“Ophelia, I would dearly love to show you to my friends in Vienna. I’ve found a very handsome fellow who is just dying to meet you.” Chloe announced the next morning at breakfast. Ophelia heaved a sigh and glanced out the window at the clear blue sky. She wondered if Ludwig were doing the same, up in his bed. She wished to see him as soon as possible, but somehow deep inside, she knew that the day would be hazed over with confusion and disbelief. Besides, she thought, he is much too ill to go out.
“Ophelia, don’t you wish to meet him, the man in Vienna?” Chloe stammered suddenly, making Ophelia lose her train of thought, but not the distant memory of her dearest Ludwig. “Philip would love to meet you as soon as possible.”
“Oh, yes. Fine.” She mumbled in return, eyeing a bee buzzing sweetly by the garden of tulips just below the windowsill. She smiled slightly at the soft humming, the delicate voluptuous sound of a new day, until she noticed a soft silhouette advancing out of the shadowy woods, seeming to beckon her to it with a rough and eerie bellowing which overpowered the vivacious humming of the little yellow bug.
“Are you truly listening to me, Ophelia?” Chloe asked.
She did not answer, rising from her seat at the table that she shared with the young Ms. Angelis.
“OPHELIA!” Chloe rose also, smacking her friend in the back of the head angrily. “Stop staring out that damned window and listen to me! I am trying to tell you that I’ve found you the perfect gentlemen in Vienna, but you seem to be lost in deep contemplation on another. And of who are you thinking, Ophelia?” She cried. “Of you are you thinking? I ask of you, do tell!”
Ophelia glanced back at her friend with a smirk as the bellowing out in the sunshine subsided and a loud grumbling could be heard sitting down at the porch. “I’ve been listening to you, Chloe my dear. Just because I say nothing, does not mean that I don’t hear you. I hear perfectly.”
Chloe gave her eyes a little role, pouncing at her friend with great fury. She grabbed Ophelia by the arm and pulled her back, as the blonde girl tried to set off to the porch at the front of the Inn. “Ophelia, you are thinking of Beethoven? Ophelia?” She paused sadly. “What attracts you to him? What in hell does he have that makes him better than everyone else you know?”
“Let go of my arm.” Ophelia hissed, trying to pull away, but Chloe was too strong.
“I won’t let you go, until you tell me why you love him so much. Please, tell me.”
“Well...” Ophelia thought a moment, stealing a glance out the wide-open double doors at the wild mane of dark brown hair, sitting in a chair on the porch, tea beside him on the table. “He’s...human.” She finally mumbled in a laugh.
Chloe let go of her arm and backed away. “I’m seriously beginning to believe that you are going insane. You can’t possible love that deaf bullfrog!” In her voice, there trembled a certain amount of sadness that made Ophelia give a shiver. “Why must you love him? Everything seemed so much better without him. You never spend time with Nicholas and I. we’re your true friends! Even when you return home from being with Beethoven, you ignore us and lock yourself away in your room. Please tell me why you choose to ignore us so cruelly...”
“You and Nicholas are boring. I long for excitement.” She answered, not wanting to hurt her friend, but obviously starting an argument with her choice of words. “I don’t need to go anywhere or do much anything when I am with Ludwig. He keeps everything as exciting as possible.”
“That was cruel, Ophelia!”
“I know it was.” She murmured. “Sorry, but that’s how I feel. If you have anymore objections, go whine to Nick! Let’s see him try to persuade me into letting Ludwig be. I cannot and I will not! That’s final.”
“But Ophe--”
“No, I will not listen to your asinine pleading. Why must you and Nicholas try and take away the only happiness I have in my possession? Why must you make the man that I love out to be a monster! The things you say, though they may sound only a bit rash to you, are things that hurt me in the most horrible way. I LOVE HIM! I LOVE HIM!” Tears began to swell in the young girl’s eyes and she turned away, hugging herself with sadness. “I’m exhausted from being so loved by someone, but I am energized at the same time. This is the first time I’ve ever loved a man in such a manner...Oh how I need to be with him.”
Chloe covered her mouth with astonishment at her dearest friend’s actions and words. She never heard such deep thoughts escape Ophelia’s lips. “My god...” She whispered. “My god...” Shaking her head, she left the dining hall, rushing through the lobby and out the back door.
When Chloe left, Ophelia let out another sigh and retrieved her gloves and bonnet from the table. The dining hall was deserted, no one had been around while she was pouring out her soul, and she felt lucky that she hadn’t caused a scene. Putting on her gloves and bonnet, she retreated from the room and out onto the porch where the summer breeze, caressed her rosy face and blew strands of golden hair into her eyes. She tucked the annoying hair behind her ears and turned her gaze towards the small table and set of chairs that Ludwig and Anton Schindler occupied. A young boy sat between the two men, listening in on the somewhat quiet conversation and every so often, letting his eyes drift to the writing in the conversation book that lay out in the open in the very middle of the table.
Ophelia watched them in silence for a few moments, admiring the well-dressed Beethoven, his hair fairly wild in the breeze, but the rest of him prim and proper. He wore a formal coat of deep velvety ebony with a carefully tied ascot in the shade of emerald green. His face had been shaved quite nicely and he never did stop smiling at the young boy. His eyes never did stop shining with joy as he looked at the boy and Ophelia couldn’t help but take a small step closer to their table to catch a glimpse of the child’s face.
He looked to be only about 12 years of age, his hair was a soft auburn color that gleamed in the sunlight. His skin was milky-white compared to Ludwig’s tanner hide and his eyes were dark with glints of brightness in them. He looked lively enough for his age, but a frown had been set on his face as he sat with the two men. He was thinking hard about something, something that was tugging at his little soul, something that needed to free itself from invisible selfish bonds.
As Ophelia approached the table, the young boy looked up first, eyeing her with his sad puppy-dog eyes and giving her a nod of his head. Her heeled boots made a soft tapping against the wooden boards beneath her and then Anton looked up, rising from his seat to bow at her in a formal air. The other two had welcomed her, but now Ludwig was left. He still sat at the table, reading Anton’s last entry in the conversation book as he scribbled down his own thoughts in a rough handwriting. He had not noticed Anton’s bowing or the young boy’s nod of the head. He had not heard a sound or felt the presence of another.
“I truly think that Johanna is poisoning the boy’s mind with her terrible ranting about me. She should be hanged, that devil woman!” He exclaimed with anger in his loud voice. “If Casper were here, he’d be furious with her for trying to corrupt Karl’s young and asinine mind the way that she does. I’ve heard enough about the whole case and I want nothing more of it. I shall try to win guardianship and he is going back home with you today. I will not be in the right state of mind this week. I have other things to tend to.” He went on. “Besides, my health has not been very well and I have composed nothing for days. I told you to keep Karl in Vienna. He must get back to school. After all, I am paying for his lousy education!”
Anton shrugged his shoulders at Ophelia as he sat back down, apologizing for what she had heard. She nodded slightly with a smile, trying to keep from laughing at Ludwig’s anger. He looked so charming when he was upset about something. The muscles in his face tightened and his face turned bright red with excitement. She loved him even more at that moment, though she knew she could probably speak unfavorably when it came to his outraged yelling.
“Good morning, Ludwig.” Ophelia said, resting one of her gloved hands on one of his broad shoulders. He looked up abruptly with a jump, almost jumping out of his chair with surprise. He backed out of his chair and rose to his feet with a sudden grin on his once furious lips. Taking her hand in his, he gave it a squeeze and gently pressed a kiss upon the top of her white-silk glove.
“Ophelia, dear. I did not expect to see you up and about so early in the morning. How joyous I am to see you.” Ludwig announced, pushing out the chair beside him and offering her to sit down with them. She refused the seat at first, making him frown unhappily until he himself guided her into the seat, pushing her in closer to the table. He sat back down also, looking from all three faces in his wake, until his eyes met Ophelia’s.
Her eyes were wide with amusement, dark but glistening in the sunshine. Her lips were curled in a smile as she quietly sat at the table with the two men and the boy.
“How are you, my dear?” Ludwig asked her, keeping his gaze on her soft and rosy face. He couldn’t help but reach out and caress her cheek with the back of his hand, his eyes hazed over as if lost in a dream.
“I’m well.” She whispered, nodding her head and smiling to show that she was in good health. He smiled also. “How are you? Are you still ill?” She asked, while writing it down for him on a new sheet of paper in the conversation book. He read her beautiful handwriting and winked.
“As well as I can be.” He answered. “I truly won’t go into detail, but let’s just say that my lower constitution has been rather entertaining...” Ophelia covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, as did Anton and the boy. Ludwig knew he’d said something of little elegance and he began to laugh his hard and good laugh with them. “I’m terribly sorry--” He laughed, taking her by the hand once more.
“It’s all right, Ludwig. You’re so very amusing.” She said with a nod. Anton wrote for her and showed the maestro.
“You must be amusing, to be in the business. And there’s only one, humorous, loud, and obnoxious Ludwig van Beethoven. I am the king of arrogance, you know.” He then nodded towards the boy sitting on his other side. “Ophelia, dear. I would like you to meet young Karl-- my nephew.”
Karl rose from his seat and bowed to her, sitting back down afterwards in deep silence. Ophelia smiled at the child with amusement. “I’m very honored to meet you, Karl.” She said to him, giving him a slight wink of her eye. He blushed and looked away into the distance, trying to ignore her beauty and the look in his uncle’s eyes when he looked at her. It made him sick really, to see such a young woman being marveled at by his older and less elegant Uncle van Beethoven. He just wished to go home, back to Vienna to see his mother.
“The boy can be very misbehaved at times, I admit.” Ludwig whispered in Ophelia’s ear, putting an arm around her shoulders. “He’s rude, yes. He gets that from his mother.”
“Oh, that is cruel.” Ophelia said, glaring at Ludwig, but soon conceding, to give him a smile.
“If you knew half the reason I say so, you’d be saying the same.” His eyes gleamed with happiness as she put a finger to his lips. “I should not say anything more, then?” He asked with confusion.
“Not in front of your nephew. Do not insult his mother, please.” She scribbled in the conversation book, shoving it gently under Ludwig’s nose. He read her writing and chuckled to himself.
“Yes, ah perhaps I should say nothing more.”
She nodded with agreement.
“So, how are the Angelis’? The young man Angelis came up to me this morning with such a nasty little look on his face. It amused me greatly.”
“They are well. Nicholas has the tendency to be an ass at times.” Ophelia wrote, making Ludwig laugh once more.
“We are all entitled to be asses, but Schindler I must say, is the worst. He is expanding the rules.”
Anton looked up from his documents, unaware of what had been said. He had only heard his name. He eyed his pocket watch then, and rose from his place at the table.
“Have I hurt you, Schindler? With my words, Schindler.” Ludwig chuckled.
“No.” Anton shook his head in the negative. “Karl and I must get back to Vienna.”
“Pardon? Where are you going off to so soon!” He growled, becoming upset. “Sit down, will you?”
Anton took the conversation book from the table and wrote that he and Karl had to leave. “We must go.” He said as Ludwig read.
“Ah, leave me then you evil coward. Take the boy back home and don’t come back again this week.”
“When are you returning to Vienna?” His friend wrote back.
“I’m not quite certain when I shall return. Soon though, very soon. In perhaps two weeks. I have not decided.”
“You are being childish. Come home sooner-- Tomorrow” Anton scribbled. Ludwig frowned as he read.
“No, you bloody ass. I am staying here for another week or two. You may go as you wish. I don’t want to hear anymore about it. Good-day to you.” He turned to Karl. “Stay well, Karl. Behave for your mother, though you despise the devil woman...and write me tomorrow. I shall be awaiting your letter.” He gave the boy a slight hug, but Karl shook his uncle away, most likely embarrassed that Ophelia stood there with them.
Anton took up his things and placed his hat on the top of his head, bowing to Ophelia and shaking Ludwig’s hand. “Good-day.” He mumbled and he and Karl went down the steps of the porch, getting into a cab. The driver whipped the horses as soon as he knew the destination and both Anton and Karl drove off down the road without looking back at Beethoven.
Ludwig sat back down when the cab disappeared down the drive and he turned to Ophelia with a smile set on his handsome face. “I’m glad they retreated.” He said, still grinning. “I really am not in the mood to deal with either of those louts today. Do you understand, my love?”
Ophelia nodded. “But young Karl--isn’t he a handsome young man. I see he gets some of his traits from you.” She wrote.
“Ah, perhaps he does.” Ludwig laughed, hugging her closer to his side. “But enough about Karl...and enough about Schindler. I am in desperate need for another walk. Would you care to join me?”
Ophelia got up from her seat with a wide grin. “Of course, of course!” She said, nodding her head with excitement as Ludwig himself got up also.
“Good, I am very glad that you wish to join me.” He commented, taking his cane from the back of his chair. “I found a lovely place near that brook that I know you’ll love. I found it earlier this morning.”
“I know I’ll love it!” She whispered, nodding her head as they linked arms. Of course I shall love it. She thought with a smile. Wherever Ludwig is, I know I shall love the place. He could bring me to hell for all I care and I would still admire it. Oh, he is much too sweet for my health...
Chapter 10
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