safety, and freedom. Nick hoped he could do as much for him one day, but
it didn’t seem possible. Alex had saved them from an unknown fate and given him and
his sons the chance for a future. And as they watched the boxcar gently set down on
the deck of the ship, Nick whispered silent thanks, and Alex put an arm around his
shoulders, as both men wondered when they would meet again.
Chapter 4
Once the horses were safely on the ship in their boxcar, the six of them stood on
the dock, looking at each other. Passengers and their guests were boarding the ship,
to stroll the deck and visit the cabins, but Nick didn’t want to leave the pier. This
would be the last time he would stand on German soil, and once he boarded the ship,
he would lose everything he loved and knew. He couldn’t bear the thought of his father
being alone, and he turned and spoke to him quietly, out of earshot of the others.
“Will you come, Papa? Please? I don’t want you to stay here. You can come to the circus
with us. I’m sure they would sponsor you too.” He could come on the next ship—he wasn’t
in the danger that Nick and the boys were and could take more time to leave. But Paul
slowly shook his head. All the pain he was feeling over their departure was plain
in his eyes.
“I can’t. I can’t abandon everything we have here. I need to take care of it for you
and the boys. I don’t trust these people in the Reich. They’re going to destroy the
country if they can. I want to at least protect and preserve our small part of it
for you.” A sense of responsibilityand duty was keeping Paul in Germany, but his heart was leaving with Nick, Tobias,
and Lucas. After they left, there would be nothing for him in Germany, except their
land. Paul was the guardian of their property now, and nothing else. And he ached
with an almost physical pain to see them all leave. He was grateful, too, that he
and Nick had done some fancy footwork the previous year to keep Toby out of the Hitler
Jugend. Their doctor had given him a letter saying he had asthma and couldn’t attend
meetings. Paul wanted to contribute nothing to Hitler’s Reich, least of all his grandsons.
Paul hated the Nazis even more now. He would never forgive them for making Nick and
the boys leave.
“I’m going to miss you, Papa,” Nick said softly, and Paul nodded and lowered his eyes,
unable to speak. He would miss them, too, beyond measure.
They stood there for a few minutes then, in silence, and Alex came over to them to
talk to Nick.
“I want to check on the horses.” He looked concerned. There were eight horses in the
boxcar—Pluto, Nina, and six Arabians, of which two were stallions and four were mares—and
he wanted to be sure they were all right after the train ride and having the boxcar
moved onto the ship. He wanted to see for himself that none of them had been injured
and that they were relatively calm, although they would sense something different
happening. Alex had given Nick and the boys all the instructions they needed, and
even some fancy bridles to use in the circus. And to the very end, he had refused
to let Nick pay him. It was an enormous gift, which Nick knew he could never repay
with an equally important gesture, other than his love and loyalty forever, but Alex
had had that from him for years and always would. The two men looked bleak and despondent
at the prospect of saying goodbye.
Only Lucas was in good spirits as they boarded the ship. He was itching to go exploring,
but Nick told him to wait until later after they set sail. Nick and Alex went to look
at the horses, and they were skittish but fine. Alex said they would settle down,
and he hoped it would be a smooth trip.
And while Nick and Alex were busy with the horses, Lucas stood talking to his grandfather,
and Toby stood quietly chatting with Marianne. She had been dabbing at her eyes with
a lace handkerchief since
it didn’t seem possible. Alex had saved them from an unknown fate and given him and
his sons the chance for a future. And as they watched the boxcar gently set down on
the deck of the ship, Nick whispered silent thanks, and Alex put an arm around his
shoulders, as both men wondered when they would meet again.
Chapter 4
Once the horses were safely on the ship in their boxcar, the six of them stood on
the dock, looking at each other. Passengers and their guests were boarding the ship,
to stroll the deck and visit the cabins, but Nick didn’t want to leave the pier. This
would be the last time he would stand on German soil, and once he boarded the ship,
he would lose everything he loved and knew. He couldn’t bear the thought of his father
being alone, and he turned and spoke to him quietly, out of earshot of the others.
“Will you come, Papa? Please? I don’t want you to stay here. You can come to the circus
with us. I’m sure they would sponsor you too.” He could come on the next ship—he wasn’t
in the danger that Nick and the boys were and could take more time to leave. But Paul
slowly shook his head. All the pain he was feeling over their departure was plain
in his eyes.
“I can’t. I can’t abandon everything we have here. I need to take care of it for you
and the boys. I don’t trust these people in the Reich. They’re going to destroy the
country if they can. I want to at least protect and preserve our small part of it
for you.” A sense of responsibilityand duty was keeping Paul in Germany, but his heart was leaving with Nick, Tobias,
and Lucas. After they left, there would be nothing for him in Germany, except their
land. Paul was the guardian of their property now, and nothing else. And he ached
with an almost physical pain to see them all leave. He was grateful, too, that he
and Nick had done some fancy footwork the previous year to keep Toby out of the Hitler
Jugend. Their doctor had given him a letter saying he had asthma and couldn’t attend
meetings. Paul wanted to contribute nothing to Hitler’s Reich, least of all his grandsons.
Paul hated the Nazis even more now. He would never forgive them for making Nick and
the boys leave.
“I’m going to miss you, Papa,” Nick said softly, and Paul nodded and lowered his eyes,
unable to speak. He would miss them, too, beyond measure.
They stood there for a few minutes then, in silence, and Alex came over to them to
talk to Nick.
“I want to check on the horses.” He looked concerned. There were eight horses in the
boxcar—Pluto, Nina, and six Arabians, of which two were stallions and four were mares—and
he wanted to be sure they were all right after the train ride and having the boxcar
moved onto the ship. He wanted to see for himself that none of them had been injured
and that they were relatively calm, although they would sense something different
happening. Alex had given Nick and the boys all the instructions they needed, and
even some fancy bridles to use in the circus. And to the very end, he had refused
to let Nick pay him. It was an enormous gift, which Nick knew he could never repay
with an equally important gesture, other than his love and loyalty forever, but Alex
had had that from him for years and always would. The two men looked bleak and despondent
at the prospect of saying goodbye.
Only Lucas was in good spirits as they boarded the ship. He was itching to go exploring,
but Nick told him to wait until later after they set sail. Nick and Alex went to look
at the horses, and they were skittish but fine. Alex said they would settle down,
and he hoped it would be a smooth trip.
And while Nick and Alex were busy with the horses, Lucas stood talking to his grandfather,
and Toby stood quietly chatting with Marianne. She had been dabbing at her eyes with
a lace handkerchief since
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