The Longest Winter Read Online Free PDF

kind and I shall be pleased to ride back to Vienna with you.’
    ‘In that case,’ said Sophie, ‘I shall naturally accompany my sister.’
    ‘Of course,’ said James.
    ‘Of course,’ said Ludwig.
    ‘Dear me,’ said Anne.
    They drove to Vienna, Anne and Sophie up with James, Ludwig following with his front offside wheel running very slightly out of true. Anne was natural, friendly. Sophie was curious. She asked James about the school and how he came to be teaching there. He explained that he had left England to travel around Europe for a year, doing a little sketching and painting, and had met Maude Harrison, the principal of the school, in the Tyrol. Sophie and Anne thought his decision to take on the temporary post highly commendable.
    ‘Oh, I’m doing very well out of it,’ said James, ‘I’m enjoying Vienna.’
    When they reached the city, Ludwig left them to drive to the automobile engineers, while Anne gave James instructions on how to reach their house in the Salesianergasse. He handled the two-wheeler skilfully in the traffic. As they turned in through the open gates of the forecourt Sophie saw a motor car standing before the house. Around it were her parents, her brother Carl and a sleek gentleman. Two interested servants hovered in the background.
    ‘Herr Fraser,’ said Sophie, ‘please will you tell no one we had an accident? It will put my parents against progress for ever.’
    ‘Baroness,’ said James, ‘allow me to put you both down and to go on my way. I too am against some progress.’ He brought the two-wheeler to a halt on one side of the forecourt. The people around the car looked up.
    ‘Anne,’ said Sophie, ‘can we allow him to make us look ungrateful?’
    ‘Certainly not,’ said Anne, ‘the least he can let us do is offer him some refreshment. I’m sure he will not really say anything to Mama.’
    James regarded with interest the great, square-fronted house. Carl arrived, a slim tall young man with dark hair and blue eyes. He gave a hand to his sisters as they alighted and looked up at James in some curiosity.
    ‘I thought you two girls were out with Ludwig,’ he said, ‘but never mind, come and look at the motor car and help me persuade Father we must have it. If you back down I’ll skin you.’
    Anne called up to James.
    ‘Herr Fraser, please get down. I wish to introduce you to my family and to have you take some refreshment.’
    ‘You must excuse me,’ said James, ‘but I’m really not presentable.’
    ‘Ridiculous,’ murmured Sophie, getting a little of her own back. It made James smile.
    ‘Carl,’ said Anne, ‘this is Herr James Fraser. He has been indispensable to us this afternoon and knows absolutely everything about motor cars.’
    ‘Then he’s just the fellow,’ said Carl. ‘Will you come and tell us what you think of this one, old chap?’
    ‘I warn you,’ said James, climbing down, ‘I’m much more likely to be frank than helpful.’
    ‘I can’t deny that,’ said Sophie, ‘Herr Fraser can be very frank. His opinion is that motor cars are monsters.’
    ‘Good Lord,’ said Carl disbelievingly, then laughed and added, ‘you’ll get on famously with my mother, then.’
    The baron and his wife were far too civilized to show the astonishment they felt at the layer of paint, oil and grime anointing James’s garments. Anne took their minds off the worst of it by emphasizing the sterling qualities of his character. She declared him to be the most invaluable of men in the way he had stopped on the road to change a wheel for Ludwig. This might have induced the baroness to ask why a wheel change was necessary, but with so much interest focused on the motor car the salesman had brought for inspection, the moment passed without comment from her.
    The model was a Benz of dark green. Ludwig’s Bugatti was new enough, but the Benz was pristine bright and immaculately beautiful. Carl was more than keen for the family to acquire it. At twenty-four he