Part 20 (1/2)

As I came out into the hallway there was no sound coming from behind the next door. I realized with a shock that this must be Matty's room. So who was in there with her? A man with whom she spoke French? And yet I knew she spoke German when she was with Nicholas. Her father maybe? Her mother was French, after all, so perhaps that was the language used at home, and yet Siegfried also preferred to speak German. I was tempted to go and peek through the keyhole. I crept toward the door, bent down and put my eye to it. But I could see nothing. Obviously the key was still in it.

Suddenly I heard the tap of brisk footsteps behind me. Two of the older countess chaperons were coming toward me. They looked at me with interest, on my knees in a strange hallway.

”I-uh-dropped my ring,” I said. ”It falls off sometimes when my hands get too cold.”

”Then let us help you look for it,” one of them said.

”Oh, no, thank you. I have already found it again,” I said, scrambling hastily to my feet. ”Most kind.”

I heard a muttered exchange in German as I hurried on my way, my cheeks flaming.

I made it safely back to my room and shut the door with a sigh of relief. Still no sign of Queenie. Really this was now too much. Not that she was any use in dressing me, but one expected a maid to appear occasionally. I left the dress on my bed and made my way resolutely toward the kitchen. On my way down I pa.s.sed one of the servants coming up. She curtsied.

”Is my maid down there?” I asked. Then I repeated in French, ”I am looking for my maid.”

”No, Highness,” she answered in French. ”n.o.body is there.”

Which probably meant that she was taking a long nap in her room. That girl could sleep more than anybody I had ever met. I chose what I hoped was the right tower and made my way up the spiral stair until I emerged to her cold and drafty corridor. If she'd snuggled under her blankets to keep warm, I couldn't blame her. As I stood there, trying to remember which door was hers, a door opened and a young woman, dressed elegantly in black, came out.

”What do you require, Your Highness?” she asked in French.

I told her I was looking for Queenie.

”She has the room next to mine. This one”-she pointed at a door-”but I do not think she is there. Excuse me. I must go to dress the princess for dinner.”

I opened Queenie's door and fumbled for a light switch but couldn't find one. In the dim light from the hallway I could see that the room was unoccupied. The bed was made. Queenie was definitely not there.

Chapter 27.

Still November 18 Have lost Queenie.

I retreated, puzzled and a little worried now. Where could she have gone? A secret tryst with a male servant? But I had little time to think about it. I'd have to hurry if I was to dress myself for dinner. I struggled into Belinda's dress, which fortunately had a zipper at the side and not hooks up the back, then I brushed my hair, powdered my nose and finished my toilette. Still Queenie didn't show up. I was alarmed and annoyed now. Where could she be?

I arrived in the gallery outside the banqueting hall to find it br.i.m.m.i.n.g with people and even more decorations and jewels than the night before. And tiaras. Oh, Lord, I should have worn my tiara. I was wondering whether I'd have time to sprint back upstairs to fetch it when I was grabbed by Prince Siegfried.

”You are looking enchanting, Lady Georgiana,” he said. ”A most suitable gown, if you permit me to say so.”

”I didn't realize that tiaras were going to be worn,” I said. ”I left mine in my room.”

”It does not matter. You look delightfully refres.h.i.+ng, the way you are.”

Why was he being so charming? Did he think that I knew something about him that he would not wish to be repeated?

”Tonight you will allow me to escort you to dinner again?” he said and offered me his arm. I could hardly refuse and allowed myself to be led into the middle of the crowd. I was just wondering where his parents were when trumpets sounded. Dragomir, looking even more awe inspiring than ever, stepped forward. ”The parents of the bride, Their Royal Majesties the king and queen of Romania, and the parents of the bridegroom, Their Royal Majesties the king and queen of Bulgaria,” he announced. The crowd parted and the royal couples, the queens dripping jewels and suitably crowned, processed down the middle, while those they pa.s.sed curtsied and bowed. As they pa.s.sed me I curtsied. The king of Romania held out his hand to me and gave me a warm smile. ”So charming,” he said.

The rest of us lined up to follow the monarchs into dinner. I was seated opposite Siegfried, not far from his parents. The seat beside me was empty and I looked around, realizing I hadn't seen Matty. She came rus.h.i.+ng in at the last minute, looking fl.u.s.tered.

”Sorry, Mama, sorry, Papa. I overslept and that stupid maid didn't wake me in time,” she said.

Interesting, I thought. The maid had gone down in plenty of time. And the man I had heard her arguing with had not been her father. The meal started with a rich hunter's soup. Matty took a sip or two then toyed with it. I was now intrigued. Who had been in her bedroom before dinner? I looked up and down the table at the various young counts and barons, trying to put a name to each face. Nicholas had introduced them one by one as he toasted them last night, but it seemed to me that most of them spoke German, not French. The only other option was that Matty had been speaking to someone like Dragomir; but would protocol permit that she allow a retainer into her bedroom, especially as I now knew that her maid hadn't been present at that moment? Maybe Belinda had heard more and would be able to enlighten me, but my friend was now at the far end of the table, looking bored between two elderly gentlemen who were clearly both fascinated to be sitting next to her. Interestingly enough, my mother wore a similar expression at the other end of the table. Those two were so alike. It would have been much easier if Belinda had been her daughter instead of me.

Matty's unfinished soup was whisked away and a portion of trout was placed before us. The one good thing about this whole experience so far was that I had been eating good food again, but at this moment I was having as much trouble as Matty in eating anything much. Siegfried was saying something to me. I nodded and smiled, that knot of worry still in my stomach. Where the devil was Queenie? She couldn't have left the castle, which meant she was somewhere and presumably safe. Knowing her, maybe she'd found a warm corner to curl up in and would have awoken feeling guilty by now.

I glanced across at Matty, who was now trying to hide the trout under a lettuce leaf.

”Is something wrong?” I whispered to her.

”No, nothing at all. Why should anything be wrong?” she said. ”But I just heard that the old man was poisoned. My maid told me.”

”Your maid told you?” I asked with concern. ”How did your maid find out?”

”She overheard Patrascue talking.”

”I see.” I wondered how many other people in the castle had overheard something and whether everyone now knew about the murder. So much for keeping it from Nicholas's father if even servants knew about it.

I observed her face. Just how much had her maid overheard? Did Matty really know that the poison was intended for Nicholas? She didn't seem to and she went on, ”It's very upsetting. My whole wedding is turning into a nightmare. I don't know why I thought it was such a good idea to come to the castle in the first place. Stupid of me. Stupid, stupid, stupid. We could have been at the palace in Bucharest, going to theaters and enjoying ourselves.”

She broke off as her father, the king, rose to his feet. Dragomir rapped on the table with his gavel. ”Pray silence for His Majesty King Michael.”

The king proceeded to welcome all his guests, especially the bridegroom and his parents, and raised his gla.s.s in a toast to friends.h.i.+p between the two nations forever. We drank-those of us who were in the know a little tentatively, our eyes watching everyone else. n.o.body keeled over, however, and the king went on.

”As we share in the joy of our daughter's nuptials, I am delighted to announce that there will soon be a second celebration to follow this one. My son has informed me that he too will take a bride.” Murmurs of approval from around the table. ”And we shall be most delighted to welcome another descendant of our esteemed Queen Victoria into the family. Her father was my good friend, and I look forward to having her as my daughter.”

I had been looking up and down the table to see who he was talking about.

He picked up his gla.s.s. ”So I ask us all to be upstanding and raise our gla.s.ses in a toast to my son, Siegfried, and his bride-to-be, Lady Georgiana.”

Everyone was on their feet. I felt as if I were falling down a deep well shaft. I wanted to scream ”No-o-o-o!” but everyone was smiling and raising their gla.s.ses to me.

”You sly one. You didn't tell me.” Matty embraced me and kissed me on both cheeks. ”I can't say I'd want Siegfried, but I'm so glad you're going to be my sister.”

What could I do? I had been brought up with etiquette rammed down my throat. A lady would never make a fuss at a banquet. A lady would never contradict a king. But this lady would never marry Prince Siegfried in a million years. Siegfried was raising his gla.s.s to me, pursing his cod lips in a kiss. Oh, G.o.d-please don't say I've got to kiss him. The company sat down again. I hastened to sit before any kiss might be required. I hadn't realized that the steward had pulled my chair out for me. One second I was standing, gla.s.s in hand; the next I was sitting on nothing and had disappeared under the table with a startled cry. Of course then all heads turned back to me again. I was hastily rescued from my undignified position, my face burning with embarra.s.sment, and placed in my chair. Everyone around made a fuss of me, hoping that I wasn't injured and pressing gla.s.ses of champagne at me. I heard murmurs of ”Too much champagne going to her head” and ”Attack of nerves, poor little thing.”

Believe me, if I could have crawled under the table and escaped at that moment, I would have done so. But there were too many legs around. I was profoundly grateful when the next course was brought in-a Hungarian delicacy of flaming meats on a sword. It was applauded with oohs and aahs. I watched it as if I were looking at a film of someone else's life. This couldn't really be happening to me. When had I ever given Siegfried any indication that I might marry him? I felt a cold sweat creeping over me. I had actually come close to flirting with him last night. I had begged him to dance with me to keep him from paying a visit to Field Marshal Pirin's room. And he'd taken that as a sign that I'd changed my mind. And this evening he had asked me something that I hadn't quite heard and I'd nodded and smiled. Oh, golly-had he asked me if I'd changed my mind then? I thought he was only talking about the food or the weather. Doomed, that's what I was. The words ”producing an heir” echoed around my head. Followed by Belinda's laughing suggestion that I lie back, close my eyes and think of England.

That was never going to happen, if I had to throw myself off one of the turrets first. Well, maybe not quite as dramatic as that. Run away to Argentina, disguised as a peasant, perhaps, or even go and live with Granddad in Ess.e.x. I wasn't going to marry Siegfried, but I'd have to find a way out without anyone losing face. Maybe I could just happen to discover that he was more attracted to men than women and let his parents know that I could never condone such behavior. That ought to do it. Only not tonight. Not now. At this moment I had to be Siegfried's intended.

The meal finished with no more deaths, accidents or surprises and we ladies were escorted through to the withdrawing room for coffee and liquors. I was looking around to see if I could slip away unnoticed when the queen of Romania stood before me with open arms.

”My dear child,” she said. ”I can't tell you how happy this has made me. It was our dearest wish and that of your royal cousins too.” And she embraced me.

Suddenly I saw clearly: this whole excursion had been a plot to get me to marry Siegfried. I was never Matty's dear friend at school. The queen could more properly have sent her own daughter to the wedding and not me. I was, as they say in American gangster films, set up. Framed. Duped. Ladies swarmed around me, patting me and offering congratulations. Even my mother came to peck me on the cheek. ”Very sensible,” she whispered in my ear. ”You'll have a lovely dress allowance and he won't bother you. A little difficult about future babies that Darcy has dark hair, but so does Siegfried's mother, so that's all right.”

I looked up to see Belinda looking at me with wonder and amus.e.m.e.nt on her face. As soon as she could she dragged me aside. ”Have you lost your mind?” she demanded. ”You can't be that desperate.”