Chapter 11
Thursday, the day on which Marie Pfeiffen was marrying, dawned brightly and after they had taken Frühstuck and tidied their cubicles, the girls all dressed in white frocks with white stockings and shoes, and topped off with big shady hats. The simple wedding service started at nine-thirty and Sarah was charmed by the picture which the bride and her bridegroom, Andreas, made as they made their vows.
The whole school had been invited to the bridal feast, and Sarah formed a small group with Cyrilla Maurus, Giovanna Donati, Selma Khrakhovska, and Signa Johansen as they made their way across to the Kron Prinz Karl, and once they arrived, although she would have liked to sample the traditional dishes which were being served, Sarah contented herself with fruit, knowing that she must patrol that night and not wishing to risk any stomach upsets from the strange food.
After the giving of the money gifts, the girls joined in with the dancing. Sarah partnering several of her classmates. There had been a lull whilst one of the men had sang something about Andre, and she was dancing with Herr Braun, who had insisted quietly in her ear that he must dance with the Slayer, when the music stopped. The hotelier bowed deeply to her.
"Now, Fraulein, I must go. It is time for the Ehrentanz and I must go and do my duty as host." he explained, before walking over to a table near the musicians on which there were many glasses of wine.
Sarah went and stood with Paula von Rothenfels whilst this dance was being performed, and so it seemed natural that she should stay with the older girl once the dance was over and the girls, at Mademoiselle's suggestion, left the hotel to go and watch the shooting matches. After becoming bored with the sports, the girls wandered about in groups. So Sarah, still with Paula, was in the group that went to talk to Herr August, brother of Herr Pfeiffen.
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All day, Sarah had been aware of a cold feeling in her stomach, which steadily increased as they sat listening to Herr August tales of other weddings which he had attended. As they sat silently, Herr August having exhausted his store of reminiscences, she wondered at this. Then at his next words, all became suddenly clear.
"Fraulein Joey, I have heard that the demon who tried to bear away the little Fraulein Robin has been seen again of late."
Sarah listened closely as Joey demanded where, her certainty that Spike and Drusilla were probably still living in the caves growing even as Joey related the story of the rescue of the Robin to Cornelia, who had not heard of the tale before. She remembered to look interested, however, as it would not do for anyone to question how she had heard the story, sure that Herr Braun would not have told herself and Rosemary were it not for Sarah being the Slayer.
Listening quietly to the conversation that followed, Sarah glowed inwardly as she realised that she and her Watcher had guessed that the cleft led to caves long before the girls at the school, led by Margia, had. Although, she thought, she had had the advantage of actually seeing the cleft, whereas of the schoolgirls only Joey and Grizel had seen the cleft, and they had been somewhat preoccupied at the time. Still, Sarah filed the information from Herr August, along with the conversation which had followed, away, with the intention of telling Rosemary that weekend.
Sarah stayed with the group as they walked back to the school, whence Grizel had told them to go and get their own Kaffee und Kuchen, in the hope that the conversation might turn back to the cleft, and the incident with Herr Arnolfi. But for the majority of the girls, all thoughts of the caves were pushed from their heads when Dr Jack, the brother of Miss Maynard appeared to take Joey up to the Sonnalpe to see her sister and her new-born nephew.