“But…why?”
Lena shook her head. “With all due respect, Your Highness, that’s not the right question. The right question is whyyouraffections are so involved with this lady, when, forgive me for saying so, but you are married, are you not?”
“To my Lorel, yes. She is a good woman and has been most patient with me.” He pursed his lips. “I daresay she loves me most dearly. My children are a delight.” His face brightened. “I sometimes suspect I missed my vocation when I went into politics and became Austria’s foreign minister. I should have become a nanny instead. I would have been quite good at it, too. Whenever I can, I playwith my children in the nursery. My family is my only joy in times like these.”
Lena stared at him, aghast. “You have a loyal wife and wonderful children. Then why on earth are you hankering after a woman like the Duchess of Sagan, who not only does not return your affection, but chases after that good-for-nothing Prince Alfred?”
He looked at her sheepishly. “Because she is as beautiful as a goddess, intelligent, and wise. She is the unofficial hostess of this Congress. She says she no longer wants to be my mistress, hidden away shamefully in the shadows, but to take the place of my wife.” A steep frown appeared on his forehead. “But divorce my Lorel? Never.”
A strange look crossed Lena’s face. She rubbed her head as if it pained her. “It’s just…I don’t know why I feel so passionate about this. It really is none of my business what you choose to do and who you choose to associate with, Your Highness. I really should not say anything at all about this, so forgive me for being so bold for voicing my opinion anyway. I feel very strongly that when you are married, you ought not fall in love with other women. You should not have mistresses at all. It’s not right. The thought of it…it pains me. Here.” She thumped her hand against her heart. “There. I’ve said it.” She leaned back in her chair and blinked rapidly as if suppressing tears.
Julius clenched his hands so tightly his knuckles were white.
“What bourgeois sentiments you have.” Metternich looked at her with concern when she did not reply. “Mydear Mrs Arenheim. I have not upset you, have I? With all my silly talk. That was not my intention.”
She pulled her mouth into a wobbly smile. “It is the way of the world, isn’t it? I shall say no more on the matter.” She had pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her nose when she looked up and her eyes met Julius’s. “Oh!” She jumped. “When did you get here?”
“Aldingbourne.” Metternich rose from the sofa. “When did you arrive? We didn’t notice you there.”
“Pardon my intrusion. You were so absorbed in your conversation with my wife that I was reluctant to interrupt.” He pulled himself up stiffly. “I would have introduced you to my wife earlier, but I see you have forestalled me, as you seem to be acquainted already. Quite intimately too, if you are already seeking my wife’s advice on matters of the heart.” His voice had an edge of steel.
Lena looked at him with wide eyes. He’d said ‘my wife’ three times, hadn’t he? Just to make sure to hammer the point home. A muscle jumped in his cheek. Julius bared his teeth at the Prince.
Metternich flicked a non-existent speck of dust away from his sleeve. “I came here to seek you out for a conversation of a more private nature, away from prying eyes and ears.” He seemed oblivious to the irony that his well-oiled spy network was currently eavesdropping on all of Vienna and that he was the mastermind behind it all. “I found you away, but your charming wife was here to keep me company instead. She is not only beautiful, but an excellent conversationalist and has been giving me thebest of advice.” He lifted her hand and kissed it. “I shall take your words to heart, madam.”
She nodded. “I hope you do.” Looking at Julius, she asked, “I will see that you are not disturbed. Would you like some coffee and biscuits?”
“Thank you, but no. His Highness is a busy man. I am certain he will have to leave imminently.” Julius declined the offer with a motion of his hand.
“Yes, please.” Metternich sat down again and crossed his legs. “Coffee and biscuits would be most agreeable. Now, Aldingbourne. As to what I wanted to discuss with you. What the devil are we to do about the Tsar?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
For several days that followed,the Duke was seldom at home, as though he’d forgotten his agreement with the Arenheim family. He no longer joined them for breakfast and supper, always claiming to have important meetings. Lena had no doubt that this was true, but she suspected there was more to it. It was rather more likely that he was deliberately avoiding her. He had retreated behind the aloof mask of the distant, unapproachable Duke once more.
Just as Lena had resigned herself to the notion that it had all been for naught and that their experiment had failed miserably, out of the blue things shifted once more. Suddenly, he showed her a completely different side of himself that she hadn’t seen before.
It was, quite frankly, maddening.
But she couldn’t make herself be cross at him. It seemed he was making a considerable effort to bond with Hector. That much was clear. He studied arithmetic and history with the boy, took him for walks, and talked tohim whenever possible. Hector had let go of his initial suspicion of him, and it appeared that, even though he might not yet be fond of him, he had come to accept him.
Then, one evening, the Duke returned with a kite.
A kite!
“They were selling them at the market. I thought the boys might like it,” he said almost bashfully. “Shall we try it?” He held it out to Hector. “The weather is sufficiently blustery outside today.” He left with Hector and Les, heading to the meadow by the river, and from her kitchen window Lena watched the three of them try to get the kite up in the air, which wasn’t so easy at first.
Then there was the time when he came back from a walk with Hector, carrying a basket full of roasted chestnuts.
“Good heavens, did you bring home the seller’s entire stock?” Lena asked.
“I did, indeed,” he replied, looking rather pleased.
Lena placed her hands on her hips. “But I thought we’d agreed that you wouldn’t use your money to buy us anything.”
“He didn’t,” Hector put in.
“It was hard-earned, in fact,” the Duke explained.
