“The Baron told Karl that he must get to know you and pretend that he was greatly interested in the development of guns. Then he told the Baron that he had been reliably informed that you were coming on a visit to Berlin.”
“How could he have known that?” the Marquis murmured to himself.
“The Baron said he did not believe it,” Simona continued, “but Karl persuaded him to write you a letter inviting you to stay here as his guest.”
“So that accounts for it,” the Marquis said as if he was speaking to himself.” Was anything else discussed?”
“The Baron said that they must learn more about your gun so that they, the Germans, could produce one which was more powerful and effective than anything used by the British.”
Simona hesitated for a moment.
“He then – suggested,” and her voice trembled,” that the – Baron should – torture – Mr. Watson in order to force – the plans – from him, but the Baron would not – commit himself.”
“That is certainly one point in his favour,” the Marquis said.” What happened next?”
Now the colour was once again pouring into Simona’s cheeks making her look even more beautiful.
“You understand,” the Marquis assured her gently, “that everything you have told me is of the utmost importance and I cannot tell you how grateful I am. But I must know every word that was said, no matter how embarrassing you find it.”
Simona turned her head away and said in a very small voice, “The Baron said – you were – notable as a – ladies man and were – determined not to get – married. Therefore to make your – visit here – really enjoyable he – intended to invite – Zivana as a fellow guest.”
There was silence.
The Marquis thought he had been correct in suspecting that was why the Countess had been invited and now he enquired,
“And what did Karl say to that?”
“He told the Baron he was – a genius and that – Zivana was – famous and could – extract a secret, however well hidden, from the – Sphinx itself.”
There was further silence until the Marquis asked,
“Is that all?”
“The Baron wrote a letter for Karl to take to you before he left to catch his train. As soon as they had left, I crept out of the Sedan chair and ran into another room.”
The Marquis put out his hand and laid it over hers.
“I can only thank you,” he said, “as one day the Prince of Wales will thank you, for being so intrepid and brave enough to tell me everything you had overheard.”
“I felt I – had to – tell – you,” Simona murmured,” because the Countess is so – beautiful and I – thought you might – somehow allow – her trick you – behind your – back.”
“I had an idea,” the Marquis said quietly,”that was why she had been invited. But what you have done, Simona, is to tell me not only that Watson is alive but where he is.”
“So you can rescue him?” Simona enquired.
“I will try of course,” the Marquis replied, “but I may need your help. I do not want you to be involved further in this adventure, because it is definitely dangerous. At the same time quite frankly you are the only person in Berlin, apart from my valet, whom I can trust.”
Simona’s eyes opened very wide.
“Is that – the – truth?” she asked.
“I swear to you it is the truth,” the Marquis replied, “and I can only say thank you and thank you again from the bottom of my heart, for having made matters much easier for me than they have been until now.”
He smiled before he added,” I felt I was looking for a needle in a haystack, but now unexpectedly, when I thought you were just a pretty debutante, you have given me information which no one else in the whole of Berlin could tell me.”
“I am glad – so very – very glad,” Simona sighed. “Now you will be able to rescue Mr. Watson, and I am sure you will be able to think of some brilliant plan.”
“It is something I must do,” the Marquis said, “and if I need your help, I will not hesitate to ask you.”
His fingers tightened over her hand as he said,
“But you do understand we are both playing a very dangerous game. If for one moment the Baron or anyone else knew you were involved, you might disappear like Watson, or I might have what would be called ‘an unfortunate accident’.”
Simona cried in horror,
“That – must not – happen!”
“No, of course not. I swear to you that I will protect you in every way I can, but neither of us can trust anyone else but each other.”
“I understand,” Simona nodded.
“Now you must go back the way you came,” the Marquis urged. “I suppose no one knows that you have come here to me?”
“No, of course not. Everyone expects me to be asleep and I was fortunate enough to remember that all these bedrooms between my room and yours have communicating sitting rooms between them.”
“That is certainly very useful,” the Marquis agreed.
As he spoke he was thanking Heaven that the Countess had been placed on the other side of the corridor. If she was waiting for him, which he hoped she was not, she would wait in vain.
At the same time it would be disastrous if she found out that Simona had been able to find him through a series of communicating doors.
Simona rose to her feet.
“I am so glad,” she said, “that I have been able to help you, and that you – are not – shocked at my – eavesdropping.”
She stammered over the words and blushed again as she did so.
“I think,” the Marquis said quietly, “you were directed into doing what you have just achieved by a power greater than both of us, and which we call on for help when we are completely helpless.”
Simona looked at him wide-eyed.
“That is what I – have always – believed,” she answered, “and why I – prayed that I – might be able to help you.”
“Then your prayers have been heard,” the Marquis assured her. “What you must now do, Simona, and this is essential, is to go on praying that we shall both be successful in serving the country we love.”
“Yes, of course,” Simona agreed.
She walked towards the communicating door and the Marquis opened it for her and saw her lamp.
He placed it into her hand saying,
“Go back slowly and quietly and I will stay here until I am certain that you are in your own room. If you call out and need me, I will come to you at once.”
“Thank you – you are very – kind.”
“And you are the bravest young lady I have ever met.” She smiled at him shyly and closed the communicating door behind her, because it had been shut when she had arrived and she knew that everything must be left exactly as it had been.
When she reached her own room she looked back thinking that somehow the Marquis would know instinctively that she was safe and had not encountered any difficulty.
‘He was very kind,’ she told herself, ‘and I am so glad I have been able to help him.’
She took off her dressing gown and blowing out the lamp slipped into bed. She wondered if the Marquis was doing the same. Surely now, after all she had said to him, he would not go to the Countess’s room.
At the same time it was absolutely essential for neither the Countess nor the Baron to gain the slightest idea that the Marquis had discovered their plot.
She could hear Maria claiming that the Countess was a bad woman.
Even though it might be essential for the Marquis to be pleasant to her, she thought in some way it would be humiliating for him.
‘Please God protect him,’ she prayed. ‘Please do not permit her to harm him in any way and thank you for allowing me to learn the truth so that I could warn him.’ Her prayer was sincere and from the depths of her heart.
As she closed her eyes she was sure she would have been heard in Heaven.
‘Take care of him God,’ she pray
ed again fervently before falling asleep.
CHAPTER FIVE
After Simona had left him, the Marquis locked the communicating door into the sitting room and again checked the door into the corridor to make certain it was secure.
Then he climbed into bed knowing that he would not be interrupted until the morning.
All the time everything that Simona had told him was swimming through his mind. He thought how fortunate he was that she had been clever enough to find out exactly what he wanted.
He slept fitfully for a while before waking early to lie planning what he would do now.
Finally he decided that he would need to take Dorkins into his confidence as he had no idea where to find the Panzer Haus and he could hardly go round looking for it, nor was it possible for him to ask the Baron or any of his staff for directions.
He unlocked the door and waited for Dorkins to come in and call him.
When his valet finally arrived the Marquis said,
“I have heard some good news, Dorkins, and it is most important for you to listen very carefully to what I am about to say.”
“I always does that, my Lord.”
The Marquis explained that he had discovered where Watson was being held and that he was locked up in the Panzer Haus.
“Yer’re sure that’s where he be, my Lord?” Dorkins enquired.
“Quite sure,” the Marquis answered. “Panzer means armour, so I imagine that because the Germans love museums, it is where there will be a collection of ancient armour of which I expect they have a considerable amount.”
Dorkins stared at him before saying,
“That be true, my Lord, and I knows how I can help.”
The Marquis looked surprised.
“How?” he asked briefly.
“When we was at Cowes,” Dorkins said, “I became friendly with the Kaiser’s valet. Quite a nice chap he be, and we had a drink together several times ashore.”
“The Kaiser’s valet!” the Marquis murmured beneath his breath.
“One day when we was talking,” Dorkins continued, “although I don’t think he really knows much, he were saying things about the machinery aboard the yacht and the interest His Majesty was taking in the guns on our battleships.”
The Marquis pressed his lips together.
He could not believe that the Kaiser was employing his valet as well as so many others to spy on the Royal Navy.
“So I finds out,” Dorkins resumed, “that Franz, for that’s his name, be very keen on old armour. Your Lordship knows the sort yer have at the Castle which yer ancestors, one of them an Earl, wore at the Battle of Agincourt, or was it some other battle?”
“I know the armour you mean.”
“I promise to Franz, that if he comes to London I’d show him some of the armour we have, and he says he’d do the same if I comes to Berlin.”
The Marquis exclaimed, “that means you will be able to find out where the Panzer Haus is, and also, if we are lucky, get us inside.”
“I expects I can fix it, my Lord,” Dorkins replied confidentially. “Franz be a simple sort of man and I thinks he will keep his word.”
“Well for Heaven’s sake be very careful what you say to him,” the Marquis ordered. “If they obtain any indication that we know where Watson is, they will move him immediately and we may never find out where they have taken him.”
“I knows that, and your Lordship can trust me. The difficulty will be how I meets Franz.”
The Marquis was silent for a moment before responding,
“I have been thinking how I can ingratiate myself with the Kaiser. I learned something last night which made me think of a way which would be entirely different from anything I could ever have imagined.”
He was thinking as he spoke of the strange story he had been told of the Emperor’s obsession for women’s hands and while he had been reflecting on his strategy in the night, he realised that Simona had slender and very long-fingered hands.
They were just one aspect of her outstanding physical beauty. He was also mindful that the Countess’s hands, while quite elegant, were not in any way distinctive.
These thoughts passed through his mind almost as if a plan was being unfolded in front of his eyes.
When he walked downstairs to breakfast, it was a relief to find that the only person present was the Baron.
“Good morning, Marquis,” he said. “I see you are up early, while the fairer sex are all fast asleep.”
“I expect they are tired after last night’s extravaganza,” the Marquis replied smiling.
The Baron began a long rigmarole that the young people of today did not have the stamina of their predecessors.
The Marquis was not listening as he was planning in his mind what he would say when the Baron gave him a chance to speak.
The opportunity came when the Baron finished his breakfast. He rang the bell for some fruit which was not on the table.
“I was just thinking,” the Marquis began, “that it would be polite for me to pay my respects to His Majesty today. Seeing how particular he is about protocol, he might think it rude if I wait until tomorrow or the day after.”
“Of course, of course,” the Baron agreed, “and I will order a carriage to take you to the Palace as early as you wish. The Emperor is usually available in the morning, while he may have a hundred things to occupy him this afternoon.”
“That is very kind of you, and as I have a special message for His Majesty from Lord Belgrave, I think that I should take Simona with me.”
He guessed that the Baron was curious to know what message Lord Belgrave could have sent to the ‘All Highest’, but was however too polite to ask questions.
The two men were just finishing their breakfast when Simona and Karoline entered the dining room.
“I thought you were both having breakfast in bed!” the Baron exclaimed as they appeared.
“Of course not, Papa,” Karoline riposted, kissing him.
“Simona and I do not want to waste our time in bed when there are so many exciting things to do and see.”
“Well, I have just arranged with our friend the Marquis, “the Baron announced, “that Simona should accompany him to the Neues Palace this morning.”
Karoline looked surprised.
“Why should she do that?” she enquired.
The Baron looked at the Marquis, who said,
“It is something we must do sooner or later, and as the Emperor is a stickler for protocol it would be better for us to go this morning.”
“Then of course we must go,” Simona agreed. “Do you mean we should leave immediately after breakfast?”
“As soon as you have finished,” the Marquis smiled at her.
He felt that Simona was very self-controlled not to ask him innumerable questions as any other woman might have done. Instead of which she concentrated on finishing her breakfast.
Karoline was begging the Marquis not to stay longer than was necessary at the Palace.
“There are so many really fascinating sights in Berlin that I want to show Simona,” she said, “and she will find all that bowing and scraping, or rather curtsying where she is concerned, a terrible bore.”
“I agree with you,” the Marquis replied,
“but I am afraid it all has to be gone through.”
Simona drank her coffee and rose to her feet.
“I will go and put on my hat, and then I will be ready as soon as you are.”
“I will summon the carriage at once,” the Baron said, ringing the bell.
Alone in her bedroom, Simona wondered exactly what was happening and why the Marquis wished to see the Kaiser and take her with him. She had been under the impression that his visit to Berlin was, at least ostensibly, a private one. In which case there would be no reason for him to call officially at the Palace.
‘But he is also taking me,’ she thought to herself, ‘and he must have some special reason to include me.’
She thought howe
ver she would receive an answer to all her queries when she was alone with the Marquis in the carriage. Anyway, it would be delightful to be in his company.
She was wearing a very pretty summer gown, and the hat was trimmed with spring flowers.
As she walked downstairs the Marquis thought that no one could have looked lovelier. Or for that matter so young, unspoilt and untouched.
He did not know why that last word came into his mind, but it was obvious to him that she was the exact opposite in every way to the Countess.
The carriage the Baron had provided for them was closed and drawn by two well bred horses.
As Simona came out of the house, she was greeted by two servants in smart uniform on the box.
Just before they moved off she noticed to her surprise another man, not in uniform, spring up and sit beside the footmen. She thought perhaps he was a guide. Then she realised that of course the Baron’s coachman would know the way to the Neues Palace.
As the carriage drove off the Marquis informed her,
“That is my valet who is sitting in front. Apparently he made friends with the Kaiser’s valet when they were at Cowes and he wishes to meet him again.”
Simona looked at him wide-eyed.
There was a faint smile on the Marquis’s lips as he added,
“I know what you are thinking, but it would be a mistake to put it into words.”
“Yes, of course,” Simona agreed quickly.
As they drove on in silence, there were a hundred questions she wanted to ask him.
She thought however it would be a mistake to do so unless he offered an explanation first.
They were nearing the Royal Highway when the Marquis said,
“I told the Baron that I wanted to take you with me because your father had given me a message for the Kaiser. The real reason was that I wanted him to see your hands.” imona looked at him in sheer astonishment.
“My hands?”
“I have been told that the Emperor admires women only for their hands. It does not matter how unattractive they are in other respects as long as their hands are beautiful. He is instantly attracted to them and is unusually polite and attentive.”
Love Wins In Berlin Page 8
