AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"These are desperate times. You could get married three months from now. Your father will make sure you get special leave for the wedding and the honeymoon. "
"He said that?" Normally, Father was angrily hostile to special privileges for well-connected soldiers.
"He understands the need for an heir to the title. "
Father had been talked around. How long had that taken? He did not give in easily.
Walter tried not to squirm in his seat. He was in an impossible position. Married to Maud, he could not even pretend to be interested in marrying Monika-but he was not able to explain why. "Mother, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I am not going to propose to Monika von der Helbard. "
"But why not?" she cried.
He felt bad. "All I can say is that I wish I could make you happy. "
She gave him a hard look. "Your cousin Robert never married. None of us were surprised, in his case. I hope there isn't a problem of that nature. . . "
Walter felt embarrassed by this reference to Robert's homosexuality. "Oh, Mother, please! I know exactly what you mean about Robert, and I'm not like him in that respect, so set your mind at rest. "
She looked away. "I'm sorry to have mentioned it. But what is it? You're thirty years old!"
"It's hard to find the right girl. "
"Not that hard. "
"I'm looking for someone just like you. "
"Now you're teasing me," she said crossly.
Walter heard a male voice outside the room. A moment later his father entered, in uniform, rubbing cold hands together. "It will snow," he said. He kissed his wife and nodded to Walter. "I trust the party was a success? I could not possibly attend-a whole afternoon of meetings. "
"It was splendid," Walter said. "Mother conjured up tasty snacks out of nothing at all, and the Perrier-Jouet was superb. "
"What vintage did you have?"
"The eighteen ninety-nine. "
"You should have had the ninety-two. "
"There's not much of it left. "
"Ah. "
"I had an intriguing conversation with Gus Dewar. "
"I remember him-the American whose father is close to President Wilson. "
"The son is even closer, now. Gus is working at the White House. "
"What did he have to say?"
Mother stood up. "I'll leave you men to talk," she said.
They stood up.
"Please think about what I said, Walter darling," she said as she went out.
A moment later the butler came in with a tray bearing a goblet with a stiff measure of golden-brown brandy. Otto took the glass. "One for you?" he said to Walter.
"No, thank you. I'm full of champagne. "
