“If only I could give you one of my dresses,” Stephanie had said when she found them working busily in the dining room because it was easier to put their things on the table.
“I wish you could!” Marie-Henriette replied. “Whatever I do with this gown it is still going to look dowdy and out of fashion.”
“Mama would kill me if she thought I had given away anything without asking her,” Stephanie said unhappily.
Then, as she looked at the frills on Laetitia’s gown which looked after several years of wear rather crushed and limp, she exclaimed,
“I have an idea!”
“What is it?” Marie-Henriette asked.
“Last year Mama bought two rolls of tulle intending to have both of them made into gowns for me. Then the woman who works in the Palace was taken ill and I think she forgot about them.”
Marie-Henriette looked excited.
“Some nice stiff tulle is just what I want to put round the hem of my gown and it would make all the difference to Laetitia’s frills.”
“I am sure no one will notice if they disappear from the cupboard outside on my landing,” Stephanie said. “One roll is white and the other a very pale blue, just the colour of your eyes, Hettie.”
Marie-Henriette clasped her hands together.
“Oh, please, please, Stephanie, be brave and give them to us!”
“I will,” Stephanie said. “I will send Dorothya with them as soon as I get back to the Palace.”
She kept her word and Dorothya had arrived an hour later with a washing-basket in her arms in which, under an old piece of cloth, the rolls of tulle were hidden.
They were exactly what Laetitia thought she needed to stiffen the frills of her gown and give it an attractive, fairy-like look, very suitable for a debutante.
There was also enough tulle to drape around the bodice and it really transformed her gown into something so elegant that she knew, King or no King, she would enjoy the ball simply because she was looking her best.
Marie-Henriette was in raptures over what the blue tulle had done for her gown which was of pale blue and had been made for her just before her father died.
As it was, it had looked too young and not sophisticated enough for a girl of nearly seventeen.
“I am going to transform it into a gown which will look as if it is a model straight from Paris!” she cried.
She attached two frills of the tulle round the hem, which made it just the right length, and with frills to match over her shoulders and round the low neck, she looked very lovely. When she put it on, Laetitia felt that, if there was the handsome Prince they both prayed for at the ball, he would certainly fall in love with Hettie.
It was fortunate that she had almost finished her gypsy dress by the time Stephanie produced the tulle and, when they were not with Kyril, who actually could spend very little time at home, they worked until their ball gowns were ready.
‘What would be disastrous now,’ Laetitia thought, ‘would be if Cousin Augustina finds out about Stephanie and Kyril and then we shall all be banned from going to the Palace!’
Then she told herself that it was unlucky even to think such thoughts and instead she prepared very carefully what she could say to her mother about what she intended to do tomorrow.
She waited until they were going to bed and then she piped up,
“Mama, I never told you I had a message today from Fräulein Sobieski.”
“A message, dearest?” the Princess enquired.
“Yes, she begs me to go to see her. I don’t think she is very well and you know how old she is.”
Fräulein Sobieski was one of the first Governesses whom she and Marie-Henriette had ever had and, when she retired, she went to live in a cottage that was not far from Thor Castle.
She lived there alone and, whenever Laetitia could spare the time, she would ride over to see her and spend a few hours with her old Governess.
“What I thought I would do, Mama, if you agree,” Laetitia said now, “is to ride to see Fräulein Sobieski tomorrow. I could stay the night with her and come back early the next morning.”
The Princess considered this for a moment before she answered,
“I think that would be wiser than trying to do it all in the one day. I would not want you to tire yourself before the festivities.”
Laetitia smiled.
“We shall watch the festivities from the roadside!” she said. “We are not asked for the luncheon, as you have been, on the first day, so we will watch the King inspect the Guard of Honour and then come back here and eat bread and cheese while you are enjoying an exotic menu in the Grand Dining Hall!”
The Princess chuckled.
“You are making yourself out to be the poor little Cinderella, but I would willingly change places with you. You know how heavy and pompous those luncheon parties are.”
Laetitia laughed.
“Hetrie and I are determined to cheer up the ball, if nothing else, and I expect before that we shall be able to hide upstairs and hear from Stephanie what is happening.”
“Cousin Augustina will not like that if she hears about it,” the Princess said quickly.
“We will keep out of her way,” Laetitia promised, “but you know, Mama, we have to keep impressing on Stephanie how careful she must be not to make Cousin Augustina suspicious.”
“I cannot bear to talk about it,” the Princess said. “It makes me so frightened! Kyril has promised to be very discreet and of course he has not been invited to anything except the ball.”
Laetitia knew that her mother had no idea that Kyril and Stephanie were meeting secretly and thought it wiser not to tell her.
Instead she kissed her and said,
“Try not to worry, Mama, and I will give your love to Fräulein. You know how much she adores you.”
“You must take her a present, dearest, I am sure I have something she would cherish.”
It was so like her mother to want to give presents when she had so little herself and Laetitia said quickly,
“I will find something, Mama.”
She said goodnight and had gone to her room, thinking that what she had dreaded had passed off better than she expected.
She had already packed her gypsy dress very carefully in a rolled up cloth that she could attach to Kaho’s saddle.
She had also warned Kyril that in no circumstances was he to take Kaho if he wanted to ride.
“I prefer him to Chino” he said at once.
“I daresay, but I have to go quite a long way for what I intend to do and, as Kaho is more reliable, you will have to leave him for me.”
The way she spoke made Kyril realise that what she was planning concerned him and he said quickly,
“You must tell me, Laetitia, what you are up to. I will not have you taking any risks on my behalf.”
“I am not going to tell you,” Laetitia replied, “simply because I am not quite certain myself and I shall have to play it by ear. What I want you to do is to will me to be successful.”
Kyril’s eyes twinkled as he said,
“I have a feeling on hearing that expression that you are using gypsy magic. I know they believe it is their will as well as their charms that can make a spell effective.”
“Papa always believed that if we wanted something badly enough we could get it,” Laetitia said. “He told me that, when he wanted to marry Mama and everybody said it was impossible, he willed it by sending out what he described as ‘flashes of lightning’! Because they came from his heart and were so strong, he was confident that they would obtain for him all he wanted.”
“Well, he certainly got Mama!” Kyril conceded.
“She was doing the same thing and Papa said the force between the two of them was irresistible.”
“Is that what you are doing now?”
“Exactly! And what I want you to do is to send out the flashes of lightning, as Papa called them. Tell the Fates or God, if you like, that Stephanie must be yours and with the
help of the gypsies it should work.”
“What I think you are about to do frightens me,” Kyril said. “Promise me, Laetitia, that you are not doing anything that might harm you in any way.”
The anxiety in his voice told Laetitia how much he loved her and she said,
“You know, dearest, I would do anything, however difficult, if it would make you happy. However, I promise you that what I am planning is not really reprehensible, only, shall I say, slightly daring and unconventional.”
“Tell me,” Kyril pleaded.
She shook her head.
“I don’t want to talk about it. Just will and go on willing and I somehow feel convinced in my own mind that while it is going to be undoubtedly a battle, we shall win!”
Chapter Four
Riding away on Kaho, Laetititia thought that so far everything had gone smoothly.
She had not left early which meant that she had had time to see Kyril at breakfast. Then, when he had gone, Stephanie arrived with a special note that was to be given to him secretly.
“I cannot stop,” she said. “Mama is rampaging all over the Palace polishing everything in sight for the King, who I doubt will even notice, although she is sure he will.”
Laetitia knew what the Grand Duchess was like when she was in one of her periodical cleaning moods.
The housemaids were sent scattering here, there and everywhere, the housekeeper was scolded for not having everything so spotless that the Grand Duchess could run a silk handkerchief over it and not find a speck of dust.
It was something that happened fairly regularly in the spring and usually reduced half the Palace staff to tears.
“Did Kyril reach home quite safely?” Stephanie asked in a whisper when she was alone with Laetitia.
“He was here for breakfast,” Laetitia answered, “but, Stephanie, you must not let him take such risks too often. You know as well as I do what would happen if you were discovered.”
“I know, I know!” Stephanie said miserably. “But I cannot stop thinking that if you don’t save me I shall have to – marry the King and never – see Kyril – again!”
Tears came into her eyes as they had before and Laetitia said hastily,
“Go back to the Palace now. If Cousin Augustina thinks you are here because of Kyril, she might become suspicious.”
The idea frightened Stephanie so much that she kissed Laetitia quickly and then ran away, looking like a small animal that was being hunted.
Once again Laetitia sent up a prayer that she would be successful in saving Stephanie and Kyril from such unhappiness and went up to her mother’s room.
Princess Olga did not rise early in the morning, because the girls insisted that she should have breakfast in bed.
They took turns in carrying it upstairs after Gertrude had prepared it and now the Princess was sitting up in bed looking very pretty and very much younger than she actually was.
“Good-morning, dearest,” she said. “If you are off to see the Fräulein, I hope you have found something to take her.”
“Yes, I have, Mama. A scarf that Stephanie gave me at Christmas and which I have never worn and I also have a sketch drawn by Hettie of Kyril. It’s not very good, but I know the Fräulein will like it.”
“I am sure she will,” Princess Olga replied, “and, dearest, ride carefully and don’t be late back tomorrow morning or I shall be worried.”
“I will be back very early,” Laetitia promised.
She bent and kissed her mother.
Then, as she went to the door, her mother said,
“Gustave will look after you. He is such a kind little man.”
Laetitia did not reply, hoping that later, when her mother found that Gustave had not accompanied her, she would think she had not heard what she had said.
Instead she hurried to the stables where Gustave had Kaho ready for her.
She had already given him her clothes which were now attached at the back of her saddle making it look rather strange when she was mounted on Kaho. But there was no one to see her and there was no other way of conveying her dress and what she would want for the night to where she was going.
Gustave tightened a girth and, as he did so, Laetitia said,
“Her Highness thinks you are accompanying me, Gustave, so don’t let her see you unless you can help it. If she does, tell her you thought Prince Kyril wanted to ride Chino.”
Gustave, who was well versed in the somewhat tortuous manner in which Laetitia got her own way, grinned.
“I’ve got to go down to the shops, anyway,” he said. “After that I’ll keep out of Her Highness’s way, she won’t have a sight or sign of me.”
“Thank you, Gustave,” Laetitia said gratefully and rode off.
It was a lovely day with a touch of wind that kept it from being too hot.
The birds were singing, the butterflies hovering over the flowers and it seemed almost impossible that everything should not be right with the world.
But Laetitia knew that she was feeling distinctly apprehensive and only the Voivode’s words repeating in her mind kept a small flame of hope burning brightly.
By road it was over four hours’ drive to Thor Castle, but over land by the direct route that Laetitia knew, it would take her little more than two.
She had, however, to stop at Fräulein Sobieski’s cottage on the way and, when she arrived in the small hamlet where it was situated, she was then only about half-an-hour from The Castle itself.
Her old Governess’s cottage was in one of the small villages built at the foot of a range of mountains and sheltered by fir trees. It was very picturesque and the cottages with their white walls and red-tiled roofs had always seemed to Laetitia to fit into the landscape as if they were part of a Fairy tale.
The cottage that Fräulein Sobieski had retired to was a little larger than some of the others and had a small garden in front which was bright with flowers.
Laetitia dismounted, tied Kaho’s bridle to the wooden fence and walked up the crazy paving between the flowerbeds to knock on the door.
She could hear her old Governess push back her chair over the flagged floor and come slowly, limping a little, to see who was there.
When she opened the door, she gave an exclamation of surprise.
“Laetitia! My dear, I did not expect you!”
“I wanted to see you,” Laetitia replied.
“You must be on your way to The Castle to meet King Viktor when he arrives this evening.”
Laetitia did not contradict her, she merely walked into the small kitchen which had been polished until it looked as clean as one of the brass saucepans hanging from the rafters.
“Tell me all about the family,” Fräulein Sobieski asked, “while I make you a cup of coffee.”
As she busied herself at the stove, Laetitia told her about Kyril coming home and the gowns that she and Marie-Henriette were refurbishing for the State ball.
Only when Fräulein Sobieski set the cup of coffee down on the table in front of her, did she say,
“I have brought you two small presents and I do hope you will like them.”
“How very kind of you.” Fräulein Sobieski exclaimed. “I have heard how difficult things are for you all since your father died and I know you have to account for every penny.”
“How do you know that?” Laetitia enquired.
“I am afraid, my dear, I listen to gossip,” the Fräulein replied, “and everybody who comes here from the City talks about the way your dear mother is treated by the Grand Duchess.”
“I had no idea that it was common knowledge!”
The Fräulein looked at her for a moment.
Then she said,
“You must forgive me if I am telling you things that I should perhaps keep to myself, but your father and mother were always very kind to me when I lived with you and I cannot bear to think that you are not as happy now as you were then.”
Laetitia felt there was no point in pretending when Frä
ulein Sobieski knew so much.
She therefore told her how strongly the Grand Duchess disliked them and how they were excluded in every possible way from the Palace and from taking part in any social entertainments.
“It is cruel! Cruel!” the Fräulein exclaimed angrily. “But it is exactly what I have heard from so many people who all loved your father and, if they had the chance, would love you too.”
Laetitia gave a little sigh.
“There is nothing we can do,” she said, “except as you used to say when I hurt myself, ‘grin and bear it’!”
Fräulein Sobieski laughed.
“You were a very adventurous little girl, always falling out of trees or downstairs! I used to expect every day that you would break a bone in some way or another.”
Laetitia thought that she was being more adventurous than ever at the moment and even if she did not break any bones, she might well get hurt. But that was something she could not tell the Fräulein.
When she had finished her coffee, she said,
“I was wondering whether you would mind if I stay here with you until this afternoon. I don’t want to arrive too early at where I am going.”
Fräulein Sobieski was delighted.
“Of course, dearest child,” she said, “and you can put your horse in the stable at the back of the cottage. It’s really only a small shed, but he will be safe there.”
Laetitia did as she suggested and when she returned the Fräulein had luncheon ready for her.
It consisted of an omelette made with eggs from the few fowls she kept in a pen in the back garden, fresh vegetables, a little cream cheese which she had made herself and some strawberries. Laetitia found it all delicious.
They talked about the old days and time flew by until Laetitia said goodbye.
But before she left she found that Fräulein Sobieski was able to give her some information which she had been anxious to discover.
“I hear,” the old Governess said, “that the King has asked for there to be as little formality as possible on his arrival tonight.”
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