Page 25 of A Song in the Dark

chapter Nine

Chaisley paced the hotel suite in front of the windows. Rick had moved furniture for her so she’d have a clear place to walk and think. Thirty paces one way, turn around, thirty paces back.

Dr. G was supposed to arrive this morning since he’d been delayed in France last week. She’d been trying to convince Melanie to tell him about the attack, but as of last night, she still refused to speak about it. She insisted she was fine—that Rick arrived just in time.

Rick.

He said he followed Melanie that night because he was worried about her leaving the hotel on her own. Chaisley wanted to believe him. But she’d heard that same tiny change in his voice when he’d told them that as when they first met. So it was part truth and part lie? But why?

Why would he lie to them?

Over their short time together, she’d come to enjoy his company and, dare she say... trust him. But should she? He already knew too much if she’d made a mistake on that account. She couldn’t imagine him double-crossing her or putting her in harm’s way.

With a shake of her head, she turned in her pacing once again. No. When she’d confronted him about not telling the full truth at the beginning, he’d conceded. Every instinct within her told her that Rick was trustworthy.

And that wasn’t just because she wanted him to be trustworthy. Because she liked him. More than she probably should.

Was her judgment clouded?

If only Grandmother were here. She was always able to help when Chaisley started overthinking everything.

Tap, tap.

The simple sound put a smile on her face. She made her way to the door and pulled it open. “Dr. G!” She opened her arms.

“How is my favorite pianist doing today?” She could hear his smile through the words.

“Much better now that you’re here.” Moving back, she gave him room to enter and then closed the door. “I was worried when you were delayed.”

“Nothing to worry about ... yet. Several of my contacts asked to meet privately with news that things have been changing. Everyone sees it, but they don’t quite know what to make of it.” His steps moved toward the couch. “Shall we sit?”

She made her way to a chair that she’d instructed Rick to place facing the couch. “I’m glad you were able to meet with them. And thank you. Your network of contacts is truly astounding. We were able to find help immediately for a mother and daughter who came to us the night we last saw you.”

“Just make sure that you keep that list safe. We don’t want to put any of them in danger.”

“I will.” She put a hand to her heart. “I’ve memorized it, and so has Melanie.” Rick came to mind again. Should she ask—

“You’ve got that look on your face where you want to bring up a touchy subject.” His relaxed chuckle washed over her. “Go ahead. It’s just us, and we’ve got time.”

As she launched into the doubts she was having about Rick, her relief was almost overwhelming.

Her shoulders relaxed, and the tightness in her stomach dissolved.

It really was a beautiful thing to share one another’s burdens.

She went all the way back to when he’d first started and then left it on a question about his explanation for following Melanie.

The long sigh that escaped Dr. G after she finished put her even more at ease. “You can vanquish your doubts, my dear. I was afraid it was something much more serious.”

“Oh? Really?” She leaned back against the chair’s cushions, feeling better already.

“Yes. In fact, I should tell you that I had Rick fully checked out before he started as your driver. He might choose his words carefully at times, but that’s only because he wishes to protect you, I’m sure.”

She released her pent-up breath. “That is a relief.”

“But your instincts are spot on, Chais. That’s good.

You must be careful who you trust in these times, so keep that guard up.

” He paused and the rustling sounded like he was shifting closer to her.

“My dear”—his voice was low and soft—“I have prayed for a long time for a man worthy of you to catch your interest. And from what I see in your face ... that is ... I believe Rick has done exactly that.”

She stiffened against the chair as her eyebrows shot up.

“Don’t look so surprised. I delivered you when you were born, and I’ve been watching you ever since.”

Blinking several times, she took the time to think over his statement fully.

It was one thing to like a person. Another to be attracted to them.

And another thing altogether to say that person had caught her interest. Was that true?

Could she admit that? Opening her mouth, she was about to deny it when she realized she couldn’t. “I think you might be—”

The door between her suite and Melanie’s opened with a click and swish. “Knock, knock! Dr. Grafton!” The overly enthusiastic sing-song lilt of her friend’s voice barely covered the edge Chaisley heard underneath.

When would Melanie deal with what happened?

“Melanie, it’s so good to see you.” Dr. G responded with equal enthusiasm. “You look lovelier than ever.”

“Thank you. So is Chaisley teaching you the new code? It’s quite brilliant.”

“Not yet. We were just catching up.”

“Good, I didn’t miss anything.” Melanie giggled. “I need plenty of practice on it myself.”

“All right, well, I guess we better dive in. If I’m to teach Celestia, I better have a handle on it myself.” A clap was followed by rubbing. “Let’s see this code.”

Chaisley didn’t mind the shift in conversation. Examining her feelings for Rick was a bit too new anyway. Besides, her guardian already suspected, so they could talk about it another time. “I’ve chosen pages from ten of my favorite and most intricate piano piecesto hide our code in...”

She launched into the idea. Unless someone was an expert at reading musical braille and knew each piece backward and forward, they would never guess that within the music was their hidden communication.

Tuesday, May 10, 1938

Chaisley inhaled deeply then pushed the breath out in short puffs, willing her body to relax.

It was a rare day off. A day to rest. Recuperate.

But sleep was elusive. She counted sheep.

She lay as still as possible with her eyelids closed and breathed slow and steady. Relaxing thoughts. Lullaby music.

Another hour of sleep would be so lovely.

Nope.

Her brain wouldn’t allow it.

Melanie was on her mind.

After working for hours with Melanie and Dr. G on the new code, the forced emotion she constantly heard in her friend wore on her. Enthusiasm, teasing about when she made a mistake, excitement when she got it correct. Each time it was all just a bit too ... false and cheery.

It hadn’t been even two weeks since the assault. Multiple times a day Chaisley asked Melanie how she was doing. Each response seemed calm and resolute.

But they weren’t honest.

Mel should know that Chaisley could tell. But when was the right time to push?

It must have been awful to experience how deep the hatred for Jews had grown. Prejudice had crescendoed from pianissimo to fortissimo without people even realizing it.

Mel seemed even more eager to do whatever they could. But she wouldn’t talk about what happened. When would the facade crumble? And would Chaisley be able to help her when it happened?

In the years prior to the tour—with all the planning and scheduling—another sonata had begun in Chaisley’s heart.

It was slow and melancholy. Its purpose had been unclear at the time, but her conviction to listen and be ready for whatever the Lord held in store increased like a chorus of timpani in a grand finale.

Perhaps she would play it at her next concert.

Unlike her most recent composition, this piece stayed somber.

She climbed out of bed and put on her robe. Settling onto a couch in front of the fireplace in her room, she tucked her feet up under her.

It sickened her to think of the extent the Nazis had gone through to erase the reality of what they were doing.

Melanie and Rick described the posters and signs they’d seen everywhere in Austria.

How quickly they had been posted. Others told them such things were worse and rampant within Germany.

When she’d asked why people hadn’t seen the propaganda during the Olympics in Germany, the response angered her.

Hitler used his army and police and other loyal groups to take it all down when the world descended on Berlin.

They definitely put on a good show that stated, “Hey, we aren’t trying to start a war, so pay no attention here.” And for the most part, it worked.

Here in Switzerland, things didn’t seem as dire, but then, people kept to themselves.

The Swiss didn’t want to side with anyone, but they didn’t want to allow refugees in.

Chaisley wasn’t quite sure what to think of the country’s neutrality.

Of course, Switzerland shared a border with Germany, so tensions had to be high.

Saying they were neutral must be how they survived.

She needed to understand what it could be like to walk in the Swiss peoples’ shoes, even though she wanted to shout from the rooftops about the truth.

Funny. A few months ago, her thoughts had simply been to bring hope and entertainment to people through her music. But now? She prayed daily that God would let her be part of whatever it took to stop the Nazis.