Hope you liked the prologue! Here's chapter one! This chapter takes place before Emma got the invitation from Austria, just in case you get confused. Please enjoy and don't forget to review!
Something beeped close to my head and, belatedly, I realized it was my alarm clock. By the time I mustered up enough energy to turn the thing off, I was already fifteen minutes behind schedule. I shot up in my bed, quick enough to spin the room, and ignored the dizzy feeling as I threw the covers from my body. My bare feet met the cold wooden floor and I wiggled my toes, shivering as the cold traveled through the rest of my body.
I found myself thankful that I'd taken a shower the night before; otherwise I would've been late for work. I opened my closet doors and moved things out of the way so that I could grab my work uniform. It was a navy blue maids uniform with a white apron and frills. The skirt would have been to my knees if I wasn't so tall, but instead it went to mid-thigh. Everything else fit nicely, so I didn't complain about it being too short.
Once I found myself dressed, I made my way down the stairs to eat a quick meal of toast and orange juice. My sister was no doubt still asleep; five A.M was too early for her. I set my empty glass in the sink before going to the door and slipping on my shoes. Without a second to spare, I hailed a cab and left for Mr. Edelstein's home.
"Morning Gretchen." I waved to one of my co-workers as we passed each other in the hall. She smiled at me, giving a small wave of her own. She was always quiet and extremely shy, but she'd opened up after the first year of knowing me.
I walked into the supply closet to gather the things I would need for the day; a broom, a duster, a rag, and a handful of cleaning chemicals. The smaller items fit nicely into a carrier, but I had to tuck to broom under my arm. Written on my schedule were the usual; hallways, library, music room, laundry, and ball room. I always cleaned the music room around three because there was a good chance I'd see Mr. Edelstein coming in to play his beloved piano.
The hallways were always clean, considering everyone did their part to ensure it. Often times I would just fix a few paintings that had gone crooked or dust the cobwebs from corners, but sometimes there were places that needed to be swept. Then I would move on to the library, which always seemed to be covered in a heavy layer of dust. I'd put away books after everything was dust free. The laundry was easy considering all the clothing was already neatly piled, so all I needed to do was put it in the wash or hang it up to dry. By the time I finished with those three chores, it was close to three; therefore, I made my way down to the music room.
I could feel the excitement course through my body, giddy smile lighting up my face. From down the hall, I could hear the piano being played expertly. It was no doubt Mr. Edelstein, for whom else could play so perfectly? I'd anticipated this time all morning, wondering if he'd be there. Sometimes we would pass each other in the hallway and he'd nod his head in my direction, but I was too busy hiding a blush to greet him in return. We were both too busy to have an actual conversation and, even if we did, I would be too nervous to contribute much anyway.
I poked my head around the door to find Mr. Edelstein at his piano, eyes closed and fingers flowing over the keys. A beautiful ballad drifted through the room and filled my ears with its beautiful sound. The different notes stirred different emotions within me, some stronger than others; sadness, amazement, longing, and anger. The different notes created the atmosphere, which seemed almost private and intimate. The song he played was nowhere in sight, so I assumed it was one he knew well.
As much as I wanted to sit and listen to Mr. Edelstein play his piano, I had a job to do. If I was quiet enough, I could go about the cleaning without disturbing him. Besides, once he got started, nothing seemed to stop him until he'd finished. He was such a nice piano player, so there was no room to complain. It wasn't like we were getting a bunch of random notes that didn't fit.
Setting my supplies on the coffee table in front of the velvet covered loveseat; I picked up the blanket tossed haphazardly over the side. Folding it into a neat square, I put it in the closet before moving back to my cleaning essentials. I dusted each corner of the room and the bookcases located on three of the four walls. I washed the windows and polished anything that needed it, doing my best not to disturb Mr. Edelstein. His song seemed to be coming to a high point, the notes taking on something deeper; something like longing. His eyebrows were furrowed in deep concentration and his shoulders stiff, though his fingers continued to move languidly over the ivory keys.
"Finished." I mumbled to myself. I placed the window cleaner back into the carrier and polished the wooden coffee table where everything had once been sitting. I stood straight and tucked the broom back under my arm, turning and marching towards the door.
"No, no, no…" I heard Mr. Edelstein groan as the music stopped abruptly. Thinking he was talking to me, I angled my head in his direction. He was shaking his head, mouth set in a scowl. "At this rate, I'll never finish." Finish what, I wanted to ask; but I kept my mouth shut lest I interrupt his concentration. He let out a heavy sigh through pouty lips before moving his fingers back to the keys, beginning his song once again. I slipped unnoticed from the room to go clean the ball room.
When I got home, I told my sister all about it as we sat at the kitchen table eating dinner. She'd listened to me closely, nodding at the right intervals. Then she'd told me her thoughts on the matter, which seemed perfectly acceptable.
"Maybe he's going to perform something at a concert?" She suggested. "People do things like that all the time."
"I guess." I responded as I pushed around the remaining potatoes on my plate.
"That's got to be it." She said as she plopped a piece of meatloaf into her mouth. "What else could it be? This town is always holding music contests." I shrugged in response as I gathered my dirty dishes. It was getting late and I needed up early again the next morning, so I told my sister goodnight and headed up the stairs. Maybe tomorrow I would wake up when my alarm clock told me to.