Historic fiction based on the true story of a love that influenced three generations of women in three countries and two world wars. Finally, in the third generation, Maria-Karolina's grand-daughter went in search of the key to unlock the door to what had been and to what could be. Even then, she had to find her courage to start over again and reclaim a promise of love which had haunted her own life.
THE PROUD PRUSSIAN
By ELIZABETH M. FORBESAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2011 Elizabeth M. Forbes
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4670-4104-1Contents
BOOK ONE – MARIA-KAROLINA WILHELMINA..................................................1CHAPTER ONE – THE ANNOUNCEMENT........................................................3CHAPTER TWO – THE JOURNEY.............................................................44CHAPTER THREE – WE MEET AGAIN.........................................................71CHAPTER FOUR – THE KIROV AND A BUMPY RIDE.............................................97CHAPTER FIVE – A GRANDE BALL AND A BETRAYAL...........................................119CHAPTER SIX – PREPARATIONS............................................................159CHAPTER SEVEN – ANOTHER CARRIAGE RIDE.................................................192CHAPTER EIGHT – HOME!.................................................................214CHAPTER NINE – AN OCEAN VOYAGE AND A WEDDING..........................................243CHAPTER TEN – A NEW HOME..............................................................268CHAPER ELEVEN – FAMILIES GROW IN AMERICA AND GERMANY..................................318BOOK TWO – PAULINE HENRIETTA..........................................................367CHAPTER ONE – MARIA'S RETURN 1904-1914................................................369CHAPTER TWO – WORLD WAR I 1914 – 1918...........................................412CHAPTER THREE – THE ROARIN' TWENTIES 1920 – 1928................................441CHAPTER FOUR – THE DEPRESSION 1928 – 1932.......................................483BOOK THREE – ELIZABETH MARIE..........................................................523CHAPTER ONE – THE SABBATH CHILD 1932 – 1941.....................................525CHAPTER TWO – WORLD WAR II 1941 – 1945..........................................536CHAPTER THREE – MEIN KLEINE KAMERAD 1946 – 1954.................................555CHAPTER FOUR – "I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE ..." 1954 – 1958............................576CHAPTER FIVE – ANOTHER RUSSIA AND ANOTHER GERMANY INTO THE FUTURE.....................596
Chapter One
THE ANNOUNCEMENT
"Maria-Karolina! Maria-Karolina!"
Maria heard her sister, Frederieka, otherwise known to the family as Rieka, calling her. She sighed, taking her eyes off her reflection in the mirror, as she brought her thoughts back to the present. Now what? She wanted things to stay as they were. No problems, just pretty dresses and balls and admiring beaus. She had been presented to society in Berlin, just last fall. Although none of the young men had as yet shown up at the estate, Maria blamed it on the hard winter and was eager for spring when she hoped to find a certain relative of the Kaiser's family coming to call. The one she had in mind was older than she, but ever since she had met him, she'd become impressed with him and he occupied a large percentage of her thoughts. He had not been in attendance at the school, but she had met him when he had visited her family with the Kaiser. Later, when she was at school in Switzerland, and he had visited his cousins, she had become better acquainted and through various little conversations both had become intrigued with one another. Even though he went on to become a cadet at the Naval school, he'd returned for short visits with his cousins who were still at school with her in Switzerland. Whenever he visited, he always looked her up and they would manage to exchange their views on the latest policies and history's effect on them. She liked to chat with Heinrich because it was not just idle girl chatter. His attention made her feel important. She could not get him out of her mind. He was certainly the only man who paid attention to her thoughts and opinions. When her debut was set, she managed to let him know, and he had come dressed in his uniform. When he had danced with her, there had been an extra spark which only ignited their conversation. She had reminded herself that it was only simple infatuation, but somehow he had become the model for the kind of man that she hoped would come and claim her.
Rieka came dashing in to the room, her eyes dancing with delight as she announced, "Papa is home!" Then she stopped as she observed her older sister. Maria-Karolina was such a pretty picture; so small and petite with dark chestnut brown hair and eyes that sparked like two tiny blue sapphires all framed with dark lashes and perfectly arched winged eyebrows. A tiny pug nose topped it all off which would remind any anthropologist that the Celtic strain commonly seen in Ireland and Scotland occasionally popped up in the northern part of Germany where those early people had once been active roaming the north seas.
Everything about Maria-Karolina was small and delicate which only belied the thin streak of iron which coursed through her small willowy body. Today she looked even more striking in her light blue striped day dress with dark blue borders on the sleeves and hem which only accentuated her blue eyes. It seemed that Maria always knew the best thing to wear. She always looked like her own precious gem; alive and vibrant.
Maria turned and her eyes grew a shade darker as she said, "And what news does Papa bring from the Kaiser's court?" Her father was always courting favors and honors, but they came at a price.
Rieka was beyond mere words. "Come now. I want to be the first."
Maria-Karolina jumped up and quickly passed her sister in the upper hall. As they came running down the stairs, she heard Rieka calling out, "Wait for me, you are always the first to greet Papa. I should never have stopped to tell you."
Their mother's words stopped them both as she called out, "Girls, girls, please mind your manners. Give him a chance to catch his breath. He's had a long journey from St. Petersburg. Whatever news he has, he will share with all of us at dinner. You must learn to be patient."
Both girls stopped and sat down on the stairs. Maria-Karolina spoke first, "That's right, Rieka. We have to be ladies. You must stop running and dashing about like a little boy. Ever since my debut in Berlin, so much has changed. We should go back upstairs and wait to be called for dinner with Papa and Mutti."
She nudged her sister to turn around as they headed back up to Maria's room. Rieka, just sixteen years old, asked the first question. "St Petersburg? That's in Russia. I thought Papa was going to Berlin."
As Maria shut the door to her room, she leaned against it wondering aloud. "Why would Papa go to St. Petersburg? There are no favors at that court. After my debut, I'd have thought he would seek out a family closer to home."
Rieka, always eager to hear about her sister's debut in Berlin, asked "Was there someone special that you met while in Berlin?"
Maria smiled coyly. "Someone that I have already met while at school. He came to visit his cousins. Before I left, I knew my debut would be coming that fall and when the date was set, I sent him a note just to let him know. He was there and we danced and he and another gentleman strolled with me and one of the girls being presented. We strolled through the Tiergarten and chatted one afternoon. Of course, everything properly chaperoned while two women trailed a little distance behind us."
"Did you tell Papa about him?"
"No, that's not how it works. Besides, he's older than I am and only stopped by as a casual friend. Usually the young man would approach the father of the young woman and ask permission to come to call on her. I hoped that this particular man might suggest someone close to his family and that Papa would be at the German court. Why would he ever go to St. Petersburg?"
"Whatever the reason, he must have some news. Now that March is here, the winter should break and you should be getting some callers. I want to get you out of the way so that Mutti and Papa can concentrate on my debut."
"You have plenty of time. You just turned sixteen last November and I had to wait until I was almost twenty."
"That was because you were in school in Switzerland studying languages; and apparently you managed to study one of the visitors who came to call on some of the students ... a certain young man. I want to hear about him."
Rieka perched herself on Maria's bed while she spread out the folds of her dress. That seemed to focus her attention on her main interest at that time; namely clothes. Rieka was eager to start wearing longer floor-length dresses. She was rebelling at the thought that her hems were still as short as they were. If it weren't for those shorter dress hems, people would probably think she was the older one due to her height being at least four full inches over Maria's.
Height was not the only area where the two girls differed. Rieka's hair was a lighter brown and her eyes were a rich hazel. Her nose was also small, but had an impish turned-up quality to it. She was the youngest in a family of four with the two older brothers being away at the cadet military school. Being the youngest sometimes made Rieka feel forgotten, or, at least overlooked. She sometimes described herself as `the brown mouse' due to the fact that her hair was wavy rather than curly and usually done with tendrils from both sides being drawn back and secured in a braid while the rest flowed down her back in gentle ripples.
Her impish quality belied the fact that she was named after Prussia's greatest emperor, Frederick, the Great. Looking back on it all, their names should have been reversed for it was Maria-Karolina who had the innate qualities of pride and propriety. Being the first daughter to her father, a Baron, her longer name signified her higher status for she had been given the name of Wilhelmina, in honor of the present Kaiser Wilhelm. Her father, though only a Baron, was connected to a lesser arm of the Kaiser's family through marriage. The Kaiser and their father had become friends as young men. This was why the young Kaiser paid occasional visits to their estate north of Berlin. It also explained why Ernst had named not only his first son Wilhelm, but had also attached that name in its feminine form to his first daughter, Maria-Karolina.
It was that longer name that so irked Frederieka for she came back to it often stating that "everything about Maria is one step better than me. She even got an extra name to please this Kaiser while I'm named for a dead one." In short, sibling rivalry was alive and well in Frederieka as she managed to trail somewhat behind her sister as well as her two older brothers. Rieka was quick to realize that both the oldest son and the oldest daughter were visited and admired by the present Kaiser while she felt she was completely overlooked. As she put it, "Even Johann gets more attention than I do". So many plans made for the first three children. She wondered if anything was planned for her. Maria-Karolina had been sent to Switzerland to school to study with the Kairer's extended family while she had stayed at home and concentrated on needlework and learning how to assist her mother in managing an estate. She didn't care about bricks and mortar along with livestock; although in checking on the animals she had noticed one certain blacksmith while he shod the horses.
Lately, she had begun comparing her body to Maria's and was eager to catch up to her sister's more voluptuous development and often tugged at the necklines of her dresses to show off her progress into adulthood. This had become especially apparent since Maria's return from Switzerland and her debut into society in Berlin. Rieka felt that she was being overlooked and excluded from the grown-up world that her sister was beginning to enjoy and that Rieka could only imagine.
Since Maria-Karolina had made her debut last holiday season at 19 and now had turned 20 in February, one month ago; Rieka was eager for her turn. She was positive that she would be more aggressive than Maria. No calling cards or beaus on the horizon yet for Maria; but Maria and her mother passed it off blaming it on the hard winter months. Their mother seemed to feel that it all would change with the coming spring and, along with Maria, was enjoying the quiet family gatherings. As far as Maria-Karolina was concerned, leaving home for marriage was still not a priority on her list. She had already been separated from them while she studied in Switzerland and was now proficient in French and English as well as her native German. She was perfectly content to take everything in stride.
Maria-Karolina, well knew the duties that awaited her in the normal course of events, but she didn't have the curiosity of Rieka concerning her body as it changed. While her appearance alerted her father to the fact that she was now of an age for marriage preceded by a proper courtship, her mother had to be consoled with the idea that her eldest daughter would soon be leaving to start a family of her own and embark on all the experiences awaiting her in the adult world. It seemed to her that all her children were being taken away to pursue their lives elsewhere. While one parent wanted to delay Maria's movement into the adult world, the other was possessed to launch her into a suitable marriage which would increase their standing within the noble community.
It was those experiences that did not concern Maria while they tortured Rieka, who was eager to experience them all. Their mother, Anna, wondered how one daughter could be so patient while the other was champing at the bit to savor all the adult experiences ahead.
Now as the two girls settled down before dinner, Rieka saw her chance to ask more questions about the young man that her sister had alluded to knowing both in Switzerland and again at her debut. She had missed Maria while her sister was off in Switzerland enjoying her studies in the alpine frosty air along with members of the royal family. With Maria at home, Rieka was eager to have a ringside seat to watch the courtship that was sure to occur in the spring. She wanted to be in on everything Maria might experience. Another item on her mind was the different dresses that would be planned for her since her parents had finally agreed that she should make her debut in the early fall just before she turned seventeen in November.
That upcoming debut would have her younger than Maria at her debut. This was in no small measure due to their father's response to Maria's changed appearance upon her return from Switzerland. That, and his new friendship with a certain Russian prince had prompted Ernst to move up Rieka's introduction to society. Rieka didn't know what that prince had said to Ernst to convince him to introduce her sooner, but she welcomed the change in events.
Once in Maria's room, Rieka began examining the dresses Maria had worn in Berlin. "I see that the high waist and very low neckline that was so popular when the Emperor Napoleon was in power, has gone out. Some of those styles must have had the men excited."
"Since it was the custom at that time, I'm sure they took it in their stride."
"I can't help imagining how I'd feel in one of those gowns." Rieka added wistfully.
"Those were only worn at balls and special tete-a-tetes at private parties."
"How do you know? Did you go to anything like that?"
"Oh, no, although I heard some talk about it. Since it was our introduction to society, they kept a watchful eye on all of us."
"To make sure you were pure ... perfect virgins?" Rieka giggled.
"I think it was something like that, although from what I heard in the chatter as we dressed, some had experimented in various ways." Maria continued thoughtfully, "Remember our society in Germany is nothing like what goes on in France, even though some of the girls who were debutantes like myself had experimented more than I along the lines that you are thinking."
"Tell me what you did as a daily thing. Where did you go? Did you meet any of the men other than at balls?"
"As I said before, we went out for strolls in the Tiergarten and carriage rides along the Unter den Linden. Usually we walked in pairs and the men would stroll also and we'd nod at one another, and then discuss their charms with whatever girl we were with."
"What did some of them say about the men? If they met any in private when they managed to sneak away, did they tell you anything?"
"If anyone did that, she'd never own up to it with a new casual acquaintance."
"But how about talking with the men?"
"We did occasionally, usually when we had a couple of chaperones trailing behind us. We could also chat as we danced, but that was it. The gentlemen would sign our dance cards and that was how we knew their names. They could make a note of ours and then inquiries would be made for an appointment later on."
"But you haven't heard from anyone yet, have you?"
Maria sighed. "Heinrich said that he'd like to make a friendly call on me later. He's the one I met while he visited his cousins in Switzerland. I felt most at ease with him. I think the others were looking for someone a bit more impressive. I know I was one of the older girls. Most were around eighteen, having just turned eighteen while I was all of nineteen and about to turn twenty. I think Papa felt I was almost past my time for being presented. I have always wished that I had a more classic profile, but I'm stuck with such a little button. I wish I had a nice one like Papa's, or even like yours. Maybe then people would take me more seriously."
"Your nose would give a person the idea that you'd be a lot of fun to be with ... instead of always putting it in books. I think that's what delayed your debut. You were more interested in studying rather than in the young men about you."
"That could be true; but still, when I met Heinrich, I had something in my head so I could talk intelligently with him. He's older and is concerned with more than just dating. I think men must get impatient with the nonsense that some women chat about. He impressed me, and I know I impressed him. I wasn't just a simple giddy girl talking nonsense. That's what I liked about him; even though he is older."
"You need to be more frivolous. Maybe a bit of the French court would do you some good. I wonder what it would be like to be scandalous and wear some of those gowns from the time of Josephine."
"You are impossible, Rieka, always thinking of how much of your body you can reveal. Whatever got you thinking so much of your body parts. Remember, you must be very careful of who you meet and how you behave when it comes to young men."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from THE PROUD PRUSSIANby ELIZABETH M. FORBES Copyright © 2011 by Elizabeth M. Forbes. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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