Stupid Luck and Happenstance, Thread II
- Thread starter Peabody-Martini
- Start date
Yeah, it's entirely possible that she died of a botched abortion but before we get too far with theorizing, what do we actually know about Beatrice?
Edit: IF Beatrice died of a botched abortion then the onus is on the politicians who made the procedure illegal. And banned contraception and even talking about such things. Remember Dr. Tageman's final project?
- 32 years old
- Five children when Nancy last saw her
- Afraid her husband was having an affair
- Was desperately unhappy
- Died of "unspecified causes"
Edit: IF Beatrice died of a botched abortion then the onus is on the politicians who made the procedure illegal. And banned contraception and even talking about such things. Remember Dr. Tageman's final project?
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But then again as someone has mentioned before. This timeline is called Real life truth, facts and likely outcomes ...... Conspiracy theory coming up.
But then again as someone has mentioned before. This timeline is called Real life truth, facts and likely outcomes ...... Conspiracy theory coming up.
5 kids and a loveless marriage? That's a recipe for suicide, or potentially justifiable bratricide.
<massively snarky comments from reddit.com/childfree resisted as inappropriate>
The only possible conspiracy I can see is that is Ross is covering up that he arranged for a Back Ally procedure and basically forced Beatrice to have it, when it went wrong Ross was able to keep it quiet because of the fact that White Upper Middle Class respectable married women don't have that done and the authorities don't want the family to be shamed over it.But then again as someone has mentioned before. This timeline is called Real life truth, facts and likely outcomes ...... Conspiracy theory coming up.
An excellent example of the attitudes of the American people IOTL toward this illegal act is the 1951 film Detective Story starring Kirk Douglas.
Part 87, Chapter 1350
Chapter One Thousand Three Hundred Fifty
28th December 1959
Kleinberg, Silesia
The preparations for New Year’s Eve were well underway, even if the staff was finding it difficult to do with the children underfoot. When Hans and Helene had arrived a week prior Käte’s prediction about the Graf’s namesake grandson one day being as tall as his father looked to be coming to pass. Manfred realizing that Manny was taller than he was at thirteen was a shock, and that the boy wasn’t finished growing yet. He had regaled Manfred with his exploits on the Football pitch, having made his neighborhood’s Youth League team, he wanted to be a starting Forward, but the Coach wasn’t letting him do that until he got older. At Manny’s age just making the team was impressive, especially in a place like Berlin which had staggering amount of talent at their disposal. Manny’s younger sister Ina delighted in coming to the estate, even if Manfred was unsure how to relate to Helene’s daughter. The girl was all about rainbows and unicorns, but it at least showed some intelligence. Sonje’s children had inherited their father’s lack of that and Caecilia’s were basically being raised by television. It was far too soon to tell what Albrecht’s boy would be like. With any luck Nikolaus would grow up to be a pilot like his grandfather, and Manfred grudgingly had to admit, his father. Manfred’s hope was that he would eventually steer Niko into the Luftwaffe. Though that could backfire badly, and the boy would become one of those lunatics in the Fallschirmjäger Corps. Regardless of what happened, Elisabeth would probably have none of it and work to see Niko in University like his father. Manfred found that last part a bit amusing. How had that worked out?
The arrival of Katherine’s children before Christmas had been a bit of a surprise, though in retrospect it shouldn’t have been. The oldest girl was apparently fostered to Douglas and Katherine’s house. All Manfred had been told a vague line about how Josefine’s father had been a business associate of Katherine’s father. The less said about that the better. They had welcomed her into their household and family over the last few years. Jo told everyone that she lived with her Aunt and Uncle, so the girl must be appreciative on some level. Even if her attitude didn’t always reflect it. Tatiana and Malcolm were growing fast, with Tat an inquisitive, boisterous girl and Kol being more reserved. According to what Katherine had told Käte, Kol had been struggling with a learning disorder that caused him to struggle academically. Finding Kol poring over the scrapbooks full of newspaper articles and photographs that Manfred had accumulated over an adventurous lifetime was seen by the Graf as a good sign of where the boy’s head was at. Katherine’s youngest was just progressing from being a toddler. It was noticeable that her easy-going personality seemed to be a lot like Douglas’ despite Marie’s extremely close physical resemblance to Katherine. Manfred considered it a bit odd that Marie’s personality was a relief to her mother.
Yesterday morning, Katherine had packed a bag and left without explanation after getting a phone call. The lack of reaction by her husband and children showed that it was something that they were used to. Manfred knew that she had retired from the Heer but had been appointed to be the personal Investigator to the Emperor himself in addition to her role as Obersthofmeisterin. Manfred could see why the House of Hohenzollern would want someone they could trust implicitly in those roles. However, he could also see that it had taken a toll on Katherine over the years. Douglas said that she had said that she was due to be back before New Year’s as if it was something that was almost expected.
Montreal, Canada
Gloria should have known that it was too good to be true, but she had stupidly walked into a trap thinking it was a book event that she had been invited to a few days after Christmas. Someone had convinced her Agent that a writer’s group was meeting in Montreal and they wanted her to speak to them about her book. The worst part was that John had warned her that something like this was coming. She had known for a long time that her boyfriend was a lot smarter than he let on and had a better understanding of how the world worked. The result was that Gloria was annoyed and Jane, who Gloria had invited to come along, was terrified. They were in a freight elevator that was ascending while surrounded by a half dozen men in nondescript suits who were extremely polite, though they had made it very clear that they were not being given a choice in the matter. Polite or not, it was obvious that they were police.
As the elevator stopped, one of the men opened the gate and gestured them through.
“I’m terribly sorry if you were inconvenienced” An older man in a dark three-piece suit who was standing there as they got off the Elevator and fell into step with them. “But the Countess felt that it was necessary that you were given a proper cover for your presence here.”
“The Countess?” Gloria asked, with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Since Gloria had completed the biography of Gräfin Katherine von Mischner-Blackwood she had found nothing but a deep silence from the Countess herself. Now it seemed that they had an answer.
“Thank you, Sir Malcolm” Gloria heard a voice say and yes it was the Gräfin herself. The man in the dark suit was Katherine’s Father-in-Law, Sir Malcolm Blackwood, who she had named her son after.
“We’ve a few things to discuss” The Gräfin said, “Your little friend can wait outside.”
With that Jane was led off by Sir Malcolm who made a point of telling her that he had thought that her father was great in Twelve Angry Men. Gloria was left alone with Katherine, who she was now acutely aware of what she was capable of. When, or if, she ever got a chance to tell Jonny about this, he would probably say that her told her so, even if he wouldn’t take a whole lot of enjoyment from it.
28th December 1959
Kleinberg, Silesia
The preparations for New Year’s Eve were well underway, even if the staff was finding it difficult to do with the children underfoot. When Hans and Helene had arrived a week prior Käte’s prediction about the Graf’s namesake grandson one day being as tall as his father looked to be coming to pass. Manfred realizing that Manny was taller than he was at thirteen was a shock, and that the boy wasn’t finished growing yet. He had regaled Manfred with his exploits on the Football pitch, having made his neighborhood’s Youth League team, he wanted to be a starting Forward, but the Coach wasn’t letting him do that until he got older. At Manny’s age just making the team was impressive, especially in a place like Berlin which had staggering amount of talent at their disposal. Manny’s younger sister Ina delighted in coming to the estate, even if Manfred was unsure how to relate to Helene’s daughter. The girl was all about rainbows and unicorns, but it at least showed some intelligence. Sonje’s children had inherited their father’s lack of that and Caecilia’s were basically being raised by television. It was far too soon to tell what Albrecht’s boy would be like. With any luck Nikolaus would grow up to be a pilot like his grandfather, and Manfred grudgingly had to admit, his father. Manfred’s hope was that he would eventually steer Niko into the Luftwaffe. Though that could backfire badly, and the boy would become one of those lunatics in the Fallschirmjäger Corps. Regardless of what happened, Elisabeth would probably have none of it and work to see Niko in University like his father. Manfred found that last part a bit amusing. How had that worked out?
The arrival of Katherine’s children before Christmas had been a bit of a surprise, though in retrospect it shouldn’t have been. The oldest girl was apparently fostered to Douglas and Katherine’s house. All Manfred had been told a vague line about how Josefine’s father had been a business associate of Katherine’s father. The less said about that the better. They had welcomed her into their household and family over the last few years. Jo told everyone that she lived with her Aunt and Uncle, so the girl must be appreciative on some level. Even if her attitude didn’t always reflect it. Tatiana and Malcolm were growing fast, with Tat an inquisitive, boisterous girl and Kol being more reserved. According to what Katherine had told Käte, Kol had been struggling with a learning disorder that caused him to struggle academically. Finding Kol poring over the scrapbooks full of newspaper articles and photographs that Manfred had accumulated over an adventurous lifetime was seen by the Graf as a good sign of where the boy’s head was at. Katherine’s youngest was just progressing from being a toddler. It was noticeable that her easy-going personality seemed to be a lot like Douglas’ despite Marie’s extremely close physical resemblance to Katherine. Manfred considered it a bit odd that Marie’s personality was a relief to her mother.
Yesterday morning, Katherine had packed a bag and left without explanation after getting a phone call. The lack of reaction by her husband and children showed that it was something that they were used to. Manfred knew that she had retired from the Heer but had been appointed to be the personal Investigator to the Emperor himself in addition to her role as Obersthofmeisterin. Manfred could see why the House of Hohenzollern would want someone they could trust implicitly in those roles. However, he could also see that it had taken a toll on Katherine over the years. Douglas said that she had said that she was due to be back before New Year’s as if it was something that was almost expected.
Montreal, Canada
Gloria should have known that it was too good to be true, but she had stupidly walked into a trap thinking it was a book event that she had been invited to a few days after Christmas. Someone had convinced her Agent that a writer’s group was meeting in Montreal and they wanted her to speak to them about her book. The worst part was that John had warned her that something like this was coming. She had known for a long time that her boyfriend was a lot smarter than he let on and had a better understanding of how the world worked. The result was that Gloria was annoyed and Jane, who Gloria had invited to come along, was terrified. They were in a freight elevator that was ascending while surrounded by a half dozen men in nondescript suits who were extremely polite, though they had made it very clear that they were not being given a choice in the matter. Polite or not, it was obvious that they were police.
As the elevator stopped, one of the men opened the gate and gestured them through.
“I’m terribly sorry if you were inconvenienced” An older man in a dark three-piece suit who was standing there as they got off the Elevator and fell into step with them. “But the Countess felt that it was necessary that you were given a proper cover for your presence here.”
“The Countess?” Gloria asked, with a sinking feeling in her stomach. Since Gloria had completed the biography of Gräfin Katherine von Mischner-Blackwood she had found nothing but a deep silence from the Countess herself. Now it seemed that they had an answer.
“Thank you, Sir Malcolm” Gloria heard a voice say and yes it was the Gräfin herself. The man in the dark suit was Katherine’s Father-in-Law, Sir Malcolm Blackwood, who she had named her son after.
“We’ve a few things to discuss” The Gräfin said, “Your little friend can wait outside.”
With that Jane was led off by Sir Malcolm who made a point of telling her that he had thought that her father was great in Twelve Angry Men. Gloria was left alone with Katherine, who she was now acutely aware of what she was capable of. When, or if, she ever got a chance to tell Jonny about this, he would probably say that her told her so, even if he wouldn’t take a whole lot of enjoyment from it.
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First off a top of the hat to Theoretical TJ for predicting the cameo appearance of Jane, with no Vietnam War her career is going to take a different path.
What Gloria doesn't know is that she owes Kat a big time debt and as her lawyer John knows that Kat will keep on collecting that debt for a long time, so look for Gloria to make a trip out to Portland.
What Gloria doesn't know is that she owes Kat a big time debt and as her lawyer John knows that Kat will keep on collecting that debt for a long time, so look for Gloria to make a trip out to Portland.
It will be amusing to see Gloria only NOW realize WHY the Countess its still considered one of the most dangerous individuals in the world. She won't be hurt or even pressed. I suspect that Katherine its going to actually give her information to compliment her biography, and in the process, possibly use her to deliver karma to Beatrice's husband.
It might be worth dialing back on the hate for anything on the left that OTL characters haven't, and most likely won't do ITTL.
I am sorry, for those of us who served in Vietnam and her treason was hard to swallow and forgive.
treason? What treason?
Exposing US-crimes in South-East-Asia?!
Right i get it, it is easier to kill the messenger...
I get what you're all saying but please bear the following in mind:
Forum rules: No current politics outside of chat.
The Vietnam conflict my not be current politics as such, but it's bringing discussions about real world politics into an alternative timeline where it never happened, in a world controlled by a writer who has conscientiously and carefully moved this Timeline away from the real world. These may be real world names, but this is not set OTL so the people concerned have not and, unless @Peabody-Martini decides to, will not carry out the same actions as before.
Arguing about the real world, regardless of the merits of anyone's arguments, in here, leads to a dark place.
Forum rules: No current politics outside of chat.
The Vietnam conflict my not be current politics as such, but it's bringing discussions about real world politics into an alternative timeline where it never happened, in a world controlled by a writer who has conscientiously and carefully moved this Timeline away from the real world. These may be real world names, but this is not set OTL so the people concerned have not and, unless @Peabody-Martini decides to, will not carry out the same actions as before.
Arguing about the real world, regardless of the merits of anyone's arguments, in here, leads to a dark place.
This a timeline in where the United States didn’t fight in WWII, this means there is no “Greatest Generation”, no Baby Boomers, no Vietnam War, while the Students for a Democratic Society IOTL was formed in 1962 I think it still will happen it but we won’t see the Weatherman/Weather Underground ITTL.
Jane will still be a Leftist but she is going to focus on Women and Civil Rights.
I can see Jane taking the story of Beatrice by Gloria and making a movie out of it staring herself and directed by Sidney Lument, Alan J. Paluka, or Otto Preminger that will shatter the Motion Picture Association of America code and finally make American movies more realistic and relevant to moviegoers.
Jane will still be a Leftist but she is going to focus on Women and Civil Rights.
I can see Jane taking the story of Beatrice by Gloria and making a movie out of it staring herself and directed by Sidney Lument, Alan J. Paluka, or Otto Preminger that will shatter the Motion Picture Association of America code and finally make American movies more realistic and relevant to moviegoers.
Part 87, Chapter 1351
Chapter One Thousand Three Hundred Fifty-One
31st December 1959
Kleinberg, Silesia
The party was in full swing as midnight approached and Ilse only wanted to escape the room. Lately, she had been struggling with a great deal and the social aspects of her life had grown increasingly difficult. The things that were supposed to bring her satisfaction like her career and family, didn’t. It was something that few people seemed to understand. The crippling agoraphobia still plagued her and the fear that she might lose everything in the blink of an eye was always at the back of her mind. Ilse supposed that if her life were a movie the credits would have rolled after she had Nikolaus, and everyone would have assumed that she lived happily ever after. They would be completely wrong.
Ilse was still living with her sister because Albrecht was absent much of the year and that included tonight. Her career had become a source of frustration because it seemed like if no one to wanted to listen to the increasingly disturbing effects she was discovering that were the result of burning coal. There had been times when she joked about changing her name to Cassandra only to have no one get it, a detail that had only served to make her feel more alone.
“You should be celebrating” Käte said as she approached the chair in the corner that Ilse was sitting in, “You survived another year.”
“That is all I’ve done” Ilse relied.
“You need to accept that sometimes that is the best you can do” Käte said, “I was alone like you are now a lot of time when Lothar, Helene and Albrecht were little, so I’ve a good idea of what you are going through. You are fortunate to have a purpose. All I did was rattle around this house for several months as the Lady of the Manor and I didn’t have the first clue as to what that meant.”
That was a reminder that Ilse was feeling sorry for herself. Käte given up her career when she had married because it was expected in those days and marrying into an aristocratic family had come with certain expectations she had not been prepared for. It had only been in the last decade that Käte had been able to resume her career as a Nurse Practitioner in the Neurology Ward of Breslau's University Hospital.
“It’s just that things are difficult for me right now” Ilse said.
“I would be worried if it wasn’t” Käte replied, “I just wish that my son was acting as smart as he supposedly is when it comes to you and Nikolaus.”
“I tried going to Vietnam with him” Ilse said, “Look how that turned out.”
“Sure, you got malaria” Käte said, “But you also conceived a wonderful little boy while you were there, so I would say that you came out ahead.”
That was true, but there was more to it than Käte realized. After Nikolaus had been born and she had recovered, Ilse had been encouraged to have a complete medical checkup done. A lot of things had been discovered, like just how much damage had been inflicted on Ilse during her childhood. Evidence of the long-term effects of malnutrition and the abuse she had suffered had been extensive. The odds had been firmly stacked against her ever being a mother. Ilse had also been told that her heart had healed to the extent that surgical intervention shouldn’t be necessary, still it would need to be carefully monitored for the rest of her life.
“I just want Niko to have a better life than me” Ilse said.
“He already has” Käte said, “No one abandoned him on the steps of a church a few hours after he was born.”
Ilse paused, who had told Käte about that? Or worse, what her father had once said to her about the horrific fate would likely have befallen Ilse if her mother had not abandoned her.
“Manfred, damn him, insisted on running an extensive background check on you when you and Albrecht became a couple” Käte said, “It wasn’t pleasant reading and it was why Manfred spent so much effort trying to get him to spare you further pain.”
“All I remember was that I was never exactly sure what the Graf’s motivations were” Ilse said.
“He was trying to protect both of you in his own way” Käte said, “That is generally what motivates him, though he often doesn’t go about doing it the right way.”
“I guess” Ilse said absently. Her eyes tracking to Kat and Doug who were just rejoining the party after saying that they’d had an important matter to discuss in private. Ilse couldn’t help but notice that Kat’s clothes were slightly askew. “They’re behaving like a pair of teenagers tonight” She muttered.
“I wouldn’t judge your sister too harshly” Käte said with a chuckle, “She has the weight of the world on her shoulders most of the time and it’s wonderful that they are still very much in love.”
The previous week, Kat had left suddenly for a couple days and when she had gotten back Kat had been in a good mood. Ilse knew that usually meant that someone who her sister felt was deserving had been left bleeding in a ditch somewhere. She had been unusually happy since then, and now there was this.
“I’m not judging” Ilse said, as she realized that she was if anything, envious. “I just wish that they weren’t so obvious.”
“I’ll need to remember that when Albrecht gets back” Käte said.
Ilse tried, without success, to keep her thoughts from her face. Was she that transparent?
31st December 1959
Kleinberg, Silesia
The party was in full swing as midnight approached and Ilse only wanted to escape the room. Lately, she had been struggling with a great deal and the social aspects of her life had grown increasingly difficult. The things that were supposed to bring her satisfaction like her career and family, didn’t. It was something that few people seemed to understand. The crippling agoraphobia still plagued her and the fear that she might lose everything in the blink of an eye was always at the back of her mind. Ilse supposed that if her life were a movie the credits would have rolled after she had Nikolaus, and everyone would have assumed that she lived happily ever after. They would be completely wrong.
Ilse was still living with her sister because Albrecht was absent much of the year and that included tonight. Her career had become a source of frustration because it seemed like if no one to wanted to listen to the increasingly disturbing effects she was discovering that were the result of burning coal. There had been times when she joked about changing her name to Cassandra only to have no one get it, a detail that had only served to make her feel more alone.
“You should be celebrating” Käte said as she approached the chair in the corner that Ilse was sitting in, “You survived another year.”
“That is all I’ve done” Ilse relied.
“You need to accept that sometimes that is the best you can do” Käte said, “I was alone like you are now a lot of time when Lothar, Helene and Albrecht were little, so I’ve a good idea of what you are going through. You are fortunate to have a purpose. All I did was rattle around this house for several months as the Lady of the Manor and I didn’t have the first clue as to what that meant.”
That was a reminder that Ilse was feeling sorry for herself. Käte given up her career when she had married because it was expected in those days and marrying into an aristocratic family had come with certain expectations she had not been prepared for. It had only been in the last decade that Käte had been able to resume her career as a Nurse Practitioner in the Neurology Ward of Breslau's University Hospital.
“It’s just that things are difficult for me right now” Ilse said.
“I would be worried if it wasn’t” Käte replied, “I just wish that my son was acting as smart as he supposedly is when it comes to you and Nikolaus.”
“I tried going to Vietnam with him” Ilse said, “Look how that turned out.”
“Sure, you got malaria” Käte said, “But you also conceived a wonderful little boy while you were there, so I would say that you came out ahead.”
That was true, but there was more to it than Käte realized. After Nikolaus had been born and she had recovered, Ilse had been encouraged to have a complete medical checkup done. A lot of things had been discovered, like just how much damage had been inflicted on Ilse during her childhood. Evidence of the long-term effects of malnutrition and the abuse she had suffered had been extensive. The odds had been firmly stacked against her ever being a mother. Ilse had also been told that her heart had healed to the extent that surgical intervention shouldn’t be necessary, still it would need to be carefully monitored for the rest of her life.
“I just want Niko to have a better life than me” Ilse said.
“He already has” Käte said, “No one abandoned him on the steps of a church a few hours after he was born.”
Ilse paused, who had told Käte about that? Or worse, what her father had once said to her about the horrific fate would likely have befallen Ilse if her mother had not abandoned her.
“Manfred, damn him, insisted on running an extensive background check on you when you and Albrecht became a couple” Käte said, “It wasn’t pleasant reading and it was why Manfred spent so much effort trying to get him to spare you further pain.”
“All I remember was that I was never exactly sure what the Graf’s motivations were” Ilse said.
“He was trying to protect both of you in his own way” Käte said, “That is generally what motivates him, though he often doesn’t go about doing it the right way.”
“I guess” Ilse said absently. Her eyes tracking to Kat and Doug who were just rejoining the party after saying that they’d had an important matter to discuss in private. Ilse couldn’t help but notice that Kat’s clothes were slightly askew. “They’re behaving like a pair of teenagers tonight” She muttered.
“I wouldn’t judge your sister too harshly” Käte said with a chuckle, “She has the weight of the world on her shoulders most of the time and it’s wonderful that they are still very much in love.”
The previous week, Kat had left suddenly for a couple days and when she had gotten back Kat had been in a good mood. Ilse knew that usually meant that someone who her sister felt was deserving had been left bleeding in a ditch somewhere. She had been unusually happy since then, and now there was this.
“I’m not judging” Ilse said, as she realized that she was if anything, envious. “I just wish that they weren’t so obvious.”
“I’ll need to remember that when Albrecht gets back” Käte said.
Ilse tried, without success, to keep her thoughts from her face. Was she that transparent?
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