"So you’ve got everything?” Mum asked again.

I surveyed the pile of stuff in the hallway and counted off the contents in my head, dress for tonight, wedding frock and fancy dress for tomorrow night in case one. Underwear, shoes and stuff to come home in case two and of course make up and so on in the day bag.

"Think so.”
"You’ve got a cardigan?”
"Uh huh, oh bum, perücke!”

Geez, I daren’t forget that. I heaved myself back up to my eyrie where the blonde hairpiece mocked me from its foam stand next to my computer. I retrieved it and hurried back downstairs.

I opened my make up case to stow it.

"You can’t put it in there, it’ll get messed up,” Mum stated.
"Well where then? Gloria will be here anytime.”
"Why don’t you wear it, problem sorted.”
"I haven’t got time.”
"Kitchen now,” she ordered.
"But Gloria...”
"Will wait, where’s your brush?”

 
And so, when I followed Mum and Max out to Gloria’s Porsche SUV I was sporting not my now familiar pink locks but the much shorter and more sophisticated blonde wig.

"Hi, Gloria,” Mum greeted.
"Jenny, all set, Gaby?”
"Think so,” I mumbled passing the make-up bag to Max so he could stow it.
"You know kids,” Mum put in, "No Wilhelm?”
"Taken his car down, bringing mother back Thursday,” our driver advised.

I climbed into the back, staying kerbside so the seatbelt won’t rub my damaged shoulder.

"Have a good time and behave yourself,” Mum instructed before closing the door.
"Yes, Mum.”

Max got in next to his mother and after a round of farewells Gloria engaged drive and we were off.

 
"So you all right, Gaby?” Gloria enquired over her shoulder.
"Uh huh,” I allowed.
"So how did your race thing go the other day?”
"I bet you won again,” Max stated, turning awkwardly to look at me.
"Er not exactly,” I admitted, "I sort of didn’t finish.”
"How come?” Max queried.
"I sort of fell off.”
"You are all right?” Gloria asked with some concern.
"Pretty much, a bit of road rash and some bruises.”
"Good job you didn’t break anything,” Max opined.
"Anyone would think you cared.”
"I’d’ve had to dance with Sophia or one of the other Pferde .”
"What’s wrong with Soph?”
"Nothing if you like horses.”
"Well I like her.”
"But you’re a girl.”
"What’s that got to do with anything?”
"Just because Gabrielle’s coming doesn’t mean you don't dance with your cousin,” Gloria pointed out.
"I give up,” Max stated with a huff.
"Don’t mind him, Gaby,” his mother advised.
Why would I, it’s not like we’re a couple or anything is it?

 
Without the Baroness in the car Gloria was a bit of a lead foot, lane three past all the trucks filling the A61. Somewhere I dropped off only waking as the Cayenne made a fast deceleration.

"Hmm,” I managed with a stretch, "Where are we?”
"Services,” Gloria advised, "I need a coffee.”
“’Kay.”

We threaded past the tankstelle and swung into a parking bay almost outside of the roadhouse entrance.

"Ooh,” I allowed as I slipped down from the car.
"You alright?” Max enquired.
"Leg’s a bit stiff.”

I fished back inside for my bag before joining the von Strechau’s for the walk inside, well bit of a hobble on my part.

"You sure you’re alright,” Gloria asked with some concern.
"It’s just being sat so long.”
"Go find a table, coffee?”
"Milk please, I'll just pop to the ladies.”

 
I sat in the cubicle and examined my hip. Not a pretty sight, the bruising still livid, the scabby surface a bit oozy in places – yeah not nice. Mum insisted I bring some sterile wipes and of course the Savlon® so I did a quick clean up and reapplication job. At least the shoulder wasn’t weepy but I reapplied the antiseptic cream anyhow before leaving the facilities.

"Gab!” Max waved from across the restaurant, he and his mum sat at a window table.

I picked my way over to join them.

"I got you Pflaumküchen, Max said you like it,” Gloria mentioned as I took a seat.
"Er thanks,” I managed eyeing the cream and chocolate covered slices of torte the von Strechau’s each had with a little envy.
“Feeling better?” Max asked.
"Er yeah.”
"You going to be okay for tomorrow?” Gloria enquired.
"Don’t see why not, couple of paracetamol and I'll be sorted.”
"If you say so.” She didn’t look convinced.

 
I traced our likely route on the map by the door as I waited for the others to use the facilities. We’re at Worms at the moment, about halfway to Stuttgart, still some two hundred and fifty kilometres away.

"Should be there about six thirty,” Max opined joining me at the board.
I looked at my wrist watch, "It’s half four now.”
"Might be earlier then,” he suggested.
"Ready?” Gloria queried a moment later.

We soon rejoined the motorway traffic, Gloria soon accelerating up to join the string of Five series, C Klasse and Vectra’s haring southwards. Late afternoon of course everyone is keen to end the working day, from Ludwigshafen and all the way down to Karlsruhe it was a continuous stream of trucks and rep specials. I didn’t realise how on edge it was making me, and no doubt Gloria, until we turned onto the quieter Stuttgart motorway.

I checked my watch as we left the autobahn for the short drop into Stuttgart centre, five past six, goodness knows what speeds we’ve been doing. Of course it couldn’t last, the traffic over the last handful of kilometres quickly eating the minutes but eventually we reached our hotel.

"Right, Gaby, you’re in with me,” Gloria advised once we were checked in – well I was hardly gonna be sharing with Max, was I?
“’Kay.”
"We’ve got an hour before our taxi comes so we’d best get into gear, Max, Gab’s bags.”
"Yes, Mum.”

 
Rather than a shower I did a sink wash – well I showered at home and it means I don’t have to redo my hair. It also gave Gloria more bathroom time.

Knock! Knock!

"Hello? I called through the door as I hopped about to put my second shoe on.
"Taxi’s here,” Wilhelm offered back.
"We’ll be right there.”
"Okay.”
"Who was that?” Gloria asked joining me in the bedroom fixing an earring as she did so.
"Wilhelm, the taxi is here.”
"Well I'm ready, shall we go?”

 
"Where we going?” I whispered into Max’s ear as the taxi headed not as I'd thought into the centre but apparently out into the countryside.
"The breakfast of course.”
"I know that, dummy, where is it*?”
"The Mercedes Museum,” Wilhelm supplied having overheard our conversation.
"That place that was on the news a few weeks back?”
"Probably.”
“Cool!” I allowed with slightly more enthusiasm than befits a genteel young lady.

Our route out into the countryside quickly had us circumnavigate the city centre and soon we dropped down to and over the Neckar. An interminable wait at a set of traffic lights put us onto Mercedes Strasse and past the fair ground.

"Hey look, the Red’s ground,” Max enthused pointing across the car.

The Red’s are of course the top local football club, we must’ve been here when we raced last year, the Museum was still being built then of course.

"Whatever,” I replied in bored tones.
"They won the league this year,” Max went on.
"And?”
"Well it’s their ground.”
"Max you have a losing battle, Gabrielle isn’t into kick ball,” Gloria observed.
“Football,” Max muttered which caused me to snigger.

Moments later however we pulled up outside of the bizarre glass and steel building. Obviously we weren’t the only ones arriving, an assortment of cars and taxis were excreting the wider Thun & Taxis family and guests. Worryingly I actually recognised a couple of faces, I guess from either Heinemann bash in Bonn or the Munich affair.

Flunkies directed everyone to a side door, well we weren’t exactly visiting the Museum were we. Instead we found ourselves in an exclusive restaurant area, I say exclusive, it clearly doesn’t serve burger and chips at any time and the décor almost smelt ‘expensive’.

"Ludwig!” Wilhelm greeted our host with a firm handshake.
"Willy, good to see you, you too, Gloria, Maria will be glad to see you.”
"By the sounds, someone needs rescuing from Mother,” Gloria noted.
"Your sister I think,"The Duke opined, "Ah, I think I see our English princess there, welcome, Gaby.”
"Um thanks for inviting me, Your Grace,” I managed with a slight blush.
"I've got a job for you and Max here actually,” Duke Ludwig started.
"A job, sir?” Max asked.
"A little one only, can you try to keep Sophia out of mischief?”
"Er we can try,” I agreed before Max could make some excuse.
"Excellent, well we’ll be eating in what,” he checked his time piece, "Ten minutes, I think my daughter is over by the stage.”
 
"What did you say that for?” Max complained as we headed for the tiny stage where the band were setting up for later.
"She is my friend and your cousin.”
"Once removed.” He was back to muttering.
"And anyway, who else here is even close to our age?”

A quick look around answered that one, various groups of people were stood talking, mostly older, the younger ones, well still like proper adults, were marshalling rug rats, nursing babes in arms or the one other under twenty was an already bored pre teen girl in a plain pink organza ‘princess’ dress. Yeah, great company.
 
Maddy Bell © 01.04.17