“I beg a million pardons, Your Imperial Highness.” Frau Benedikt’s voice was thick with unshed tears.
Pippa’s mouth nearly dropped.
“But I am not responsible for the recording of the servants’ names as they are hired. It is theObersthofmeisterwho handles that. I have received the list from him as it was given to me. It is not within my jurisdiction to make amendments to the list.”
“Excuses, excuses. This is nothing but gross mismanagement. How is one ever to find someone if you have to sift through,” he flipped through the thick book, “hundreds of pages?”
“I beg a million pardons, Your Imperial Highness.” She really was about to burst into tears.
“And this fellow here. Ignatius Florian. One cannot tell which one is the given name and which the surname. Who is this fellow anyhow? Call him hither.”
“I am afraid that is not possible, Highness.”
“Why ever not? Has the fellow died? Speak.”
Frau Benedikt hung her head. “He left service last year,” she whispered.
“Ah. And it occurred to no one to record that in here? And I see here that his salary is still handed out to him? Even though this Ignatius has long left service? I wonder who collects it for him?”
Frau Benedikt’s already pale face whitened a shade further.
“And who decides which personnel get hired?”
“It is entirely under the jurisdiction of theObersthofmeister, Your Imperial Highness. I have little to do with it.”
“Now, that I cannot believe. Do you take any Sepp, Hans and Pepi who apply for a position in the palace?Are you aware that Von Hager has been sending his spies here to be hired as servants?”
A murmur went through the room.
“He is right,” one footman mumbled.
“What about recommendations? References?” He was relentless.
“These are indeed requirements for a job at the palace.” Frau Benedikt struggled to regain her composure.
“And here—” he clicked his tongue “—a total of seventy-two servants have been hired over a span of a month? How can that be?”
“The truth of the matter is that there is a dire need for servants now that we have three kings and twenty princes, dukes and other nobles residing within these walls. Each requires their own staff, their own team of cooks, cleaning staff, and personal attendants. The palace has only so many to spare. The kitchens are already short of staff, and we have received the order that some of the chambermaids must help out in the kitchen. Since it is a time of emergency, and the need for additional staff is high, we have had no choice but to hire anyone who applies.”
“Is that so?” The Archduke stared at her. Frau Benedikt squirmed.
He proceeded to go down the list of names, page after page.
“Give me the September log.”
A pageboy scuttled to hand him the book. He flipped it open and went through the lists.
Then he paused, and a small smile crossed his face. “Ahh, here she is. Finally. Hired September third. Confound it. Already two months ago? How can it be possible?”
Frau Benedikt stretched her neck to see what he was reading, but he held the book away from her.
He uttered a frustrated sigh. “Two months ago.” He shook his head in disbelief. “Under our very noses. And no one noticed. And who in the devil’s name issued those references?”
“If you could tell me who it is you mean, I can attempt to find the answers you seek, or even better, theObersthofmeister”—”
“Keep him out of it. He reports directly to the Emperor, and shall we all agree that he is currently too busy a man to be troubled with such things?”
Suddenly, he had changed personality and he oozed suave charm. He snapped the book shut and handed it back to Frau Benedikt with a semi-bow.
