Tia let out a sigh and said, “OK.”
Then London heard Bret’s little voice.
“Hi, Aunt London.”
“Hi, Bret.”
“Where are you?”
“I’m traveling in Germany, sweetie.”
“Where’s Germany?”
“It’s in Europe.”
“Oh. Europe is over across the ocean, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s a long way away.”
“I suppose it is.”
London felt uneasy about this innocent little interrogation. Shewished Bret would hand the phone back to his mother.
Then Bret asked, “When are you coming home?”
London felt a jolt of emotional surprise.
Home? she thought.
Does he really think of their house as where I live?
London supposed it might make sense in the mind of a little boy.After all, whenever London wasn’t voyaging around the world, she’d often stayedwith her sister and her family.
London was relieved to hear Tia say again, “Go play with yoursisters, Bret.”
“OK,” Bret said.
A second later Tia was back on the phone.
“Bret misses you,” Tia said.
“I know,” London said.
“So do the girls.”
Actually, London doubted that. Unlike little Bret, the girls hadnever shown a lot of interest in her.
“Where are you right now?” Tiasaid.
“On our way to Bamberg,” Londonsaid.
“Is that in Germany?”
“Yes.”
“Have you been enjoying Europe?”
London was a bit surprised by thequestion. But then she realized—Tia surely had no idea that London had dealtwith two murders since they’d set sail from Budapest, much less that her ownlife had been in danger. Enjoying Europe hadn’t exactly been her firstpriority.
“It’s been fine,” London toldher.
“I’m glad.”
But Tia didn’t sound so glad atall, and London now more than half regretted reaching out to her.
“How are you and Bernard?” Londonasked.
“Pretty much like always,” Tiasaid.
“And the kids?” London asked,still hearing the sounds of combat in the background.
“The same,” Tia said. Then shesaid again, “They miss you.”
Then came an awkward pause. Londonknew what she was supposed to say—that she missed Tia and her husband and thekids too, and couldn’t wait to get back to Connecticut. But the truth was,London had barely given them any thought since she’d left. And she certainlywas in no hurry to get back to Connecticut.
Then Tia said, “It’s not too lateto change your mind, you know.”
“About what?”
“About Ian, of course.”
Oh, that, London realized.
The night before the phone calloffering her the job aboard the Nachtmusik, her accountant boyfriend Ian Mitchell had asked her over an elegantdinner to marry him. Actually, he’d made his proposal more in business terms—asa “merger” that would be advantageous to both of them.
“Um, Tia,” she said, “I think thatship has sailed—so to speak.”
“What do you mean?”
London stifled a sigh. She didn’twant to tell Tia how Ian had reacted when she’d called him from the airport toturn down his “merger,” explaining that she was on her way to Europe instead.
“The deal is off,” he’d said. “I’m afraid the matter is no longer upfor negotiation.”
And that had been that.
“Never mind,” Tia said with a groan of resignation. “You’ll neversettle down. You’re determined to follow in Mom’s footsteps.”
London’s mouth dropped open.
Is that what I’m doing?
Following in Mom’s footsteps?
Tia continued, “Not that we have any idea where those footstepsfinally took her, or where she might be now. And I guess that’s fine with her,no matter how we felt about it. All we know is she … well, she didn’t careenough about us to hang around. You seem to take after her that way.”
London felt a deep tingling all over.
She doesn’t know what I found out.
London wondered for a moment—was it a good idea to tell Tia? Butsurely her sister had a right to know.
London spoke cautiously.
“Tia, I … I’ve got some idea of what happened to Mom.”
“What do you mean?”
London took a long, deep breath.
“During our stay in Salzburg, I met a woman—her name is Selma—andshe said she knew Mom. She said Mom has been traveling around Europe working asa language tutor. Mom tutored Selma’s daughter in Salzburg for a few months.When she left, she only told Selma that she was on her way to Germany.”
“Hold on a minute,” Tia gasped.
Then London heard her sister say, “Out of the kitchen. Now. Closethe door.”
When the noise diminished, Tia said to London, “And that’s whereyou are now. In Germany.”
Well, Germany is a big country, London almost said.
Also, Mom might very well be in a different country by now.
“London, don’t even think about it,” Tia said.
“Think about what?” London said.
“Looking for her.”
Did I say I was looking for her? London wondered.
Am I looking for her?
Tia continued, “She never wanted to be found. And I for one don’twant to find her. And you shouldn’t either. I’m sure Dad feels the same way.Think about his feelings, London.”
“Tia—” London began.
“I mean it, London. Mom is just being true to her nature.Remember what she told us about her name?”
“No,” London replied.
“She told us Barbara comes from the Greek word barbaros, whichmeans ‘strange’ or ‘foreign’—the same word ‘barbarian’ comes from. ‘That’s whatI am,’ she used to tell us, ‘just a wandering barbarian at heart.’”
Yes, I remember, London realized.
She had been very little when Mom had said that, and she’dforgotten it. But now, for the first time in years, those words were comingback to her.
Suddenly London heard a raucous metallic clatter.
“Stop that, Bret!” Tia shouted.
But the noise continued.
“I’ve got to go,” Tia said. “Bret’s pulling all the pans out ofthe cabinet. Call me again when you get a chance, OK?”
Tia ended the call before London could say another word.
Meanwhile, the boat’s slow descent had come to a stop, and theenormous metal gate in front of the Nachtmusik was sliding upward with athunderous roar of machinery.
Sir Reggie nudged London’s ankle again, and she picked him backup.
“It’s OK, boy,” she said over the noise. “Everything’s OK.”
But she didn’t feel like everything was OK. Her conversation withTia had left her rattled for reasons she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Ithad something to do with what Mom had said about her name meaning “strange” or “foreign.”
And now she found herself thinking about that advertisement she’dfound posted at the restaurant back in Regensburg: “Sprachleher zu mieten”—“Tutorfor hire.” She reached into her pocket and took out the little slip of paperwith the phone number on it. For a couple of seconds she wondered …
What
