vonHelfin

XII

"Carriage," I sounded the word out carefully. "I wish to order a carriage."

Godoired Cazacu stared at me blankly. Again, my lips pronounced the word. The Baron's mute servant removed his cap and absently scratched at his unruly mop of hair. I held back my impatience and imitated entering a conveyance. Suddenly Godoired's eyes widen in understanding. He vigorously nodded his head, then shook it dolefully.

Defeated, I spoke again. Over the months, I had picked up a spattering of the Romanian language. Yet, it remained challenging to talk to the deaf and mute retainer.

Indicating that Godoired remained, I raced inside, searching for Helga Balan. I discovered her idly swiping at the parlor furniture with a duster. Grabbing her hand, I dragged her outside.

"Mama and I are returning to England for the holidays," I hastily explained. "I am trying to order a conveyance to the village. Can you explain, please?"

Helga's eyes widened. For a moment, she hesitated. Eagerly, I waited for her to speak. The minutes ticked passed.

Awkwardly, we stood in a loose circle. Helga rocked back and forth on her heels, nonchalantly staring over my head. Godoired twisted his cap into a ball and knotted it with his huge hands. My eyes shifted from one to the other. The silence between us continued to drag out.

Why didn't she speak? I wondered. The matter seemed quite urgent to me, and I wanted an answer. Then, I recalled the many conversations between us about my homeland. Helga appeared eager to learn more. Wistfully, she voiced her zeal to travel the world and visit England particularly.

Although Helga's disdainful attitude repulsed me, I felt sorry for her. She lived her life entirely within the confines of von Helfin castle and never experienced the outside world. The little maidservant enviously listened to me describe our travels from France to Romania. Finally, I comprehended the reason for her silence.

"Yes," I exclaimed, lightly touching her arm, "you will accompany us."

A huge grin brightened Helga's wan face. Joyfully, she turned to Godoired. Using her hands as her voice, she mimicked my request. I nearly laughed at her antics but held my expression in repose. The deaf-mute servant's perplexed expression disappeared. He mumbled a response, his sounds dull and hollow. I could not comprehend his answer. However, my young companion nodded vigorously.

"Tomorrow, at noon," the young maid confirmed. "You must not detain the driver. He will not wait for you. Prepare to a-light immediately. No hesitation."

"Yes," I jubilantly exclaimed. The instructions were as I had hoped. The quicker Mama and I departed, the sooner we could put von Helfin castle behind us.

******

Mama's enthusiasm had waned since our earlier discussion. Throughout the afternoon, I begged and pleaded with her. The change would do her good, I cajoled. We could visit old friends and leisurely explore London.

"Let's stay a few days in London, Mama," I urged enthusiastically. "We'll spend a whole afternoon in Harrods, Christmas shopping."

I hoped mentioning the department store located on Brompton Road in Knightsbridge would inspire my mother. Often, we stopped there while visiting the English capital, much to Papa's chagrin. Mama loved to shop and frequently spent more money than we could afford. Indeed, a sumptuous hour or more of wandering through the clothing and food halls would impel her to leave this horrible place.

Mama's eyes sparkled, and her dour expression brightened. Then, her countenance suddenly flattened. Glancing at her flimsy black gown, she muttered an exclamation of dismay. She glimpsed her straggly gray hair in the mirror and appeared shocked. Muttering under her breath, she dashed through the connecting door into her chamber.