“I may be kindly, I am ordinarily gentle, but in my line of business I am obliged to will terribly what I will at all.”    

-Catherine the Great, Emperor of all of Russia.

 

 

The Following Correspondences are fictional  and written by the fictional character Eleanora Selene to her husband, Dario, over several months in 1917 Europe during WW1.

She is an educated women, with a masters in Music Performance. She begins the letters in Belgium whilst her husband is traveling across Europe. She is employed as an operetta singer at the beginning of the war, and ends the war living in New York after being employed by the Foreign Services of several of the allied powers.

 

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My dearest Dario, as you have learned the Deutsch forces have surrounded the city since you have left, the situation is seeming to perhaps be much worse than we have feared. In fact many are leaving the city as I type this. Mon cheri, I shall be sending you the following letters in bundles that I can manage to sneak to the courier. However odd it may seem I seem I will take my typewriter with me.

Although Charles de Broqueville - the cabinet chief to the Belgian monarch. He was the elderly gentleman who approached me several weeks ago, after the banquet in my performance at the opera - he had believed that the interference with our home country would perhaps stop the invasion of France..it does not seem to faze any of the Deutsch army...they have pillaged the countryside and I have some dreadful information from Dame Selene that...they have occupied our country estate. Only after violating everyone there of their basic rights...they locked the Dame in the basement with the servants, and they have shot several that have resisted.  Grand Dame Selene...has fled for France. One of the most patriotic of our family has succumbed to the terror. That means this is something that is truly to be terrified of. I am afraid of what will happen to me if I continue to stay in such a climate. I pray to whatever god that shall hear my plea, that this war shall end soon.
 

-Eleanora Selene

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Our very fates have been toyed with my love...I have been having the oddest of nightmares lately, something frightening is to come and we must flee. I hope you are behind me on this issue, because I am taking you to France along with me whether or not you agree. I know I am your wife..but you knew what It would be like marrying an educated woman from a prestigious family. I know that you understand and will fall behind me..but I want to address you from the heart and mine is fearful at this point for what is to become of us and our future in this world.

 

I will stay as long as I can bear it. People have realized that the war has come to our door, all of my colleagues at the opera house have left for any place that seemed safer. Do you remember the Cathedral we were married at? During the night there was light throughout the city and an acrid smoke throughout the morning. This morning I discovered that the Cathedral was razed to the ground along much of the surrounding  quarter..only a pile of stones remains of a place of one of my most treasured memories. I do not know of who started the blaze..or if it was in fact a fire at all.  I am collecting our most treasured of memories from the estate at the soonest chance I get to leave the city. All of the time you invested in the stock markets and the sheer value of the bonds that I have in my study can get us anywhere we desire. I desire anywhere that I can be safe with you. I will be taking all of the Francs I can get my hands on and liquidating everything else, at this point I shall invest in Jewels at this point or Sterling Silver..anything that I can flee this devastation and not suffer financially from.

I told the courier to deliver these letters with the up most of haste. If the wax seal is broken on a single one...know that they have, or had family photos in them along with your grandmothers deeds. I have come to trust this courier deeply, but I do not know what people are capable of at this point...darling, what I have seen so far has outraged and shocked me. I long to be with you again..I can not communicate how much I will be relieved when I see you again. At least not in words.  

 

-Eleanora Selene

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I have escaped interception so far. I managed to board a train outside of brussels and had managed to go past the border before the Deutsch had intercepted the train and searched it. I am surprised that I have not perished yet. Monsieur Haymond, the courier that I have been employing is organizing a resistance of some sort. He had managed to secure a falsified Deutsch wartime identification paper for me..although he recognized who I was. He pledged to keep my secret as long as I provided him with help of some sort. I agreed of course, I fully support the cause he stands for. It is absolutely required that we escape continental Europe at this point in time.

 

Situations have grown terribly dire. One of the Deutsch officers had seen past the counterfeit identification paper as soon as I had arrived in the city of Lille. There was a struggle. My dear, I believe I may have murdered a man. It was in self defense. He confronted me and pointed a handgun towards me. He underestimated the strength of a woman, I got behind him and...well quite simply by the end he was subdued and on the ground. I did not look back. This situation seemed to remind me of a quote by Catherine the Great:

“I may be kindly, I am ordinarily gentle, but in my line of business I am obliged to will terribly what I will at all.”    

Afterwards,  I simply readjusted my skirts, and reappropriated his automobile. I must do this. Innocent people can still remain innocent after such an experience. It simply must be for a good cause...although the same can be said about the committers of such atrocities. I do not understand this war any more, I will not edit this rambling pointless letter, for I want you to read my very thoughts on this. I will state that a lioness will do whatever it can to be reunited with its cub.

 

Monsieur Haymond had spoken of a route used by several woman to flee on a steamship from Cherbourg to the United Kingdom. I have to meet him in Strasbourg to secure some identification papers for an trans-atlantic crossing to Halifax. He had mentioned that we would both have a place on the Oceanic, the former White Star line that is currently transporting injured Canadian troops and some medical staff back to Halifax. We will have to masquerade as medical staff. A feat easy for nobody, yet I believe with our knowledge and cunning we may be able to help several people on the steamship. I love you, please be safe.

 

-Eleanora Selene

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Having met Haymond I learned that, I would have to support him in a dangerous way. He has asked me to smuggle important documents and some British officials into Cologne.

Mentioning that it is imperative to winning this war; and limiting the Deutsh high commander's ability in continuing this conquer. I implored him to tell me why I was chosen for this task. He simply said it was because I can handle myself, know how to fire a rifle, and that I had supreme linguistic abilities. I would have to perform in the Kölner Oper as a Deutsch opera performer. Managing to be invited to one of the superior Deutsch officers banquets..saying that it would demand all of my charms and that I must distract him and learn as much information from him as I can. I will do it for our future Dario. I will do it for all that have perished in this war.

Afterwards I shall be permanently respected by Allied officials who learn of my deeds, this will allow us to go to America as soon as I am over with this business here.

Please my love, be safe. I will have secured a place, legally I may add, on a steamship on a route from Cherbourg to New York. Meet me in the Hôtel Ritz in paris on December 6th and ask for Mademoiselle Selene to the woman in the salon, and mention that you are Dario. She will tell you the suite we are staying in until we go to Cherbourg. Bring all you wish to bring with us to America.  I shall see you soon my love. Do not be alarmed, yet I had to dye my hair an auburn colour.

 

I love you, we shall have escaped the treachery committed upon us and have escaped with a new life. I absolutely ache to make it to Paris at this point. You will probably get these letters and documents several weeks before we are scheduled to meet. Or you may perhaps get them later depends on the diligence of Monsieur Haymond, do not worry, mon cheri. I will always wait for you and I am yours eternally.

 

-Eleanora Selene