Leading Lady

by Jane Aiken Hodge

  ‘My fault,’ said Martha. ‘I trusted Joseph.’

  ‘Oh, fault! If we are to speak of fault! My darling, I led Napoleon’s army through Lissenberg’s secret way. Will I ever live that down?’

  ‘I think you’re forgiven already, don’t you? That was a wonderful audience tonight, did you feel it as I did?’

  ‘Yes, full of love. Did you notice, Joseph did not need to say anything about the threat to us? They knew already.’

  ‘And putting on your opera was their answer. God bless Cristabel!’

  ‘A remarkable woman. That interval music was a master-piece, too, and I don’t for a moment think it was Franzosi’s idea.’

  ‘Your opera is a masterpiece. Do you realise, Franz, that if we can survive this winter we will be free, come spring, to make our own lives where we want to? I do hope that makes you as happy as it does me.’

  ‘My darling, I have been thinking of nothing else.’ He moved over to shoot the bolt on the inside of the apartment door. ‘And I have been thinking, too, that for the first time since we married, we are really alone together, you and I. No Baron Hals knocking on the door with a long face and a new crisis to be dealt with. I was only afraid of one thing today. That we would be separated.’

  ‘Me too.’ She threw grammar to the winds and walked into his eager embrace.

  Down at the opera house, Cristabel sat wearily in front of her dressing table, gazing unseeingly into the glass. ‘You should go home, my lady,’ urged her dresser. ‘Everyone else has gone. Herr Fylde went long since.’ Was this intended as comfort or condolence?

  ‘Yes, I saw.’ He had gone very attentively with the seconda donna, and with one sharp glance back to her, where she had still stood receiving the eager compliments of the company. In which he had not joined. He was gone, and would not come back, and she was glad. But she had never in her life felt so alone.

  Betrayed. Joseph had betrayed them all. Not Doctor. Prince, and traitor. There had not been time to face it before, since her first thought, on hearing the shocking news from the palace, was that Franz and Max must not be mocked by a repetition of Night of Errors. It had been a hard fight to achieve the changeover, and a harder one to make it work. Now, at last, she had the rest of her life to face how he had betrayed her. And his brothers. Doctor Joseph had been Prince Joseph all the time, spying on them, plotting against them. She would never trust anyone again. She tried not to remember the moments when she had felt her mind and body beat in time with his. Not felt, imagined. Had she really imagined a future with him at her side? Was this why she had given Fylde his notice to quit?

  Her dresser was saying something. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said wearily. ‘I’m keeping you up. You’re right, it’s time to go. It’s all over.’

  Back at the hostel, there was Lady Helen to be faced. ‘You were brilliant, my dear child. Your idea of course.’

  ‘Thank God it worked. I really think there will be no violent resistance now, so no danger to Martha and Franz.’

  ‘And Max.’

  ‘Yes. I wonder what Prince Joseph means to do with Lissenberg, now he has it.’ Her voice hardened on the title.

  ‘Prince Joseph indeed! No wonder he seemed to take so much upon himself. But can that story really be true?’

  ‘I’d believe anything of Prince Gustav. It sounds just like him. And, after all, there are enough of his bastards about, here in Lissenberg. I suppose that is why one didn’t notice the likeness between Joseph and his brothers. I see it now. I wish to God I’d seen it sooner.’ She changed the subject abruptly. ‘What shall we do, aunt? Go, or stay?’

  ‘I’ve been thinking about that. I think we should go to Venice, my dear. To your mother. Count Tafur will be delighted to give us his escort.’

  ‘And leave Martha to her fate? I don’t think I can do that, aunt. Not after all she has done for me.’

  ‘Do you think you can be a help to her?’

  ‘I can at least try.’

  Waking, very tired, totally happy, in her husband’s arms, Martha lifted her head at a knocking on the door.

  It had waked Franz too. He smiled up at her sleepily. ‘Not Baron Hals!’ he said.

  But it was. Or rather it was Anna, asking in some agitation, if Martha would see the Baron without delay. ‘I know it’s early, but it’s the lady, you see, Mademoiselle de Beauharnais, she’s not well, she wants to stay.’

  ‘I’ll be with him in five minutes,’ said Martha. ‘What are you laughing at?’ she asked Franz.

  ‘I was thinking that I may not be needed any more, but you clearly are,’ he said. ‘And I was also thinking, “poor Joseph”.’

  ‘Yes.’ She was dressing rapidly as they talked. ‘I must say I find myself sorry for him too. That’s a very determined young woman.’

  ‘She means to be Princess of Lissenberg.’ He laughed again. ‘And you are to chaperone her until she has Joseph in line.’

  ‘While you write an opera for Napoleon?’ She bent to kiss him, happily aware of the new ease between them.

  ‘Not for Napoleon.’ He pulled her down to him for a long moment. ‘You had better be off to your duties, my one and only love, or I shall never let you go.’

  ‘Do you think I’ll be more successful as a chaperone than I was as a princess?’ She was combing her hair.

  ‘Royalty not really our line?’ He smiled at her lazily. ‘For me, my love, you will always be perfect.’

  Minette de Beauharnais had already established herself in the wing that had been used by Napoleon, and had arranged a fine invalid scene for Martha’s benefit. She was lying on a chaise longue, sal volatile at the ready, her maid hovering in attendance. For a moment, Martha wondered if she was really ill; there was something hectic about the red in her cheeks.

  ‘That will do.’ She dismissed her maid, held out her arms. ‘Dear Martha, it’s so good to see you. Now, we are to plot together, you and I, to make this winter’s confinement as tolerable as possible for us all. What do you do when the snow comes down and the roads are closed?’

  Last year I was helping my husband govern Lissenberg. She did not say it. ‘I am afraid you may be very much bored, Minette. Are you sure you have made a wise decision? It is not too late to follow Napoleon. Or in a few days even. The roads are not usually closed for some time yet. And just imagine if he really takes Vienna.’

  ‘Of course he is going to take Vienna.’ Pettishly. ‘But Lissenberg is what he has offered me.’

  ‘That’s frank, at all events. So you have Napoleon’s permission to stay?’

  ‘I wouldn’t be here otherwise! The thing was, we had neither of us seen this Joseph. He might have been entirely impossible, brought up by petit bourgeois Swiss, but he’s twice the man his brothers are. There’s no Swiss inamorata in the background, I do hope.’

  ‘Not that I know of,’ said Martha. ‘But then, I know so little about him. What would Napoleon have done if he had not thought him fit to rule here?’

  ‘God knows!’ Shrugging, ‘He keeps his own counsel mainly, does Uncle Napoleon. But what a man! What a conqueror! I’m glad I’m not in Vienna just now. He’ll come down on them like the wind from the west And we shall be snug here, as merry as mice in Lissenberg. But, tell me, my dear creature, about my old friend Max. Is he still wearing the willow for Lady Cristabel, despite her marriage?’

  ‘I am afraid so.’ Martha thought this a bit of information Minette had better have.

  ‘Hopeless, of course. That’s a very handsome fellow, Cristabel’s tenor. I remember noticing him in Crusader Prince last year. Is it true that he is descended from a line of Irish princes?’

  ‘He has often said so.’

  ‘So, not entirely a misalliance for dear Cristabel. And, after all, she had hopelessly down-classed herself by taking up singing. You know as well as I do, love, that in Paris we look on our opera singers as little better than ladies of the streets.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Martha. ‘But I do urge you to remember, Minette, that Lisse
nberg is not Paris.’

  ‘No, indeed.’ Sighing. ‘I can see I am going to be immensely bored here. But you and I are going to do something about that, my dear. After all, you have lost your occupation. What better than for the two of us to apply our minds to arranging a little entertainment for this long winter of confinement. Talking of which, you have not thanked me for persuading Joseph to release you from your captivity.’

  ‘I did not know that I had you to thank for it.’

  ‘But, of course. Who else would have troubled?’

  ‘Then I thank you. May I ask if it applies to Franz too?’

  ‘So long as he behaves with common sense. I believe he and Max are with their brother now. Remarkable for them suddenly to have acquired an older brother, is it not?’

  ‘The amazing thing is, I still like Joseph.’ Franz was telling Martha about his meeting with Joseph and Max. ‘And so does Max. He’s betrayed us, spied on us, and we can’t help liking him.’

  ‘And so do I,’ said Martha. ‘I was thinking, myself, how odd it is. And when you say betrayed … I’m sure he didn’t betray our meeting-place to Gustav’s men that night.’

  ‘No. Why should he? He knew all he had to do was wait for Napoleon and the Old Guard.’

  ‘He knew they were coming?’

  ‘Oh, yes. I am afraid we have to face it, love, Napoleon’s communications are a great deal more efficient than ours have ever been, here in backward Lissenberg.’

  ‘Why shouldn’t we be backward? Myself, I like it!’

  ‘Spoken like a true Lissenberger.’ Lovingly. ‘And, curiously enough, that is very much what Joseph said to Max and me.’

  ‘How do you mean?’

  ‘He says he’s grown to love Lissenberg in the months he’s been here, spying out the land. Oh, he makes no bones about that. Why should he? The story he told is quite true, you see, up to this spring when Napoleon’s people found him. He lost his grandparents and his livelihood when the French moved into Switzerland; found himself in the French army, that’s how they discovered him. Imagine suddenly finding himself a prince, with a solid claim even to little Lissenberg! He didn’t know his mother’s story; just thought his parents long dead. Of course he wanted to come here, take a look at his father – not to mention his brothers.’ He smiled at her. ‘He says he likes us too!’

  ‘And loves Lissenberg? So, what is he going to do?’

  ‘No question about that. He is going to hold Lissenberg for Napoleon. In fact, granted the garrison the Emperor left, he has no choice. But there is no doubt in the world that he honestly believes both that Napoleon is going to conquer Europe and that it is a good thing he should do so. It will mean an end to customs barriers, he says, to all those small feuds and fights – Well, look at Italy!’

  ‘I wonder if Count Tafur would agree with you.’

  ‘Have you seen the count today?’

  ‘Yes. He came to see me while you were with Joseph.’

  ‘You must call him prince.’

  ‘So I must. Your older brother! How strange it all is. Count Tafur is leaving us, and I don’t blame him. He says he thinks he can do so now that Lady Helen is back. I’m afraid it means he looks on poor Cristabel’s case as hopeless. Which of course it is.’

  ‘Well, not entirely,’ said Franz. ‘Not after the two performances she has just given. I hope she doesn’t mean to leave us, Martha.’

  ‘She promised not to, before any of this happened. She’ll keep her word, I’m sure of it.’

  ‘If her husband lets her.’

  ‘I’m not sure what he says will make much difference. She has changed a great deal. I don’t know what’s happened, but she’s changed. Well, think of the way she has carried things, these last two performances.’

  ‘Like the great lady she is. Poor Cristabel.’ He smiled and took her hand. ‘Do you realise, my darling, that this is quite the longest uninterrupted conversation we have had since we were married. I begin to think there is a lot to be said for not being Prince of Lissenberg.’

  ‘But what is going to happen to you – to us? Has Prince Joseph said?’ This time she gave Joseph his title without thought.

  ‘He wants us all – you and me and Max – to stay in the palace for the time being. Under his eyes, he says. But as advisers, too.’

  ‘You’ll run the opera house between you? You and Max?’

  ‘Just so.’

  ‘What about Franzosi?’

  ‘My dismissal of him stands.’ He laughed. ‘I think Joseph is glad to be able to use him as scapegoat for putting on Crusader Prince. Lord, we might have been in trouble!’

  ‘I felt the dungeons looming, didn’t you?’

  ‘You have to admit the Emperor behaved with great dignity.’

  ‘Yes,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘I do.’

  Calling on Cristabel to take his leave, Count Tafur found her and Lady Helen presiding over a great moving of furniture in the star’s apartments. Since he had met Fylde’s valet on the stairs with a long face and an armful of his master’s clothes over his arm, he had a fairly good idea of what was going on. ‘I am to congratulate you?’ He kissed Cristabel’s hand with his invariable old-fashioned courtesy, but thought she looked exhausted and her aunt anxious.

  ‘You could say so.’ She managed a travesty of a smile. ‘Up to a point. We have agreed to live apart, my husband and I.’

  Martha had been right, he thought, there was a new certainty, a new dignity about Cristabel, but something was very wrong, just the same. ‘Will Fylde stay in Lissenberg?’ he asked.

  ‘Oh, I think so, since I do.’ Unspoken between them was the knowledge that Fylde would stay to keep an eye on his investment. ‘But my aunt is coming back to live with me. You may certainly congratulate me on that.’

  ‘I do indeed. Both of you.’ With a smile for Lady Helen. ‘And I will give your comparatively good news to your mother.’ What else was there to be said? He rose to go, but she put out an eager hand to detain him.

  ‘But, please, before you go, tell us what is going on at the palace? What happened last night? Martha and Franz? Max? He’s not harmed them? The upstart prince! Traitor! Hypocrite!’ She spat it out.

  ‘Far from it.’ He could feel the tension in her, coiled, dangerous. ‘In fact, I’ve just been with Martha and can’t think when I’ve seen her so happy, so relaxed. No – no cold cells for them last night, and Franz and Max have been with their brother this morning. It’s a very strange business, but I think it is too early to call that young man traitor or hypocrite.’

  ‘What? Coming here in disguise? Napoleon’s spy! Currying favour with Martha? With us all? Worming out our secrets in the guise of priest and doctor? I tell you, count, if I could have killed him last night, I’d have done so.’

  ‘Well,’ he said pacifically. ‘I think you will probably live to be glad that you could not.’

  When he had left, Lady Helen crossed the room to sit down by Cristabel and take her hand, a rare gesture. ‘Something is wrong, my dear. Tell me what it is? What can I do to help?’

  ‘Nothing, aunt. Everything! I wish I was dead.’

  When Tafur got back to the palace he found a summons to the new prince.

  ‘You are leaving us, I hear.’ Prince Joseph was sitting at what had been his father’s and then his brother’s desk, surrounded with papers.

  ‘With your permission, prince.’

  ‘Oh, that’s of course. But I hope you do not mean to take Lady Cristabel with you. We are going to need her badly here this winter. That was a brave thing she did last night. She seems to know more than any of us about these strange people, the Lissenbergers. I didn’t think it would work, but I’m very glad it did.’

  ‘And that it got a chance to,’ said Tafur dryly.

  ‘Oh, the Emperor is a great man. And he has his instincts too. But – you’ve been to see Lady Cristabel – will she stay?’

  ‘Yes. She tells me she had already promised the princess that she would. What has hap
pened only makes her more determined to do so.’

  ‘That’s good. Tell me, count –’ He was suddenly, surprisingly, human. ‘Is she very angry with me?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘She has every right to be. I wish you would tell her … No, there’s nothing … What could I say? Her husband will stay too?’

  ‘I assume so.’ Well informed as he was, Prince Joseph doubtless knew about their separation already.

  ‘I suppose he will. Please convey my respectful greetings to the Signora Aldini, count, and my wishes that next year we may persuade her to visit us, to find, I hope, that we are not entirely barbarous here in Lissenberg. We will do everything to see that her daughter does not regret her decision to stay.’

  ‘I am sure she will not, so long as her friend the princess is safe and happy.’

  ‘I think I can promise that too. Prince Gustav and his train are on their way back to Gustavsberg, to a much more stringent form of captivity than they had endured previously. That dream of his is over for good.’

  ‘And little Gustav?’

  ‘I would not dream of separating mother and child. And it’s early to be worrying about an heir in the next generation.’

  ‘With three able bodied princes in this one.’ Count Tafur found himself liking the man more and more. ‘But I am taking too much of your time.’ He glanced at the paper-strewn table.

  ‘The future of Lissenberg. I studied a little engineering before I turned to medicine. It is the question of the road out through the mountains. I have been studying the ground all summer and hope that when the Emperor sends his experts, as he has promised to do before the pass is closed, we will be able to make a good start on our planning, before the deep snow. Who knows, maybe you and the Signora Aldini will be able to come to us by an easy route next year? Do give her my kind regards.’ And with this reiterated message he ended the interview.

  ‘The new road next year?’ Martha was amazed. ‘It would change everything.’