Yesterday Was Long Ago: Part Two Page 19

  Peter not only sat next to Erika but was completely taken by her. Victoria and Philip took notice but never gave it a second thought, knowing his record with girls. However, they somehow felt sorry for Erika, as she seemed such a fine and sincere lady.

  Rupert and Gisela decided to spend their honeymoon in Rupert’s newly remodeled house, which they thought could stand up to any villa. The Reinhardts were pleasantly surprised with their cozy home which Rupert and Gisela had decorated together without a schilling of the Reinhardts’ money. However, on their way home, they all agreed that she married an extremely devoted man with strong principles and a family who loved and adored her. They had no other choice but to wish them their very best.

  Peter mentioned casually that he would love to date Erika, but was immediately told that all he would get her is a bad reputation. “Is that what I have?” Peter smiled.

  “We both loathe her father,” said Paul truthfully.

  “Yes, and he hates us because my brother years ago made a very sarcastic remark,” Peter said rather calmly.

  “What happened?” his father wanted to know.

  “Oh, it was when that von Walden brat sprained my ankle.”

  “You forgot to say ‘ugly’,” his brother reminded him in jest.

  “When Professor Landgraf heard about it, he asked me to apologize for calling her that name as it was all my fault to begin with,” he sighed.

  “Go on,” his father urged.

  “I told him that we Reinhardts are not required to apologize for our opinions.”

  “You didn’t, Paul!” his father said, firm and furious. “Your arrogance is well known, and it is not us at all, as I even apologize to my workers with you standing right next to me. I thought it would rub off some day.”

  “It has. They like me just as much as they do you. We are talking eleven years ago when I was still a boy.”

  “Poor, beautiful Gaby. If you could see her now.”

  “What of her?”

  “The day she gave birth to her child, her husband died.”

  “So I was told by Mrs. von Walden, for whom I have the greatest respect. But there was also Bertram von Walden.”

  “Just stop it!” his father ordered, and not another word was spoken.

  “Mother,” Peter whispered before going to bed. “you have to admit, Erika would make an excellent wife.”

  “Absolutely. But what kind of husband would you make is the question,” Victoria replied, worried.

  1926

  14

  Despite opposition from Teo Landgraf, Peter and Erika went to Salzburg’s famous castle ‘Mirabell’ to get married. It was the usual civil ceremony where many other couples flock to either elope or avoid a long, solemn Catholic ceremony. It was the exact date and hour when Gisela and Rupert had said their vows the previous year. The Reinhardts were there as they vacationed once a year in Salzburg, regardless of the circumstances. But Gisela and Rupert couldn’t come, as she was expecting their first child in August. Neither Rupert nor Mrs. Foster would let her go anywhere without holding her hand to avoid a slip. The Reinhardts were not only overjoyed at the upcoming birth, but deeply touched by all the love their daughter received. “She seemed to blossom in her marriage like a beautiful delicate flower.”

  Victoria and Philip felt happy, too, because it would be their first grandchild who lived nearby, as their oldest daughter lived in South Africa and very little was mentioned about her children, other than how smart and perfect they were. Photos arrived once in a while, but none gave any resemblance to a Reinhardt. All were light blonde, long faced, and an exact copy of Adam van Dreesen. Their invitation to Holland to meet Adam’s parents was always declined, giving a different excuse every time.

  Not so with the Fosters, although they promised a visit with their newborn. Rupert Sr. was busy carving a cradle which would be a work of art and Wilma knitted enough for triplets. The Reinhardts visited there quite frequently and were always more than welcome, also getting to like each other more, much to their surprise.

  Rupert’s house could now be called a fine villa, surrounded by a beautiful garden. They hired a few hardworking foreign workers who were glad to be in Vienna again, being very disappointed at their own separated state of Italy. The former large country of Austria wasn’t that bad after all, as people returned from other places to find work in Vienna again. However, the country had new money, called the Schilling, but the unemployment rate went higher as the weeks went by. All of Europe lived in a state of depression and the former Austrian citizen, Adolf Hitler, claimed to know exactly how to handle the situation, as Germany didn’t fare any better.

  The Fosters and Reinhardts adored and shared their new grandson, named Christian Philip, very much to everybody’s surprise. “We didn’t want a third Rupert. There is already enough confusion with two.” Needless to say, both parents and families hoped for a few more. Life became peaceful and extremely content.

  Even Philip was a different man. At the age of sixty, although still cutting a dashing figure, he seemed to enjoy family life. He visited the factories two to three times a week, always trying to keep his workers content, but for how long was anyone’s guess. Paul, though quite different from his father in many ways, agreed completely with his father as far as the factories and workers were concerned. At the age of twenty-six, he acted and appeared older, and was quite proficient at helping his father running his business.

  15

  By 1928, Rupert and Gisela expected their second child. Peter and Erika were still on their honeymoon and lived in the palace with his own practice nearby. When coming home late due to some emergency, Victoria once took Peter aside, telling him frankly that she had a few detectives watching him for fear he would turn out like his father. And aside from that, she loved Erika just like the Fosters loved Gisela, as a daughter.

  “Mother, dear, save your worries. If one is so lucky to have a wife like Erika, one has no need for anyone else.” He left her standing awestruck. Once more, she was convinced that she had failed Philip in the bedroom, but then again, Peter may not have the same desires his father had.

  To be rich and give elaborate parties was en vogue again. It really didn’t matter how one made his fortune during the four years of war, as long as no one thought that one had profited through the black market. Vienna’s once proud nobility was, in many cases, among the impoverished class, unless they owned a sizable amount of land. But years after the war and with new money since 1925, they came to realize that by serving the House of Habsburg with pride and dignity, one was only left with lots of memories and very little else. Of course, they got the usual bow and were addressed by their former titles when entering any of the café houses. There they met, drank their cup of coffee, and had a lively discussion about the ‘good old times’, and read the newspapers. The latest news was that Alfred Haas, the owner of Vienna’s largest bread factory, would give a big party for his only daughter, Irene, after her long absence from Vienna. Frankly, nobody remembered her except that after the accidental death of her mother in 1915, the girl was sent to Switzerland to finish her schooling and, with the full consent of her father, went on to France to study art. She also took singing and acting lessons, the latter coming in handy. Since she was extremely beautiful with auburn hair, almost violet eyes, and symmetric features, there was never any shortage of suitors. Her slender body was the envy of many, as being lean became the latest fashion style. Aside from that, her father supplied her with a great amount of money. Simultaneously, although he claimed to love his daughter very much, he was in many ways glad to have her somewhere else, as he had, at times, not only one but two mistresses. Now that she was returning, he would throw a big party in her honor and then get her an apartment. After all, she was twenty-seven and still single.

  He made a visit once a year just to keep in touch and had to admit that she was one of the most beautiful creatures God ever created. But so was her mother at the time of their marriage. Only later, he
found out that her love went mostly to her horses and, until she was thrown off one and died a few weeks later, he vowed never to get married again, but to enjoy the single life.

  He was, in one way, different from Philip, as he never set foot in a red-light district and changed his mistress the moment she expected a commitment. And so it went year after year until Irene arrived two weeks before. Now he had the obligation to introduce her to what was left of Vienna’s high society, and was elated that she turned out not only beautiful, but had acquired style, refinement and knowledge in art, history, and five languages. It was, to her and her father, a great pity that Vienna’s times had changed so drastically. Misery, unemployment, and uprisings were still all over the town. However, it didn’t keep Alfred Haas from putting the upcoming party in the newspaper.

  “Imagine that!” Dr. Peter Reinhardt said to his parents after arriving home from a very hard and challenging day of work. “Haas put his daughter and upcoming party in the paper.”

  “Why not? His brother is the owner of the Daily News.”

  “Oh, I forgot,” he smiled, embracing Erika lovingly.

  “Well, we lose nothing by attending,” Victoria stated matter-of-factly. “He never missed one of ours.”

  To their surprise, even Gisela and Rupert received an invitation. But then again, Gisela Foster was still considered a Reinhardt. That she married well beneath her class was no different from Peter, or for that matter Elisabeth, who was a Doctor of Medicine and married to a missionary. “Strange family,” her father explained to Irene. “but they all appear so happy.”

  “Well, is their other son attached?”

  “Paul? No, he is waiting for the perfect wife. I mean, for a woman without a past.”

  “You are looking at her, Father. He would never find out about my life in Paris.”

  “If you don’t mind me saying so, in the bedroom he would.”

  “After our marriage vows, it will be too late.” Her father only smiled, hoping that Paul would show up.

  ∼

  The party was scheduled for August 3rd. It created a conflict only with Gisela’s little daughter, who was on this day one year old. But since the party at the Haases’ was Saturday evening, the Fosters agreed to have their little birthday party the previous day.

  “After all, my labor pains started much earlier anyway,” Gisela laughed, and all the Fosters agreed. For a change, Paul had nothing on his agenda and promised to go, providing his family would attend. All of the Reinhardts did, including a very elegant Erika and Gisela on the arms of their proud husbands.

  One couldn’t help but notice Irene Haas immediately, who was not only stunning looking but dressed to the hilt. No one had ever seen anything like it, but knew immediately that it was pure Paris. The dress was navy with tiny golden ornaments woven in. She also knew to stand under a shiny crystal chandelier while presented to the largest crowd Alfred Haas was able to assemble. Philip was, as always, taken by beauty, his head already spinning while making plans. Paul, who had the reputation of being better off entering a monastery, was equally smitten by her elegance and perfect mannerisms. Alfred Haas hoped that he would be the one. Old money to old money was always his axiom, feeling it worked better, although his own marriage was a sham. He took great delight in watching Irene and Paul dancing the evening away and seeking out the Reinhardts on this fateful evening. Victoria was, in a way, relieved to hear how much Philip approved, should there ever be a plan for marriage.

  “I would make it the biggest wedding Vienna would ever see!” Alfred Haas promised, very pleased at the prospect. “And you know we are both families who are not in need of anything.”

  Victoria answered only softly, “And you know, Mr. Haas, that we Reinhardts are not after anything either. My three children’s happy marriages mean the world to me.” Philip hardly paid attention, being completely preoccupied with beautiful Irene.

  ∼

  With the party behind them, each one, as always, had their own opinion. Rupert only complimented Gisela’s appearance, keeping his opinion about Irene to himself. “Our parties are not so stressful… more at ease,” Gisela replied. Both couldn’t wait to be at home with their families. The Fosters had become Gisela’s family a long time ago and she loved Rupert as much as he loved her.

  Erika became Victoria’s best friend and replaced Gisela in many ways. Victoria was a woman who always needed someone close to her, though she was not someone who confided easily. But Erika and Peter got Anette’s apartment in the large mansion, decorated it their own way, and were extremely satisfied, as both in-laws gave them their privacy once Peter entered the place.

  They drove home with Philip and Victoria, holding hands as usual in the backseat and talked about the party. Victoria said that Irene was very beautiful but lacked compassion. Peter agreed. “She seems to be a rather mysterious woman who would be hard to deal with. My Erika is honest, open, and easy-going. I could not handle anyone else, as my practice and the hospital are stressful enough.”

  “So I noticed,” Philip replied. It was his only contribution on the way home, not even reacting to Gisela’s comment about how smitten Paul was with Irene Haas, dancing with no one else. Paul arrived one hour later in his own car, telling Victoria that he thought, for the first time, that he was in love.

  “Great!” she replied very curtly, and then Victoria wished him a goodnight.

  Philip was already in bed pondering how to get this beautiful woman to his bedroom, knowing very well she had been around. A man like him had no problem spotting an easy woman playing hard to get. Paul will bring her by, and on one of those days there will be an opportunity to talk to her alone. To him, it was a laughable matter that Paul was so besotted with Irene, who had every man at her feet. He couldn’t help but notice the envy of all his friends and contemporaries.

  They dated as often as possible, she playing the part of a virgin, while visiting his father as often as he wished. Philip knew it was only a matter of time, and the fact that Paul was ready to marry her didn’t change a thing. She was used to this kind of life and boasted occasionally how many lovers she had previously; among them, three brothers who never had any idea she even knew the other ones.

  “Philip, I am extremely discreet when it comes to my love life. It will never come out.” He was more than happy to hear it, as he had not the slightest intention of leaving Victoria. And those few affairs with mistresses lasted only a few weeks, as they all eventually looked for a commitment. That much, and only that much, he had in common with Alfred Haas.

  He purchased a villa in the opposite direction of his factories and called it, ‘Villa of Lust’. It was the perfect place, with a perfect partner like Irene, to make perfect love. And neither she nor he had the slightest intention of giving up something up both wanted so desperately. His usual red-light district was rampant with syphilis and he was without a woman until Irene appeared. And when it came to sex, both were devoid of any conscience, no matter how many promises they had to break.

  On Christmas Eve, Paul presented Irene with a beautiful ten-carat diamond in her father’s house, before they went to his own to tell his parents the good news. The Reinhardts were stunned, except Philip. But Gisela and Rupert came, so did Peter and Erika, who were amazed at Paul’s fast commitment.

  “My father was so overjoyed,” she cried. “that he convinced both of us to have the wedding at Easter!” All were silent with a fixed smile, while a happy Philip exclaimed, “How wonderful! I’ll bet he selected St. Stephan’s Cathedral!”

  “How did you guess, Mr. Reinhardt?” asked the actress, Irene.

  “He told my wife and me it would be the biggest wedding Vienna will ever see.”

  “Poor, sweet man. He thought he would die without any grandchildren,” she noted.

  Watching her talking and tears running down her cheek while trying to smile simultaneously, Philip felt she was a greater actress than the legendary Sarah Bernhardt. To Paul’s great surprise, no one except
his father showed any joy when they wished them the best of luck.

  When Victoria sat alone with Philip, drinking their usual glass of wine in front of the fireplace, she couldn’t help remarking on how fast everything went with Paul, as it was so unlike him.

  “Oh, he made it very clear to me that he had better move fast or he was going to lose her to someone else. This time it hit him hard. It was love at first sight for both of them.”

  “We should consult the Wilands in any case.” Philip was surprised and asked what could possibly be the reason, with all of her wealth. “Some people can never have enough, for one thing, and if you noticed her wardrobe… jewelry… leather bag… it’s the best of the best. We Reinhardt women were never that wasteful.”

  “I wish you and my two daughters were! And Erika too, for that matter.”

  “Peter, Erika, and I shop together. I only buy for her what Peter likes on her and you must admit, she always looks very stylish and beautiful.”

  “To tell you the truth, I only notice their happiness and wish the same for Paul’s forthcoming marriage.”

  She only gave a slight nod but continued, “I hope they’ll live in the Lindenfels castle as it stays empty almost all the time.”

  “Great idea!” Philip replied. “She is much like you in that matter, while I have to admit that neither our Gisela nor Erika show any interest, and both were never raised to enjoy giving orders. And servants without anyone to serve are an unhappy lot. They take great joy in being needed. That much I learned early in life from Mother, as Father hated to ask anyone, always thinking he was an imposition to them.

  “What a wonderful and great man,” Victoria sighed. “What a shame so many have passed away. Thank God for Erika,” she added, before giving Philip his good-night kiss. It was nothing more than a daily routine.