“Lucky devil. What about Hartenberg? Lady Evie? Aren’t they supposed to get married?” He pointed his two forefingers at each other and twirled them around.
“It’s complicated. Hartenberg’s in Italy with his troops. Evie is visiting a friend in the country. She tired of the festivities already after a week.”
“Understandable. I’ve had it up to here—” he drew a line at his head “—with all the fuss they make in Vienna these days.” He grimaced. “It’s only bound to get worse—” He interrupted himself as his eyes fixated at a spot behind him and his jaw slackened.
“Aldingbourne,” he said weakly, “I’m really not well, you know. Am suffering here,” he placed a hand over his heart, “from what I believe may be diagnosed as a particularly severe case of lovesickness. Because I am on terrible terms with thepater familias, I have been suffering from migraines and have been in a general, terrible sort of temper lately. Now it appears my mind and eyesight are sadly affected as well.” He leaned forwards and squinted. “No, do not turn around, my friend.” He clasped an iron grip on Julius’s shoulder to prevent him from turning around. “But tonight the theory that ghosts indeed walk the earth has been proven correct. Either that, or I’m stark raving mad.”
“If you are not well, sit down, and I shall fetch the physician.”
“To the devil with the physician.” Lindenstein closed his eyes, opened them again, blinked, and shook his head. “I am about to give you the shock of your life, dear friend. For over there, my eyes behold…Catherine. The ghost of your duchess.”
Julius turned to see Lena standing next to the hedge, her eyes raised as she watched the last remnants of the fireworks flare up in the sky. A powerful emotion coursed through him, leaving him shaken. “Ah. You are not mad. It is a long and interesting story. It is indeed Catherine. Come and meet her.”
Her emotions still in a whirl,Lena stood by the hedge with clasped hands. She had to talk to him again. This time more honestly, about her feelings. That was difficult enough, but in her case, it was even more complicated because she had to talk about the memory of the feelings.
Was that thumping in her heart, that sizzling sensation, a mere memory, or was that what she truly felt for him now? Or was it simply because she thought it was what sheshouldbe feeling now?
She shook her head. Oh, how confused she was!
She was definitely overthinking it.
Best to find him and talk to him.
And say what exactly?
“Lena.”
She jumped and looked up. Speak of the devil. The Duke was right over there, tall and handsome as sin in his evening clothes, walking straight towards her as if she’d conjured his presence just by thinking about him.
Beside him was a man, a golden-haired Adonis, staring at her as if he’d just seen a ghost. “But she looks like the image of Catherine.” He reached out to touch her arm. “No ghost.” His grip closed over her arm. “Mostdefinitely not. This is very much solid flesh, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Hands off, Lindenstein,” the Duke growled. “She’s still my wife, and I don’t like people touching what’s mine, even if you are my friend.”
A shiver ran through her at these words. As if she really belonged to him.
“Wife? You truly are Catherine? Holy saints above in heaven. It is not an illusion? But how? Why?”
Lena looked at the Duke helplessly.
“Catherine, also known as Helena Arenheim. This dolt here is an old, dear friend of mine. He goes by the name of Lindenstein.” He paused, then added softly, “You were once acquainted, too.”
“Acquainted. Surely, we were more than that. Friends, weren’t we? Are we still?” His hands went to his head. “Before you died. Which, it seems, you did not. Now she looks at me like she doesn’t know me. I am confused.”
The Duke gave a brief summary of what had happened—the accident, the amnesia, the chance meeting with the help of Evie.
Lindenstein collapsed on the marble bench. “What a story! It’s a miracle. You truly do not remember him? Or me? Nothing at all?”
“Some of my earlier memories are returning in fragments, without rhyme or reason. I’m sorry, but no, I don’t remember you.” She shook her head regretfully.
“We need to discuss this further.” He looked up and glanced at the ballroom entrance where several footmen were gathered, receiving instructions from the butler. Hefrowned in consternation. “But not now. They are looking for me. I must leave before they find me. We will talk. We will talk!” He pointed at Lena, nodded at the Duke, then disappeared between the boxwood hedges.
Lena found herself alone with the Duke. Suddenly shy, she forgot her resolve to talk to him. "I must go too." She turned to leave.
"Stay," he murmured, his hand reaching out to brush against hers, sending a shiver down her spine.
“But I have one more performance, and the others…” Her words trailed off as his grip tightened gently.
"Dance with me," he whispered, his voice husky. The strains of violins playing a waltz lingered in the air. The grip in his hand tightened ever so slightly, drawing her closer until she stood before him, their eyes locked. He placed his hand on the small of her back, a light pressure leading her into a slow turn.
