III
Bidding the children goodnight, we returned to the upstairs parlor. A dreadful feeling enshrouded me. I tried to envision Mama descending into the cobweb-strewn cellar chamber each day. Her usually sunny disposition did not fit the eerie underground nursery.
I considered the gloomy von Helfin youngsters. Their glum expressions startled me. I wondered if they existed entirely below ground. Did they ever come out to play in the sunshine? Did laughter and joy ever fill their meager lives? Mama had her work cut out if she expected to improve them through education. I shuddered at the prospect.
I dismissed the youngsters from my thoughts as my eyes swept the dismal parlor. The red moon casts a supernatural path across the worn carpet. It remained the only illumination provided. As I retook my seat, I noticed the tea tray's disappearance. We would not have to partake in further refreshments. I sighed with relief.
Mama and the Baron spoke in low tones as I continued to survey the parlor. I inhaled with surprise when the figure of a man appeared in a dark corner. Gasping, I drew our host's attention. He followed my gaze, a slight smile playing about his frigid lips.
"Allow me to introduce my nephew and ward," von Helfin remarked, rising. Extending his hand, he beckoned the newcomer forward.
A young man, approximately twenty years of age, stepped forward. His uncanny resemblance to the Baron took me aback. Bowing sedately at the waist, he acknowledged my mother. Then, he turned toward me. His face brightened with a slight smile, and his dark eyes twinkled. Lifting my hand, he brought it to his lips for a kiss.
"Ranulf Zamfir," the Baron introduced, "the son of my late sister, Lavinia."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," Mama pleasantly remarked.
"Likewise, Madam," the nephew stiffly responded. Bowing again, he clicked his heels.
Dismissing my mother, Ranulf swiveled to re-face me. I lifted my hand in a wave and muttered 'hello' shyly. Beneath my bodice, my heart thumped wildly. I felt an instant attraction to the young nephew.
Ranulf stood at attention with his hands clasped behind his back. Black wavy hair framed his slim face and tousled across his forehead. Although his skin appeared as pallid as his uncle, a soft peach hue tinted his cheeks. His red lips parted as though in expectation.
I wiggled in my seat beneath his softening expression. Eagerly, I waited for him to speak again. However, the Baron coolly swung his gaze in our direction. He curtly nodded toward the door and dismissed Ranulf. The young man spun on his heels and abruptly departed.
Falling against the chair's back, I felt deflated. Ranulf's sudden departure left an emptiness within my heart. I grappled with the instant feeling that overcame me. In the background, Mama and the Baron continued their discussion. I heard the murmur of their voices, but my thoughts flew toward the retreating nephew. I wished to follow him but remained in my seat, confused.
"In a moment, the housekeeper will show you to your rooms," von Helfin announced, interrupting my contemplations. Lithely he rose and sharply yanked a crimson bell pull. "You may relax tomorrow and settle in. Your long journey will catch up with you. You may begin your curriculum with the children during the following evening."
"Thank you," my parent responded, nonplussed by the Baron's statement.
When I threw her a startled look, Mama shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. Apparently, the Baron expected Mama to take up her duties during the overnight hours.
Responding quickly, the housekeeper stepped into the parlor. Her crisply starched apron covered her black homespun dress. Bobbing her snowy head, I glimpsed a maid's lacy cap. A sullen expression covered her worn face. Her short, plump body filled the doorway. Obediently, she awaited her employer's orders.
"Madam Balan will see to your needs," Baron von Helfin explained. Bowing deeply at the waist, he swiveled on his heels and marched from the room.
"This way," Madam Balan instructed, leading us into the entrance hall.
We followed her up the curving staircase to the second floor. Briskly, she stomped along the corridor. Mama and I followed in her wake. As we passed, I noted the worn carpet and faded wallpaper. Cobwebs clung in the corners, and dust covered the meager furnishings. Giant portraits of long-dead von Helfin's stared down at me. I could swear their eyes swiveled to follow my every movement.
At the end of the dank hallway, we mounted a narrow stairway. Up and up we went without pausing on the third-floor landing. At the fourth, we climbed a spiraling stairway into the west turret. Finally, Madam Balan halted and flung open an oaken door. We stepped into a semicircular bedroom.
The cleanliness of the chamber surprised me. Hung with burgundy damask curtains, the ebony bed dominated the room. Mama stepped toward it and tested the mattress. Pleased, she sat at its edge. A huge fire crackled in the fireplace, warming the room. Antique furniture dominated the large room. It appeared comfortable and inviting.
"Hot water and breakfast will arrive promptly in the morning," the housekeeper flatly announced. "The midday meal is served in the small dining room. The maid will assist you and guide you. And, now, for the young lady."
Throwing a tentative glance at Mama, I followed Madam Balan across the rotunda. A similar chamber greeted me. Emerald hangings adorned the bed instead of burgundy. I frowned at the slit of a window. It would provide little natural light to my new surroundings. Otherwise, my room appeared as pleasant as Mama's did.
As soon as the housekeeper disappeared, Mama entered my room. She glanced at the surroundings, then dropped into a cushiony chair. For the first time, I noticed her strained expression. The rigors of travel and our arrival at the imposing castle took their toll on her usually vibrant personality.
"What a strange place," she muttered, applying her handkerchief to her perspiring brow. "What strange people."
Kneeling, I placed my head on her lap. Soothingly, Mama combed her fingers through my soft, brown hair. The hours ticked away on the ormolu mantle clock as we sat through the night. I could not guess what the morrow would bring. Nor could I see into our future life as a part of the von Helfin household.
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