The piece today continues from the arrival at Sacré Coeur. By the way, Sacré Coeur is a real school with a convent and church. The names of the people have been changed, of course. The descriptions and the places are fiction. In my historical fiction, I want the places and in many cases, the descriptions and places to match--we will see this later, but to keep to the fiction world, in some cases we must modify the world a little to achieve the theme--remember, the theme is always the reason and the purpose. Many modern works go adrift because the author forgets this very important concept.
The opening of this piece is more about the demon--he doesn't like crosses. Aksinya has guessed this. We get more information here. It confirms more to us, but we still don't have enough information. I'm saving that for a very pivotal scene.
The Reverend Mother wore a large cross that depended from a silver chain around her neck. The demon eyed it then moved to the far side away from her. The Reverend Mother engulfed Aksinya in her smile, “I understand Countess that you would like to attend Sacré Coeur like your aunt.“
Aksinya nodded.
Aunt Brunhilda interjected, “The Countess believes her German is not very skilled.”
Frau Drescher’s response was slightly tense, “Does she speak any tongue well?”
Freifrau Bockmann raised his eyebrows, “She is a Russian Countess but speaks French, Greek, and her German to my mind is excellent.”
The Reverend Mother bobbed her head, “Frau Drescher takes care of our dormitory and the students. She speaks only German. She is concerned that the Countess might not understand her or our rules well.” She turned to Frau Drescher, “Frau, you should prepare your dormitory for the Countess’ visit. Thank you.”
Frau Drescher’s brow rose, but she nodded and curtsied to Aksinya then left toward the dormitory.
A short piece but very important to tell you about Frau Drescher and RM Kluge. I intend for Frau Drescher to play a more important role in the future than I have given her yet. Her introduction is jarring. She reacts as she does because Aksinya does not speak. If you are familiar with aristocracy, you would expect Aksinya to act like her aunt. That is what Frau Drescher expects and when Aksinya doesn't speak, she makes a very rude and terse comment. This is not out of character in German or Austrian culture, so don't let it bother you. Notice that RM Kluge covers it up the best she can. In this exchange, I try to show you the culture of the time. I also show you the characters of Frau Drescher and RM Kliuge.
Additionally, I show you Frau Drescher's job at the school. Can you see her in your mind? That is my ultimate goal. I want you to see Frau Drescher in your mind's eye. I don't want you to totally dislike her yet, just a little. Don't you like and trust RM Kluge already?
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