The innkeeper assumed that, as a married couple, she and Toby would wish to share a room, and outwardly, she and he behaved as if they expected that as well. But when Evelyn was informed that she would be sleeping in a chamber with her brothers and not in the same room as her “mama,” she pouted, clung to Diana’s skirt, and violently shook her head.
Together with Toby, Diana attempted to reassure Evelyn, but the little girl’s features grew stormy, and her lip quivered, and tears slowly filled her large blue eyes. With her fists clenched in Diana’s skirt, she shook her head. “No, no, no! I want to be with Mama!”
Her tone had risen to tantrum level.
As per their script, Diana threw Toby a helpless glance, then bent and lifted the teary little girl into her arms. She straightened and looked at Toby. “If we could possibly…”
He gave vent to an entirely believable, long-suffering sigh. With a faintly exasperated look at Evelyn, now hiding her face in the crook of Diana’s throat, he turned to the innkeeper. “Perhaps two adjoining rooms? My wife and daughter and our maid can sleep in one, and I’ll share the other with our sons.”
“Of course! An excellent suggestion.” With a sympathetic look, the innkeeper obligingly consulted his register.
In short order, they were conducted up the stairs to two large, comfortable rooms overlooking the square.
Diana led the way with Evelyn in her arms, still clinging. Toby and the boys and Helga followed, carrying some of the smaller bags that had been brought in, leaving the rest of their luggage to be ferried upstairs by the porter.
On reaching the room and approving its amenities, Diana waited until the others were all inside and the innkeeper bowed himself out and shut the door, then she met Toby’s eyes.
He held up a hand, and they waited a minute more, then he grinned.
Diana bent, set Evelyn on the floor, and beamed at her. “Well done!”
The little girl smiled brilliantly. “He believed me.”
“He did.” Smiling, Toby ruffled her curls. “You gave an excellent performance.”
Plainly proud of their little sister’s histrionic abilities, her brothers chimed in with their congratulations. The boys, Diana judged, were reassured by the arrangements Evelyn’s performance had secured and were relieved at not having to sleep in a strange room in an unknown place by themselves.
The distant tolling of a bell reminded her of the hour. “It’s almost time for dinner.” She flapped her hands toward the door to the other room. “Off you go and wash your hands and faces and brush your hair. Then we can go downstairs and eat.”
As always for the boys, food was a reliable prod. They readily went into the adjoining room, and after throwing her a mild glance, Toby followed.
With Helga’s help, Diana unpacked what was necessary for the night’s stay and assisted Evelyn with her ablutions, then she sat and brushed the little girl’s hair, an activity Evelyn adored.
When the boys returned with Toby, all three faces shining and eyes eager, Diana rose and, with Evelyn’s hand in hers, followed the trio into the corridor.
With a boy on either side, Toby led the way to the stairs, and Diana overheard enough to realize the three were talking of horses. As she and Evelyn descended the stairs in the trio’s wake, she noted that Roland and Bryce were hanging on Toby’s every word.
In the dining room, they were conducted to a large table. As Diana settled in her chair, with Roland on her left and Evelyn on her right, with Toby and Bryce opposite, she continued to observe the now-easy interaction between Toby and the boys. Some barrier had fallen. Both boys had thawed considerably and were actively engaging with Toby, not merely responding to his conversational forays.
Truth be told, she was secretly impressed; she hadn’t thought he would have such a deft touch when it came to inspiring interest from and holding the attention of young boys.
Evelyn asked her a question, and Diana turned to answer.
Minutes later, with Evelyn happily folding a napkin, Diana reflected that, at least to this point, she, too, was finding playing her part in their charade easier than she’d expected.
* * *
The next morning,as the coach rolled out of Klagenfurt and on around the lake known as the Worthersee, Toby studied his new “family” and was quietly amazed by how smoothly the previous evening had played out.
Despite the children being worn out by the long day, they’d coped well during dinner in the small inn’s dining room. Once back in their rooms, they’d been more than ready for bed and had slept deeply and soundly, allowing Toby to catch up on some much-needed sleep himself, for which he was grateful.
All three children were bright and quick-witted. Breakfast that morning had seen them putting into practice matters of etiquette that they’d noted the night before.
Smiling at the memory of Evelyn and Bryce sorting through their cutlery, Toby shifted his gaze to look out at the scenery, at the placid waters of the lake ringed by rugged mountains.
He was increasingly confident they’d slipped out of Vienna without being seen, thus avoiding immediate pursuit. What was more surprising was that he was rather looking forward to a day of what, for him, would be leisurely travel.
He was actually enjoying this rather peculiar and distinctly odd adventure. The relatively slow pace allowed him to appreciate the spectacular scenery he normally raced past. Going anywhere slowly had never been his inclination, but he was starting to see that occasionally indulging in a slower journey might have advantages.
