In the Eye of a Storm by Mary Mageau Read Free Book Online Page A

away.’
    ‘Where will we go in Berlin?’
    ‘Tomorrow I will send a letter to Dunod. He has asked me to do so and
he will welcome us both. It will be wonderful to see him once again. Besides
you, Malande, he is the only person I have left in my life now. All the others
have been killed or have moved far away.’ Then Laneve began to shake with
sobbing as tears flowed down her cheeks.
    ‘Let these tears come, dear one. Weeping is good for the soul as it
washes the pain away.’ Malande held Laneve close to her and dried her tears
until all the crying had stopped.
     ‘I feel so much better now and after I eat some good food and
rest in my own bed I will be fit to travel once again.’
    ‘I will let you rest until I serve our little feast and I will come for
you when this meal is ready. But close your eyes now, say your prayers and all
will be well.’
    As Laneve gazed over her room and the familiar items she loved and
cherished, she gave thanks again and again.
    ‘I am happy that Rene is not here now to see all this suffering. He is
resting in peace. I am thankful that both Papa and Mama died some time ago and
were spared from living through this dreadful revolution.
    My own ordeal is over now and I can live my life again. Tonight I will
open my pianoforte and play music far into the night. All who are in the
chateau can join me if they wish. Tomorrow Malande and I will begin to pack and
we will be on our way to Berlin soon. All will be well as we take command of
our own destiny once again.’

XI.
     
    Time passed and 1795 arrived. The fragrant scent of spring flowed
through the windows of Laneve’s study in Paris. She carried her morning cup of
tea to her writing desk and while it cooled she closed her eyes recalling the
extraordinary events of the past fourteen months.
    ‘How grateful we both were to arrive safely in Berlin and to find Dunod
waiting for us. He had a large comfortable home in the heart of the city so
Malande and I accepted his invitation to live there with him.’ 
    Much to Dunod’s relief, Malande took over the running of the household
as Laneve began her preparations for teaching.
    One afternoon Dunod called out to her, ‘Come Laneve, I have something
to show you. You will love it!’ When she entered the large room adjacent to the
main living area, there stood a new Broadwood fortepiano.’
    ‘Dunod, how can I ever thank you enough for this beautiful instrument. 
Now I can begin to practice again.’
    ‘You can thank the contents of your strongbox – particularly those two
lovely rubies that had never been set. After all, you can’t draw music from a
stone.’
    As the months passed Dunod and Laneve grew closer to one another as
they spent more time together at home. Berlin was so oppressive.
     Despite Malande’s suggestions to our German cook, her food was
always heavy and her language - so guttural. We were not comfortable either
when we went out socially. French women all have innate style, while the German
women seemed so dowdy.
    Even Malande always looked beautifully elegant in her choice of
clothing. As we often felt so different we made few friends.
    ‘What can you expect,’ Dunod laughed. ‘Here we have two beautiful
peacocks among a brood of plain brown hens.’
    But finally a letter came from the newly installed Republican
Government, inviting all the émigrés to return to France once again.
    ‘What a surprise!’ Dunod remarked. ‘They were so quick to cut off the
heads of the nobility, but sadly with those heads went their brains. Now they
discover that more is needed to administer and organize a large country than
what a butcher, a baker or a candlestick maker can supply.
    As the reign of terror is over now and if we wish, we can return to
help them out of all their dilemmas.’
    ‘We must go back again to France, Dunod. I have made a commitment and
my pardon depended upon it.’
    ‘Laneve, we will return in several months. But now I have two surprises
for you.
    The