Lorelei Asks, "What Happens Next?" , livre ebook

Inspiring Voices - Ann Frazee Carol

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122 pages

English

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When Loreleis abusive husband, Charlie, sends her away, she lives each day yearning to find the comfort of faithful stability and a sense of belonging. With the encouragement of her friends, Lorelei gradually manages to truly express herself. As her self-confidence and freedom grow, her husband reappears. Loreleis hopes and dreams are repressed in Charlies presence. She tries to submissively live as he demands until his actions aggressively climax. When he can no longer harm her, she is left alone to struggle in a mans world. Feeling determined, Lorelei seeks help from her trusted friends.

Sujets

Historical fiction

Graphic novel

Informations

Publié par	Inspiring Voices
Date de parution	17 août 2016
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781462411979
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0240€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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Lorelei Asks, “What Happens Next?”

SEQUEL TO ELIZABETH’S JOURNEY

CAROL ANN FRAZEE

Copyright © 2016 Carol Ann Yommer Frazee.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Inspiring Voices
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.inspiringvoices.com
1 (866) 697-5313

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4624-1196-2 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-4624-1197-9 (e)

Inspiring Voices rev. date: 8/16/2016
Contents
Chapter 1 After The Rally, The Train Of Memories
Chapter 2 Restful Ship
Chapter 3 Cumberland Hotel
Chapter 4 Traveling To The Farm
Chapter 5 A Sunday In Grantsville
Chapter 6 Charlie Misses Lorelei’s Charisma
Chapter 7 What Is Love?
Chapter 8 Dresses
Chapter 9 Bear
Chapter 10 Charlie Arrives In Grantsville In October
Chapter 11 A Peddler’s Story
Chapter 12 Country Business
Chapter 13 Autumn Harvest
Chapter 14 Realization
Chapter 15 New Beginnings
Chapter 16 Adjustment
Chapter 17 New Lessons
Chapter 18 Clear Conceptions
Chapter 19 Changes
Chapter 20 Debutante Party
Chapter 21 Lost Letter
Chapter 22 May Day
Chapter 23 Lilly
Chapter 24 Teatime
Chapter 25 Ohio
Chapter 26 Commitment/Partnership/Love
Chapter 27 Plain, Simple Links
Dedication

The portrait used for the cover photo hung in my great grandmother’s living room. It inspired me to ask questions and to think about other periods in history. Thank you, Great Grandma Yommer.
I took a photo of the outdoor scene for the cover while my husband and I explored the old “Yommer Place” on a Sunday afternoon walk.
To my friend, Barb, I send a special thank you for reading through the first rough draft and for encouraging me with her positive comments.
With a huge hug full of love, I thank my supportive family. My world is meaningless without them. I love you all, Brian, Dad, Mom, Caressa, and Mark.
Chapter One AFTER THE RALLY, THE TRAIN OF MEMORIES

RIDING THROUGH THE ROLLING COUNTRYSIDE of Germany racing toward the ocean, Lorelei sits mindlessly staring at her tasseled travel handbag as she vaguely remembers the specific details of the last several days. Her bruises are slowly changing various shades of discoloration on her arms, legs, and trunk. She places her hand beneath the base of her ornate hat. The lump on the back of her head is beginning to decrease in size. She glances at her reflection in the window and releases a thankful sigh that Charlie never leaves marks on her face when he is in one of his angry tirades. Upon more consideration, Lorelei recognizes that Charlie, being a proud man, does not want anyone to know what happens when he loses his temper. Above all else, he must always maintain his image. His future aspirations are far too important to him.
“But, this last time is different,” Lorelei scarcely murmurs to her mirror image and replays the events from her limited memory, adding the accounts she has overheard since the grave incident from the servants’ gossiping in the hallway outside her room at the Meyer’s manor. She asks herself, “How do I make sense of this? Oh, it is all so foggy.”
After sitting and swaying to the train’s rocking motion, Lorelei gives in to her fatigue and leans against the train’s cool glass and closes her eyes to assist with emerging logic from her sketchy recollections. She tries to pinpoint the trigger for Charlie’s foul mood. Thinking back, she determines that it all began in the afternoon at the political assembly. She believes that Charlie was prepared for his speech and would do well at the rally; although, and in a large part, his triumph normally relies firmly on his grandfather’s influence and position in society. During the debate, she, the ever pleasant, dutiful wife, serenely sat at her appointed station by his side. However, his opponent slowly gained the upper hand as the debate lasted longer than planned. In addition, his opponent’s benefactors confronted him with surprises later at the nobles’ reception. By the end of the evening, Charlie had one too many drinks to calm his nerves, and he mindlessly fell into the carriage after clinging to Lorelei for stability while trying to maintain his composure when walking from his seat at the reception to the carriage. The driver shook his head and helped Lorelei to her seat before closing and fastening the door of the carriage. With Charlie feeling annihilated by his opponent, they rode home in silence; Lorelei knew all too well that he would soon lose his temper, verbally and physically. Closing her eyes, she silently prayed for peace and protection.
Finally, the carriage ride came to an end when Charlie and Lorelei arrived home late in the evening. Once the footman helped her from the carriage, Lorelei planned to run to the safety of her room and lock the door. Instantaneously, the butler held open the entry door and watched while she quickly ran through the doorway and across the tiled foyer, which leads to the grand staircase. Not needing to look back, Lorelei knew from experience that time was of the essence. She heard Charlie’s wobbly stride increasing in speed as she hurried up the staircase. Suddenly, he grabbed her arm as she reached the top step, a few feet away from her room of safety.
While he excruciatingly twisted her arm, he turned her toward himself. She smelled the strong odor of alcohol still lingering on his breath and heard him begin to whisper dreadful words. With her free arm, she instinctively tried to protect herself from the anticipated blows that she knew were sure to follow.
After this moment, she cannot remember the details, just the sting of Charlie’s fist, his cruel words, and the sensation of rolling down the staircase and the utter blackness of it all…
In the vagueness of the days that followed and with the servants’ faint chatter outside her slightly opened bedroom door, Lorelei pieces together the rest of the account. She heard one say that when an anxious Charlie saw Lorelei’s lifeless body at the bottom of the staircase, he slowly stumbled down the stairs. Once he was standing beside her, he kicked her leg and demanded that she stands up. Finally seeing that she was unresponsive, he methodically assessed the situation and the repercussions to his political aspirations aloud as if someone would appear and guide him to his next decision. At this point, two overzealous servants reenacted the parts of Charlie’s and the butler’s conversation as another servant participated as the narrator.
Charlie ordered the butler, “Bring me a pot of black coffee, now! I need to think.”
“Yes, sir, as you wish.”
When he returned to the foyer and handed the coffee to Charlie, who was lounging on the settee, Charlie gruffly instructed, “For goodness sakes, carry her to her room and have her handmaid make her presentable. What’s more, have someone bring Doctor Heinz to make a house visit. Straightway, clean up this mess! I will be in my study. Inform me when Doctor Heinz arrives.”
“As you wish, Master Charles,” the butler bowed and left the room to follow instructions.
Spilling dribbles of coffee, Charlie sauntered into the study and then bellowed, “More coffee, NOW!”
Before the impromptu play can continue in Lorelei’s mind, Margaret offers her sleeping powders. Lorelei reluctantly accepts Dr. Heinz’s prescribed medicine. Within minutes, the medicine induces slumber. In her sleep, Lorelei’s mind relives selections of memories as if she were merely a bystander watching everything ensue without her control.
“After the examination, the doctor resets her left arm. When Lorelei becomes alert, she sees Doctor Heinz standing beside her bed and Charlie leaning against the doorframe. She softly asks what has happened. Charlie firmly explains that she clumsily fell down the staircase in her haste upon returning from the party. Upon seeing the look on Charlie’s face and hearing the tone of his voice, Lorelei obediently nods and focuses on Doctor Heinz. He briefly explains her injuries. Then knowing her desire for a child, he pauses, heaves a sigh, and pats her hand before telling her that she has lost the baby from the fall. Lorelei hysterically cries, yet Charlie does not attempt to comfort her. Doctor Heinz notices Charlie’s apathy and pulls Charlie aside. In the room but away from Lorelei, he questions Charlie about the fall. Charlie insists that Lorelei was clumsy and misplaced her footing on the top step of the staircase. The loathsome look Doctor Heinz gives Charlie, and, then, the pitiful look he gives Lorelei makes Charlie feel awkward, yet not remorseful.
When the doctor leaves the manor, Charlie retires to his study. While he sits in his study drinking the strong black coffee, he plays with the different scenarios that might be believable because he cannot stand any more looks of disdain like that of Doctor Heinz. His career ambition depends on the proper perception.
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