“Who?” Lena’s eyes widened in mock ignorance.
“The Emperor of China,” August growled.
“I haven’t seen an emperor here.” Lena pierced a fork into a dumpling and bit into it. “It’s really good. Are you certain you don’t want any?”
“If you’re trying to butter me up by feeding me, it won’t work,” he said as his stomach growled. “Here are the facts: the Duke of Aldingbourne, his sister Lady Evangeline and his secretary Mr Emil Mortimer visited your home yesterday at one in the afternoon and left at three fifteen. What do you have to say about this?”
She pondered on the matter as she licked the sugar from her fingers.
“You know,” August said with a sigh. “You can prevaricate and evade as much as you like, but sooner or later we will find out the answer. If Hagerdiscovers you’re not cooperating, everything will be null and void, and you’ll be of no use to us.” He leaned forwards. “No more musical opportunities. No more easy money. With that in mind, don’t you think it would be better if you just told me directly? ‘Twould save us all some trouble.”
Lena lookedat the man sitting at her kitchen table with a steep frown on her face. Strands of greasy black hair hung into his forehead, and he looked younger than she initially thought he was. Possibly around her own age. She thought about what he’d said.
August was right; sooner or later the truth would come out anyway. Better they heard it directly from her. Secondly, if they indeed knew everything about everyone, couldn’t that be of use to her? The secret police had all the information at their fingertips.
Lena pursed her lips. “You may have a point. Very well. I will tell you what happened.” She pointed the fork at him. “But in turn, you will help me to uncover the truth of the matter.”
“Uncovering the truth is what we specialise in,” August said, crossing his arms, then he listened in silence. He was so absorbed in her story that he’d involuntarily picked up a fork and ate not one, but two plum dumplings.
“What do you think? A mad sort of tale it is, is it not?” Lena said as she finished.
He rocked his head back and forth. “I’d have to check my sources. What I know about the Duke of Aldingbourne is as follows.” He ticked them off with hisfingers. “It is true that he is a widower. There were no offspring, at least not that we know of. He has never remarried and with the exception of you, shows no interest in women or chasing lightskirts. In this he differs greatly from the other visitors to the Congress.” August curled his lips in disgust. “You wouldn’t believe the bed-hopping that’s going on, especially between the Princess Bagration, the Duchess of Sagan, Metternich, and the Tsar. Metternich enters the palais, visits the Duchess on the right, then leaves her apartment a few hours later to go to the door on the left where the Princess lives.”
Lena’s mouth fell open. “Really? Tell me more.”
“For example…” He lifted his fork, ready to spill more gossip. Then he frowned and stopped, shaking his head. “What am I doing? I digress. This is not a gossip session over a cup of coffee. Read the papers tomorrow, it will all be in there. Back to the topic at hand. You said the Duke was your husband.”
Lena wrung her hands. “That’s what he claims.”
“Hm. He recognised not one, but two birthmarks, you say. His secretary and sister identified you as well. That seems to me sufficient evidence that you are his wife.” He tilted his head to one side and narrowed his eyes. “Do you really not remember him?”
Lena crossed her arms tightly. “No, I don’t. What if it’s all a coincidence?”
“A coincidence, really?” He leaned forwards, his eyes gleaming. “Do you know how his wife died?”
She shook her head. She had thrown them out before the Duke had had a chance to tell his story.
“The Duchess of Aldingbourne died in a carriageaccident in Scotland. Somewhere near the border. Wasn’t that where you, too, had your accident?”
A chill ran through her. She shivered as her breath caught in her throat.
“In Scotland,” she whispered. “A carriage accident.”
“Yes. A massive coincidence, isn’t it?” Satisfied, he leaned back and helped himself to a final dumpling. “None of what you told me is news to me.”
She sat up straight. “What do you mean?”
“I mean to say that we already knew about all this,” he said with a full mouth, waving his fork around.
Lena fell back into her chair. “Are you saying you knew about me possibly being the Duchess before you even approached me, asking me to spy for you?”
August grinned. “Naturally, Your Grace. The order came from the very top.”
“The very top? You mean—” Lena took a sharp intake of breath. “Metternich.” The man played with them like pieces in a chess game.
Her hand shook when she rubbed her forehead. “How on earth did Metternich know…”
“We know everything.” August wiped his fingers on the tablecloth. “Whether you think you are the Duchess or not, whether you remember the man, or not, do one thing for us, please.”
