The Ice Queen

by Sasha Cottman

  “I cannot begin to tell you how pleasant it is for me to be able to say ‘yes’ to a young man asking for my daughter’s hand in marriage. Congratulations, Newhall. I think you and Caroline will make a fine match.” Charles held out his hand, and Julian accepted his warm handshake.

  “Thank you, sir. I am proud and honored to be the one who finally succeeded,” said Julian.

  Despite Caroline already having accepted his proposal, Julian still found himself nervous asking her father for his permission. He had not been able to see Charles the previous day, having received an unexpected summons from the palace to collect the letter that Francis had mentioned. A future brother-in-law with that amount of clout with the Prince Regent, was a boon any man would be happy to have.

  “So, have you discussed wedding arrangements as yet?” asked Charles.

  “Caroline has informed me that Lady Adelaide will be in charge of all the organizing. I expect it will be a smooth operation,” he replied.

  Weddings, and the commotion that came with them, were purely for females. His sole input, if he had his way, would be to arrive at the church on time and say ‘yes’ when asked.

  Charles snorted. “You have been warned. My own nuptials had more planning involved in it than Hannibal going over the Alps. Though we did draw the line at elephants.”

  He loved Caroline; and his future countess was going to get the wedding she deserved. He shrugged and readied himself for the onslaught of frippery and fabric samples. If that was what it took to launch himself into wedded bliss, he was ready.

  “Unfortunately, my wife and daughter are not at home. So, the champagne shall have to wait. In the meantime, I still have some bottles of that Chateau Mouton-d’Armailhac Cabernet Sauvignon left. I am sure one of those would suffice,” said Charles.

  “This is a serious matter, Lord Newhall. While I understand that there are difficulties between the countess and yourself, I would caution you against raising the issue of the necklace to a criminal matter. Accusing your own mother of theft is not something one does lightly.”

  Julian studied his fingernails for a moment, giving time for the ambassador to think that he was taking his words to heart. “I understand the situation fully, Your Highness, which is why I was careful in using my connections to obtain that letter.”

  Prince Esterhazy held the letter from the Prince of Wales’ private secretary in his hand. He raised his eyebrows before setting it down on his desk. “So how would you like to proceed?”

  As far as Julian was concerned, it should be a simple matter. The prince would speak to his house guest and explain the situation to the countess, and she would hand over the ruby necklace. But he knew his mother better than that. She would not go quietly. “I don’t wish to make this a diplomatic issue, hence why I have not raised matters to the legal authorities in England. Nor have I made mention of it to those in London society who would be able to use this disagreement to their advantage. I just want what is rightfully mine.”

  The hard stare he got from the prince told him that his less than thinly veiled threat had got through. The prince picked up the bell on his desk and rang it. Within seconds, a footman appeared.

  “Ask the Countess of Lienz to come to my study, would you? I did see her in the gardens not long ago, so I know she is somewhere about the embassy.”

  The prince rose from his desk and crossed over to a cabinet. He pulled out a bottle of brandy and showed it to Julian. “A spot of something to fortify your spirit?”

  Julian shook his head. The bottle and a half of Cabernet Sauvignon which Charles Saunders had pressed him to drink was still taking the edge off his senses.

  The prince poured himself a large glass. “If I may be frank, your mother is not the easiest of women to deal with at any time. Her husband is known to seek solace in the drink on occasion. When they sent word that they would be staying here, I immediately sent out for more brandy.”

  His mother would drive any man to drink, but Julian could not bring himself to feel pity for the count. He had knowingly stolen another man’s wife. What he had sowed, he was welcome to reap.

  The countess arrived a short while later. Upon seeing Julian, she marched up to the ambassador and then pointed at her son. “What is he doing here?”

  Prince Esterhazy glanced at the brandy bottle, and his empty glass. “Lord Newhall has come about an item of his property, which he tells me you have in your possession. He has asked for it to be returned.”

  The countess huffed. “Lies. All lies. I have nothing to which I am not entitled.”

  She was, in many ways, predictable. Her usual mode of dealing with anyone who dared to challenge her was to play the outraged victim, then brand everything that they said to be a lie. Finally, she would cast aspersions on their character. “You don’t know my son. He has been incapable of telling the truth since the day he uttered his first words, much like his father. The Newhall men are not of good character.”

  Julian ticked off the third point on his list, and rose from his chair. “Madam, you have a ruby necklace which belongs to the Newhall estate. I would like it returned, please.”

  A slow smile appeared on her face. “Exactly. The Crusader Ruby belongs to the Newhall estate. It was gifted to me as the Countess Newhall. A title which I am still permitted to use, though one would have to add the word Dowager if we were to be socially correct.”

  Julian clenched his hands into tight fists. It was never going to be easy with her. “But you have remarried, so you are no longer the countess,” he ground out.

  The prince held up his hand. “I will not have family squabbles in my embassy. Your Highness, please go and retrieve the necklace from your room.”

  The countess nodded. “Very well, if you insist.”

  While he and Prince Esterhazy waited for the countess to return, Julian pondered the possible reasons for his mother’s easy acquiesce to the prince’s instructions. There had to be an explanation that he had not considered.

  When she returned a short while later, she strode into the room wearing the necklace. Prince Esterhazy gasped at the sight of the Crusader Ruby.

  The length of its long silver chain was encrusted with diamonds. The pendant at the end had been formed into a large diamond shape with an enormous stunning ruby set in the middle. At four other points on the pendant, smaller rubies had been placed.

  For an instant, Julian’s mind was filled with the memory of the last time he had seen his mother wearing it. It had been at a ball held at Newhall House. She had paired the jewel with a dark silver gown which showed off the rubies and diamonds to stunning effect. She had been breathtakingly beautiful, a queen fit to rule over all her guests.

  The painting his father had commissioned did little justice to the real thing.

  Even now, the years had been kind. The hint of crow’s feet at her eyes barely made a mark against her beauty. It was only the cruel lines of her smile at the corners of her mouth which revealed any sign of her age.

  Julian’s heart was racing. Could he actually walk out of the embassy with the Crusader Ruby in his hand? His palms itched as he fought the temptation to reach out and take the necklace from her.

  She remained where she was as he took a step toward her, her back ramrod straight.

  “Madam, I would ask you to remove the necklace and hand it over. If you do, I shall forget about any of the other pieces of jewelry you have kept. You and I shall never have to deal with one another again,” said Julian.

  The countess slowly shook her head. The smile which now appeared on her face grew wide. From out of her skirts, she produced a piece of folded paper. She waved it at him. “Read it, boy,” she commanded.

  With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Julian took the paper and opened it. He recognized the handwriting immediately as being that of his father. As his gaze drifted over the words, the countess remained silent.

  The silence continued as Julian handed the letter to the prince. It was only when th
e ambassador shook his head that the countess let out a soft sigh of satisfaction.

  “I think that makes my position clear. Until my son marries, I am well within my rights to retain the necklace,” she said.

  The prince looked sadly at Julian. There was nothing he could do. Even with the letter from the royal court, his hands were tied. The note from Julian’s father was clear. Until Julian married, the necklace rightfully belonged to his mother.

  “I hear your house party was a disaster, so there won’t be any need in the foreseeable future for me to relinquish ownership of the jewel. Now if you don’t mind, I have things to attend to this afternoon,” she said.

  As she closed the door behind her, Julian turned to the prince. “I will have that brandy now, Your Highness.”

  Chapter Fifty-Two

  “Congratulations to you both. This is wonderful news.”

  Julian accepted the good wishes of the Saunders family members, but Caroline could tell he was out of sorts. The happiness she felt coursing through her veins was not shared in full by her fiancé.

  It took a little while, but she was eventually able to speak to him alone.

  “What is wrong? You do not look like a man who is overjoyed at our betrothal,” she asked.

  He looked down at his half-finished glass of champagne. “After I spoke with your father this morning, I went to see Prince Esterhazy at the Austrian embassy to raise the issue of the necklace. I also met with my mother. Things did not go well. She will not return it.”

  The reason for his dark mood was now clear. The countess would put anyone in a poor temper. “But I though Francis was going to get things sorted through his royal connections. She cannot refuse the future king, can she?”

  “She has a letter from my father, which he apparently wrote in a desperate attempt to get her to stay with him. It states that for the time being, she is fully within her rights to keep the Crusader Ruby,” he replied.

  From the way he seemed to carefully choose his words, Caroline suspected Julian was not telling her the whole story. But here and now, he needed her support. She would leave it to another time to press him further for details.

  “I am sorry. I have been a poor fiancé tonight. We should be celebrating our engagement, not worrying about my mother and her evil machinations.”

  “What can I do?”

  He leaned forward and stole a kiss. “Nothing. Let’s enjoy tonight and worry about other things tomorrow.”

  “St Paul’s is now booked. Your Uncle Hugh says you can have the first wedding on Saturday, four weeks from now. That should give us plenty of time to organize your gown, and the guest list.”

  Caroline spied the open notebook in her mother’s hands. She had been carrying it around nonstop from the second Julian and Caroline’s engagement had been announced.

  Four weeks seemed an eternity. But from the long list of preparations that her mother had made and was constantly adding to, she knew they would need every minute of that time.

  “Now, about the wedding ball. I know you are marrying into the Palmer family, but Lady Margaret and I have agreed that Newhall House is far too small to host it. I am going to speak to my brother and see about the summer ballroom at Strathmore House,” added Adelaide.

  The Duke of Strathmore’s summer ballroom was the largest of its kind in all of London. It could easily hold more than a thousand guests. The wedding celebrations of both of her cousins, Alex and David Radley, earlier in the year, had been extravagant affairs attended by the upper echelon of London society.

  The issue of who to invite had raised the issue of Julian’s lack of family. While Caroline was certain they could rustle up a few friends and some foreign dignitaries for his side of the church, it did seem unfair to have such a lopsided guest list. He would know few people at their own wedding ball.

  “How about we look to use the winter ballroom? It is smaller and more intimate. The wedding ball does not need to be that lavish an affair,” she replied.

  Julian’s somber mood from the night of their engagement still sat in the forefront of her mind. He had attributed it to the argument with his mother, but Caroline wondered if there was more to it. Had she pushed him when he was not ready to take the plunge?

  Adelaide huffed and snapped the notebook shut. “Really, Caroline, you are a daughter of the House of Strathmore. Your wedding should reflect your heritage and birthright. After Eve and Frederick made the decision to elope, I deserve to be allowed to send off my remaining daughter in the manner appropriate to her station.”

  Caroline knew her mother well enough to remain silent. This wedding was as important to Adelaide as it was to the bride and groom. London society would expect that no expense be spared. Earlier that morning, she had heard her mother giving her father a stern lecture after he had somewhat foolishly asked her to show some restraint on the cost of the wedding gown.

  “I have a meeting with the shoemaker in an hour. Your father will need new shoes. Now you should head upstairs and have an afternoon nap. The betrothal ball will no doubt go late into the night, and you don’t want to find yourself flagging before the end.”

  Her mother had moved with lightning speed and made arrangements for Caroline and Julian to celebrate their betrothal with a ball that evening at Strathmore House. She dared not think how many servants and merchants had been pressed into service in order to meet such a short deadline.

  Adelaide left Caroline sitting on the floor of the drawing room, surrounded by fabric samples. She looked at the piles of pale-blue satins and silks and sighed. Her childhood dreams of a large wedding with matching attendants had never included all the planning that came with it.

  “Ah. There you are. Having fun?”

  She looked up to see Francis standing in the doorway. “Not particularly. Mama is doing her best impression of a dragon this morning. I don’t know how I will survive tonight, let alone another month of this, if she keeps it up.”

  He dropped down on the floor next to her, pushing some of the fabric out of the way. “Oh, come now, you must be looking forward to tonight. You and Newhall will get to dance together as a betrothed couple. Being an engaged woman must be one of your dreams come true.”

  He frowned when she shrugged. “Hello. What’s the matter?”

  “I don’t know. I am worried about Julian. He was not very cheerful when we celebrated our engagement announcement. His mother has to be the most malicious woman I have ever had the misfortune of encountering,” she replied.

  Francis awkwardly patted her on the back. Will would have put his arm around her and given her a consoling hug, but not Francis. Her brother always struggled with offering emotion and comfort.

  “I tell you what, I am meeting Will for luncheon shortly. How about we hunt down Newhall and spend some time with him at our club? As his future brothers, we should welcome him with a few drinks before the ball tonight,” he said.

  Caroline’s hopes lifted. What Francis lacked in emotional depth, he more than made up for with his pragmatism. Offering to spend time with Julian before the ball was the perfect answer. “Thank you, I would really appreciate it. If you could succeed in getting him into a happier frame of mind, I will be very grateful.”

  Francis got to his feet. “Done. I shall see you later.”

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  “Her Highness, the Countess of Lienz.”

  Julian looked up from his papers to see his mother standing in the doorway. He slowly put the pen back into the inkwell, taking the time to compose himself. Anger still seethed in his veins over their encounter at the Austrian embassy.

  He rose from his chair. “Madam.”

  There was no point in attempting any form of warm welcome when it came to his mother, and he would be damned if he was going to address her as ‘your highness’.

  She stood in the doorway of his study. Her gaze drifted to the nearby chair, then back to Julian. He ignored her pointed hint at hospitality. He was beyond offering her anything.r />
  “I saw your notice in the newspaper this morning and came to congratulate you,” she said, stepping into the room.

  “Thank you,” he replied.

  The countess shook her head. “Congratulations on having not only fallen for my jest with the Saunders girl, but for following your father and marrying someone entirely unsuited to you. I do not know what it is with you Palmer men, but you seem determined to be miserable when it comes to marriage. Perhaps that is why you failed to mention your recent betrothal when we met at the embassy.”

  He knew he should have expected her to come and gloat over the necklace, but the spiteful manner in which she spoke of Caroline took him by surprise. Even now, his own mother could not offer him her best wishes for happiness. “You do not know Caroline, nor do I intend that you shall. So, if that is your sole purpose in your last visit to Newhall House, then I shall bid you a good day.”

  The countess feigned a look of hurt. “Well, just remember I did warn you. I expect that by the time you arrive to visit me in Austria, you will have come to that conclusion yourself. I am assuming you intend to collect your beloved property at some future date. You will need to bring evidence of your marriage and, of course, your bride.”

  Taking the countess firmly by the arm, Julian guided her to the front door and out into the street. He closed the door behind him, ignoring her muffled last words.

  He could just picture the look of victory on his mother’s face when he and Caroline arrived at the Count of Lienz’s estate, cap in hand, to ask for the Crusader Ruby. She would milk the moment for all it was worth.

  It was late morning, not close enough to midday to consider a long lunch, but the need to imbibe was suddenly strong. Grabbing his coat and hat, Julian called for his carriage. If he headed to his club now, he still had time to drink himself into a numb state before he had to face Caroline and the rest of their guests at this evening’s engagement ball.