to as time progressed.

I was sure that the fortress in which I had my room was older than the buildings I was looking down on. These would be known as the Randhausburg, which meant surrounding house-castle, and they would contain the main living-quarters.

Beyond them I could look down into the valley to the town of Rochenburg which was the capital city of Duke Carl’s domain. How beautiful it was in the light of early morning, with its mellowed roof-tops, its towers and turrets. Smoke was rising from some of the chimneys. Far above it on the hill stood another castle of imposing appearance. Like the Schloss Klocksburg there was the fortress with its turrets rising up stark from the mountainside, proclaiming its impregnability; I could make out the machicolated friezes which adorned the watch tower, and the round tower with the pointed roof and battlements from which in the past boiling oil and water would have been hurled down on attacking enemies. It was the most impressive of any among all the many castles I had ever seen.

A knock on my door made me turn from the window. It was a maid with hot water. Breakfast would arrive in fifteen minutes’ time, she told me.

In a state of exultation I washed and dressed. I shook out my long dark hair in the way Maximilian had liked it to be when we had taken our breakfast in the hunting lodge. The magic was coming back to me so vividly that I don’t think I should have been surprised to see him walk in, but when there was a knock on the door it was only the maid with my break fast tray-coffee, rye bread and lots of fresh unsalted butter. It tasted good and while I was drinking my second cup of coffee there was another knock and Frau Graben came in.

She was beaming and looked as though she were very proud of herself.

“So you’re really here,” she said.

It was gratifying to know that my presence gave her so much pleasure.

“Oh, I do hope you are going to be happy,” she went on.

“I’ve impressed on Dagobert that he must be a good boy because it is a great honour that an English lady should come all this way to teach him. If you have any difficulty with him just tell him that his father will not be pleased; that will quieten him. It always does.”

“When shall I see them?”

“As soon as you’re ready. Perhaps you’d like to talk to them a bit about what you’re going to teach them. You won’t want to start lessons today. When you`’ve seen them I will take you round the castle.”

“Thank you. I shall be most interested to see it. That’s a very big castle I can see from my window.”

She smiled.

“That’s the Duke’s residence,” she said. oh yes, it’s more grand than little Klocksburg, which is only right and proper. I came to the royal castle when I was a young girl and looked after the boys. It became like home to me. And then afterwards the Count wanted me here. That was when Dagobert was born and he didn’`t know what to do with the child. After that Fritzi and Liesel joined us. But drink up your coffee or it will get cold. Is it to your liking? “

I said it was excellent.

“I believe you are quite excited about being here. I can see it’s done you good already.”

I replied that I hoped I should give satisfaction. I had never taught before.

“This isn’t ordinary teaching,” she said with that comfortable complacency which I had found rather charming.

“It’s conversation that matters, so that they get the right accent. That’s what the Count will look for.”

“I’m very eager to see them.”

They’ll have had breakfast. I’ll send for them to come to the schoolroom. “

We left my room and descended a spiral staircase which led into a hall.

“This is where the schoolroom is,” she said.

“Are we in the RandhausburgT ” No . we’re still in the fortress. The children have their rooms here just below yours, but the rest of the household lives more in the Randhausburg. “

She opened a door.

“This is the schoolroom,” she said.

“The pastor comes to teach them. You will have to make your arrangements with him about the English lessons.”

“There should be a lesson every day,” I said.

“I am sure regularity is necessary. Perhaps an hour a day and very soon I hope to converse in English when I am with them, and perhaps take them for walks and give them easy lessons that way.”