The CBB
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Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
http://www.the-cbb.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8843
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Joyful cries of "Frohliche Weihnachten!" filled the streets of Innsbruck as Andreas Monier made his way through the crowds leaving Midnight Mass. All around him he could see merry groups of friends and relatives, but he was alone and the only home he had to go to was a hotel – a hotel in which was to be found more luxury than he could ever have dreamed of as a boy, true, but only a hotel even so – and the only person who would be there waiting for him was his master. In fact, Herr Doktor Russell was probably already asleep, thought Andreas, as the chiming of a church clock reminded him of the hour. Not anxious to tarry, as he’d sensed earlier in the day that a further snowfall might not be far off, he quickened his pace as much as he could, but it wasn’t an easy task given how busy the city was and the fact that snow and ice lay thick upon the ground already.

This wasn’t how Christmas was supposed to be, he reflected, his mind drifting back to some of the happy Christmases of his childhood. They’d never had much, but they’d had each other and the Christmas season had always been a joyful one. On Christmas Eve, his mother and father would lead him into the room where the lovingly-decorated Christmas tree would be standing, and his father would read aloud the story of that very first Christmas. They’d exchange presents and they’d sing carols together, and they’d eat the traditional Christmas meal which his mother had spent much of the day preparing, and then they’d all attend church together, all the people of the village rejoicing at this most special time of year. And then they’d return home, and in his memories, even if it hadn’t necessarily always been so in reality, there was always a roaring fire in the grate at Christmas time, keeping the cold at bay no matter how low the winter temperatures fell.

That was how Christmas was supposed to be; but now both his parents lay in the village graveyard, and he was many miles away. After their deaths, he’d travelled to Kufstein, the nearest city, his head all filled with boyish dreams of finding fame and fortune. What a fool he’d been, especially in such difficult times as those: he’d been lucky not to end up starving in the streets. He’d actually been very lucky, even if life as a manservant hadn’t exactly been the sort of life he’d ever envisioned for himself. An elderly gentleman, most of his money lost in the war and no longer with the means to employ anyone with any sort of experience as his valet, had taken him on and trained him up. And it had been good for a while. He’d been expected to work hard, but that had never been any problem for him; and his master, who’d travelled widely before the war, had sometimes entertained him with tales of his journeys and even taught him a little French and English. It had filled him with the desire to see more of the world, or at least more of Austria, but for the time being he’d been satisfied with what he’d had. But the old man had gradually grown weaker and then, inevitably, he’d fallen ill and died. It had been a peaceful ending and Andreas had been glad of that, but he’d grieved for him deeply.

And, whilst his master’s son and daughter had been grateful enough to him for his care of their father, they’d had no position to offer him and so he’d found himself alone again and with only the little he’d been able to save and the small amount left to him in his master’s will with which to support himself. With no ties in Kufstein, he’d decided to take himself to Innsbruck, hoping that the opportunities available to a young man might be better in the Tyrolean capital than they were in a smaller city, but once again he’d fooled himself: there’d been little work to be had there at all. Unable to find a job, he’d tried to earn some money by shining shoes outside one of the grand hotels where the wealthy stayed. And that was how he’d come to meet Jem Russell.

The young doctor had been staying at the hotel in question and had been returning there one afternoon when he’d stopped to ask Andreas, in German spoken in an accent immediately recognisable as English, if he would shine his shoes. They’d been badly in need of cleaning, it had had to be said, and it had been difficult not to notice too that a button had been missing from the Englishman’s otherwise smart coat. Here was a man evidently in need of some sort of assistance, Andreas had realised at once. He’d attended to the shoes and then returned them with a cheery smile and a few remarks in his customer’s own language; and Jem, his attention caught, had fallen into conversation with him. The same thing had happened on the following day, and on the day after that Jem had asked Andreas not only to shine his shoes but if he’d consider coming to work for him. Andreas had accepted at once.

They got on well. For two people from such vastly different backgrounds, they had several fundamental things in common. Both were fairly young, and both were single. Both were strangers in Innsbruck, and both were alone there. Both too had neither father nor mother living. Jem did have a sister, but she was in Australia and he hadn’t seen her since she’d left England with her husband, a man of whom Andreas sensed that the Russells didn’t approve, directly after their marriage.

He’d thought at first that it would be a short-term arrangement, but it soon transpired that Jem Russell intended to settle in Austria permanently. He specialised in the treatment of tuberculosis, and his plan was to establish a sanatorium somewhere in the Austrian mountains – of money, Andreas soon gathered, there seemed to be little shortage – where he could both treat patients and continue his research into finding new treatments for the dread disease. Until such time as he found a suitable location and was able to make all the necessary arrangements, he, and now Andreas too, would be based at the hotel in Innsbruck. And it was to there that Andreas was returning now.

He was happy enough, most of the time. It wasn’t a bad life. Herr Doktor Russell was a good master, and if being a manservant wasn’t the life that he’d have chosen for himself then it was considerably better than being out of work. He just got lonely sometimes. Quite often, in fact. And especially so on a night like tonight, which was meant to be spent with family and friends rather than walking through the icy streets of Innsbruck completely alone.
Author:  Finn [ Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, begun 08/12/10
Oh, hurrah, another Alison drabble! I'm enjoying this already, and looking forward to more :)
Author:  abbeybufo [ Wed Dec 08, 2010 5:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, begun 08/12/10
Yay! know I'm going to love this :D
Author:  Millie [ Wed Dec 08, 2010 5:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, begun 08/12/10
Ooh, I like the start of this!
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Wed Dec 08, 2010 8:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, begun 08/12/10
I just want to give him a hug! Thankyou!
Author:  Abi [ Wed Dec 08, 2010 9:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, begun 08/12/10
Great start; can't wait to see more! Thanks, Alison.
Author:  cestina [ Wed Dec 08, 2010 11:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, begun 08/12/10
Oh excellent, more Christmas in Innsbruck to look forward to!

Thanks Alison :D
Author:  JS [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 10:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, begun 08/12/10
Very pleased to see more of this universe Alison, thanks.
Author:  Emma A [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, begun 08/12/10
How nice to see another drabble by you, Alison. I do like the way you flesh out the characters and history of those whom EBD only mentions in passing.

I look forward to reading more.
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, begun 08/12/10
Jem Russell’s memories of childhood Christmases were very different from those of his manservant, but he too found his thoughts going back to those days as he walked the icy streets of Innsbruck alone, half a day later, returning from the Anglican service held in one of the neighbouring hotels on Christmas Day morning. He was rather relieved that he didn’t have far to go, as the snow was falling thick and fast by then. A white Christmas, he thought to himself with a wry smile, seeing in his mind’s eye himself and Margot sitting rapt by the nursery fireside whilst Nanny read sections of A Christmas Carol to them as a special seasonal treat.

As he allowed the memories to come flooding back, the aroma of roast turkey with all the trimmings came drifting to him down the years so sharply that he could almost smell it, along with the even more beloved aroma of plum pudding and mince pies and the sound of the carol singers who’d knock on the doors of the big houses to entertain their occupants. He could see the Christmas tree and the branches of holly and ivy which had always decorated his childhood home at this time of year, and he could hear Margot’s excited squeals and his own as they took down their stockings and opened their brightly-wrapped gifts, and see the two of them and their parents wrapped up warmly as they walked to the Christmas Day service in a medieval stone church to which the room in which the service he’d just attended bore no resemblance at all.

It was no use looking back: he knew that. Those days were gone and they would never come again. His parents were dead and buried, and who knew when or even if he and Margot would ever meet again. He tried to keep in touch, he hadn’t been the one who’d cast her out, but her letters came more and more infrequently and he feared that he was in danger of losing her completely: he’d heard nothing from her for months. He was on his own now. On his own, in a foreign country. He’d come to this foreign country for a very good reason – the best of reasons, to try to save lives - but it was hard to be alone and without a proper home on Christmas Day. He had Andreas, it was true, and the two of them got on together well; but what he really wanted was a home and a family. That was what Christmas was about. The life he led now was not.
Author:  Finn [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
Poor old Jem! You almost made me feel sorry for him, Alison ;)

Thank you - this is a charming story.
Author:  Emma A [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 12:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
I do like that Jem has such fond memories of Margot and wishes he could hear from her.

Thank-you.
Author:  Luisa [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 1:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
That's the trouble with Christmas, all that looking back. You've captured it so well - thank you.
Author:  KathrynW [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 1:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
Thanks Alison, it's lovely to see a new Christmas drabble! And, incidentally, your first post introduced me to a new verb 'to tarry' which I'd not come across before. Is it common in your neck of the woods or am I just being woefully ignorant? I looked it up in the dictionary but that didn't tell me much about where it came from!
Author:  cal562301 [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 2:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
KathrynW wrote:
Thanks Alison, it's lovely to see a new Christmas drabble! And, incidentally, your first post introduced me to a new verb 'to tarry' which I'd not come across before. Is it common in your neck of the woods or am I just being woefully ignorant? I looked it up in the dictionary but that didn't tell me much about where it came from!



Kathryn I found this online definition and derivation of the verb tarry:

intransitive verb
1
a : to delay or be tardy in acting or doing
2
: to abide or stay in or at a place
See tarry defined for English-language learners »
Examples of TARRY

1. Tarry with us a while.
2. <upon seeing the sun beginning to sink in the sky, we realized we had tarried too long on the summit of the mountain>

Origin of TARRY
Middle English tarien
First Known Use: 14th century

Source: http://dictionary.weather.net/dictionary/tarry

Maybe it's more commonly used these days in the North of England than the South? It doesn't say so, but I just wondered, because, like Alison, I'm from the North and it doesn't seem unusual to me to use it.

ETA I also meant to say that I'm enjoying this drabble. It's good to see a softer side to Jem, particularly. Thanks Alison.
Author:  PaulineS [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 2:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
It is used in Hebrews 10 v37 in the King James Bible
Quote:
For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 2:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
I think it's old-fashioned, but maybe it's regional as well :D .
Author:  cal562301 [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 2:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
Alison H wrote:
I think it's old-fashioned, but maybe it's regional as well :D .


Well, the KJV of the Bible was printed 400 years ago next year, so I guess that qualifies as old-fashioned! :lol:
Author:  KathrynW [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 2:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
Alison H wrote:
I think it's old-fashioned, but maybe it's regional as well :D .


It could just be old-fashioned, I'm not so hot on my bible knowledge so that's probably why I hadn't seen it before. Thank you for the education :lol:
Author:  cestina [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 6:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
"Let him go, let him tarry" was a well-known wartime song: Jean Simmons and nicer sound
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Thu Dec 09, 2010 8:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
The Southern Bumpkin is very well acquainted with it, so I don't think it can be regional :lol:

Thankyou for the update! That was a seldom seen but very nice side to Jem.
Author:  roversgirl [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 5:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
Just found this and it's lovely, thank you. I also enjoy seeing a softer side to Jem (and that he wasn't the one who wanted to cut contact with Margot.) THanks :-)
Author:  Lesley [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
Thank you Alison - good to see Jem cast in such a sympathetic light..

(PS I was well aware of the phrase 'to tarry'.
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 9:40 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 09/12/10
Andreas was waiting when Jem returned to the hotel. He was glad to see his master safely back: although it looked as if the snow might be easing up now, it had been falling very heavily indeed at one point. "How was the service?" he enquired.

"All right." Jem removed his snow-covered coat and Andreas hung it up, hoping that the heat from the fire would dry it out. "Not exactly the same as being at home, though."

Andreas nodded in agreement. "I know," he said simply; and for a moment the two men shared a glance of complete understanding and fellow-feeling. Then Jem shook his head. "No use moping around!" he said. "It’s Christmas Day, after all. Time of goodwill and merriment and all that! Anyway, I’ve got some news that might cheer you up – how d’you fancy going to an ice carnival in the new year?"

"An ice carnival?" Andreas looked at him with interest. The two of them travelled around quite a lot: sometimes, if the trip was only a short one, Herr Doktor Russell would go on his own, but more usually Andreas would go too. One of the things he liked best about his job was the opportunity it had given him to see more of Tyrol, and on a few occasions they’d even visited Vienna, no longer an imperial capital but still one of the greatest cities in Europe. He enjoyed these opportunities to visit different places, and made the most of the time he got to look around whilst the doctor visited sanatoria or attended meetings with lawyers, bankers, accountants or other doctors. Sometimes he wondered just how much longer it was going to be before his master finally got around to setting up the sanatorium of his own which he was always talking about; but that was something which it wasn’t his place to ask.

Yes, he’d got to do plenty of sightseeing and exploring since he’d been working for Jem Russell, but an ice carnival would be something completely different and it sounded quite exciting. He’d heard of the famous ice carnival which took place on one of the Tyrolean lakes, although he couldn’t just now remember which one it was, and the idea of experiencing it for himself was appealing: although he’d learned to skate at an early age, he’d never been to anything like that before. Herr Doktor Russell had been right: he was feeling more cheerful already!

"It’s at the Tiernsee," Jem informed him. "I was planning to visit there anyway, because I think one of the alms in that neck of the woods – the Sonnalpe, it’s called – might be a suitable location for my sanatorium. I wasn’t planning to go until after the snow’d all cleared but then I got talking to a chap at the English service this morning and he told me about there being this ice carnival there and I thought we might go along. We’ll stay for a couple of nights: I’m going to book us in at a hotel in one of the villages on the lakeside – little place called Briesau."

"Briesau am Tiernsee … ah!" Andreas grinned widely. No wonder the Herr Doktor was so keen on going to this ice carnival. He knew exactly why Jem wanted to go to Briesau am Tiernsee, and it had nothing whatsoever to do with ice-skating! "Isn’t that where that young lady you met after that train crash last summer lives?"

"Er, yes, it is, as it so happens," Jem said hurriedly. "I went there after the crash to let her partner at the school she runs know that she and her sister and the two other girls they were with were safe, if you remember, and I’ve been making some enquiries about the place ever since … er, because I thought the area looked as if it might be suitable for a sanatorium, that is. Anyway, so, the carnival’s to be held in January. We must see about kitting ourselves out with some skates, and no doubt we’ll both have a very jolly time. Good fun, skating!"

Andreas wasn’t sure that Jem had very much experience of skating but, having learned fairly on in their relationship that his master liked to think of himself as an expert at most things, simply nodded and agreed and hoped that the Herr Doktor wouldn’t end up falling over or colliding with anyone. And, whilst he wasn’t sure that an ice carnival would be something which a proper lady such as he imagined this one to be would be likely to attend, he hoped that Jem might get lucky and bump into her at some point during their stay in Briesau. Who knew, he might even meet a nice girl there himself. Not that he had very much to offer a nice girl, he thought to himself ruefully - he could hardly ask the Herr Doktor if he could bring a wife to live with him in their Innsbruck hotel suite and to travel around with them – but the thought of many more Christmases spent alone and lonely like this one saddened him. And, on that particular score, he got the distinct feeling that Jem Russell’s feelings were very similar to his own.
Author:  keren [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
this is so nice.

I do enjoy your drabbles
Author:  abbeybufo [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
Alison H wrote:
...having learned fairly on in their relationship that his master liked to think of himself as an expert at most things...


Nice one Alison!

Thanks :D
Author:  thefrau46 [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 11:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
I'm really enjoying this. Thank you, Alison. :D
Author:  Mia [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 12:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
Come let's to bed, says Sleepy-head;
Tarry a while, says Slow;
Put on the pan, says Greedy Nan,
Let's sup before we go. :D

Not specifically Biblical or regional; just olde English!

Thank you Alison, what a gorgeous idea for a drabble.
Author:  Chris [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 1:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
I love your drabbles too! This is great.
Author:  KathrynW [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 1:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
Now I've proved myself to be a complete idiot, I will just say thank you!
Author:  Emma A [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 2:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
Alison, this is just so likely that I am now convinced this is actually what happened, only EBD didn't write about it! :lol:
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 6:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
Emma A wrote:
Alison, this is just so likely that I am now convinced this is actually what happened, only EBD didn't write about it! :lol:


My feelings exactly! Thankyou :D
Author:  roversgirl [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 7:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
I agree as well! Thanks : :-)
Author:  Abi [ Fri Dec 10, 2010 7:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
This is fabbity-fab, Alison. I loved that Andreas knew perfectly well why Jem just happened to think of going to the Tiernsee. :D
Author:  Alison H [ Sat Dec 11, 2010 10:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 10/12/10
Christmas and New Year passed, and the time for Jem and Andreas’s visit to Briesau soon came round. Andreas was secretly highly amused by his employer’s failed attempts to hide his rather childlike excitement at the sight of the frozen Tiernsee and the snow-covered mountains surrounding it: it was a glorious spot, they both agreed; and the prospect of setting up the long-proposed sanatorium on the Sonnalpe began to appeal more and more. It was hardly the best time of year to be having a proper look round, but they’d be able to get a better idea of what the area was like once the thaw came and in the meantime Jem’s enquiries about various practical matters were proceeding well. Andreas, much as he’d once liked to think of himself as a sophisticated city dweller, found himself enjoying the peace and quiet of being back in the countryside far more than he’d expected, and it was in a thoroughly bright and cheery mood that he donned his skates and warm clothing ready for the ice carnival.

Jem’s mood, though, wasn’t nearly as positive. On a business front, all was going well, it was true; but he had no idea how he was going to engineer a meeting with Miss Bettany. Well, short of turning up at her school and announcing that he’d come to call on her, which would be rather unsubtle to say the least. In this cold weather it seemed unlikely that she and her pupils would be venturing very far so there wasn’t much chance of bumping into her round and about, and he could hardly hang about outside a school for young ladies all day without attracting a lot of attention and very probably all sorts of suspicion. It was a problem, and one which was taxing his mind considerably as he and Andreas skated out into the middle of the lake.

What a fool he was being, he thought wryly. Fancy getting himself all worked up like this over a girl, especially one whom he’d only met for a couple of hours. For all he knew, she could have a young man or even a fiancé somewhere. In fact, she probably had: it was hardly likely that someone like her would be short of admirers. She was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen; and she was also a lot more than that. He’d learned in just a few moments how brave she was, and how caring. How many people would have risked their own safety to rescue a stranger as he’d seen her do? And he’d seen at once how devoted she was to her young sister and the other girls who’d been with them, and they to her. She was intelligent and savvy as well: from the discreet questions he’d asked when he’d come to Briesau to deliver her message, he’d learned that she’d set up her school from scratch, and made a roaring success of it. No, someone like her must have her pick of potential suitors, surely.

But, then again, if marriage was in the offing why would she have set up a school in the first place? Take a job in one, maybe, but not set one up. No, he was worrying unnecessarily: she had to be single, hadn’t she? But, even if she was, was there any way that she might be interested in someone like him? He had no idea, but he had to know, one way or the other. But how on earth was he ever going to find out if he couldn’t even think of a way of getting to see her, never mind anything more?

Exasperated, he tried to concentrate on his skating. Andreas was far better than he was, he admitted to himself with some embarrassment, but then Andreas must have been used to doing this from an early age: skating was clearly widely popular in these parts, if the vast number of people enjoying themselves out on the lake was anything to go by. There were all sorts of people about: interested by the number and variety of other skaters, he stopped for a moment to glance round at them all – and then a totally unexpected sight grabbed his attention and he gasped out loud and very nearly lost his balance.

"Are you all right, Herr Doktor?" Andreas, who’d been looking around the lake himself, managed to spin round and grab Jem’s arm just in time and stop him from falling. Jem didn’t reply at first, and Andreas, seeing the glazed look on his master’s face, was a little concerned.

"Are you all right, Herr Doktor?" he asked again, louder and more slowly this time. "Have you hurt yourself? Did you go over on your ankle? It’s easily done. Come on, let’s get over to the side of the lake and find somewhere for you to sit down, and then I’ll go and get you a schnapps and once you’re feeling a bit better we’ll go back to the hotel."

He pulled at Jem’s arm tentatively, but Jem shook his head. "I’m all right, Andreas: I’m not hurt. I just got a shock, that’s all. I’ve just seen Miss Bettany’s sister!"

He grinned. What luck! What absolute, amazing luck! It had never occurred to him that Miss Bettany and her pupils might turn up at the carnival. In fact, he was rather surprised by it, it not really being the sort of thing which young ladies might be expected to attend, but that was beside the point! They were clearly here, because that was definitely her sister he’d just seen, and so here was his big chance. Now he just had to make sure that he didn’t mess it up.
Author:  roversgirl [ Sat Dec 11, 2010 11:21 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 11/12/10
It's nice to see Jem being a bit more human here. Thanks :-)
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Sat Dec 11, 2010 5:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 11/12/10
You make him so sweet and lovely! Please stick to canon and not let him mess it up. Thankyou!
Author:  Abi [ Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 11/12/10
I love Jem agonising over how to 'accidentally' run into Madge. :D
Author:  emma t [ Sat Dec 11, 2010 9:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 11/12/10
Ooh, this is lovely :) please dont have Jem agonising for very long over when he will see Madge!!
Author:  Alison H [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 11/12/10
Thanks for the comments.

At such a busy event, Jem thought hopefully, with so many people out and about and none of them staying in the same place for long, it wouldn’t look contrived at all if he should just happen to find himself on the same part of the lake as she was; and, having seen her, it would of course be terribly impolite of him not to go over and speak to her. And then … well, he’d have to see what happened then; but this was a golden opportunity and certainly not one that he was going to waste. The only snag was that at the moment he could only see the younger Miss Bettany, not the elder; but they wouldn’t be far from each other in a crowd like this, surely. He just had to keep looking.

"You’ve just seen Miss Bettany’s sister?" Andreas had seen the grin cross his master’s face and guessed at his thoughts, but he was unable to help feeling a little sceptical about it all. From what Herr Doktor Russell had told him about the elegant Miss Bettany and her school for young ladies, it seemed hardly likely that they’d be out in the middle of a gathering which was, at certain parts of the lake at any rate, rapidly becoming rather rowdy. He strongly suspected that the Herr Doktor was getting so obsessed with the idea of meeting up with the object of his affections that he was imagining things; but he couldn’t very well say that. "Er, are you sure?"

"Of course I’m sure!" Jem snapped. "Do you think I’m some sort of idiot? Oh look, sorry, I didn’t mean to bite your head off, but … well, I’ve got to get over there, quickly! Well, when I find Miss Bettany herself I have, anyway."

"Maybe she’s not here," Andreas said, looking doubtfully around the lake and failing distinctly to see anything even remotely resembling a large party of schoolgirls and their teachers. "Are you su … er, was it definitely her sister you saw?"

"Yes!" Jem said exasperatedly. "I’ve just told you it was. And of course Miss Bettany’ll be here too. Her sister can only be twelve or thirteen: she’s hardly going to have let her go out at night on her own, is she? Look, that’s her, over there."

Andreas peered in the direction Jem was indicating and gave a low whistle. The girl he could see might indeed be only twelve or thirteen but she was already absolutely stunning. If her sister was an elder version of her in looks, as well as having the courage to rescue someone from a burning train … well, it was no wonder that the Herr Doktor was so keen! Good skater as well, he noted: she was performing figures of eight with practised ease and more than one appreciative eye was on her. "Wow!" he said admiringly. "What a gorgeous kid! Are she and her sister alike?"

"Not her!" Jem didn’t know who the beautiful golden-blonde girl at whom his manservant was staring might be, although he did wonder if she might be another of Miss Bettany’s pupils, but at the moment all his attention was focused on a dark-haired girl balancing rather wobbily on her skates and looking very unsure of herself on the ice – the girl who was, he was quite sure, Madge Bettany’s younger sister. "Her – the one with black hair. Oh look, I’m not waiting around: I can’t imagine that they’re going to stay out late and I might not get another chance. Her sister can’t be far away. I’m going over there."

He paused then. He was well aware that his skating wasn’t a patch on that of most of those present, practised Austrians and Bavarians all, and he wasn’t going to cut much of a dash if he tottered tentatively across the lake at low speed as he’d been doing for most of the evening. He’d have to go more quickly, and just keep his fingers crossed he wouldn’t end up tumbling over and making an idiot of himself. He might feel more comfortable about it without someone watching, him, though, he decided. "Tell you what, Andreas," he said, trying to sound more relaxed than he felt. "Why don’t you go off and get that schnapps you were talking about? Get one for yourself as well. I’ll …er, catch up with you later."

"Right you are." Andreas grinned. "Good luck, Herr Doktor!" And before Jem could say anything else, he skated off rapidly, giving his master a cheeky thumbs-up as he went.

And Jem, taking a deep breath and offering up a silent prayer, headed off in the direction of Joey Bettany as speedily as he could – only for her to fall over only yards from him, her hands directly in his path, and for the sickening realisation to hit him that there was absolutely no way he could stop before his blades severed her fingers.
Author:  Lesley [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 8:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 12/12/10
Sneaky Jem! :lol: Love that he sent Andreas off first.


Thanks Alison
Author:  sealpuppy [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 12:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 12/12/10
Just caught up with this, it's great, Alison, thanks. I've always liked Jem and it's lovely to see him not being turned into a monster! I wouldn't be surprised if he could really skate though, it would depend on where his home was and if they were used to hard winters. People in books seem to strap on skates and have skating parties all the time. I doubt Jack would have much experience of thick ice, down here in the Deep South aka Hampshire!

Looking forward (sentimentally) to the meeting between Jem and Madge. :D
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 3:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 12/12/10
Oh this all ties in so very nicely with the books, and Jem here is wonderful. Thankyou!
Author:  cestina [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 4:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 12/12/10
Also just catching up. Great stuff - I love this line:

".....and he could hardly hang about outside a school for young ladies all day without attracting a lot of attention and very probably all sorts of suspicion."
Author:  roversgirl [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 12/12/10
Thanks for the update. At Least Jem now has a reason to see Madge! :-)
Author:  Abi [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 9:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 12/12/10
Jem is so funny here! I am glad he didn't actually chop Joey's fingers off, though.

Thanks Alison. :D
Author:  Nightwing [ Sun Dec 12, 2010 10:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 12/12/10
This is absolutely fab! It's nice seeing Jem so human, and to see the ice carnival from his perspective. Can't wait for more!
Author:  Alison H [ Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 12/12/10
So Jem Russell got to meet up with Madge Bettany on the evening of the Tiernsee ice carnival after all. Just not quite in the way that he’d hoped; and at first he wasn’t even sure that she remembered him, let alone had the slightest interest in him. It was Joey who, as he carried her into the school building and set her down gently on a couch, recognised him, as "the man who helped us in that train accident last term". Madge had eyes only for her sister, barely spoke a word to him that didn’t relate to the younger girl’s injuries – thankfully, nothing worse than severe bruising and a sprained ankle – and then, once he’d assured her that no serious harm had been done, thanked him for his help, said that she must go and pass on the news to Joey’s anxious friends, and bade him good night. And that had been that.

Of course, it was only right that she should be concerned about her sister, and her other pupils for that matter, and indeed it only served to confirm his initial impressions of her as someone who cared deeply about those close to her, but ... well, to say that things hadn’t gone to plan would be putting it mildly, and he felt thoroughly despondent as he left the Chalet School and made his way back to the Kron Prinz Karl. He’d spent months trying to work out what he’d say to Madge Bettany when he got chance to see her again, and offering to inspect the damage that the full force of his weight had just inflicted on a member of her family hadn’t exactly been very high on the list. Oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. This really wasn’t going very well at all.

"You couldn’t have made it up," he said gloomily to Andreas, who’d searched high and low for him before eventually going back to the hotel to see if he was there and consequently wasn’t in a particularly good mood either, later that night. "Honestly, she couldn’t have fallen in a worse place if she’d done it deliberately. I landed right on top of her, and she’ll probably be black and blue for days. Oh, I suppose in a way it was her own fault because she’d gone out without permission – in fact, against Miss Bettany’s express orders from what I gather – but why did she have to slip just at that exact moment? And why couldn’t I manage to get out of the way in time, instead of falling on her like that? She and her sister must both be saying all sorts about me. I tell you, Andreas, it was a complete disaster."

"At least you got to see Miss Bettany," Andreas pointed out. "And I don’t think it’s nearly as bad as you think. From what you’ve said, it doesn’t sound as if she blames you for what happened – it wasn’t your fault that the girl fell over, and it’d’ve been a lot worse if you’d not managed to swerve and’d ended up slicing off her fingers! And she’s probably very grateful to you for bringing her home and checking her over. What’s more, I know the circumstances aren’t ideal but you’ve now got the perfect opening for seeing her again. I assume that you did offer to go back and see how her sister was tomorrow?"

"Well, actually, I did," Jem admitted, looking a bit brighter. "I said I’d go round first thing in the morning, as it so happens. Is my new white shirt clean and pressed, can you remember? And do you think I should try to get some flowers or something to take with me?" Maybe all wasn’t lost after all. Andreas was right: Miss Bettany hadn’t seemed angry with him, and she had seemed genuinely thankful to him for his care of her sister. That was a start; and, as Andreas had just said, he now had a very good excuse for going round to the school again. Andreas wasn’t looking very happy about it though, he noticed. He peered at his manservant, wondering what had caused the doubtful expression which had all of a sudden crossed his face. "What? What are you looking at me like that for? What is it?"

"I’m sorry, Herr Doktor, but you can’t go first thing tomorrow morning," his manservant said bluntly. "You’ve got those men coming to see you about buying the land on the Sonnalpe. They’re coming specially. You said so yourself."

Andreas saw Jem’s face fall and felt rather sorry for him. He hadn’t had a very good night either – there’d been a long queue for drinks and by the time he’d returned there’d been no sign of either Jem or the younger Miss Bettany, and so he’d wasted most of the rest of his evening skating around the lake several times in succession and then wandering round the surrounding area increasingly frantically, eventually returning to the hotel half-convinced that his master must have met with an accident – but he was well aware of how important it had been to Jem Russell to make a good impression on Madge Bettany and it really did seem as if the fates were conspiring to make things difficult for him.

In so many ways they were worlds apart, he and Herr Doktor Russell, but in other ways, he mused, they were very much the same. They were both pretty much alone in the world, apart from the master-servant relationship which they had with each other, and they were both living not in a house or a flat but in a hotel, in a city where they knew hardly anyone, when what both of them really wanted was the loving warmth of a home and family of their own. Whether he’d ever find that himself he was beginning to doubt – when did he ever get the chance even to meet any nice girls, never mind court one? – and whether there was any chance of his master finding it with Miss Madge Bettany he didn’t know either, but he saw the forlorn look in the doctor’s eyes and wished very much that he could do something to help. She must be very special, this Miss Bettany, to have had such an effect on the normally cool and confident Herr Doktor Russell: he knew that much for certain.

"You can always go to Miss Bettany’s school later on," he offered. "Her sister’s not going to be going anywhere if she’s sore all over, and Miss Bettany probably won’t want to leave her for long so she won’t be going anywhere either. Actually, I doubt that any of the young ladies’ll be going anywhere tomorrow: I don’t think that the weather’s going to be very good. So you can go round in the afternoon instead, and just explain that you were held up. I’m sure she’ll understand."

"It’s not going to look very good in the morning when they’re expecting me and I don’t turn up, though, is it?" Jem frowned and shook his head. "I can’t miss this meeting either, though: the site on the Sonnalpe really does look like a good bet and I don’t want to put these fellows’ backs up."

Suddenly his face brightened. "I tell you what – you could go to the school in the morning for me!"
Author:  Emma A [ Mon Dec 13, 2010 12:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 13/12/10
Love it! So is Andreas going to meet Marie?

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  JS [ Mon Dec 13, 2010 2:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 13/12/10
Aha, and it all begins to fall into place....
Thanks Alison :)
Author:  Cumbrian Rachel [ Mon Dec 13, 2010 5:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 13/12/10
I'm loving this drabble. Thank you Alison!
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Mon Dec 13, 2010 6:50 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 13/12/10
This is so brilliant, the way it all ties into canon so nicely, and wonderful writing as ever. Thankyou!
Author:  shesings [ Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 13/12/10
This is just so clever - I love how it fits in to EBD's plot!
Author:  Abi [ Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 13/12/10
Agreeing with all of the above.... Jem is making me laugh a lot in this. :D
Author:  Alison H [ Tue Dec 14, 2010 6:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 13/12/10
"Me?"

"Yes, you!" Jem was looking much happier now, and sounding much more like his usual self. "You can go to the school and tell Miss Bettany that I’m terribly sorry but I’ve been detained by urgent business – don’t go on about it too much but try to make it sound important – and that I’m dreadfully sorry that I can’t come myself but I’m very concerned about Miss Joey – that’s her sister –’s well-being and so I’ve sent you to enquire after her. And that if it’s convenient I’ll call round myself later in the day. Actually, forget the convenient bit: just say that I’ll be round later on. There. Problem solved!"

Andreas sighed. He was a personal servant, not some sort of messenger boy; but he couldn’t very well refuse his master’s instructions and, anyway, he didn’t think he’d be able to bear the long face if Jem thought his lady love was getting a bad impression of him. Besides, he rather liked the idea of being able to see the fabled Miss Bettany for himself and finding out what all the fuss was about. "All right," he conceded. "I’ll go."

"Excellent," Jem said brightly. He grinned. "And there are plenty of pretty girls working at the school, from what I saw this evening – you never know, you might meet someone there yourself!"

Andreas laughed. "I should be so lucky!" Chance, he thought, would be a very fine thing.

*****************************************************

The next morning, Jem duly went off to his meeting and Andreas, having assured him at least half a dozen times that he was quite capable of following his directions both as to how to find the Chalet School and what to say when he got there, set off on the short walk along the lakeside. Unfortunately, he hadn’t got much beyond the hotel grounds before it started to snow, and by the time he reached the school building he had a horrible feeling that he looked more like a snowman than the respectable manservant of an eligible gentleman. Oh well, he could hardly help the weather, and seeing as there was nothing else for it he’d just have to go in as he was. Maybe it might be best to see if there was some sort of tradesmen’s entrance, though: he didn’t want to go dripping snow all over the doubtless perfectly polished floors by the front door. Then again, would going in by the tradesmen’s entrance look inappropriate? Unsure what to do, he hovered around outside whilst he tried to decide and didn’t notice a fair-haired girl walking along the path until she saw him and shrieked.

"Oh look, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you," he said hastily. Heavens, he hadn’t meant to scare anyone. Besides, the Herr Doktor would have his guts for garters if he made a bad impression and here he was unsettling people before he’d even got through the doorway. "I was just ... er, well, to be honest with you I was just wondering which door I should use! I work for Herr Doktor James Russell: he was here yesterday, after the accident on the ice, and he’s sent me to ask Fraulein Bettany how her sister is this morning." He smiled at her: she was only a child, probably not much older than the younger Miss Bettany herself, but presumably she was one of the maids here. "My name’s Andreas Monier."

"I’m Anna," she said shyly. "I’ve just started working here. I’m sorry I screamed: I just didn’t expect to see anyone there, that’s all. Fraulein Bettany’s in her study: I’ll take you up to see her there. You’d better get the snow off your boots first, though, if you don’t mind."


Andreas did so, and also did his best to brush the snow off his coat. Even so, he still felt rather wet and bedraggled as he made his way through the corridors in Anna’s wake, looking interestedly from side to side in the process. The school was bigger than he’d expected, and, from what he could tell, a thriving concern. Miss Madge Bettany clearly had her head screwed on well to be running a place like this, he mused, and smiled to himself. If Herr Doktor Russell was looking for a timid little miss then it seemed unlikely that he’d found one here, but he couldn’t really imagine the Herr Doktor with someone like that. He couldn’t imagine himself with someone like that either. A man needed a wife who had good sense and a strong character. And, well, if good looks and good housekeeping skills were thrown into the mix then that was all to the good! And, above all, a man needed someone who was kind and caring, and someone whom he could really love. And if a man were lucky enough to find someone like that, and if he were lucky enough to win her affections in return – well, then, he’d be a very lucky fellow indeed.
Author:  JS [ Tue Dec 14, 2010 9:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 14/12/10
Oh you will, Andreas, you will!
Poor Anna - doomed to be jumpy in Alison's universe too :)
Author:  Emma A [ Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 14/12/10
Andreas is such a sweetie!

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Tue Dec 14, 2010 5:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 14/12/10
They are both so adorable, I'd snap them up myself if I could - sadly, I don't fit any of the criteria, however :lol:

Thankyou for the update!
Author:  Abi [ Tue Dec 14, 2010 8:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 14/12/10
Aww, I like Andreas too!
Author:  Alison H [ Wed Dec 15, 2010 7:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 14/12/10
Soon Anna was knocking on a door and ushering him into an attractively-furnished room and, he noticed with interest, dropping a curtsey as she did so. So they kept up some Tyrolean customs at this English school, did they? He wasn’t keen on bowing and scraping but it was nice to see that Miss Bettany wasn’t one of those people who moved to another country and then expected everything to be done entirely their own way. He liked the sound of her voice as well: all she’d done so far was bidden them enter, it was true, but her tones had an attractive musical ring to them which appealed to him. And then he was standing in front of her, and able to see clearly for the first time the woman who might, if things went well, one day be the mistress of a house in which he’d live.

She wasn’t quite the great beauty that he’d been expecting, but there was certainly something very attractive about her. Dark curly hair – he preferred fair hair himself, but evidently the doctor didn’t - , fair skin, a little too slim in his opinion but not excessively so, and kind eyes which suggested that she wouldn’t be unpleasant to work for. She was younger than he’d expected too: despite being a school headmistress, she could only be in her mid-twenties at most, unless she were older than she looked. And, most importantly of all, she wasn’t wearing any rings … although he was quite sure that that was something his master had noticed for himself.

"Fraulein Bettany, this is Andreas Monier," Anna said diffidently. "He works for Herr Doktor Russell."

"Herr Doktor Russell?" Miss Bettany looked up – her attention obviously caught, Andreas noticed optimistically. In fact, if he wasn’t imagining it, there was a faint pink blush spreading across her face. Yes, there was! This was looking hopeful!

"Yes, ma’am: I am Herr Doktor Russell’s manservant," he said politely, as Anna curtseyed again and then made her exit. "He sends his sincerest apologies that he was unable to come here himself this morning as he’d promised, but he’s been detained at the hotel on urgent business. Two men have come from Innsbruck to see him about proposals regarding a sanatorium for treating tuberculosis." Not a word of a lie there, and it sounded a lot better than telling Miss Bettany that the doctor had been so eager to see her again that he’d double-booked himself! "He’s very concerned about Miss Josephine Bettany’s health, though, and he’s sent me to ask how she is getting on; and he says that he will call this afternoon in person." Hoping fervently that that had all come out all right, he gave her his best smile. She really did seem rather nice, he’d decided.

"Oh, how very kind of him!" she exclaimed. "And you may tell him that my sister’s doing reasonably well, thankfully. Better than she deserves, in fact! It must have given poor Doctor Russell quite a shock when she fell over right in front of him, and from what I gather he did very well to avoid skating right over her fingers. And it was really very good of him to take the trouble to bring her home, and then to examine her and make sure that she was all right. Do please tell him how grateful I am: tell him that I’m sorry if I didn’t thank him properly last night but that I was just so worried about Joey that I wasn’t thinking clearly. And please tell him that he will be very welcome indeed to call this afternoon, if he has the time I’d be ... ah, that is, I’m sure that Joey would be very pleased to see him, so that she might apologise for any inconvenience that she’s put him to. And ... " She blushed even more deeply, much to his delight. "And of course we’re all feeling very indebted to him for his help, and he’ll be very welcome to call here any time he likes."

Andreas grinned widely. This was definitely looking good: Herr Doktor Russell was going to be very pleased indeed when he reported back. "I’ll tell him that," he promised. "Thank you very much, meine Fraulein. And I am glad to hear that your sister is feeling better."

"Thank you, for coming out in this terrible weather." She looked at his wet coat then, and frowned. "Oh dear: do I gather that you got caught in the snow? You must be frozen. Please, you must at least have a hot drink before you set off back, and maybe you’d like to stand by the fire for a while as well. You can’t go straight back out in this, not in that wet coat. I’ll ring for Anna to come back up and ask her to take you down to the kitchen. Marie – that’s Marie Pfeifen, our cook and housekeeper – will make you a cup of coffee, or hot chocolate if you’d prefer. If that’s all right, of course?"

Andreas nodded. He really was very cold, and a hot drink and a fireplace sounded very attractive indeed. And maybe this Marie would prove to be a nice motherly type – cooks and housekeepers usually were, weren’t they? – and would find him something to eat as well: he’d breakfasted early that day and he wouldn’t mind a nice biscuit or two, or maybe a slice of cake if there were any going. "Thank you very much, meine Fraulein: that would be very kind indeed," he said gratefully.

Anna reappeared shortly afterwards, in response to a ring on the bell on Miss Bettany's desk and, on her mistress's instructions, escorted Andreas down to the kitchen. As she opened the kitchen door, he saw that there were three other girls in there, all busy at various domestic tasks ... but, within a moment, he was seeing only one.
Author:  cestina [ Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 15/12/10
Oh excellent, two romances for the price of one.....and it could so easily have been exactly like this. Wonderful, Alison, thank you :D
Author:  keren [ Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 15/12/10
"nice motherly type" my foot...

He found something else instead (and much better, a wife not a mother)
Author:  Eilidh [ Wed Dec 15, 2010 11:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 15/12/10
Just read this all the way through, thank you Alison! Such a nice Christmassy romance. :D
Author:  cal562301 [ Wed Dec 15, 2010 12:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 15/12/10
This is such a lovely, gentle story. And I can imagine it happening just like this.

Thanks, Alison.
Author:  Sandra [ Wed Dec 15, 2010 4:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 15/12/10
I've just found this and it's a lovely Christmas treat.
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 15/12/10
Oh, this is so heartwarming and beautiful, I actually wriggled in delight at the end there! Thankyou :D
Author:  Abi [ Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 15/12/10
Loved seeing Andreas' thoughts going on there... :lol:
Author:  roversgirl [ Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 15/12/10
This is really lovely. Nice to see them all falling in love. Thanks :-)
Author:  Nell [ Wed Dec 15, 2010 11:03 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 15/12/10
Alison this is lovely, sorry I've not commented before but I'm really enjoying it. And do love Jem being so flustered he double-booked himself but it works better for them both like this!
Author:  Alison H [ Thu Dec 16, 2010 7:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 15/12/10
She was beautiful. She had a beautiful face and beautiful long fair hair and the bluest and most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen. Who was she? He had to find out. She was someone who worked here, obviously, but what was her name, and where was she from? What did she like and what did she dislike? What was important to her and what wasn’t? He wanted to know all that there was to know about her, every last little thing.

What could he tell by looking? She was older than Anna, but probably a few years younger than himself – about nineteen or twenty, he guessed. One of the other girls, the tallest of the three, looked to be about the same age, and the third girl slightly younger, his mind registered, but they’d held his attention for less than a moment: every fathom of his being was focused on her, her and only her. He was staring, he must be; he knew he must be, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He ought to say something, but his mind had gone blank; and now she was looking at him quizzically and he was just standing in the middle of the kitchen floor completely dumb. Come on, he urged himself. Get your act together! Say something!

"I’m ... er, I’m Andreas Monier," he eventually managed to stammer. "I ... er, I work for Herr Doktor Russell. Fraulein Bettany told me to come down here for a cup of snow. Er, I mean, a cup of coffee. That’s right: a cup of coffee. Because of the snow. Because my coat got covered in snow, I mean." Oh hell, what an idiot he was making of himself - why couldn’t he get his words out straight? Was this how the Herr Doktor had felt when he’d first met Madge Bettany, he wondered? And, if so, had he managed to make himself sound so completely and utterly stupid as well?

"Er, yes, that’s right," he continued, concentrating hard on his words now and hoping that he didn’t sound quite as idiotic as he felt. "She said that it would be all right to ask for some coffee. From ... er, Frau Pfeifen." He looked around the kitchen, but, he realised, there was no-one there who looked like he imagined a cook and a housekeeper to look: she couldn’t have meant one of these young girls, surely. Or maybe she had. They all looked very capable, it had to be said - which was a lot more than he imagined he did at this precise moment in time! "Or Fraulein Pfeifen?" he added doubtfully.

All four girls burst out laughing, and Andreas, feeling even more of a fool than he’d done before, wondered what he’d managed to say wrongly. "Sorry," he muttered, without knowing exactly what he was apologising for. "Er, look, maybe I should just be making tracks."

"Literally, in this weather," the pretty girl giggled, a happy, infectious giggle that made him want to giggle along with her. "Not until you’ve had your coffee, though - and would you like to take your coat off? Here, hand it over and let me hang it up near the fireplace and let it dry out a bit." She reached for his coat and he passed it to her ... and was he imagining it or did she blush a little as his hand touched hers for a precious second? And now she was speaking again – and she was smiling at him! She was definitely smiling at him!

"I’m sorry we laughed," she was saying. "We weren’t laughing at you, it’s just that it’s funny when people come in here and ask for Fraulein Pfeifen." She giggled again. "Let me explain! I’m Marie Pfeifen. This," – she indicated the girl standing next to her - "is my sister, Luise Pfeifen. And this," – she waved her hand in the direction of Anna – "is our cousin, Anna Pfeifen. And this," – she indicated the tallest girl - "is Karen, and we’ve been friends since we were babies so she’s an honorary Pfeifen!"

"And," Luise put in, "if you’d been here a few minutes earlier, you’d also have met Hansi Pfeifen and Eigen Pfeifen. They’re two of our brothers. And we’re hoping that there’ll be a job here for Rosa, our next sister down, when she’s old enough, and then maybe for our youngest sisters as well."

"Don’t confuse him," Marie laughed. "People get confused enough just meeting those of us who’re here, when we’re all together. But so, as you see, Herr Monier, there are quite a lot of Fraulein Pfeifens, and that’s why we laughed. But I’ll certainly get you a coffee – and would you like a piece of cake as well?"

"Cake would be lovely, please." He was enchanted. He’d always imagined girls in service to be rather nervous and fearful lest they displease their masters and mistresses, but the happy family atmosphere in this kitchen was everything he’d been missing ever since his parents had died. And fancy this girl being the cook and housekeeper at a place like this at her age – like Fraulein Bettany herself, she was clearly a young lady to be reckoned with. A jolly good cook too, if she’d made the delicious-looking cake she was just cutting him a slice of!

And, most importantly of all, like Fraulein Bettany, she wasn’t wearing any rings on her fingers.

Yet?
Author:  keren [ Thu Dec 16, 2010 8:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 16/12/10
Such a wonderful story.

I just remembered that you always post at a regular time.

I enjoy reading your stories and hope you will write us lots of lovely stories, even though here we do know what the end will be, but it is nice to hear what happened!
Author:  Bryony [ Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 16/12/10
Thank you Alison! This is lovely and tingly and it's very pleasing to have a happy ending in sight from the beginning - a bit like a tragedy where you know it will all go wrong, but the other way round. At least, I assume[i][/i] you haven't planned any nasty surprises. It is Christmas after all...
Author:  shesings [ Thu Dec 16, 2010 11:37 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 16/12/10
How lovely and just what I need when I'm sitting in a plane at Aberdeen Airport waiting for the runway to be cleared so we take off before the next blizzard sweeps in!
Author:  Chris [ Thu Dec 16, 2010 1:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 16/12/10
ah, that was lovely! A lunchtime treat (for me!)
Author:  Luisa [ Thu Dec 16, 2010 1:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 16/12/10
Me too. I could smell the coffee.
Author:  PaulineS [ Thu Dec 16, 2010 2:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 16/12/10
Thank you Alison i am enjoying this drabble.
Author:  Elder in Ontario [ Thu Dec 16, 2010 3:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 16/12/10
Thanks for the virtual kaffee und kuchen, Alison - I just read today's instalment while wondering if I should make a mid-morning coffee, so very appropriate!!

I'm really enjoying the way this tale is unfolding - especially given the snow heaps outside my window here as I read!!!

Thank you.
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Thu Dec 16, 2010 4:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 16/12/10
Hee, I love his reaction - this is all just so warm and fuzzy and perfect. Thankyou.
Author:  Abi [ Thu Dec 16, 2010 9:42 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 16/12/10
I love the atmosphere in the kitchen, and all the Pfeifens. :lol:
Author:  Alison H [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 7:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, shortish seasonal drabble, updated 16/12/10
Thanks for the comments. Nearly finished!

She was speaking to him again. "So you work for Herr Doktor Russell?" she was asking.

He nodded. "He was going to come to see how Fraulein Bettany’s sister was, but he had to go to a meeting so he asked me to come and ask after her instead. He’s hoping to come himself this afternoon, though."

"That’ll please Fraulein Bettany," Luise giggled. As soon as she’d spoken, Marie and Karen both turned on her furiously, but she just shrugged. "I’m only going off what you two were saying after you saw her speaking to him last night."

Marie glared at her. "Never mind what ... er, you might have thought you heard us saying. You really ought to know better than to gossip, especially about Fraulein Bettany. And especially in front of people whom you don’t know. Please take no notice, Herr Monier. My sister is only young and she doesn’t always think before she speaks. I am very sorry."

"No problem," Andreas said cheerfully. He grinned. "So – you reckon she likes him, then?"

Marie opened her mouth as if to repeat what she’d just said about not gossiping, but then, seeming to see something in Andreas’s face that she trusted, relaxed and smiled. "Well … I shouldn’t really be saying this, none of us should, but we think so," she admitted. "She seemed very pleased to see him yesterday, anyway, at least once she’d got over the shock of seeing Fraulein Joey carried in half-collapsed like that. They met last year, you know, when they were both involved in a train crash, and she mentioned him more than once afterwards. Er – did he happen to say anything about meeting her?"

"Oh yes." Andreas smiled broadly. "Yes, he did. He said quite a lot about meeting her, as it so happens. Well, he’ll be round here later on, and then ... well, who knows?"

"Who knows?" Marie repeated; and the two of them shared a complicit smile. She had a beautiful smile, he thought. But then everything about her was beautiful. He held her gaze for a few moments and then, suddenly conscious that the other three girls were watching the two of them with interest, he reddened. And, if he wasn’t very much mistaken, she did as well.

He took a deep breath. "Ah – when Herr Doktor Russell comes to see Fraulein Bettany – both Fraulein Bettanys! - this afternoon, it’s possible that he’ll want me to walk here with him. For the company, I mean, that is. If he does ... well, would it be all right if I were to pop down here, to trouble you for another cup of that delicious coffee and another piece of that delicious cake? And … well, maybe we could have a bit of a chat? If that’d be all right, that is."

"It would be quite all right." Marie smiled up at him. "I ... we’ll look forward to seeing you."

Andreas smiled back. "And I’ll look forward to seeing you too. Do you know what, Fraulein Marie? I think we’ll all be seeing rather a lot of each other in future. I do indeed. I really do!"

He did. Maybe he was probably completely out of his mind, or maybe he was just being wildly optimistic, but something told him that this visit to the Tiernsee was going to change both his life and Herr Doktor Russell’s life for ever. Time might prove him completely wrong, but he just had a very strong feeling ...
Author:  thefrau46 [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 8:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, penultimate post 17/12/10
Oh wonderfully Christmassy. Thank you, Alison. I don't want this ever to end!
Author:  keren [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, penultimate post 17/12/10
such a lovely story

thanks for warning us it is nearly finished
that way we will not get such a shock tomorrow
Author:  Cumbrian Rachel [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, penultimate post 17/12/10
Very lovely. I wish it wasn't nearly at an end though!
Author:  Finn [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 1:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, penultimate post 17/12/10
Haha! Very cute. Thanks Alison, I like this double-love-story very much indeed.
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, penultimate post 17/12/10
Aw, bless, they are all so sweet. Thankyou! This is a wonderful drabble :D
Author:  Sarah_G-G [ Fri Dec 17, 2010 10:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, penultimate post 17/12/10
Thank you so much for this Alison! I've had a horrifically busy few weeks so only caught the first post of this before, and then this evening I was in a foul mood so I came to find this to cheer me up and it has, beautifully. :) I've just "Aw!" and "Aww!"-ed my way through this while listening to Christmas music and now feel happier than I have all day.
Author:  Abi [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:26 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, penultimate post 17/12/10
Definitely in with the aww-ers here!
Author:  Alison H [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 7:43 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, penultimate post 17/12/10
Thanks again for your comments :D . This is the final part.

Five years later

"Now don’t keep the little ones out too long in this cold weather. And I’ll make sure all the fires keep going so that it’s nice and warm when you come back in!" Marie’s voice came floating through the half-open doorway of Die Rosen, the large but cosy chalet on the Sonnalpe which was currently decked out in all its Christmastide glory and from the kitchen of which was issuing a range of glorious smells promising of the festive meal to come in a few hours’ time.

"And make sure that they keep their hats and scarves and gloves on - and you two keep yours on too!" Madge called after her.

"Yes, dear," Jem and Andreas answered in unison. They shared a grin. Carried in Andreas’s arms, and squealing with excitement at the sight of all the snow, was Gretchen, shortly to reach her first birthday. Occupying a similar place in Jem’s arms and equally delighted by the wintry scene was Sybil, two months younger, and tugging at Jem’s coat, eager to get out into the snowy wonderland and throw a few snowballs, was David, who would be three on the same day that Andreas and Marie would celebrate their third wedding anniversary and shortly before Jem and Madge would celebrate their fourth.

Jem smiled as he walked along. "A bit different from that Christmas we spent in Innsbruck ... what, five years ago now, isn’t it? Do you remember?"

Andreas whistled. "I certainly do! I went to Midnight Mass all on my own, and then you went to an Anglican service at one of the hotels all on your own. And then you came back and said that you’d decided we were going to go to the ice carnival at the Tiernsee."

"And we did; and we’ve never looked back!" Jem burst out laughing. "Just look at us both now! This Christmas Day’s going to be very different from that one!"

"It’s going to be perfect," Andreas said confidently, as David threw a snowball in the direction of the two men and Gretchen and Sybil giggled happily.

Jem nodded. "I think so too. This is what it’s all about, Andreas. Christmas isn’t a time to be on your own, in a strange place. Christmas is about home, and Christmas is about being with your own people. And that was something I thought I’d never have again, but now I have. Now we both have, haven’t we? Merry Christmas, Andreas, old chap!"

"Merry Christmas, Herr Doktor Russell," Andreas echoed. "Merry Christmas!"

And inside Die Rosen the warming fires burned brightly in the hearths.
Author:  Lesley [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 9:09 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Awwww, that's lovely - thanks Alison - have read this everyday though not always commented. Wonderful way to show the double romance. :lol:
Author:  janetbrown23 [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 9:24 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Wonderful Alison, thank you so much.
Author:  thefrau46 [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 9:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thank you very much, Alison. :D
Author:  abbeybufo [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 10:01 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Lovely, Alison. Thank you for a wonderful story :D
Author:  cestina [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 11:19 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
How very lovely Alison - thank you so much :D
Author:  PaulineS [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 11:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thank you Alison, the ending is such a happy one and contains so much promise of times to come.
Author:  jayj [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 11:44 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thank you for a very christmassy story, Alison, and for showing a nice and human and humane side to Jem. And Andreas is lovely! This has been a real treat!
Author:  Elbee [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 12:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Awwwwww! That was so heart-warming! Thank you, Alison, I always enjoy your drabbles immensely.
Author:  lexyjune [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 1:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thank you for a lovely Christmas story.
Author:  ChubbyMonkey [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 5:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thankyou, this has been beautiful, a real Advent treat :D
Author:  Cumbrian Rachel [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 5:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thank you for such a wonderful drabble Alison.
Author:  Sugar [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 6:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thanks Alison
Author:  Chris [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 6:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thank you Alison - a beautiful Christmas story for us.
Author:  Abi [ Sat Dec 18, 2010 8:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
That was a wonderful fluffy ending, Alison. Thank you!
Author:  Chris S [ Sun Dec 19, 2010 3:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thanks Alison for a beautiful drabble. Just the thing to put me in the mood for Christmas.
Author:  Mia [ Sun Dec 19, 2010 5:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thanks Alison, this is adorable.
Author:  cara [ Sun Dec 19, 2010 7:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thanks Alison, it was a real christmas treat.
Author:  Fiona Mc [ Mon Dec 20, 2010 9:00 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Just caught up with all of this. Thanks Alison it was lovely
Author:  Myth Tree [ Mon Dec 20, 2010 10:12 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thanks Alison, a really enjoyable, heart-warming tale that was just what I needed.
Author:  Emma A [ Tue Dec 21, 2010 2:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Oh, that was so sweet! I just loved the way Andreas knew Marie was the one for him immediately!

That was a delightful drabble, Alison. Thank-you.
Author:  ghoti [ Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:08 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
That's beautiful :) Thankyou so much.
Author:  Karoline [ Fri Dec 24, 2010 11:05 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
Thanks Alison
Author:  roversgirl [ Wed Dec 29, 2010 4:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
That was really lovely. Thank you! :)
Author:  lindsabeth [ Fri Dec 31, 2010 3:22 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Fire and ice, completed 18/12/10
I so enjoyed reading this, thank you! It was nice to see things from two of the male characters' points of view, and I loved how everything fit in so nicely with the books. This was also very well written, and I nearly teared up at some parts. Very touching, thanks again for posting!
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