Gaby Book 25 Only Five Minutes by Maddy Bell Copyright© 2019 Madeline Bell After all the excitement of the last few weeks culminating in the trip to Austria, surely Gaby can get back to some sort of 'normal'? Well it wouldn't be Gaby if it was that simple would it?

 
I know I made a big hoo ha about being a seasoned camper last night which I sort of am but that doesn't mean i've done it alone. In fact I'm almost certain that last night was the first time i've 'camped' solo, oh i've had a 'pup' tent next to the camper a few times back when we had the LT or Bus but my parents were only like feet away. No, last night I was totally alone.

Not that I was scared, well not that much, but it did take me a while to get to sleep. The problem was it was so quiet, or actually not, there was an owl kept hooting then I think there was a fox yipping and I'm sure there was something sniffing around the Hymer at one point. In the end it was exhaustion that took me into dreamland.

I heard the camper door open, followed in short order by Dad's voice.

"You awake kiddo?”
"Ugh!”
"Time to rise and shine if you want breakfast.”
"Minute.”

I won't say I leapt from the covers, it was more a slow crawl, before heading for my 'en camper' facilities.

"Manda says can you bring her jeans and red top over.”
"Er sure,” I allowed poking my head out into the lounge area where Dad was waiting, "What're we doing today?”
"There was some mention of Pferde, I think the other option is a walk.”
“'kay.”

Well at least I know what I'm not doing!
 

"Sleep okay?” Dad enquired as we started the walk back into the Burg.
"You mean after the animal chorus, there was an owl giving it some for hours, apart from that okay I guess.”

The morning air was fresh, a few patches of frost decorated the more secluded areas, the sky, an azure almost too intense to be real.

"Looks like a nice day in store.”
"Yeah,” I agreed.

Soph was looking a fair bit happier this morning, she even gave me a quick hug when I came in with Pater.

"Thanks Gab,” Mand told me as she did the same.
"What'd I do?”
"You Gaby Bond, know exactly what you did.”
"Come on you two,” Sara chivvied, "Breakfast will be cold.”

Hmm, intriguing, a hot breakfast?
 
Everyone else was of course by now in the kitchen, it was a veritable scene of companionable chaos, babies, dogs, food being passed around, the smell of some half decent coffee and overlying that at least half a dozen seperate conversations.

"Help yoursellves girls,” Marianne encouraged, "There's bacon and eggs on the warmer.”

Ooo, I like the sound of this.

"You riding Gabs?” Mand enquired some time and food later.
"Think I'll give it a miss.”
"Soph is going to show me the old Wörnitzer Straße.”
"Very nice.”
"You should come, Gaby, its a very nice ride,” Soph put in from across the table.

Nice it might be, my bum was black and blue after last year's trekking experience.

"Think I'll stick to two legs.”

A snatch of conversation from down the other end of the huge kitchen table caught my attention at that point.

“...i'm sure she wouldn't mind, she's great with her friends daughter,” Mum concluded.

What am I being volunteered for now?
 

"Are you sure Gaby?” Sara asked for the umpteenth time.
"I'm sure, its not like I'll be on my own.”
"Thanks, we owe you one.”
"I'll start a tab. We'll be fine eh Heini?”

The baby just smiled and blew bubbles at me.

"Bye little man,” his mother cooed, "mummy and daddy will see you later.”
"Go before I change my mind,” I suggested.

What have I been volunteered for? Babysitting of course, Soph and Mand are going trekking, Sara was bemoaning that she'd not ridden since junior arrived so yours truly got the job as Jannis has to be the sacrificial non horsey person on the riding trip. Great, he's like three months old, he can't be that much trouble, right? The grandparents and my parents? well there was some talk of driving down to Donauwörth for lunch.

 
"You okay for a bit kiddo, Ludwig wants to show me and yor dad something.”
"I guess so,” I glanced over at my charge, "Don't think my date is going anywhere soon.”

Indeed Heini was currently fast asleep.

"We won't be long then we'll go out for some lunch okay?”
"Sure, have fun.”

She crept back out of the family room, I could hear the Taxis and Dad talking, not what though, I'm sure I'll find out later if its important.
 

A few minutes later and it was just me and Heini in the house, a clock loudly ticking somewhere but otherwise almost silent. The really unusual thing is that apart from sitting the baby, i've got nothing I'm supposed to be doing, no college stuff, no training, no place to be or people to see which for me pretty much never happens. I had a mooch around the room, Soph gave me the tour last year but here and now I could actually look at stuff.

Of course, the family spend most of their time at the house in Stuttgart and I think they have some huge country pile somewhere but even so there are recent photos on the dresser, ha, even one with me and Max on from Sara's wedding. I browsed along the shelf, the more recent images sat cheek by jowl with much older examples, previous generations of Taxis, whole football teams of European nobility stood next to what appeared to be Sara and Sophia dressed for Communion or something. Mutton chopped Dukes, crinolined Duchess's, someone sat on a horse, another haughtily in the back of an early car, the movers and shakers of a century past.

Of course its not all photographs, a wide variety of trinkets of one sort another vie for position too, an ornate paperknife, the inscription suggesting it was a gift from the Kaiser alongside one of those sort of frosted glass vases you see on the antique shows, Lally or some such. There was a pile of quite recent looking magazines, Stern, Bild, some horsey thing, several of those 'country' things and of all things a copy of Septembers Auto. That last was the only thing even half interesting so I took it with me back to the sofa for a peruse.
 

I'm not sure which came first, the sound of returning parents or Heini's whimper, I guess it doesn't matter, Tante Gaby sprang into action. I'm not sure where it comes from but Mum was right earlier, I might be the youngest but i've always had this, I dunno, rapport with babies and young children. That doesn't mean I want any of my own – not gonna happen any time soon, but they usually behave for me.

By the time the Rents found me, Heini was sucking up the milk his mum had expressed earlier, happy as Larry.

"Looks like you two are getting along,” Marianne observed.
"He's mostly been asleep, he woke up hungry when you got back.”
"You did do well,” she suggested.
"I told you she was good Mari,” Mum mentioned.
"Do you think you can manage a ride down to Donauwörth Gaby?”
"I guess.”
"Okay, finish his feed then I'll do the neccesary before we head out.”

I might be the official child minder but i've escaped the nappy changing, result!

 
Its only about ten kilometres down to Donauwörth, just as well given we were travelling in an elderly Mercedes G Wagon, not the most comfortable ride and a bit cramped with five and a baby plus all its stuff, it was literally a ten minute drive then a further couple finding parking. Then things started to get weird!

I hadn't really thought of the implications but clearly if you see a young woman pushing a young baby in a pram, in the company of probable grandparents, you could be forgiven for assuming the child was hers. Of course, all babies are cute, all need cooing over, standard questions are asked and repeat, by the time we reached the Donauspitz, the point where the Wörnitz joins the Donau, it had happened three times. Thing is, the parental brigade just answered without any thought, 'you must be proud – of course', 'has his mothers eyes' – pretty good chance of that.

It would be easy to get upset by the assumptions but heck, i'd probably do the same given the dynamic – a girl with her parents and a grandchild – the fact that we aren't mother and son or even related at all doesn't come into it. The embarrassment dropped a notch when the Duke took over pushing duties but it was pointless trying to explain to strangers. Our hosts clearly had an eatery in mind and we ended up looking out over the Wörnitz from the Cafe Rasffaello.

Of course, this evening we have a big meal to look forward to so, having had a decent breakfast, this was more of an excuse to get out than really eat. I didn't say we weren't eating, I had a nice bowl of Gulaschsuppe to stave off starvation, salad, pommes and expressed milk also featured, the last given by granny this time. The well behaved babe act couldn't last though, he started fretting halfway through the strudel, Marianne and myself ended up running a tag team of soothing walks along the street.

Its the Law of Sod that as soon as we got back to the car, Heini, bless his cotton socks, dropped off. Well its not like we wanted to look in any shops is it?
 

The rest of the afternoon was uneventful, I relinquished babysitting duties to Oma and went for a bit of a walk up onto the common where the fireworks were being set up for later. Well watching men work isn't that exciting so I started to make my way back which is how I ended up by the stables as the horsey explorers returned.

"Hey Gaby,” Soph called over, "You missed a great ride.”
"I'll live.”
"Where's Heini?” Sara asked with the merest hint of panic in her voice.
"With Oma, think he's worn out from his adventures.”
"Adventures?” there was more than a hint of panic now.
"She's winding you up Saz,” Mand suggested.
"So what've you been up to,” Soph queried having dismounted.
"Not a lot,” I admitted, "Read for a bit then we went down to Donauwörth for lunch, i've just been up to the fireworks.”
"How has Heini been,” Sara asked joining us after handing off her own mount.
"Fine, two feeds, lots of sleep, met lots of people.”
"Sleep? He never sleeps!”
"I swear, he slept most of the morning and he was snoozing when I came out.”
"Er liebchen, darling,” a worried voice carried to us, "Help!”

All eyes swung to Jan still sat atop his steed.

"Geez, grow a set Jannis,” Soph opined.
"Just swing your leg over and slide off,” Sara told him.
"He's worse than you,” Mand whispered to me as Sara went to rescue her spouse from eternal equine co existence.
 

By the time we arrived back at the schloss it was getting dark and preparations for the bean feast were well under way. Of course, most of the food has been prepared in the kitchens of the restaurant, catering staff seemed to be everywhere.

"Ah, there you are,” Mum pointlessly noted.
"Yep, in the flesh,” I agreed.
"Go with your Dad and fetch your stuff for tonight, you too Amanda, there won't be a chance of a taxi service tonight.”
"Where is Dad?”
"Right here, come on, i've got to get ready too you know.”
"I'll shower whilst your out,” Mum advised.
"Where am I...”
"You can use mine,” Soph offered, pre empting my question.
"Right.”
"Gabrielle,” Dad intoned.

Oops, someone is getting stressed.

"Coming.”

There was of course more to it than simply picking up my Kostum and Manda's long frock. Oh yes, Dad had his and Mum's stuff, then there was footwear and undies and I needed my wash kit. Well it took us nearly forty five minutes all told which gave us not much more than an hour before the first outside guests would be arriving – panic!

Soph was already half way dressed when Mand and I got to her room.

"Thought you'd gone home.”
"Just a lot of stuff,” I suggested as i hung my outfit on the back of the door.
"You'd best shower first Gabs, it won't take me long to dress,” Mand supplied.
"What're you wearing Gab?” Soph asked.
"Dirndle, the works.”
"Really?”
I shrugged, "No fashion arms race.”
"You're no fun, I'll have to wear one now,” she pouted.
"Well I'm not,” Manda offered, "Don't let Gab's put you off.”

I grabbed my wash kit and headed for the bathroom.

"Extra towels in the cupboard,” Soph called after me.
"Thanks!”
 

"So how're we doing this?” Mand queried.
"You're the hair expert.”
"Up or down?”
I thought for a moment, "Up, something classy.”
"We haven't exactly got all night you know.”
"Best get started then,” I prompted.

Sophia was already downstairs, we were running a bit behind – remember the dodgy shower? Well it got even dodgier halfway through my cleansing exercise, c'est la vie.

"You and Soph are getting on okay?” I hinted.
"Er quite well.”
"Just quite?”
"Okay, very, sit still.”
"You two....”
"Yes, no and maybe, now stop squirming.”

Well I guess thats told me, I'll have to make questions up to match the answers.
 

"So?”
"Heidi eat your heart out,” my hairdresser suggested.
"Its not too much?”
"I am not taking it out Gaby Bond.”

I've no idea where she learnt how but Mand really is the knees when it comes to hair braiding. Tonights creation is to say the least complicated and intricate, a description from me doesn't do it any justice, theres a sort of woven bit and a coil and this other bit – well it looks stupendous.

Of course, like I told Soph, i've gone a hundred and ten percent, my best dirndle, all the proper underpinnings – I know, seems excessive but there is method in my madness. So its holdups, knickers, long bloomers, underskirt, BH, unterbrusthalter, yup the whole nine yards. By comparison i've kept the jewellery and makeup to a minimum, don't need to over do the decorations eh?
 

The reception room was buzzing when we got there, I scanned the room looking for my parents to no avail. I'd been stood for about a minute before I realised that the general hubbub was dying down, not only that but people were looking in my direction. I turned to see who was behind me, the Duke perhaps, but no, just Mand hovering at my elbow. This is like totally weird.

The room was all but silent now and every eye was turned my way, I smiled back, help!

"Gabrielle,” the Duchess' voice called out, "A moment please?”
"Your Grace,” I allowed heading towards our hostest.

Eyes followed me across the crowded space, a route mysteriously opening to allow my transit. By the time I reached Marianne conversation had restarted and I suddenly recognised the woman stood with her.

"Quite an entrance Gabrielle.”
"It wasn't planned Your Grace,” i turned to her companion, "Mum?”
"Well I thought I should make an effort.”
"You look great,” I enthused.
"Possibly but totally outshone by my daughter.”

If you haven't guessed, Mum was also wearing Kostum, she looked damn good if you ask me.

"I feel like the hired help,” Mand advised us.
"Far from it Amanda,” Marianne told her, "I think we are all in the shadow of Fraulein Bond this evening.”
"Damn,” Soph exclaimed joining our soirree, "She'd look good in a sack, in that no one else stands a chance.”
"Mein Gott,” the Duke exclaimed as he and my Dad arrived, "I'm glad this isn't one of mine Dave.”
"Its a nightmare alright,” Dad agreed.
"Daddy!”
"Damn, Ludwig, its one of mine!” he grinned.

Dad and the Duke were of course rockin' the whole Kostum thing, I think I'm allowed to say that Dad looks well handsome.
 
Ting, ting!

"Dinner is served!”

My stomach rumbled at the very idea – not that I'll be eating that much trussed up in this lot.

The Duke offered his arm, "If you'd care to join me Fraulein?”
"Er certainly Your Grace.”
 
© Maddy Bell 10.07.2019