Page 45 of A Song in the Dark

chapter Sixteen

Celestia coughed into her handkerchief and rolled over onto her side. It had been many years since a sickness had caused her to be bedridden. But here she was.

Movement over in the chair caught her eye. “You’re still here,” she rasped.

“Of course I am.” Grafton leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. “You’ve got to take better care of yourself, Celestia.”

“Posh. If it’s the Lord’s time for me to go, it’s time.” She coughed again. “You did get ahold of Chaisley, didn’t you?”

“Yes. They are on their way back. Should be here soon, I suspect.”

“Good. Thank you. There’s much I need to tell her ... ask her ... just in case.”

His head drooped a bit but he didn’t argue with her.

“You also spoke with my lawyer?”

“You know I did. He was here, yesterday.”

That’s right. She’d forgotten. Which wasn’t like her. Maybe the good Lord truly was calling her home. A thought she loved and yet didn’t love ... all at the same time. There were still so many people to help.

“Grandmother?” Chaisley’s voice from the doorway brought a sigh to her lips.

“Come in, child.” She was seized by coughing before she could sit up properly.

Grafton stood and lifted her, patted her back, and offered her a glass of water. Always proper, that boy. Always caring. Always in his black suit. “I’ll give you two some time to catch up.”

“Thank you.” Celestia wiped at her mouth with her lace handkerchief and then waved her granddaughter closer. Oh, she was losing it. Chaisley couldn’t see the motion. “Come sit with me for a while.”

For the next hour, her granddaughter showered her with questions about her health and then shared about all she’d seen and heard the past few weeks.

Great sobs seemed to overcome her. “I can’t bear what is happening, Grandmother.

No matter how strong I am or how many we try and help . .. the evil just seems overwhelming.”

Celestia didn’t have words. Oh, how she understood what her granddaughter felt. There were now more than fifty Jewish people taking refuge in her own home. A number that would surely continue to grow.

“What about the Kleins? Grafton told me he secured them visas, but they are about to expire.”

Chaisley’s gulping sobs grew. “We can’t find them. Apparently they were frightened and left the hotel, but they haven’t returned.”

“Oh, child. I’m so sorry. From what you told me, Mary Beth is a strong, resilient child. She’ll help her mother get in touch.”

“I pray they do.” Chaisley mopped up her face with a hankie and straightened her shoulders. She laid a hand close to Celestia’s and found her fingers. “I’ve rescheduled several concerts in Spain so that I could stay with you awhile. Perhaps you’ll be back on your feet by the time I need to leave.”

Celestia covered her granddaughter’s hand with her own.

“As much as I would love for that to be true, the infection is still in my lungs. Grafton has been honest with me—if my body can continue to fight it off, that’s great.

But there’s also a good chance that I will soon be joining my precious husband and your parents in Jesus’s presence. ”

“Please don’t talk like that.” Chaisley sniffed and swiped a hand at her tear-stained cheek.

“My child, I’m in the Lord’s hands, and that’s the best place to be.

” She coughed several times, and her granddaughter handed her the glass of water again.

“Thank you.” After a few sips, she handed it back, and Chaisley set it down on the side table without spilling a drop.

“Now ... let’s talk about something happier. ”

Chaisley blew her nose. “Like what?”

“Like how beautiful you are. I’ve seen how you’ve taken the world by storm and have stood firm in the face of the enemy.”

“And then I come in here and feel like a little girl and sob all over the place.” She shook her head.

“Only because you feel safe here with me. I love that. But don’t give up that strength or tenacious streak even as you grieve, my dear.”

“I can’t bear to lose you.”

“You won’t lose me. You know that. I simply will gain heaven, and you’ll meet me there one day.” She shifted in the bed as another coughing fit overtook her and she worked her way to sit up a bit more. “Now ... if my time is short, I have a request.”

“Anything.”

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Grinning to herself, she launched into her plan. “I’ve seen how you are with Rick, and there’s no denying the way he looks at you. You two care for one another ... dare I say, you love each other?”

“Love?” Chaisley cleared her throat. “Um, well, I guess, that is ... we do care for each other. We’ve become close friends.”

“Oh, don’t beat around the bush. I can see it clearly on your face this very moment. Don’t deny it. The world is in dire straits. There’s no time to waste.”

Chaisley’s mouth clamped closed.

Yes. She was correct. “All right, then. Here is my request. I am asking you to promise me that you will marry him before the year is out. I would love to see you married before I pass on, but we don’t know how much longer I have.

That’s why a promise will have to do.” All this talking made her cough even more.

“I’m so thankful that God has brought you love, Chaisley.

I want to be able to take my last breath knowing that you are loved and taken care of. ”

Her granddaughter’s mouth opened and then shut. Opened one more time and then shut again.

If it wasn’t such a serious moment, Celestia would want to laugh at all the expressions passing over Chaisley’s face. “Do you promise?”

“Well ... don’t you think this is something I should discuss with Rick?”

“Sure. Go get him right now. Let’s get this settled today.”

Berlin, Germany—Wednesday, October 19, 1938

The man at the table in front of him was worthless.

“I thought you taught this to your students, Mr. Wolf?”

The man’s hands shook over the paper. “I teach braille, yes. But this isn’t that.”

“Then what, pray tell, is it?” He smacked the paper with the back of his hand.

The man lifted his bound hands to his eyes and rubbed at them. “If I remember my schooling from university, this might be a form of the original braille from the early 1800s. These other forms seem to be some of the inventions from the United States.”

He slapped the table. “You’re telling me you don’t know what it says?”

“No. That is ... not all of it. Here are the words that I was able to decipher.” The frail man slid a piece of paper across to him. “That’s all I can do.” He licked his lips. “Please, may I have a glass of water now?”

He walked across the room and grabbed a glass and the pitcher. He poured the water into the cup in front of the dirty little man at the table and then threw it in his face.

“Next time, I expect answers.”

Amsterdam, Netherlands

After being gone most of the day yesterday and into the night, Rick wasn’t prepared to be woken up at six in the morning by the butler urging him to get dressed and go see Celestia.

But here he was, with gritty eyes, mussed hair, and dressed at ten past six knocking on Celestia’s door. He suppressed a yawn.

Chaisley opened the door looking fresh and clean and ... happy. She was beautiful. It was a good thing she couldn’t see his state. “Good morning.”

“Good morning.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek.

“I see Grandmother had you summoned first thing.” She giggled. “She called for you yesterday, but we found out you were away from the manor.” Chaisley leaned closer and whispered. “She’s not the best at patience.”

“Come here, young man. We have much to discuss.” Celestia coughed and waved her hand at him.

He did as he was told.

“Now. I’m not going to mince words because talking too much makes me cough. You love my granddaughter, don’t you?”

He swallowed as he met her compassionate stare and nodded. There was no denying it. “I do.” He shifted his gaze to Chaisley and watched for her reaction.

Pink swept into her cheeks, the corners of her lips turned up, and her eyes sparkled.

Rick couldn’t tear his eyes away from her face. Dare he believe that she felt the same?

“Chaisley, my dear, Rick is staring at you like a lovesick schoolboy.” Celestia coughed again and then continued. “You better tell him.”

Chaisley beamed at him. “I love you, too.”

In two quick strides, he was by her side, pulling her into his arms. No other words were needed. Her hands roamed his face as his lips found hers.

All the horrors of the world around them melted away as he kissed the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. No matter how much time God granted him, he wanted it to be with Chaisley.

Lost in each other’s arms.

“Ahem.”

Rick chuckled against Chaisley’s lips and pulled back a few inches.

Celestia shifted in her bed. “Now that that is settled, I’d like to set a wedding date. Our work won’t wait for such a thing, so I think it should be a simple ceremony. And soon.”

“Yes,” Chaisley agreed. “Very soon.”