The Moonlit Garden

by Bomann, Corina

  She was doing what she wanted, and it felt right. He was the man she loved. She wanted to belong to him forever. And at that moment she didn’t care about anything she had heard about supposed morals. She wanted him, his scent, his kisses, and the weight of his body on hers. Her hands traced the muscles beneath his firm skin, the hair at the nape of his neck.

  And when Paul came, something exploded inside her and drove out all doubts and all thoughts of reproach.

  16

  London, 2011

  As Lilly and Ellen left the airport, they were met by cold, wet weather. When they left Cremona it had been at its most beautiful, the sun shining down on the station and accompanying them all the way to the airport in Milan.

  “We should have stayed in Italy,” Ellen grumbled, using her free hand to draw her woolen coat more tightly around her body. Her attempt was in vain: the stiff fabric resisted, and the wind dragged one end of her scarf out from the collar. Ellen narrowed her eyes and turned her head aside. It did no good. She finally stopped, parked her suitcase, and straightened herself out. “It’s a pity that duty calls, or I’d ask Dean whether we could move to Italy for the winter months in the future.”

  “And what would become of your violins then?” Lilly asked with a laugh. She also felt the damp cold, but she was warm inside, looking forward to seeing Gabriel again. What would he have to say about the pictures and the newspaper articles?

  Enrico had translated two of them already and had promised to e-mail the rest later. As soon as she had all the texts, she would try to make an appointment with Gabriel. Or should she perhaps contact him sooner, to invite him to the promised dinner?

  As they waited in a line for a taxi, Lilly imagined their meeting, and her thoughts soon drifted in another direction. She saw herself walking among the magnolia flowers of a park in spring with Gabriel, talking about Rose and Helen.

  “Hey, you’re miles away!” Ellen nudged her friend. Lilly had been so immersed in her daydream that she had not noticed they were at the head of the taxi line. The driver loaded up their luggage as they took their seats in the back.

  “A penny for your thoughts,” Ellen said, but before Lilly could reply, the driver had gotten in.

  “Where to, ladies?” he asked.

  Ellen gave him the address, and then he turned up the heat and the radio. Indian dance music blared from the speakers so loudly that he could hardly hear the operator on the two-way radio.

  As he entered the flow of London traffic, Lilly stared in fascination at the figure of Ganesha hanging from the mirror, which danced every time the car changed direction. It looked so funny that it must raise a smile from even the most grumpy passengers in this taxi. The driver soon began to talk to them, his accent so thick that Lilly struggled to understand. Ellen seemed used to it, though, and she chatted cheerfully with him as if she had just met an old friend.

  After an hour and a few small traffic jams, they were back at Ellen’s house. When they opened the doors to get out, the Indian beats thumped through the neighborhood, scaring a few crows, who cawed loudly in competition with the music. Ellen paid the driver, and he zoomed away.

  “You still haven’t answered my question,” she remarked as she tapped in the entrance code and the gates snapped open.

  “Which one?” Lilly asked, maneuvering her suitcase through the gate.

  “What you were thinking about before Shah Rukh Khan introduced us to his favorite music.”

  “Who’s Shah Rukh Khan?”

  “Indian actor, very famous. Don’t change the subject. You were thinking about him, weren’t you? Gabriel Thornton.”

  Lilly felt color rush to her cheeks.

  “I knew it!” Ellen winked. “Was it dirty?”

  “No, what makes you think that? I like him, that’s all. And if you like someone, you’re entitled to think about them, aren’t you?”

  “Of course.” Ellen smiled enigmatically.

  “What about this Enrico?” Lilly tried to steer the conversation away from Gabriel, since she was reluctant to speculate about things that might never happen. “I got the impression you two know each other well. Is there anything you haven’t been telling me?”

  Ellen laughed and shook her head. “No. At least not what you’re thinking. I could never be unfaithful to Dean. Though I have to admit that when Enrico and I met in connection with a job, he was quite interested in me. I never took any notice, though, and somewhere along the line we became friends. That’s all. Anyway, I got the impression he was more interested in you. Why weren’t you a bit more forthcoming with him?”

  “Forthcoming?” Lilly frowned. “What do you mean? You think I should have performed a striptease or what?”

  “No, but you must have noticed he was flirting with you. Why didn’t you play along with it? It could have been fun.”

  “Because . . . ” Lilly hesitated. She knew the reason full well but had no desire to return to the subject.

  “Gabriel Thornton, am I right? He’s why.”

  “I’ll answer that one when I know the answer myself,” Lilly replied, although she sensed her friend was right. Her feelings for Gabriel went beyond mere attraction, but she had no intention of revealing that to Ellen. Who knows whether he actually wants me, she thought. And she felt another twinge of guilty conscience about Peter. Let’s wait and see, she told herself. I’d just like to see him again first.

  Apart from the low roar of the wind in the treetops, all was quiet. Ellen breathed deeply, then smiled to herself.

  “To be totally honest, I wouldn’t like to spend the whole winter in Italy. There’s no nicer place than home, don’t you think?”

  “You’re right,” Lilly replied, although she wasn’t sure she was really looking forward to returning to Berlin. It would take her away from Gabriel and the chance to get to know him better.

  “How about cooking together again this evening?” she asked, taking her friend’s arm as they dragged their suitcases up the path.

  “I’d be happy to. Dean will be delighted to hear that someone else is trying to read a code in the music.”

  They had begun to unpack their things when the telephone rang. Assuming it was a business call for Ellen, Lilly didn’t take any notice and continued what she was doing until she heard footsteps come to a stop outside her door. Ellen knocked and entered. She gave Lilly a meaningful smile as she whispered, “For you!”

  Lilly gasped as she took the telephone.

  “So, you’re back?” Gabriel Thornton asked.

  “As you can hear.”

  Lilly looked at Ellen, who headed out of the room. She glanced around briefly, grinned at Lilly, and pulled the door closed behind her.

  “I hope you were able to use the information I gave you,” Gabriel was saying.

  “Yes, thanks! It was a great help! We found a few articles I believe you don’t have.”

  “I told you, didn’t I, that we lost a lot of material during the Second World War? I’m sure that the things you’ve found will be a valuable addition.”

  Lilly hesitated a moment before saying, “I had a strange dream in Cremona.”

  “About me, perhaps?” Gabriel laughed.

  “No, about Helen. When she was a child . . . Do you believe there could be a code contained in the sheet music?”

  “A code?”

  “Well, it was only a dream, but maybe my subconscious was trying to tell me something. There must be a reason why this particular piece of music was tucked into the case lining. In my dream, little Helen said the solution to the mystery was to be found in ‘The Moonlit Garden.’”

  Silence followed. Was Gabriel still there? Could he be laughing at her? Her stomach tightened. Maybe she would have been better off saying nothing about it.

  “Gabriel?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Yes, I’m still here. I’m just thinking.”

  “It’s pretty improbable, isn’t it?”

  “I wouldn’t say that. Secret messages have been c
oncealed in pieces of music before. There may be something like that in ‘The Moonlit Garden.’ If there is, then one of the two women, Rose or Helen, was a real genius. That is, if she composed it herself.”

  “Ellen’s acquaintance has a friend who knows about codes. He may be able to bring something to light. If you . . . ”

  “I’m afraid I don’t know anything about codes, nor do I have any friends in the secret service, but I’ll nevertheless take a closer look at that music. Perhaps the secret only reveals itself if you look at it for long enough.”

  Lilly smiled at her reflection in the window. Gabriel was a wonderful man.

  “Thank you,” she said softly.

  “There’s no need to thank me. We’re both in this together, after all.”

  “We are, but you could still have thought I was going mad. Who believes in dreams these days?”

  “You! And if I’m honest, I do, too. What would life be without dreams and mysteries?”

  “So, what news do you have?” Lilly leaned her cheek against the windowpane to cool it.

  “Well, I think that’s something we should talk about face-to-face.”

  “OK. When can you spare the time?”

  “How about tomorrow noon? We could sit down in the cafeteria again and be amazed at the cook’s culinary creations.”

  “If that’s convenient, then it’s fine by me,” Lilly said happily.

  “And you can tell me what else you did in Cremona. I’m dying to hear your view of the city.”

  “I’ll do my best to describe it.”

  “Good. I’m looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

  After saying good-bye, Lilly hung up and sat for a moment on the edge of the bed. It felt so good to hear Gabriel’s voice! And she was looking forward so much to seeing him again. Not only because of the apparent mystery that he had discovered but also because she missed him.

  “You should invite him here,” Ellen said when Lilly returned the phone to her. It was almost as if she could read the content of the conversation Lilly had just had on her face.

  “What?” she asked.

  “For dinner. A discussion between experts.”

  “But . . . we’ve just arranged to meet for lunch. In the cafeteria.”

  “But I’d like to be there if you’re exchanging information. Change the arrangements.”

  “I can’t.”

  “Why not? Surely you know how to use a telephone.”

  “Of course I do, but I can’t just invite him here.”

  Ellen tipped her head to one side and gave her a penetrating look.

  “Hm, that’s strange. I don’t think you’re particularly unsociable. It seems to me that you like Gabriel more than you’re letting on. So much more that I could almost believe you don’t want to share him with me.”

  “What gives you that idea?”

  “Because whenever you’re taken with a man, you get rosy cheeks like one of those cutesy Hummel figurines.”

  Lilly bit her lip guiltily. “All right, I admit, I think he’s nice. But it doesn’t mean anything.”

  “It doesn’t mean anything?” Ellen folded her arms. “Lilly Kaiser thinks a man is nice. How often does that happen? When was the last time you thought someone was nice and you blushed up to your ears?”

  “You’re crazy,” Lilly countered, but her friend was right. Before Gabriel she had not been interested in any man. She rarely even noticed them when they looked at her on the street. And the male customers in her shop were either married, insufferable, or far too old for her.

  “Yes, I may be, but nevertheless, call him up and invite him here.”

  “You really don’t mind?”

  “Who was it that suggested the idea?”

  “OK, if you insist.”

  Lilly was reluctant to let Ellen see the way she reacted to Gabriel’s voice, so she took the phone with her out of the room. With a thumping heart and trembling fingers she dialed the number and carefully ran through the right words to change the arrangement they had made earlier.

  It was not Gabriel who answered but his secretary. Lilly was shocked into hanging up, but then asked herself why. After all, she hadn’t intended to have a romantic conversation with him. I’ll try again later, she told herself, and returned to her unpacking.

  Half an hour later, Lilly was sorting through her documents when the telephone rang. Without hesitating, Lilly answered the phone and was about to hurry from the room to take it to Ellen, since the call was bound to be for her. But then she froze.

  “I thought it must have been you,” Gabriel began without preliminaries. Lilly’s ears began to glow again.

  “What was?” she asked, although she knew she was very bad at concealing guilt. His secretary had probably told him about the strange call, and he must have known from the number who was too cowardly to speak to the dragon.

  “That call. Did you just want to hear my voice again, or was there another reason?”

  “You obviously have a rather high opinion of yourself, Gabriel,” she retorted, unable to suppress a grin. “But yes, there’s a reason.”

  “One that you didn’t want to share with my secretary?”

  “Yes.” Lilly took a deep breath and continued, “I’d like to cancel our lunch and invite you to dinner here instead. To my friend Ellen’s house.”

  “Ellen Morris’s? Wow, that’s explosive! You could easily have passed the invitation on through my secretary.”

  “Well, I’ve told you now.”

  “And your friend agrees?”

  “She’s involved in the research,” Lilly replied. “And she’s got nothing against getting to know you—on the contrary.”

  “Good. Just tell me when to come.”

  “When suits you?”

  “That’s up to you—you’re the hostess. Anyway, I don’t know how much longer you’re going to be in England, so firstly, we shouldn’t waste any time, and secondly, I’m entirely in your hands. If necessary, I can get Eva to change a few appointments.”

  “How about tomorrow?” she asked.

  His reply came like a shot: “Perfect!”

  “Eight o’clock?”

  “Perfect!”

  “Tuxedo and bow tie?”

  “What?”

  “Just testing whether you were listening and not just saying any old thing.” Lilly laughed.

  “I’m listening. And I’ll wear anything you’d like to see me in, but I can’t consider this the meal you promised to invite me to.”

  Lilly turned red as she remembered the promised dinner. A meal at home with her and Ellen certainly didn’t count. “Um . . . no, of course not. This is just a little . . . opportunity to exchange information.”

  “Fine, see you tomorrow.” She could hear that Gabriel was smiling.

  “See you tomorrow,” she replied with a grin, and hung up.

  “So?” Ellen asked as she appeared in the living room. Her friend could obviously tell with whom she had just been speaking.

  “He’s coming tomorrow at eight. With his latest findings.”

  Ellen clapped her hands in delight. “That’s excellent! In the meantime I’ve had an idea about what to cook.”

  “Do you have the time?” Lilly asked skeptically. “You do have to go back to the institute. And what about Dean?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve thought of everything. There’ll be plenty of work waiting for me after I’ve allowed myself this little break, but it’s not a problem. And Dean won’t mind—it’s been ages since we’ve had anyone over for dinner, and it’ll be a nice distraction from all the stress on the building site.”

  “Then let’s order in. Pizza? Gabriel eats in the cafeteria. He’ll have nothing against it.”

  Ellen shook her head vehemently. “Out of the question! If someone comes for a meal at my house, they don’t get served pizza. I give them a proper meal! I’d be a laughingstock if I couldn’t manage that.”

  Before Lilly could say a word more, the door o
pened. Jessie and Norma were back from school. With cries of delight they fell on Ellen and kissed her; then they hugged Lilly and began firing off a barrage of questions about Cremona.

  17

  Padang, 1902

  In low spirits, Rose looked out the window, regretting a little that she was not staying in the hotel by the sea. If that were the case, she could at least have seen the ship on which Paul was sailing away.

  His promise burned inside her, as did the memory of the passionate embraces that night on the plantation.

  “I’ll be back,” he had said and kissed her ardently. “Just let me sort out my affairs at home.”

  Would he keep to his word? Or had he forgotten her as soon as he was out on the ocean? No, Paul was not like that. She might not know much about him, but that was one thing she was sure of.

  Rose turned back to her suitcase, which stood open in the middle of the room. It was actually Mai’s job to sort it out, but she had forgotten one of the dresses at the dressmaker’s and had gone to fetch it. Rose had just begun to pack a few small items of lingerie when Mai burst through the door, completely distraught.

  “What’s the matter?” Rose asked in amazement.

  “Mr. Carmichael wants you to come immediately, miss,” her dresser said, gasping.

  “Go where?”

  She hoped he hadn’t arranged another appearance for her. All she wanted was to get away from here, away from the unbearable wait for Paul’s return. She had to distract herself, see the world. That was the only way she could bear the time until she was back in his arms.

  “To the harbor. There’s been an accident.”

  Mai pressed her hands to her mouth as if she had already said too much. Rose stared at her for a moment, then shot over to her like a bird of prey and gripped her by the shoulders.

  “What’s happened?” Rose cried, terrified that the accident could have involved Paul. Paul, who had perhaps changed his mind and returned. Mai stared at her in dismay. She didn’t answer, and Rose shook her without thinking. “Tell me, what’s happened?”

  “Your father, miss,” Mai finally managed to say.