Yesterday Was Long Ago: Part Two Read online

  “The Wertheims had an affidavit for him too. Everything was mailed to the von Waldens. Her son, Andreas, and his wife took the Silverman’s apartment.”

  The Reinhardts were astonished. Gaby held tightly to Paul’s arm, as he was concerned about the Wilands who were strict Catholics.

  “Paul, it doesn’t matter what anyone believes, but I can help more people in my uniform than out of it.”

  “There is no doubt in our minds,” Gaby answered sincerely. “You have done it all your life.”

  “Please call the Wilands so they don’t have a heart attack seeing me!”

  “I will go there personally, as one never knows if they listen in on certain people,” Paul replied.

  “Ha! You are smarter than I am,” Rupert acknowledged before leaving. “Watch your servants. They have seen me in uniform. It will tell you a lot,” he whispered, walking down the steps.

  “Thanks again.”

  23

  The wedding took place in the evening at the castle’s chapel as scheduled. For Paul and Gaby, as well as Isabella, it was one of the happiest days of their lives. Aunt Ingrid came with Isabella and Daniella, regardless of the newly arisen change in Austria. After all, two were Swiss and one an American. They were treated by the German border guard with the utmost courtesy and not even asked for their reason to visit the new ‘Ostmark’. They were more clever than that. Why would anyone from a neutral country want to stay longer than necessary?

  It was still family only, but the Lindenfelsers were equally as stunned as the day when Austria ceased to exist, becoming now a part of Germany. What next? Paul Reinhardt with the former Gaby von Walden? They wished Paul the best, knowing his marriage to Irene was a sham, but it didn’t take their servants very long to reveal the true circumstances, which all the ladies of Lindenfels found truly romantic.

  Gaby, of course, was consulted, but her own mother refrained from interfering as Victoria pleaded with her to give her and Paul the joy of paying. “After all,” she said sincerely. “Gaby and Paul deserve it.”

  The men would all wear the same black suits in a timeless design. Gaby would wear, like the rest of the ladies, light wool, considering that it was the time of year where chill is always the norm, regardless of the heated chapel. Since it was Gaby’s second marriage, she suggested a delicate blue wool with a wide pleated cummerbund in heavy satin, small ruffles leading to a high mandarin collar, and fastened by a large sapphire and diamond broach. The skirt descending from the cummerbund would be more heavy ruffles to enhance her small waistline. The sleeves would be long and straight. Gaby would wear only her matching bracelet which had the same size of sapphire, each one again encircled by diamonds.

  “I have spent over thirty years designing for Mr. Charles Worth, but I have never seen a more beautiful selection of attire, given the size of the wedding,” the coordinator stated sincerely. “Mr. Worth will be enormously happy.”

  Isabella, as the maid of honor, wore the same style in off-white. Daniella, who insisted on being in charge of the four little flower girls, also demanded the same style in dress, but took the lightest shade of watermelon. Her little flower girls were in off-white satin with velvet sashes and big bows in the back. Then came the attire for the younger three wives. Erika was in a light sea green suit with the same color satin blouse. Although not ruffled, it showed the mandarin color with an emerald pin. Gisela was in a delicate antique rose and Therese in light apricot. All had the same suit and blouses, planning to look like spring flowers. Their headdresses were made from pleated satin just large enough to cover their hairstyle. They had their chignon arranged the way Gaby wore hers.

  Then came the older set with darker colors and off-white blouses. No one objected to the collar with pin. Victoria wore deep emerald green, Astrid wine red, Ingrid cobalt blue, Wilma Foster dark violet, and Mrs. Bauer a beautiful bronze color. It was the first suit the House of Worth made in this new tinge.

  Paul was nervously looking around, but extremely pleased at the arrangement pertaining to their wardrobe, while enjoying, like everyone else, the beautiful organ music. But what pleased him beyond comprehension was that Aunt Ingrid, his soon-to-be daughter, Isabella, and her American friend, Daniella, came along, ignoring the newly-arisen political changes in the ‘Ostmark’, formerly Austria until a week ago. All made sure the wedding of Gaby and Paul would not be marred, regardless of the circumstances.

  With the priest entering and taking his place behind Paul, the organ started to play the traditional wedding march while an exquisite looking Gaby, on the arm of Rupert Foster, Sr., walked down the aisle, only to notice a visibly moved Paul, almost in tears. The priest made the ceremony short, less religious to his own surprise, after being told that Rupert the SS man rescued his brother-in-law, Peter. He didn’t want to risk having to be rescued. But it was a Catholic wedding nevertheless and had to be conducted as such. Paul omitted the high mass, however, having had one with Irene.

  The priest, being a friend of Paul’s, remembered very vividly their sleigh ride to the card game, calling him crazy when Bello would get roast beef. He spoke what he felt should be said; that mature love means liking as well as loving, and is quite frequently love at second sight. All present could vouch for that remark. He also emphasized that love is sure, is giving, and always wants the very best for you. He ended by saying he felt more than honored to share their newfound happiness with them.

  By the time he pronounced them man and wife, after Paul retrieved an even wider wedding ring to put on her finger than the previous one from Lucas, there were no dry eyes in the pews. It was Daniella’s turn to let each of the girls give a small bouquet of orchids according to their color of suits, as the surrounding guests came up to congratulate and to admire her gown and the garland in her hair, made from tiny blue orchids held by a light blue veil which reached to her shoulders. Paul and Gaby felt like the happiest people on earth.

  There was no dancing as it was the week before Easter, but the table setting eclipsed all previous ones thanks to Wilma Foster’s talent in arranging flowers. Everybody fully appreciated the beauty and rare colors of orchids. The Reinhardt family made the new Bauer family quite welcome, thanking their youngest seven-year-old son for being the ring bearer.

  “You know Paul,” Victoria whispered to her son. “I enjoyed this wedding more than the last one with five hundred and some guests.”

  “No comparison, Mother. And that goes for my heart too.”

  A liveried servant was commissioned after the lengthy dinner to show Daniella the castle, pointing out many paintings, furniture, and tapestries of great interest. After all, she may soon leave for America and never be back. The men discussed politics, Peter and Rupert being the heroes. Rupert, although in civilian clothes, knew immediately on whose side their servants were on.

  “I am sure they know about you in the SS and our Nazi flags should tell them something,” Paul replied. “I had to do the same in my factories. It pains me to return their stern look with their outstretched arms to say, ‘Heil Hitler,’ but I would lose almost all my best engineers and workers. I feel powerless for the first time in my life.”

  “It will pass,” Peter calmed his brother, knowing it would take quite some doing.

  “I hate to talk about politics on the happiest day of my life, but tomorrow Gaby and I are leaving. Don’t think for a moment I don’t take my workload with me.”

  “I’ll have your place watched, Paul, as well as the castle and this palace here. My orders come from Berlin now, which is, at the moment, quite a blessing. Or is there another word for it?”

  The doorman announced the photographer.

  “Finally!” some said, their children getting restless. Gaby went for Paul.

  “My dear husband, the picture taking is about to begin. The poor man is late as he had to take many detours.”

  “How well we all know,” Paul replied, apologizing profoundly for leaving her alone, but since they would be leaving tomorrow, t
here were quite important matters to be discussed.

  “Believe it or not, we ladies had the best time.”

  “And I was shown this beautiful castle,” said Daniella and Isabella, who joined her later with the flower girls.

  With the picture taking behind them and the guests gone, as well as Victoria, Erika, and Peter back at their palace, Paul and Gaby were finally by themselves.

  “I have attended many weddings, but have never seen a more beautiful, lovely, charming, and radiant bride. Gaby, there are just not enough words to praise you.”

  “Same here; only for a man, the words have to be different,” she smiled.

  “Let’s have a toast to each other. I was so happy each one had only a few but heartfelt words to say.”

  “Same here.” Neither wanted to mention their first marriages.

  “I had a honeymoon suite reserved at the Hotel Imperial for our first night, before leaving for Switzerland. I also planned to arrange a lunch for our families, but it had to be cancelled as the Germans took temporary possession to have a place for their High Command.”

  “Thanks, Paul, but a honeymoon in a castle is nothing to look down on. Especially if one is married to the owner.” She smiled happily.

  “Here is to our happiness,” Paul said, touching her glass.

  “Same here,” she replied.

  He carried her over the threshold in the section he occupied, and strangely enough, Irene never had set foot in it. It was a breathtaking, beautiful salon, with flower-painted panels from Stephany’s and Otto’s time. But he lost no time in showing her to her dressing room before going to his. A few minutes later, they met in the huge master bedroom with angels on the ceiling looking down. It didn’t take Gaby very long to realize she was not Paul’s first encounter. And it took just as little time for Paul to notice that Gaby had taken no lover since the death of her husband. The life of Gaby Reinhardt had finally begun!

  ∼

  They left the following afternoon after a few more goodbyes, and would see Isabella, et al in Lausanne. They drove in his Mercedes, making their first stop by evening in Salzburg, where two places carried the Reinhardt name. They opted for one night in their chalet and the second in the villa ‘Karl Reinhardt’. He refrained purposely from bringing up the past with very few exceptions, as the Reinhardts were somehow always intertwined with the von Walden name. Therefore, very little of Verena’s own hideaway chalet called ‘Full Sunshine’ was mentioned.

  A few days later, they left for Switzerland to the town of Locarno. She wanted to visit all the Rosattis, and he looked forward to sitting at the same place where he fell in love almost nine years ago. The border of Switzerland was a sad sight as far as the Jews were concerned. Without exception, they were all turned away. Gaby showed her Swiss passport, and Paul his still Austrian visa and their marriage license. They were pleasantly surprised by the kindness of the new German border guards, who mentioned very casually that upon their return they would have to get German passports and why not pay their own beautiful country a visit too. Paul replied that he had studied in Berlin and lived there in the lean years. The guard lit up like a Christmas tree and called his partner over, as he too was from Berlin. They had a nice, long chat about Germany’s great future, guaranteed for the next thousand years. Then the border guards wished them a happy honeymoon.

  Once well away from the border and in Switzerland, they found it hard to believe what one former downtrodden Austrian laborer had accomplished. He hypnotized his people. “Did you see all those forlorn Jews, Paul?”

  “How could I not?”

  “I was already getting upset in Salzburg. How can people do that?”

  “The Wertheims and Silvermans were very lucky.”

  “We loved both families,” Gaby replied.

  Arriving in Locarno, the Rosattis laughed and cried simultaneously. There was her former mother and father-in-law, looking Paul over and telling Gaby that after fifteen years of widowhood, it was high time she remarried, as one child was just not enough.”

  Paul put his arm around his wife and agreed. “Those are exactly my thoughts, even though I love Isabella like my own daughter and with your permission I would love to adopt her.”

  “Of course, it is all right. Our son, Lucas, would have loved the idea. You almost look like him.”

  Gaby knew better, but let it go at that. After all, Paul had black hair, brown eyes, and a healthy suntan, which made him look more Italian than Lucas, whose complexion was rather light. They showed a slight disappointment on their weathered faces after hearing of Paul’s reservation in Locarno’s hotel Il Palazzo, but when he told them he had stayed there every year since 1930, they fully understood. Little did they know he came at times twice a year in the hope of seeing Gaby again.

  “But you will at least eat with us whenever it suits you.”

  “Gladly,” both agreed.

  But with each meal, the invasion of Austria by the ‘low-down warmongering Germans’ was brought up, and Paul was asked frequently, “Why don’t you stay in Switzerland?”

  “Because I have my family in Austria. I am especially concerned about my mother, who is a widow.” That was the only reason which made sense to the Rosattis. Family always came first. Had Paul even mentioned his materialistic belongings, he would have been condemned to hell.

  Gaby and Paul took full advantage of the hotel’s tennis court, horseback riding and swimming, always meeting at the place where he had spotted her and Isabella. After a week which included lots of sightseeing at that little piece of earthly paradise, he decided to call home. They were so glad to hear from him, never suspecting them to start their vacation in Locarno.

  “Yes, Gaby and I are still here. Today is only Easter Monday. Isabella and her friend have still a week for respite.”

  “They are leaving Thursday, enjoying Vienna despite everything.”

  “So what’s the urgency, Mother? You sound upset.”

  “The word is uneasy, as I am told on a daily basis that quite a few German officers and civilians are visiting your factories regularly, despite being told you are somewhere in Switzerland on your honeymoon.”

  “If that is the case, Gaby and I will drive tomorrow morning to Lausanne. She will stay and settle her things while I drive to Vienna. I cannot neglect my work and what else is going on. God only knows what their plans are. I’ll see you shortly.” And with that, he hung up. Gaby told him to leave right away with the car. She would stay a night and would take a train to Lausanne the next day, arriving in Vienna as soon as possible.

  “I know I have the most understanding wife,” he acknowledged, embracing her tightly.

  “And the same goes for my husband. I just have to take care of my few things in Lausanne.”

  “Until Vienna!” They embraced each other again, again, and again. He could never get enough love from Gaby.

  She explained the circumstances to all the Rosattis, but this time they did not understand. “He is stupid. His factories could have waited. After all, he was on his honeymoon.”

  “I begged him to leave, as the Germans are in and out of his place like it’s their own. He talked with his mother last night. All telegrams went to Lausanne, and I am taking the train to Lausanne tomorrow.”

  “Gaby, we mean it when we say you and Isabella are Swiss citizens and a nice man like him can find work anywhere."

  “Thank you. It’s good to know.”

  Gaby arrived at the Lebruns’ place, where her Uncle Henry was waiting for Ingrid’s arrival. He, too, could not understand why they didn’t start out in Lausanne.

  “He made reservations a long time ago in Locarno.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he had seen Isabella and me for the first time on the beach and went every year thereafter.”

  “Oh, I forgot all about that.”

  “Well, he didn’t.”

  “And the Rosattis?”

  “Thought he looked just as Italian as Lucas.”

/>   “Only much better.”

  “I thought so too.” Gaby smiled. “They also offered to help him in case we all want to stay in Locarno, in lieu of the German occupation.”

  “There is always Lausanne too.”

  “I know that.”

  ∼

  Victoria was overjoyed to see Gaby return in such a hurry. Paul had just left hours before with some officers in a staff car straight to Berlin. He told her all the talk he had with Gaby and she was ecstatic to visit Berlin again. She hadn’t been there since the death of her mother. The Kronthalers had moved to their country estate, where some relatives took care of them as both were old and sick.

  Victoria and Gaby left on a sleeper train, preferring to travel through the night and arrive refreshed in Berlin. There were no worries about leaving Vienna with Erika and Peter supervising the mansion, and should there be any problems, Rupert would set everything straight. They were surprised to be met by Paul, who took them to their beautiful hotel and left again with the promise to be there around six.

  During their first day of excursions, they were surprised to find those many billboards recommending highly the many musicals, operettas, and plays from Vienna, with their best actors performing. Also, the movie houses with a silly Viennese theme were sold out. One could honestly say that Vienna was ‘in’.

  ∼

  Paul was shown around most of Germany’s large industries, starting with Siemens. He was not quite sure whether it was to intimidate or impress him. As a Reinhardt, he was neither. He let them know in the politest way possible that he had visited the place with his late father during the first World War. “I studied in Zurich and Berlin to become an engineer.”

  “And a Diplom on top of it. Believe it or not, we know a lot about the Reinhardt corporation,” one of the generals smiled. Paul had never any doubt about it. “Your late father manufactured ball bearings. Now you will convert the same place to do it all over again. It shouldn’t be too much trouble, as we found many items which are of great convenience to make a fast transition.”