CH 120

Of all the places, why did it have to be that room?

Odette looked about, her expression vacant. The furniture, decorations and even the view out the window of Schulter River and the Carlsbar cityscape was the same as two years ago. Even watching the back of Bastian walking ahead of her was the same. It was as if she had gone back to that autumn time, two years ago and she couldn’t shake it from her mind.

“Are you comfortable?” the Steward asked. He was a little too excited to have such a distinguished guest.

“No, everything is fine,” Odette said quickly, trying her best to smile. Bastian stood by the window of the suite’s drawing room, watching her.

“It feels splendid to visit this place again, and to be welcomed. Everything is as splendid as it ever was,” Odette said with skilful grace.

As the steward withdrew from the room, the staff who had been waiting also turned to leave. In the sudden tranquillity, Odette took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. Bastian was still standing there, unchanged, watching her. His expression was hard to read but persistent.

Odette opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out, so she turned away from him. She put down Margrethe, who she had been holding, and tidied away her hat and coat.

“The Duchess Norma has invited you to have lunch with her,” Bastian said, finally breaking the awkward silence just as Odette began unpacking her luggage.

Bastian had fulfilled his promise to attend Tira’s wedding, but his true purpose for coming to Carlsbar was to prevent influential businessmen from the north interfering with his work. From the second the wedding started on Friday, their schedule was none stop for three days. That Saturday was the hunting party with Duke Herhardt, Bastian would be away all day and that was the opportunity Odette didn’t want to miss.

“I thought the hunting party was on Saturday, has it changed to a luncheon?” Odette said, smoothing out the wrinkles of her dress.

“Nothing has changed, its just some gathering the Duchess has arranged.”

“But I already have prior engagements.”

“I would like to believe that its not about seeing off your half-sister,” Bastian said, pulling out an envelope from his jacket pocket and handing it to Odette. It was the invitation.

Although a sense of dread fell upon Odette, she accepted the invitation with resignation. There was still two days left, she could find another solution, but for the moment it was important not to arouse suspicion.

“Your carriage is waiting, my lord,” a servant said as Odette stared at the invitation, her heart thudding in her ears.

Odette let out a sigh and looked up at Bastian, who had been quietly watching her. He planted a kiss on her cheek and left. Margrethe, who had been hiding behind a chair, only approached Odette once Bastian left the room and closed the door behind him.

“Its alright, Meg,” Odette said, taking the murmuring dog into her arms and walked over to the window. Margrethe’s petite form emitted a comforting warmth, gradually dispelling the cold that had wrapped around her heart. 

Odette leaned on the window sill, watching Bastian’s departing car from the hotel’s front  until another knock on the door brought the news she had been waiting for. “Ma’am, the Becker couple have arrived.”

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

Tira shed tears of joy just as much as tears of sadness for her sister. Nick Becker thoughtfully gave the pair some space, stepping aside and prepared for their imminent parting. Tira continued to laugh and cry and laugh again all afternoon and not allowing her emotions to settle until well into the afternoon.

“I still can’t believe I will be getting married here, in such a splendid place, receiving blessings from my sister,” Tira said, her face full of emotions. She never imagined that they would be able to spend a night in the finest Carlsbar hotel just before the wedding ceremony. It was all thanks to Bastian. “To think, I hated Major Klauswitz so much, thinking that he had gotten involved with another woman while he was away, but after this, you can really see that he loves you very much.” Tira beamed at Odette.

Odette held out a box she had been holding under the table. As Tira took it, she burst into tears again. Inside the box were handmade baby clothes; a onesie, vests, socks and a hat.

“Oh sister, you really don’t have to go through all this trouble just for me.”

“You’re my sister, if not you, then who?” Odette said, wiping away Tira’s tears and tidying her disheveled hair and blouse collar. “Don’t cry, You’re a mother now, Tira, you need to be strong.” Tira responded with a hug.

“You were always like a mother to me, sister, thank you so much. I will do my absolute best to be as good a mother as you were.”

In the stillness of their hug, Odette’s eyes lost their focus. The word “mother,” the rounded shape of Tira’s belly, and the memory of carefully selecting clothes for her niece all stirred up an indescribable sadness and pain. She recalled the dreadful memory of the hospital. Of the dreary waiting room, the ill lit operating room and the shine of surgical instruments.

Tira was the first to pull out of the hug, forcing Odette to bring her mind back to the present. “If I have a girl, I want to name her after you. I have a very strong feeling its going to be a girl and Nick thinks so to.” Tira looked at Odette with a broad grin.

Unable to find her voice, Odette simply stared at Tira’s swollen belly and forced a smile.

“Would you like to touch it? If you’re lucky, you might be able to feel the baby moving around.” Without waiting for an answer, Tira grabbed Odette’s hand and placed it on her belly. “Ah, there, did you feel it? She moved. She must know you’re her aunt.” As Tira laughed, the movement became more pronounced.

As Odette felt the baby move,  as if it were dancing inside her mother’s belly. It was strange and lovely at the same time.

“Sister, can we name the baby Charlotte? Would that be okay?” asked Tira.

Odette felt her self getting lost in her thoughts again, but a sharp knock at the door forced reality to prevail. Nick opened the door to reveal Tira’s old school friend.

Seizing her opportunity, Odette excused herself from the Becker’s suite and went down to the lobby. She walked aimlessly until she realised she was outside the hotel. Breathing deep into the cool, early evening air, Odette slowly started to feel herself again and continued walking along the river.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

“I am truly sorry, my lord,” the maid stammered as she bowed her head in embarrassment. She was Odette’s maid, but had no clue as to where Odette had gone. The last she had heard, Odette was with her sister.

“I will go and look for her,” Hans said, stepping forward.

“No, let her be,” Bastian said as he removed his coat. Hans was taken aback and almost missed his cue to take his masters coat. “She’ll be back soon enough,” Bastian said with confidence, settling into a chair in front of the fireplace.

Having heard that Odette was not with her sister, Bastian quickly checked on the location of Tira and Nick, who were surprisingly enjoying a rather fancy dinner in the hotel’s restaurant. Their conversation with Odette was the last anyone had seen her.

“Would you like me to delay dinner until the Lady’s return?” Hans asked. Bastian nodded.

As Bastian lit a cigarette, Margrethe made her presence known. Sneaking out of the bedroom, a growl in her throat and came right up behind Bastian’s chair. She was baring her teeth, but her tail remained tucked between her legs. Though she had grown considerably from a handful, she was still a small dog.

Bastian watched the stupid dog with tired eyes. The dog constantly rolled her eyes to look around the room and continued to growl at nothing in-particular. Eventually, she got tired of it and lay on the carpet, her head resting on her front paws.

Turning away from the dogs curious behaviour, Bastian turned his attention back to the fire and lit his cigarette. Once lit, he turned to look out of the window, where the night sky glittered with a myriad of stars, which quickly resolved themselves to be the sparkling lights of the childish fair ground ride Odette seemed so fascinated by.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*