Kingdom of Ash and Soot Page 14

  “I will have to see it for myself.”

  I looked back over toward the stairs, hoping Lady POW would give me some idea of what to do next. I blinked in surprise, watching as Lord Maximillian began talking to her.

  “I wonder what His Grace is doing here,” I said.

  “Oh, you mean Lord Maximillian?” Karl followed my gaze. “I imagine he was invited, since he is staying with at the Hohenwart estate for the rest of the year. Lord Hohenwart is a close friend of his.”

  “He is?”

  “Of a sort. Lord Hohenwart, along with Alfred—excuse me, Count Potocki—are avid beer enthusiasts. Both of them have stock in distilleries. But Lord Maximillian is from Moravia, with several estate vineyards. They have argued for years over which is better, but they also exchange bottles and harvesting information every so often.”

  “Do you also have an interest in such topics?” I asked.

  Karl shook his head. “I have little interest in where my beer and wine come from, so long as it is enjoyable.”

  “I see.” I started to feel a slight panic. We were getting closer to Lady POW and Lord Maximillian, and I still had nothing on Karl that seemed to help our investigation much.

  “Lord Maximillian has generously gifted His Imperial Majesty with full shipment of wine this year,” Karl said. “It will arrive just in time for the Advent Ball Empress Maria Anna is hosting this year. I know she is most pleased. Several other representatives from around Bohemia are acquainted with his estate’s reputation.”

  The Advent Ball? I thought of the ripped invitation Ferdy had handed me days ago.

  “Will you be attending the Advent Ball this year?” I asked. “I have heard it is wonderful.”

  “I have attended it before, though it has been some years since my last attendance,” Karl said. “It is indeed quite wonderful. Her Imperial Majesty the former Empress does an incredible job each year.”

  “You have attended it before, so that must mean you are from Prague, then?”

  “Yes,” Karl replied. “I have been many places, but I was born here, and I relish the chance to be back.”

  “Where are you staying?” I asked. “With your family?”

  “I am staying with a friend,” Karl replied. “Perhaps you have heard of him? Roman Szapira of Slavuta is hosting me for the first part of the season, until after the Advent Ball. He is a friend and confidant of the count’s, and one of the most well-known architects in Prague. He is currently being commissioned to renovate Prague Castle’s wine cellar.”

  “His name sounds familiar,” I lied. “Who else does he know?”

  “He would likely know of your grandmother,” Karl answered. “She is quite famous.”

  I laughed in that fake, overly charming way. “Of course Lady PO—I mean, my grandmother—is well known. She is very rich and very difficult to ignore. Would she know your friend, Mr. Szapira?”

  “I am not certain. Roman is very well known in other respects. Like Lord Maximillian, he has a large vineyard, and I know he and the count argue over the virtues of the vine quite frequently.”

  I will have to ask Lady POW about him.

  As if she knew I was longing for her counsel, Lady POW suddenly stood before me—on the arm of Lord Maximillian. The Duke looked down his pepper and salt mustache at me with curious eyes.

  “Eleanora,” Lady Penelope said. “I have accepted His Grace’s invitation to dance. Please wait for me with Lady Hohenwart.”

  “I shall watch over her for you, Madame.” Karl patted my arm gallantly. “I am greatly enjoying her company.”

  I almost rolled my eyes as Lady POW profusely thanked him. What did Karl really think he was doing for me? Taking on a dragon? Slaying a witch? Rescuing me? Keeping me company as I stood with the hostess of the evening hardly seemed like something worthy of a grand announcement.

  “I hope you are not enjoying her too much,” Lady Penelope told Karl. “I have heard you are in the market for a bride, and I fear I cannot part with my Eleanora so easily, now that we have been reunited.”

  Karl smirked. “I assure you, I am up for the job of convincing you, should it be necessary, Madame.”

  Pardon me? I was too shocked to say anything. Was he joking? I wondered. Who really decided they were going to marry someone after one dance?

  Before I could make my own statement on the matter, Lord Maximillian turned to me. “Perhaps you will say hello to my daughter, Lady Eleanora,” Lord Maximillian suggested. “I do not believe you had much time to converse the last time our paths crossed.”

  It took no effort to remember Teresa Marie’s entitled self-absorption and her churlish display at Cecilia’s dinner party.

  “Perhaps I will, Your Grace.” I gave him a quick curtsy before Karl and I headed over to stand next to Lady Hohenwart and Teresa Marie.

  It was hard not to feel like a novice standing next to her. Teresa Marie was expertly dressed, with her hair piled up on her head, with a few stray curls twisting free. Her amber hair gleamed under the chandelier and the pastel colors of her dress seemed to make her skin glow, while string of ruffled flowers winded around her bodice like a vine, looping itself under her bustle.

  In my bright red dress, with its simple French silhouette and lace trim at the sleeves, I easily saw the contrast between us. I had a feeling that, as we stood there, others did, too.

  “Well, well, Lady Eleanora,” Teresa Marie said. Her lips were tight across her teeth, and I knew at once she would have sold her soul for the chance to spew venom at me. “So nice to see you again. And what a lovely dress you have on. It is so ... different ... from the one you were wearing the last time we met. You must give me the direction of your new modiste.”

  Karl reached for her hand. “I do not believe we have been introduced,” he said. “But any friend of Lady Eleanora’s surely has the highest of recommendations.”

  Teresa Marie smiled much more warmly. “Lady Eleanora is too kind to introduce us,” she said, shooting me a dirty look behind her flower-covered fan.

  She cornered me into an introduction. Even though I was not interested in marrying Karl, I hated her for her deceit. “Mr. Marcelin, this is Lady Teresa Marie, Countess of Moravia.”

  Karl introduced himself as a new song began. I glanced back to see Lady POW and Lord Maximillian dance. From Lady POW’s form and frigid smile, I could tell she was less than delighted with her choice, but there was a determination on her face that seemed to suggest she had a good reason for making herself suffer.

  Karl saw me watching them and cleared his throat. “I must thank you once more for the earlier dance, Lady Eleanora,” he said. “One account of thanks hardly seems appropriate for such pleasure.”

  “You’re welcome.” I gave him a teasing smile. “I will forgive your lapse of manners, and I am happy to have a chance to talk with you without worrying I will step on your toes. I fear I am not as experienced with the waltz as you are, sir.” I used my fan to hide my face with graceful contrition.

  Teresa Marie cleared her throat. “Perhaps you would find another dancing partner that is equally as charming, Mr. Marcelin?”

  “I sincerely doubt it.” Karl brushed her subtle suggestion aside and kept his attention on me. “Might I ask to share another dance with you later this evening, Lady Eleanora? Your grandmother had given me permission before, so I do not see why it would not be allowed.”

  “I have often been complimented on my own skill at the promenade and even the Scottish Reel,” Teresa Marie remarked. “Perhaps you would be interested one of those?”

  Karl did not seem to hear her at all this time. “Well, Lady Eleanora?”

  I hesitated for only a second, before begrudgingly deciding that if I was going to talk to him more, it was best I accept his invitation. “I would be—”

  “Excuse me, sir.”

  Karl whipped around to see a footman behind him, and I breathed a quick sigh of relief. I was getting tired of smiling, and I was glad for the break. I w
as also better able to enjoy seeing Teresa Marie, as she silently fumed at Karl for neglecting her. Given her churlishness, I felt my own delight at her anger was a forgivable offense.

  I turned my attention back to Karl when I heard him snap at the footman. “What is it? Can’t you see I am busy?”

  I winced at his tone. His polite demeanor dimmed as he glared at the servant.

  “Beggin’ your pardon, sir,” the footman said. “But a message of grave importance has come for you.” He held out a small note.

  Karl grabbed it and turned to read it in the small lamplight beside us. When he cursed under his breath and crumbled the note, I knew it was not good news.

  “Thank you,” he said, waving the footman away. He turned back to me. “I must profoundly apologize, Lady Eleanora. I find I must depart for tonight.”

  “Is something wrong?” I asked. “Where are you going?”

  Inside his dark gray eyes, an angry storm was brewing. “Nothing you need concern yourself with.” Karl took my hand and bowed, before kissing it gallantly. “I hope I will see you at other balls in the future.”

  “I have been invited to the Advent Ball,” I said. “Perhaps I will see you there?”

  “Yes, you will,” he said. “I have been invited along with several of the other nobles and aristocracy. But I hope to see you much sooner than the Advent Ball. That is still a week away.”

  “My grandmother and I have been invited to several events.”

  “I will see to finding you again soon, then,” Karl said. “So we might enjoy another dance. Farewell, my lady.”

  “It was a pleasure, Mr. Marcelin.” I curtsied, and then I watched him go. I nearly laughed at Teresa Marie’s pout when he forgot to give her his goodbyes.

  Lady Hohenwart seemed to forget about Teresa Marie, too, since she patted my shoulder in a motherly manner. “Do not fret, dear. He seems most enchanted by you.”

  I nodded. Before I could respond by saying something witty and amusing and completely forgettable, another footman caught my eye.

  I saw his shadow in the hallway behind us. His hand waved at me, motioning for me to come over. I could not see his face, but there was something familiar about him. Curious, I decided to investigate.

  “Excuse me, Lady Hohenwart,” I said. “I am going to ... the ladies’ withdrawing room.”

  After Lady Hohenwart’s quick directions, I slithered off and then twisted around, ducking into the dark hallway.

  The footman was no longer there. I continued deeper into the corridor, cautious, but still determined.

  Several steps later, I realized I was in a private hallway used for servants. There were no decorations along the wall, and the dimmed lights hid a good deal of the poor cleaning.

  “What that was all about?” I wondered if my imagination was getting the better of me. Silent seconds ticked by, and I suddenly felt foolish.

  I sighed. “I should have stayed with Lady Hohenwart after Karl left.”

  “I hope you will excuse his impromptu exit,” a voice said from behind me. “He received a note that his brother was down in the center of town, making a fool of himself with an actress.”

  I stopped short, turning back toward the source of the voice. “Who’s there?”

  “Over here.”

  I watched as a man came out of a darkened corner of the hallway. His roguish grin caught the small glimmer of the moonlight. There was no denying that smile, and I gave him one of my own. “Ferdy?”

  “At your service, Lady Ella.”

  *11*

  ◊

  Ferdy shifted out of the shadows, and I was unable to stop the rush of happiness inside of me. Before I remembered myself, I ran over and embraced him. I was so happy to see him, after wondering if he had gotten into trouble over Dr. Artha’s murder.

  “What are you doing here?” I backed away from him, noticing he was dressed in livery identical to the footman who had delivered the note to Karl, but as he stood before me, I saw he was missing the matching hat and his outfit seemed much too loose.

  He bowed over my hand, and as much as I expected him to kiss it, I was disappointed when he did not. He kept himself at a respectful distance, and I found myself more irritated than relieved at his propriety.

  I wonder if Ferdy has read The Ladies Guide to Excellence and Etiquette too?

  He gestured down his clothes. “I’m working, clearly. But I’ve decided to take a break, now that I know you are here.”

  “Is that how you know what was in the note Karl received?” I asked.

  “It’s not too hard to figure out the secrets footmen carry. They’re only too happy to share interesting tidbits of information between themselves.”

  “Is this another one of your jobs?”

  “You ask a lot of questions,” Ferdy said, and I blushed again. “But I don’t mind answering them. This is not usually one of my jobs. They’ve hired some additional staff for the party tonight.”

  That would explain the ill-fitting garments. Extra hires don’t have much time for proper fittings.

  “But when I heard you had asked about me from some of the vendors in Market Square, I wanted to come and find you. Lately you have been the talk of the city, it seems, so it was not hard to find you tonight.”

  “So you decided to come and work here, all to see me?” I was flattered and embarrassed, but still pleased. “Don’t you think one of your superiors will notice you are missing?”

  “Someone will likely notice you missing before they miss me.”

  “That’s true. My grandmother will likely be worried if I am not back with Lady Hohenwart soon.”

  “I actually meant that other guests would miss you. I certainly would, were I among them.”

  “We have a little time to talk,” I said, daring myself to forget Lady POW would be upset with me for spending time away from the ballroom.

  Ferdy reached out his arm, just as gallantly as Karl had moments ago. “Shall we take a quick stroll through the corridors, my lady?”

  I took his arm with no regrets. “I am actually glad you are here,” I admitted as we walked. “It is nice to see a familiar face.”

  “Familiar and fun,” Ferdy reminded me. “Who else here would save you from a thief and take you through the city’s forbidden haunts, all to find a new home for your lovely book?”

  I tapped his arm with my fan at his teasing. “How is Mr. Clavan enjoying The Prelude?”

  “He loves it. He devoted a whole hour to it at our last meeting,” Ferdy said.

  “It sounds like a job or club when you say it like that, instead of a friendly visit.”

  “It is more of a meeting, in actuality. Clavan and Eliezer are business associates,” Ferdy said. “Clavan is the owner of the Cabal, but with Eliezer, he helps run a small publication company dedicated to discussing politics and current events. They hold meetings every week where they talk over different things, and I enjoy listening to them.”

  “Are they a political group?” I asked, remembering what Madame Balthazar had said.

  Ferdy laughed. “No, but they discuss politics often. My friend Jarl works for them on the side, writing up pamphlets and articles that they submit to different newspapers and distribute to interested parties.”

  “I see.”

  “You should come. To one of their meetings, I mean,” Ferdy said. “If you like books, you will like it.”

  “I am curious about it. Mr. Clavan seems like a good man.”

  “He certainly is,” Ferdy agreed. “But never let him know I agreed with you. Clavan knows nearly everything that goes on in Prague, as it all filters through the Cabal sooner or later.”

  “Even news about specific people, like Karl Marcelin?” I asked, and Ferdy’s smile suddenly waned.

  “I suppose.” His voice was still cheery but suddenly hollow. “Are you interested in him? Is that why you danced with him?”

  “Do you know him?” I asked.

  Ferdy scoffed. “Oh, I know hi
m,” he said. “But I don’t like him. We have very little in common, and even the little we do, I’m sure he would be willing to argue.”

  “So you know him? Personally?”

  “We’ve met,” Ferdy said, his lips pursed with unpleasantness. “I know a lot of people myself, from working in some of the top social circles.”

  “He seemed very nice to me.”

  “That’s because he likes you, clearly.” Ferdy looked glum. “But he does not think much of people who disagree with him and people who inconvenience him.”

  I thought about how Karl had snapped at the other footman when he had come to deliver the note.

  “He’s very smart,” Ferdy said. “He can make himself sound as though he agrees with you, even if he doesn’t. He can quote a thousand and a half philosophers and poets, and even some Americans, but he can’t see the wisdom behind all of his knowledge.”

  “So you do not agree with him in anything? Not even on politics?”

  “Definitely not there,” Ferdy said. “I’ll admit I enjoy Clavan and his Cabal for the politics. There is something about wanting a government that can’t sign a whole country over to an Empire at the stroke of a pen. Even Empress Elisabeth has sympathetic leanings toward democracy. Karl’s views on the matter are vastly different. He wants to return Bohemia to a full sovereignty.”

  “He seems to be quite popular,” I said, even as I remembered Lady POW mentioning he disliked the current Emperor.

  “The Federalists fear him, but they keep it polite, on the chance he actually will be elected to the Bohemian Diet or assigned to the Minister-President position when Count Potocki steps down,” Ferdy explained. “The socialists on both sides can tolerate him, when they are not fighting amongst themselves. They think he is a nice enough man on his own. That will allow a lot of people to tolerate his policies for some time, even if they are failures in the end. And the Nationalists, of course, love him. They are so happy to see some youth and energy coming into Bohemian politics.”

  “What of Germany and Prussia, and the Austria-Hungarians?”