“Good.” I smiled. “Calan has everything under control.”
She nodded, and I knew she hadn’t really been listening, but I didn’t blame her.
The telephone rang, and all of us sat up straight. We had brought an extension into the parlor earlier in the afternoon, and Mama reached for it now.
“Hello?” she asked as she sat forward on the edge of her chair, grabbing my hand. “Yes, this is Mrs. Voland.”
She was quiet for several seconds, but it was impossible to read the expression on her face.
I glanced at the Astors, who looked back at me, just as eager and nervous to hear who had called. Lady Astor clasped her hands together so tightly, her knuckles were white.
“Yes,” Mama said, nodding before she swallowed. “I understand.” Her voice cracked, and my heart fell. Mama did not look relieved. Whatever she was hearing was not instilling any confidence in her. “Thank you. I will keep the phone close by.”
Her hand shook as she slowly hung up the receiver, but before I could ask her who had called, she lowered her head and began to weep.
“What is it, Mama?” I asked, leaving my chair to kneel in front of her. “Tell me.”
Mama took a moment and then inhaled a deep breath before she lifted her head. “That was Major Smith, calling from Berlin. They have not found your father, but they have enough evidence to suggest that he was abducted.” She paused again as her breath shuddered out of her body. “No one has come forward with any demands, and the German government is claiming that they have nothing to do with his disappearance. They are assisting the American Embassy with their investigation.”
“Who would take Papa?” I asked, angry and frustrated and afraid.
“They aren’t sure at this time,” Mama said, “but they believeit’s an extremist group. They won’t know until they’re contacted and demands are made.” She took another deep breath. “Major Smith has every confidence that your father will remain unharmed. They do not believe this was a random criminal act. Someone took your father with the intent to get something. And until we know what that is, they believe your father will be held captive.”
“This is ludicrous,” Lord Astor said as he stood and began to pace.
“It’s—it’s—” Lady Astor shook her head, clearly at a loss for words. “What I do know is that the United States and England will do everything in their power to ensure that Luc is brought home safely.”
Mama nodded as she wiped her cheeks with the handkerchief. “Thank you.” She rose on shaking legs and said, “I hope you don’t mind. I believe I’ll turn in for the night. Major Smith said that he doesn’t think he’ll have any more news for me this evening, and I need to keep up my strength.”
“Of course we don’t mind,” Lady Astor said as she, too, rose. “We’ll take our leave, but do not hesitate to call us, even if it’s the middle of the night. We will be here as soon as possible.”
“Thank you.” Mama tried to look stoical as she left the parlor, but I could hear her begin to weep as soon as she entered the hall and went up the stairs.
“We are so sorry, Kathryn,” Lady Astor said as she joined me near the chair. “Please know that we are here for you, no matter what you need.”
“Thank you.” I accepted a hug from her and a smile from Lord Astor.
“We’re only a phone call away,” she said as we left the parlor and walked down the stairs to the front hall, where their wraps were waiting on a coat-tree near the door.
As soon as they were gone, I went up the stairs and into my bedroom, where I stared out the window at Berkeley Square, shadowed under nightfall. I didn’t want to bother Mama, who was in her room across the hall. She would need some time to herself toprocess everything that had happened. Earlier, we had called my sister, Lydia, in California, but if there was no news to share, it didn’t pay to call her again. Hopefully we would have something good to tell her in the morning.
What I really wanted was to go to sleep so I could wake up in 1888 and tell Austen what had happened. I needed his warm embrace to chase away my fears. But it wouldn’t be midnight for several hours, and I couldn’t cross over until then.
After I put on my nightgown, washed my face, and brushed my teeth, I padded across the hallway to Mama’s door and knocked lightly.
“Come in,” Mama said.
I opened the door and found her lying on her bed. She was still wearing her dress and hadn’t changed into a nightgown. She was holding one of Papa’s nightshirts to her face, though it looked as if her tears had stopped.
I’d never seen her so distressed. She worried about us, but she was always our strength in times of trouble. It shook me to my core to see her this upset.
Slowly, she seemed to gather herself and sat up, holding her arms out to me, beckoning me to join her.
I didn’t hesitate but climbed into her bed.
And, for the first time since we’d heard the news, I allowed myself to cry.
Mama held me until I fell asleep.
