Mozart's Sister: A Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

opened and closed the windows; the girl and the father settled the bags on the back; the servant tied the instruments to the roof; and the reverend couldn’t wait to return to his meditations. As soon as Anna Maria appeared, he traced in the air a large sign of the cross, reciting, “Benedico vos in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti.” And finally the family climbed in and latched the doors, the servant bowed, and the coachman whipped the horses, who took off with a whinny of euphoria: Farewell, Salzburg! Great Europe, we are eager for you!
     
    VIII.
     
    It was a vis-à-vis carriage, of the type with two (very uncomfortable) facing seats; on one side sat father and son, on the other, mother and daughter. Now that the pilgrimage had begun, a sudden weariness replaced excitement, and Wolfgang rested his head on Leopold’s legs while Nannerl sank into her mother’s large, soft breast.
    “Papa, is it true that I’ll be able to try the piano?” the little boy asked, his voice already thick with sleep.
    “What do you know about the piano?”
    “Nannerl says it’s much nicer than the harpsichord.”
    The girl pricked up her ears but said nothing, and Leopold spoke as if she didn’t exist, caressing Wolfgang’s head. “Your sister can say what she likes, but you don’t have to listen to her. Guess who your papa will introduce you to instead: Johann Christian Bach. You know who he is, don’t you?”
    The answer came from the land of dreams. “The son of Johann Sebastian Bach.”
    “Excellent, my boy. He lives in London, which is far away, but perhaps we’ll get there; and then he’ll give you lessons in composition. He’s an important man, and he can do a lot for your career.”
    Anna Maria hugged her daughter to her, and Nannerl abandoned herself to the warm, scented sweetness of that touch: she, too, would meet Christian Bach; she would show him her music, too.
    The carriage had reached the outskirts of the city and was crossing a bridge over the river. There was no way its passengers could have glimpsed a small female figure half hidden under the parapet; perhaps Leopold might have recognized her, but just at that moment he drew the curtain. As soon as the coach had grown distant, the girl cautiously rose and, with an expression of suffering, touched her stomach, whose dimensions were now unmistakable. She settled on her head the tall wig, which she had put on with a macabre sense of ritual; she had even powdered her face and put on an old, low-cut lace-trimmed evening dress. Then she lifted her skirts and struggled up onto the balustrade.
    From that moment she had no hesitation: she took a deep breath, filling her lungs, and jumped, turning so that she went headfirst. The flight was rapid, the thud muted, but the impact killed her instantly. Thus, in the muddy waters of the Salzach, ended the life of a voluptuous salon harpsichordist.
     
    IX.
     
    Nannerl saw only the Prince Elector’s shoes, or rather the left shoe, for a greyhound had laid its nose on the right. It was some distance from backstage to the place of honor, but that shoe was as shiny as a dewy leaf, and the gold pin that clasped it seemed to emit light.
    Maximilian III awaited the court concert with a welcoming smile on his perfect face, sitting deep in his armchair and occasionally leaning forward to pet the dog. A woman who resembled him, if a little older, sat beside him, with strawlike hair above protruding eyes of an indistinct brown: it was Princess Maria Antonia, his sister. She was magnificently dressed, and yet she appeared untidy.
    On the stage, the chamberlain was ending his introductory remarks, while behind the curtain, Leopold was nearly having a heart attack. “I implore you, children…I implore you…Be calm, eh? You’ve got to perform well—and make a good impression for me.” Meanwhile he smoothed his shirt cuffs and pinched the puffed sleeves. Anna Maria began to pull Nannerl’s corset even tighter and the