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Sweet Tannenbaum
by Sue London A young woman needs escort to see her brother in London. The man who can he lp her i s
a lso the one who has been wait ing to ask that brother some quest ions af ter the Congress o f Vienna. Family re lat ions turn sour, but her escor t re fuses to l eave Town unt i l a f t er Chris tmas. Wil l that magical season put al l the ir troubles to r ights?
Krystyna Rokiczana wants her brother to fulfill his responsibilities and this is her last
chance to talk to him before she is a married lady. Their family has a destiny, a future, unless he throws it all away. If she can set aside her own feelings and plans for the advancement of their family, then why can’t he?
Hans Von Rosen has not adjusted well to retirement from service. But the wars, and the
negotiation for peace, are over. Now the sister of a former colleague needs assistance. As her goals align with his own, he agrees to help her. What he didn’t expect was to become so enchanted by her. Or to discover she was already engaged to marry another man.
Sweet Tannenbaum (A Haberdashers Tale)
by Sue London bysuelondon.wordpress.com
Graythorn Publishing
Copyright © 2014 Sue London All rights reserved
Cover by Kim Killion, Hot Damn Designs This book may not be reproduced by any means including but not limited to photocopy,
digital, auditory, and/or in print.
To those who rush in where angels fear to tread. Sometimes love requires risks that only fools can take.!!! !
Chapter!One!December'1815,'Prussia'
!
Hans!listened!to!the!clock!ticking!behind!him.!It!was!an!irrefutable!sound,!almost!
like!witnessing!time!marching!by!with!steady!feet!and!sober!eye.!He!wasn:t!a!man!
given!to!flights!of!fancy,!but!he!also!wasn:t!much!given!to!inactivity!and!he:d!had!more!
than!his!fill!of!late.!After!ten!years!in!the!Prussian!army,!and!two!years!in!the!diplomatic!
service,!now,!here!he!was,!moldering!at!his!father:s!country!estate,!listening!to!clocks.!
He!didn:t!want!to!read!anything,!didn:t!want!to!do!anything.!Except!that!doing!anything!at!all!could!be!preferable!to!this!irritable!ennui.!None!of!the!family!were!in!residence,!so!
it!was!just!him!and!the!faithful!family!retainers!he!had!grown!up!knowing.!He!was!
bored.!He!was!surly.!He!was,!in!short,!in!one!of!the!foulest!tempers!he:d!ever!known.!
But!he!knew!that!no!one!would!suspect!such!a!thing.!If!there!was!one!thing!Hans!
prided!himself!on,!it!was!his!impassive!yet!slightly!disapproving!expression.!It!had!
frightened!his!subordinates!and!given!his!superiors!a!confidence!in!his!abilities!that!
perhaps!at!times!they!shouldn:t!have!had.!In!his!youth!it!had!cleverly!masked!the!fact!
that!he!had!been!impulsive!to!the!border!of!recklessness.!In!the!war!with!Napoleon!his!
actions!should!have!assured!his!death!a!hundred!times!over.!But!God!apparently!did!
protect!the!fool.!Especially!the!courageous,!reckless!fool.!Rather!than!die!he!collected!
medals!and!ranks,!but!what!did!it!all!matter!now?!The!wars!were!over.!Peace!had!been!
settled.!He!could!think!of!nothing!to!do!with!himself,!save!continue!to!sink!lower!in!this!
leather!chair!and!listen!to!the!ticking!of!the!clock!with!a!combination!of!curiosity!and!
rage!that!even!he!couldn:t!explain.!
There!was!a!soft!knock!at!the!door.!He!scowled!at!it.!
HEnter!H!he!barked.!
Gunter,!a!footman!of!middling!years!who!would!probably!take!over!the!butler!
duties!when!old!Albert!pensioned,!bowed!into!the!room.!HMy!apologies!for!interrupting!
you,!mein!Herr.!There!is!a!lady!here!asking!for!Henry.H!
Henry.!His!brilliant,!charming,!and!woefully!irresponsible!little!brother.!God!only!
knew!what!Henry!had!promised!her.!Had!done!to!or!with!her.!
HAnd!when!you!say!lady!you!mean...?H!
Gunter!nodded!in!understanding.!HShe!carries!herself!as!a!true!lady,!sir.H!
HReceiving!room?H!
HYes,!sir.H!
Hans!stood,!straightened!his!jacket,!and!walked!as!purposely!toward!the!front!of!
the!Manor!as!he!used!to!the!barracks!that!housed!his!troops.!At!least!he!wasn:t!at!the!
mercy!of!the!blasted!clock!anymore.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Krystyna!wanted!to!wring!her!hands.!She!wanted!to!pace!and!fret,!perhaps!even!
find!someone!to!shout!at.!But!it!wasn:t!appropriate!to!do!any!of!those!things.!So!she!
calmly!folded!her!hands!together!at!her!waist!and!stared!out!the!window!at!the!gardens!
flanking!the!Von!Rosen!estate,!robust!even!as!winter!approached.!She!knew!from!
Casimir:s!letters!that!such!homes!were!common!places!for!him!to!stay,!but!to!her!the!
beauty!and!opulence!were!staggering.!It!was!only!now!that!she!started!to!understand!
how!wide!the!gulf!between!them!had!become.!She!took!to!studying!the!interplay!of!
shadows!and!colors!across!the!lawn!and!waited!for!Casimir:s!friend!Henry!to!make!an!
appearance.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Hans!stopped!at!the!doorway.!Gunter!had!sold!her!a!bit!short.!She!didn:t!carry!
herself!as!a!lady,!but!as!a!queen.!Head!high,!spine!straight,!shoulders!back.!He!had!
rarely!seen!officers!with!such!perfect!posture.!Her!association!with!Henry!would!be!
mystifying!except!that!he!had!learned!his!rakish!little!brother!was!capable!of!seducing!
almost!any!woman.!The!only!question!that!remained!was!what!sort!of!trouble!his!
brother!had!gotten!himself!into!with!her.!
“Frau,”!he!said,!bowing!to!her!as!she!turned.!!
She!curtsied!briefly.!When!she!spoke,!her!voice!was!a!rich!contralto!tinged!with!a!
faint!accent.!“Thank!you!for!seeing!me,!Herr!Von!Rosen.”!
“Of!course.!How!may!I!be!of!assistance?”!
“My!brother!told!me!that!if!I!ever!needed!anything,!I!could!come!to!you.”!
He!narrowed!his!eyes!at!her.!Something!in!the!shape!of!her!face!teased!a!memory.!
“Your!brother?”!
She!took!a!step!forward!and!the!afternoon!light!fell!across!her.!“Casimir.!I’m!
Krystyna!Rokiczana.”!
It!was!obvious,!now!that!she’d!said!it.!Casimir!had!served!with!him!in!the!Prussian!
delegation!at!the!Congress!of!Vienna.!But!although!the!resemblance!was!evident!in!her!
face,!she!held!herself!far!differently!than!her!brother.!Where!the!young!Polishman!had!
the!negligent!attitude!of!a!jaded!gentleman,!his!sister!had!a!far!different!demeanor.!And!
it!was!true!that!Casimir!was!a!particular!friend!of!Henry’s,!although!a!sister!had!never!
been!mentioned!to!Hans.!“I!have!no!doubt!that!your!brother!would!tell!you!to!trust!me.!
Which!leaves!me!to!wonder!why!you!asked!for!my!brother!Henry?”!
Her!brow!furrowed.!“You!are!not!Henry?”!
“I’m!his!brother,!Hans.!But!I!know!Casimir!and!would!be!delighted!to!assist!you,!if!
you!would!tell!me!what!you!need.”!
She!shook!her!head!distractedly.!“When!will!Henry!return?”!
Hans!shrugged.!“That!is!almost!impossible!to!say.!When!he!wants!to,!I!would!
assume.!No!sooner,!although!possibly!later.”!
“Today?”!
Hans!couldn’t!help!himself!from!chuckling.!“Likely!not!this!month.!Or!the!next.”!
Her!expression!betrayed!some!irritation.!“Then!where!is!he?”!
“It’s!not!as!though!he!reports!to!me.H!
The!look!she!gave!him!was!disappointed!and!condemning,!all!at!once.!It!wasn’t!an!
expression!he!was!accustomed!to!seeing!directed!at!himself.!At!Henry,!yes,!but!never!
himself.!She!drew!a!breath!as!though!seeking!calm!and!returned!her!face!to!a!benign!
complacency.!HWell,!sir,!I!may!need!to!throw!myself!on!your!good!graces.!I!require!
escort!to!see!my!brother.H!
HI!see.!And!you!know!where!he!is?H!
HOf!course.H!Her!barely!raised!brow!betrayed!her!belief!that!it!was!outrageous!to!
not!know!the!location!of!one:s!siblings.!
This!was!good!news,!as!one!thing!Hans!had!been!meaning!to!do!since!the!Congress!
had!ended!was!track!down!Casimir!Rokiczana.!However,!he!hadn:t!wanted!to!use!his!
usual!information!sources!for!fear!of!drawing!attention!to!the!young!man,!who!had!left!
the!Congress!early!in!somewhat!suspicious!circumstances.!Hans!had!covered!for!him!at!
the!time,!partially!because!the!Polishman!was!his!brother:s!best!friend,!and!a!seemingly!
good!influence!at!that,!but!also!because!Hans!had!rather!liked!Casimir.!Liked!him!well!
enough!that!he!had!given!the!younger!man!an!unquestioned!hour!to!clear!out!his!room!
with!the!slim!promise!of!explaining!it!all!later.!Apparently!later!had!come,!in!the!form!
of!one!Krystyna!Rokiczana.!
He!bowed!again.!HThen!I!am!at!your!service,!Frau!Rokiczana.!When!will!you!be!
prepared!to!leave?H!
HNow,H!she!said!abruptly.!
HYour!entourage!will!be!prepared!to!leave!again!so!quickly?H!
If!possible,!her!chin!raised!another!notch.!HI!traveled!here!alone.H!
HThat!sounds!unwise,H!he!said!mildly.!His!gaze!lowered!to!her!hem,!and!it!was!
indeed!dusty!and!mud!spattered!from!travel.!The!mud!ended!just!a!few!inches!up!from!
the!floor,!most!likely!overlaid!during!her!travels!by!a!cloak!she!had!handed!over!to!
Gunter!when!she!arrived.!HYou!don:t!need!any!rest!yourself?H!
HI!need!to!go!to!London.!You!do!speak!English,!don:t!you?H!
!
! !
Chapter!Two!!
When!her!brother!had!described!Henry!Von!Rosen,!he!said!the!man!had!the!income!
of!a!gentleman!but!the!heart!of!a!rogue.!She!should!have!known!on!sight!that!this!
was!not!Henry!Von!Rosen.!This!man!was!over!six!feet!of!officiousness.!Not!a!rogue,!but!
a!dowódca.!A!commander.!She!didn:t!particularly!care!for!being!commanded.!A!roguish!
boy!of!Casimir:s!age!would!have!been!like!traveling!with!her!own!little!brother.!She!
wasn:t!sure!of!this!Hans,!and!their!companionship!would!be!dubious!at!best.!But!needs!
must,!and!she!needed!both!trusted!protection!and!a!fair!interpreter!as!her!own!English!
was!lacking.!It!was!perhaps!foolhardy!to!believe!that!Casimir:s!trust!of!this!man:s!
brother!extended!to!Hans!himself.!But!it!wouldn:t!be!long!before!the!men!loyal!to!her!
mother!tracked!her!down,!so!if!she!was!going!to!find!her!brother!and!plead!her!case!
with!him,!then!it!needed!to!be!now.!
She!didn:t!catch!his!response!to!her!last!question.!HSlower!please?H!she!asked!in!
German.!
HIndeed,H!he!repeated!in!English.!It!took!her!a!moment!but!she!recalled!it!was!an!
answer!in!the!affirmative.!
HGood.!When!can!you!leave?H!
He!stood!with!his!hands!behind!his!back.!HI!had!a!busy!morning,!but!I!suppose!that!
I!can!set!all!of!that!aside!to!be!your!escort.H!
She!sensed!some!humor!lacing!his!words,!though!she!wasn:t!sure!precisely!where!it!
was!lurking!beneath!his!impassive!face!and!dry!tone.!It!was!perhaps!for!the!best!that!his!
personality!was!lacking,!as!otherwise!he!would!be!quite!devastatingly!handsome.!
Flaxen!blond!hair,!a!strong!jaw,!and!eyes!as!vivid!as!the!blue!irises!that!had!grown!near!
her!home!when!she!was!a!child.!Rather!than!respond!to!the!mild!humor!she!thought!
she!detected,!she!merely!said,!HThat!will!be!acceptable.H!
His!eyebrows!rose!very!slightly,!but!he!nodded.!HPerhaps!you!would!like!to!refresh!
yourself!while!I!gather!a!few!things?H!
HYes.!Please.H!
!
*!*!*!
!
Hans!remanded!the!intriguing!Frau!Rokiczana!to!Albert!and!called!for!his!valet!to!
attend!him.!!
HWhat!do!we!know!of!this!lady?H!he!asked!as!soon!as!Erich!entered.!!
The!valet!smoothly!went!about!his!labors!while!informing!Hans.!HShe!arrived!alone,!
on!a!winded!horse.!It!is!of!good,!but!not!excellent,!quality.!Although!the!state!of!the!
horse!and!the!fact!she!is!alone!would!indicate!she!is!running!from!something,!she!did!
not!have!any!impatience!with!the!servants.!Based!only!on!her!interactions,!she!would!
appear!to!have!arrived!for!a!social!call.H!
HAnything!else!of!note?H!
HShe!has!no!baggage!other!than!one!small!valise!on!the!horse:s!saddle.H!
HInteresting.H!Hans!thought!through!his!options.!She!hadn:t!brought!a!maid!or!
chaperone!for!her!protection.!Should!he!insist!on!providing!one?!The!larger!their!party,!
the!slower!their!progress!would!be!to!London.!He!was!trustworthy,!which!was!
certainly!more!than!he!could!say!for!the!brother!to!which!Casimir!had!referred!her,!but!
didn:t!know!if!she!would!resist!traveling!under!the!guise!of!husband!and!wife!in!order!
to!protect!her.!And!that!led!him!back!to!wondering!why!Casimir!had!encouraged!her!to!
contact!Henry!in!the!first!place.!Yes,!the!two!of!them!had!been!thick!as!thieves!for!years!
now,!but!didn:t!the!Polishman!know!that!Henry!had!a!certain...!weakness!when!it!came!
to!the!fairer!sex?!HIf!she!is!in!a!hurry,!then!I!had!best!convey!her!to!her!brother!in!all!
haste.!Would!you!mind!acting!the!coachman!for!us?H!
HOf!course!not,!sir.H!
Hans!knew!that!there!was!no!one!he!would!rather!entrust!with!the!lady:s!safety!and!
secrets!than!Erich.!They!had!served!together!in!the!Wars,!with!the!ironclad!trust!
inherent!in!such!a!shared!background.!Perhaps!it!was!due!to!his!recent!years!in!more!
clandestine!work,!but!he!had!no!interest!in!sharing!the!Rokiczanas:!information!with!
anyone.!To!his!mind!the!fewer!people!who!knew!who!she!was,!or!where!she!was!going,!
the!better.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Krystyna!was!taken!to!a!gorgeously!appointed!burgundy!and!gold!bedroom,!and!
provided!a!maid!for!help!in!her!toilette.!She!took!advantage!of!the!opportunity,!having!
her!dress!aired!and!brushed!while!she!gave!herself!a!quick!towel!bath.!Geography!she!
understood,!as!well!as!rates!of!travel.!It!was!probably!too!much!to!hope!for!that!Herr!
Von!Rosen!would!agree!to!travel!on!horseback.!Horses!were!also!something!she!
understood.!At!the!moment,!she!envied!her!brother:s!facility!with!languages,!but!she!
wouldn’t!allow!her!own!unfamiliarity!with!English!be!a!deterrent.!Further,!her!own!
skills!and!strengths!might!serve!her!just!as!well!on!this!journey!now!that!she!had!an!
interpreter.!And,!although!it!irked!her!to!admit!it,!protector.!Even!if!she!didn:t!like!it,!
men!served!a!purpose.!!
Her!mother!had!often!criticized!the!waspish!disregard!that!Krystyna!had!for!men.!
HNo!husband!will!want!to!be!treated!like!a!pack!horse,H!she!would!say.!But!Krystyna!
assumed!it!didn:t!matter!how!she!treated!men,!as!her!marriage!had!been!arranged!when!
she!was!barely!old!enough!to!speak.!Obviously!who!she!was,!and!how!she!chose!to!be,!
had!no!bearing!on!the!relationship!whatsoever.!She!suspected,!however,!that!her!
overbearing!manner!and!wicked!tongue!had!made!her!mother!delay!the!engagement!
even!longer!than!might!be!expected!under!the!excuses!of!family!tragedies.!It!had!been!
four!years!since!her!father:s!death.!Yes,!the!dark!shadow!of!the!crimes!of!which!he!had!
been!accused!still!lingered!over!them,!but!in!the!intervening!years!Krystyna!had!aged!
from!ingénue!to!spinster.!Her!mother!regretted,!no!doubt,!that!the!family!had!decided!to!
wait!until!Casimir:s!engagement!before!allowing!her!to!marry.!It!should!have!been!a!
simple!delay!that!had!her!wed!and!bed!over!four!years!ago.!Instead,!it!had!turned!into!
an!eternal!delay.!
!
! !
Chapter!Three!!
Hans!wasn:t!surprised!that!his!guest!was!timely!in!meeting!him!in!the!foyer.!She!
managed!to!seem!both!impatient!and!unhurried!at!the!same!time.!
HFrau,H!he!said,!with!a!nod!to!her.!HIf!it!meets!your!approval,!we!will!leave!your!
horse!in!the!care!of!our!grooms!and!take!the!small!carriage?H!
He!saw!a!brief!tightening!of!her!lips!but!she!nodded!readily!enough.!HI!am!at!your!
mercy,!Herr!Von!Rosen.H!
Her!tone!was!neutral,!but!he!had!spent!some!time!now!in!the!business!of!observing!
others.!HYou!would!prefer!horseback?H!
HI!would!prefer!haste.H!
HThere!are!any!number!of!misfortunes!that!can!befall!two!riders!on!horseback.H!
HArguing!about!it!will!just!waste!our!time.!However!you!wish!to!proceed,!Herr!Von!
Rosen,!I!am!at!your!disposal.H!
His!instinct!was!that!she!was!being!pursued,!and!concerned!that!her!pursuers!
would!overtake!her!if!she!tarried!too!long.!Although!not!sure!she!should!be!avoiding!
whoever!it!was,!the!only!factor!he!could!be!sure!of!was!Casimir.!She!wanted!to!go!to!
Casimir.!He!wanted!to!talk!to!Casimir.!It!was!a!mutually!beneficial!arrangement.!
HI!thought!a!light!carriage!to!be!a!good!compromise.!There!are!risks,!certainly,!
should!the!weather!turn!on!us,!but!it!would!offer!some!protection!that!mere!horseback!
would!not.!I!took!the!liberty!of!having!your!bag!transferred.H!He!held!his!arm!out.!HIf!
you!would!like!to!proceed,!frau?H!
She!delicately!rested!her!hand!at!his!elbow!with!all!the!aplomb!of!a!queen!accepting!
escort!from!a!lowly!knight.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Four!hours!had!passed!and!Herr!Von!Rosen!hadn:t!uttered!so!much!as!a!word.!He!
seemed!unconcerned!by!the!silence,!at!his!ease!in!the!carriage!seat.!It!was,!indeed,!
a!small!carriage!and!she!could!scarce!avoid!bumping!up!against!him!as!the!tiny!
conveyance!careened!up!and!down!the!narrow!roads.!To!distract!herself!she!tried!to!
calculate!speed!and!guess!at!their!route!in!order!to!predict!how!much!time!the!journey!
would!take.!With!any!luck,!it!could!be!less!than!four!days.!Depending,!of!course,!on!
whether!Herr!Von!Rosen!had!the!same!desire!for!speed!that!she!did.!Night!was!already!
falling,!however,!so!their!first!day:s!journey!was!almost!at!an!end.!
When!he!spoke,!it!took!her!by!such!surprise!that!she!almost!jumped.!HWe!had!not!
discussed!it,!but!for!your!protection!I!planned!for!us!to!travel!under!the!guise!of!a!
married!couple.!With!separate!rooms,!as!befits!our!station,!of!course.H!
She!nodded!slowly.!HThat!is!agreeable.H!
HThis!close!to!my!home!it!is!possible!that!we!will!encounter!someone!who!knows!
me,!so!let!us!be!clear!on!our!story.!I!would!say!that!we!met!through!my!brother!Henry,!
perhaps!two!years!ago?!But!only!recently!married.H!
HHow!will!you!explain!my!absence!after!this?H!
Von!Rosen!smiled,!an!arresting!smile!that!transformed!his!passive!face!into!one!of!
devilish!amusement.!HLeave!that!to!me.H!
She!would!leave!it!to!him.!She!would!most!likely!leave!anything!to!him!that!caused!
his!expression!to!change!such!that!her!air!felt!clogged!in!her!chest!and!her!heart!
stumbled!a!beat!or!two.!The!last!thing!she!wanted!was!an!unwelcome!attraction!to!a!
man!she!hoped!to!only!know!for!a!few!days.!The!carriage!swayed!again,!causing!her!to!
tip!towards!him,!but!she!held!on!to!the!door!for!dear!life.!Three!days,!or!perhaps!a!few!
more.!She!could!keep!her!distance!from!him.!
!
*!*!*!
!
In!his!experience,!women!were!chatty.!They!commented!on!scenery,!fashion,!the!
weather,!or!any!other!thing!that!crossed!their!minds.!They!were!taught!to!be!
conversational,!encouraged!to!engage!a!man!in!a!polite!exchange!of!pleasantries,!if!
nothing!else.!Frau!Rokiczana!seemed!disinclined!to!do!any!such!thing.!Her!brother!had!
been!the!one!full!of!entertaining!chatter.!Casimir!was!like!Henry!in!that!way,!too!clever!
of!mind!not!to!entertain!themselves!in!conversation!with!others.!Casimir:s!sister,!
however,!seemed!closer!in!character!to!Hans:!own!taciturn!nature.!Oddly,!that!made!
him!want!to!strike!up!a!conversation!with!her.!It!would!only!be!polite,!would!it!not?!But!
after!some!moments!trying!to!come!up!with!a!topic,!he!realized!that!her!aloof!demeanor!
and!his!own!reticence!made!any!conversation!unlikely.!She!seemed!perfectly!content!to!
stare!out!her!window!at!the!passing!scenery,!carefully!keeping!to!her!side!of!the!
carriage.!When!he!finally!spoke,!however,!her!reaction!had!signified!an!alert!tension!
and!after!their!short!exchange!she!had!pushed!herself!even!closer!to!the!door.!
Hans!knocked!twice!on!the!ceiling,!the!arranged!signal!to!tell!Erich!to!stop!as!
planned.!The!village!had!a!rather!large!inn,!and!the!horses!could!be!traded!if!they!did!
not!recover!overnight.!
HWe:re!stopping?H!her!voice!had!taken!on!a!different!quality,!a!bit!breathless.!
HIn!a!bit,H!he!said.!HIt!would!be!too!dangerous!to!continue!past!nightfall.H!
She!nodded!and!turned!her!attention!back!to!the!failing!light!outside.!HJust!three!
more!days!at!this!pace,!yes?H!
HThree!or!four!to!Calais,H!he!agreed!carefully.!HDepending!on!weather,!horseshoes,!
and!other!surprises.!Then!we!need!to!cross!the!channel!and!make!our!way!to!London.!
All!told!it!will!be!at!least!five!or!six!days.H!
She!nodded!again!and!he!heard!her!give!a!tiny!sigh.!HIt!would!have!been!faster!on!
horseback.H!
!
*!*!*!
!
She!would!certainly!say!that!Von!Rosen!and!his!man!were!solicitous!of!her!needs.!
They!hovered!over!her!in!the!stable!yard,!escorted!her!through!the!inn,!and!ensured!a!
bath!had!been!ordered!before!leaving!her!alone!in!an!admittedly!spacious!room.!Her!
escort!would!be!sleeping!in!the!adjoining!room,!and!his!man!would!stay!with!the!
carriage.!Although!she!wanted!nothing!more!than!to!continue!their!journey,!she!
couldn:t!insist!that!they!risk!the!horses!and!themselves!in!the!dark.!Instead,!she!chose!to!
luxuriate!in!the!provided!bath!and!curl!up!under!the!warm!if!rustic!blankets.!Were!this!
to!be!her!last!adventure!before!marriage,!she!would!try!to!enjoy!it!as!best!she!could.!
Mama!was!undoubtedly!worried,!but!Krystyna!was!sure!she!could!talk!some!sense!into!
Casimir!and!be!home!before!the!end!of!the!year,!even!if!her!escort!was!traveling!at!a!
slower!rate!than!she!hoped.!Hopefully!if!Mama!sent!men!on!her!heels!from!the!hints!of!
her!plans!in!the!note!she!had!left,!they!would!be!too!far!behind!to!catch!up!even!at!this!
speed.!
!
! !
Chapter!Four!!
Soldiers,!as!a!rule,!were!adept!at!sleeping!whenever!and!wherever!they!could.!At!
the!moment!sleep!was!eluding!Hans.!As!a!supposed!newlywed!he!hadn:t!wanted!to!
stay!down!in!the!tavern!for!long.!However,!that!meant!listening!to!Frau!Rokiczana!take!
her!bath.!He!wrapped!the!pillow!around!his!head!in!order!to!not!intrude!into!her!
privacy!in!even!this!unintentional!way,!but!then!he!became!concerned!that!she!could!
slip!or!need!help,!which!in!retrospect!were!terrible!excuses,!but!it!meant!that!he!lay!
there!in!the!dark!listening!to!her!humming!and!soft!splashes!for!nigh!on!a!quarter!of!an!
hour.!Shortly!after!that,!the!pale!candlelight!shining!under!their!adjoining!door!was!
snuffed!out,!and!he!heard!the!creak!of!her!climbing!into!her!bed.!
He!had!never!thought!very!deeply!about!taking!a!wife.!He!always!supposed!he!
would!at!some!later!date,!even!if!he!hadn:t!really!been!looking!at!women!as!potential!
wives.!But!there!was!much!to!recommend!about!escorting!a!woman!such!as!Frau!
Rokiczana!into!a!room!and!being!able!to!claim!her.!When!they!arrived,!all!of!the!patrons!
had!looked!on!her!much!as!Hans!and!his!own!staff!had,!as!a!lady.!She!had!an!air!that!
demanded!respect.!If!he!were!to!begin!a!list!of!qualities!he!wanted!in!a!wife,!he!would!
include!that.!Not!that!he!had!any!deficit!in!commanding!respect!himself,!but!it!had!been!
intriguing!to!stand!behind!her!and!experience!the!reflected!glory.!Perhaps!that!was!
similar!to!the!feeling!troops!had!experienced!following!him!into!battle.!
He!turned!on!his!side.!If!that!were!true,!however,!she!might!not!feel!as!confident!as!
she!seemed.!Hans!himself!was!a!risk\taker!at!heart.!He!had!never!truly!been!as!
confident!as!everyone!thought.!His!experience!was!that!it!didn:t!matter!how!he!felt,!it!
only!mattered!how!he!acted.!Was!that!also!true!of!Frau!Rokiczana?!It!would!be!folly!to!
expect!her!experiences!to!mirror!his!own,!but!the!thought!was!hard!to!dismiss.!Finally!
lulled!by!the!silence!from!her!room,!he!fell!into!his!slumber.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Two!more!days!passed!in!relative!silence.!Krystyna!found!that!if!she!asked!Von!
Rosen!about!the!terrain!or!towns,!he!was!quite!familiar!with!the!area,!but!he!seemed!no!
more!interested!in!a!prolonged!conversation!than!she!did.!However,!the!atmosphere!
inside!the!carriage!changed!from!one!of!tension!to!a!more!settled!and!comfortable!quiet.!
She!didn:t!cling!to!the!door!with!the!tenacity!she!had!the!first!day,!and!actually!became!
quite!used!to!having!his!solid!form!next!to!her.!When!the!carriage!would!hit!a!rut!he!
put!a!steadying!hand!on!her!and!the!spot!on!her!arm!would!stay!warm!for!long!minutes!
after!he!let!her!go.!She!was!glad!that!he!didn:t!feel!the!need!to!be!charming.!She!had!
other!things!to!occupy!her!mind!rather!than!fending!off!flirtatious!gentlemen.!
That!night!he!asked!her!to!remain!in!the!carriage!as!he!secured!their!rooms,!saying!
that!the!accommodations!weren:t!as!savory!as!those!they!had!used!thus!far.!She!didn:t!
want!to!confide!to!him!that!she!had!seen!any!number!of!unsavory!things!in!her!lifetime.!
Being!treated!as!a!pampered!lady!was!yet!another!way!of!being!sure!she!was!delivered!
to!her!brother!with!all!haste!and!minimal!amorous!advances.!
There!was!a!knock!at!the!carriage!door.!HIt:s!Hans.H!
HYes?H!
He!opened!the!door,!holding!aloft!a!lantern.!His!expression!was!chagrined.!HWe!
will!be!sharing!a!room!this!eve.H!
HThey!didn:t!have!sufficient!accommodations?H!
He!looked!over!his!shoulder.!When!his!gaze!returned!it!was!quite!grave.!HI!don:t!
trust!the!patrons.!I:m!not!letting!you!out!of!my!sight.H!
She!nodded!once!and!gathered!her!things.!!
As!soon!as!she!alit!from!their!carriage!he!thrust!a!bundle!of!cloth!into!her!hands.!
HPut!on!this!cloak.!Cover!up!as!well!as!you!can!with!it.H!
She!looked!up!at!him.!Tall,!imposing!Von!Rosen!had!a!tension!to!his!jaw!that!
bespoke!sensing!trouble.!No!one!needed!to!prove!to!her!that!terrible!things!happened!in!
the!world.!In!her!life!she!had!seen!things,!heard!things,!that!were!horrifying.!She!
huddled!into!the!cloak,!bending!over!and!holding!her!arms!at!an!angle!that!would!
indicate!both!girth!and!age.!Taking!his!arm,!she!waddled!beside!him!like!someone:s!
decrepit!old!aunt.!
Von!Rosen!whispered!down!to!her.!HWhat!are!you!doing?H!
HBeing!unattractive,H!she!replied,!following!up!with!a!hacking!cough!and!spit.!
He!chuckled.!HYou:re!brilliant!at!it.H!
Her!only!reply!was!an!indelicate!snort.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Hans!closed!and!locked!the!door!of!their!room!while!his!charge!took!off!her!cloak.!
Her!impromptu!disguise!had!been!stunning!for!the!purposes!of!making!her!
unremarkable!and!downright!unattractive!to!the!patrons!of!the!inn.!He!leaned!against!
the!door,!grinning.!HYou!know!they!think!I!married!you.!Or!what!they!now!suspect!to!
be!a!warty,!fat!little!troll!who!was!under!that!cloak.H!
Her!eyes!danced!with!mirth!and!she!sat!on!the!bed.!HYou!can!tell!them!that!you!
married!me!for!my!money.H!
HWhy!would!a!Von!Rosen!need!to!marry!for!money?H!
She!tipped!her!head!to!the!side!as!though!considering.!HThen!perhaps!for!my!very!
blue!blood?H!
Prepossessed,!confident!Krystyna!Rokiczana!had!been!attractive!and!admirable.!
Silly,!teasing!Krystyna!Rokiczana!was!absolutely!devastating.!If!he!were!any!younger,!
any!less!honorable,!any!less!trained!to!self\restraint,!he!would!already!be!wooing!her!in!
an!attempt!to!take!her!in!this!very!bed.!HWe!should!get!some!sleep.!Leaving!early!may!
avoid!unpleasantness!in!the!morning.H!
HTrue!enough.H!She!removed!her!shoes!and!rolled!down!her!stockings!as!though!his!
being!in!the!room!didn:t!bother!her!a!whit.!Soft,!thin!stockings.!Fine!wool?!Silk?!He!
couldn’t!tell!without!staring.!Or!touching.!
He!sat!on!the!straight\backed!chair!to!remove!his!boots.!
HDo!you!need!help!with!those?H!
HIt:s!not!the!easiest!thing,!but!I!can!manage.H!
HDon:t!be!stubborn.H!She!knelt!in!front!of!him!and!took!hold!of!the!boot!he!had!
started!to!work!loose.!
HI!don:t!want!you!to!get!your!dress!dirty.H!
HThen!do!a!better!job!of!wiping!your!feet!on!the!way!in!next!time.H!She!plucked!the!
first!boot!off!in!a!quarter!the!time!it!would!have!taken!him!to!remove!it!himself.!HI!used!
to!remove!papa:s!boots.!And!of!course!Casimir:s,!when!he!was!little.H!The!second!boot!
came!off!just!as!quickly.!HSee?!All!done.!And!I!can!dust!myself!off!just!fine.H!
Watching!her!dust!the!flecks!of!dirt!off!her!bodice!as!she!knelt!before!him!sent!a!
dart!of!longing!through!him!that!he!had!never!experienced!before.!Not!lust,!precisely,!
but!a!wanting!that!had!a!sweeter!edge!to!it.!The!desire!to!kiss!her!made!him!ache.!
She!seemed!to!sense!him!watching!her!and!looked!up.!HWhat?!
He!changed!the!direction!of!his!thoughts!by!force!of!will.!HOnce!you:re!in!bed!I!can!
turn!down!the!lantern.H!
HThen!turn!around!a!moment!so!that!I!can!take!off!my!dress.!It:s!far!too!heavy!to!
sleep!in.H!
He!bit!back!a!groan!and!dutifully!stood,!turning!his!eyes!to!the!wall.!
HAre!you!sleeping!in!the!bed,!too?H!she!asked.!
HNo,H!he!said,!perhaps!more!sharply!than!he!meant!to.!HIn!front!of!the!door.H!
HThat!can:t!be!comfortable.H!
HI:ve!had!worse.H!
HDo!you!want!the!pillow!or!a!blanket?H!
HKeep!them.!I:ll!be!fine!with!the!cloak.H!He!heard!the!creak!of!rope!supports.!HYou:re!
in!bed?H!
HYes.H!
HGood!night!then.H!He!turned!down!the!lantern!before!he!could!look!at!her!in!the!
bed.!Before!he!could!see!her!with!her!hair!down,!curled!under!the!blankets!to!sleep.!
Yes,!it!would!be!a!long,!hard!night,!but!not!because!he!was!sleeping!on!the!floor.!!
!
! !
Chapter!Five!!
Krystyna!bit!her!lip!and!snuggled!deeper!under!the!covers.!Good!God,!she!had!
been!flirting!with!Hans!Von!Rosen.!She!was!lucky!that!he!was!as!honorable!as!he!
seemed.!But!that!tiny!bit!of!playacting!had!taken!her!back!to!a!time!before!her!father!
had!died,!a!time!when!her!talent!at!playacting!had!very!real,!very!profitable!results.!Her!
father!had!called!her!królewna,!princess,!but!she!was!so!much!more!than!that.!She!had!
been!his!right!hand,!planning!coach!robberies!or,!as!papa!liked!to!call!it,!saving!the!
wealthy!from!their!excess!of!wealth.!
Hans!hadn:t!needed!to!tell!her!that!the!Von!Rosens!were!wealthy.!There!had!been!a!
time!when!Krystyna!might!have!known!more!about!their!holdings!than!Hans!did!
himself.!Even!if!she!couldn:t!tell!the!difference!between!Hans!and!Henry!on!sight,!she!
knew!who!they!were.!Knew!what!they!were!worth,!or!likely!to!be!worth!when!they!
stood!to!inherit.!Families!like!the!Von!Rosens!were!:above!our!touch:!as!papa!used!to!
say.!In!other!words,!they!weren:t!just!rich,!they!were!rich!enough!to!shake!out!the!
woods!of!Silesia!if!they!took!offense!to!a!robbery.!But!Krystyna!had!always!dreamed!
that!one!day!her!family!would!be!as!rich!as!one!of!those.!That!one!day!she!would!be!
above!others:!touch.!
She!tossed!over!onto!her!side.!Then!papa!had!been!taken!by!the!constables!and!
charged!with!treason.!Treason!!They!had!beheaded!him!before!any!defense!could!be!
sought!for!him.!In!her!mind!the!constables!were!as!good!as!murderers.!How!dare!they!
judge!the!Rokiczana!family?!Her!people!were!only!seeking!to!right!the!wrongs!of!the!
past.!It!had!been!a!sudden,!harsh!lesson!in!politics.!Now!her!brother!was!throwing!
away!everything!they!had!worked!to!achieve.!And!for!what?!It!made!no!sense!to!her.!
She!tossed!onto!her!other!side.!
HAre!you!all!right?H!Hans!asked!from!his!spot!on!the!floor.!
HYes,!sorry.!Just!chilly,!I!suppose.H!
She!heard!him!moving!and!wondered!what!she!had!gotten!herself!into!with!that!
white!lie.!The!ropes!creaked!as!he!lay!down!atop!the!covers!next!to!her!and!pulled!her!
close.!HBetter?H!
She!was!cocooned!in!heat!from!his!body,!emphasized!by!a!blush!in!response!to!his!
nearness.!HYes.!I:m!quite!warm!now.H!
HSleep.H!
She!wouldn:t!have!thought!it!possible!to!sleep!with!him!so!close,!his!arms!around!
her.!But!before!she!knew!it!she!was!waking,!chilly,!with!the!earliest!light!of!morning!
seeping!in!through!the!grimy!window.!She!sat!up.!
HHans?H!
He!stirred!from!his!pallet!by!the!door.!HYes?H!
HWhy!are!you!down!there!again?H!
Rather!than!answer!her!question,!he!stood.!HIf!you:re!awake,!we!should!make!haste!
to!leave.H!
HTurn!around!so!that!I!can!put!on!my!dress.H!
He!turned,!shaking!out!the!cloak!he!had!slept!with!on!the!floor,!and!she!scrambled!
into!her!warm!woolen!dress!and!rolled!on!her!stockings.!They!were!both!ready!in!a!trice!
and!Hans!covered!her!with!the!voluminous!cloak!again!before!taking!her!out!to!the!
carriage.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Frau!Rokiczana,!Krystyna,!no!longer!shied!from!his!touch.!She!readily!shared!the!
meager!bread!and!cheese!they!had!been!able!to!secure,!and!twice!today!she!had!leaned!
across!him!to!look!at!the!view!outside!his!window,!resting!her!hand!on!his!thigh!to!
steady!herself.!It!was!like!having!one!foot!in!heaven!and!one!in!hell.!He!had!been!
attracted!to!women!he!couldn:t!have!before,!of!course.!What!man!hadn:t!had!to!deal!
with!that?!But!never!this!keenly,!and!in!such!intimate!quarters.!He!finally!had!some!
sympathy!for!the!poets!who!carried!on!about!unrequited!love.!Unrequited!lust,!really,!
was!what!it!amounted!to.!But!either!way,!he!simply!firmed!his!jaw!and!tried!to!remain!
neutral!and!pleasant.!She!spoke!more!now,!asked!more!questions.!As!he!had!spent!
much!of!his!life!traveling!he!was!able!to!answer!most!of!them.!
He!had!barely!slept!the!night!before,!and!as!the!afternoon!wore!on!his!exhaustion!
got!the!better!of!him.!He!dozed!off!in!their!companionable!silence!while!she!was!staring!
out!her!own!window,!then!awoke!again!with!a!jolt!as!their!carriage!rolled!to!a!stop.!
There!was!barely!any!light!outside!and!a!very!warm,!deeply!asleep!Krystyna!Rokiczana!
rested!in!his!arms.!A!knock!at!the!door!made!her!shift!and!waken.!
HYes?H!Hans!called.!
Erich!opened!the!door,!and!if!he!was!surprised!to!see!the!young!woman!moving!out!
of!Hans:!arms!he!didn:t!show!it.!HWe!could!stop!in!this!town!for!the!evening,!Herr!Von!
Rosen,!but!I!can!see!the!lights!of!Calais!from!here.!Do!you!wish!to!press!on?H!
Hans!knew!that!their!best!chance!for!a!crossing!tomorrow!would!be!to!continue!so!
they!could!find!a!ship!early!in!the!morning.!Conversely,!it!was!tempting!to!suggest!
caution!simply!to!ensure!more!time!with!her.!It!was!precisely!that!temptation!that!had!
him!saying,!HIf!it!seems!safe!to!do!so,!let!us!head!for!Calais!this!evening.H!
Erich!nodded.!HOf!course,!Herr!Von!Rosen.H!
When!the!door!closed!Krystyna!said,!HThank!you.H!
HFor!what?H!
HI!know!that!my!haste!must!be!a!burden,!and!you!have!been!very!kind.H!
HI:m!not!precisely!known!for!my!slow!pace,!so!your!needs!have!been!no!burden.H!
She!smiled!at!him,!and!even!in!the!dim!light!he!could!see!that!she!was!showing!
something!of!herself!without!artifice,!that!it!was!a!genuine!smile,!and!something!in!him!
wanted!to!respond!in!kind.!Smile.!Laugh.!Share!something!more!of!himself.!Another!
part!warned!him!of!the!folly.!The!first!part!was!quite!insistent,!however,!and!he!found!
his!own!lips!curving!upwards.!Unsated,!that!part!of!him!urged!that!he!kiss!her.!Just!a!
simple,!sweet!kiss,!it!insisted.!He!chose!to!ignore!it!and!turned!his!attention!away!from!
her.!
HIf!you!watch!out!the!window,H!he!said,!Hyou!will!see!the!city!lights!brighten!as!we!
approach.H!
Her!attention!was!diverted!as!he:d!hoped.!HReally?!They!have!streetlights!in!
Wroclaw!but!you!can:t!see!them!from!a!distance.H!
HThe!French!enjoy!their!nightlife.!In!Paris!the!streets!are!almost!as!bright!as!daylight!
in!the!middle!of!the!night.H!
HNo.!Truly?H!
HIndeed,!I!have!seen!it!once.H!
HWhat!of!London?H!
HI!have!not!been!there!before,!so!I!suppose!we!shall!see.H!
HLondon!will!have!bright!streets!at!night,H!she!predicted.!HThey!have!more!money!
than!they!know!what!to!do!with.H!
Her!tone!had!darkened!but!her!observation!made!him!chuckle.!HSome!of!them,!yes,!
but!not!all.H!
HSurely!you:re!not!defending!the!British?H!
HDefending?!No.!It:s!just!a!matter!of!practical!evidence.H!
HOf!course!there!are!always!sługa.!Peasants.!Who!else!to!act!the!servants?H!
HI!don:t!think!I:ll!tell!Erich!that!you!referred!to!him!as!a!peasant.H!
HIsn:t!it!true,!though?!By!birth!we!are!assigned!a!role,!either!master!or!servant.!
Simply!by!virtue!of!the!blood!that!runs!through!our!veins,!rather!than!any!measure!of!
our!means!or!abilities.!A!rich!peasant!remains!a!peasant.!A!poor!noble!remains!a!noble.H!
HThere!are!those!that!fall!between.H!
HMerchants?!Who!are!despised!by!master!and!servant!alike?H!
HClergy.!Military.!Occupations!for!gentleman!and!common!men!alike,!where!ability!
can!dictate!achievement.H!
Even!in!the!dim!light!he!could!see!the!eyebrow!she!arched!at!him.!HOfficers!colors!
are!purchased,!as!are!plum!clerical!assignments.H!
Debating!with!her!was!delightful.!HYou!seem!passionately!interested!in!the!plight!of!
the!classes,!for!a!blue!blood.H!
That!seemed!to!quiet!her!and!she!turned!back!to!the!window.!HYes,!I!do,!don:t!I?H!
The!final!hour!to!Calais!passed!in!relative!silence.!
!
! !
Chapter!Six!!
The!inn!in!Calais!was!the!grandest!of!the!places!they!had!stayed.!Even!if!he!wasn:t!
the!Von!Rosen!heir,!being!one!of!the!middle!sons,!it!was!clear!that!Hans!had!ready!
access!to!a!gentleman:s!income.!Although!it!was!quite!late!when!they!arrived,!they!were!
accorded!every!luxury,!and!within!minutes!Krystyna!found!herself!alone!in!a!large,!
well\appointed!room!with!no!idea!if!Hans!was!even!housed!nearby.!He!had!stayed!
downstairs!in!the!public!room!while!a!maid!had!shown!Krystyna!up!the!stairs.!Feeling!
restless,!she!paced!in!front!of!the!large!fireplace.!The!weather!had!turned!noticeably!
colder!outside,!which!shouldn:t!be!a!surprise!as!they!were!well!into!December.!
Tomorrow!they!would!cross!the!Channel!and!be!a!day!or!so!from!London,!from!
Casimir.!Only!now!was!she!beginning!to!feel!some!trepidation!about!her!mission.!What!
if!Casimir!didn:t!listen!to!her?!Even!if!he!was!her!little!brother,!he!was!technically!head!
of!the!family!now.!Whatever!decisions!he!made,!she!was!bound!to!them.!It!was!
infuriating.!!
After!a!few!turns!on!the!carpet!she!realized!that!the!room!was!quite!spacious!
indeed,!and!that!one!thing!was!assured!to!take!her!mind!off!her!troubles.!She!retrieved!
her!shawl!from!her!valise.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Hans!had!raised!two!tankards!with!the!men!in!the!tavern!room.!It!had!been!useful,!
as!he!now!had!recommendations!for!ships!and!captains!to!contact!come!morning.!Or!
rather,!Erich!would!be!contacting!them,!which!meant!that!Hans!could!have!a!leisurely!
breakfast!with!Frau!Rokiczana!before!they!set!out!on!the!last!leg!of!their!journey.!He!
stopped!at!the!top!of!the!steps!and!counted!doors.!His!was!the!fourth!to!the!left.!And,!as!
they!had!carefully!pointed!out!to!him,!his!wife:s!was!the!third.!Should!he!check!on!her?!
She!was!most!likely!asleep.!But!perhaps!she!wasn:t.!Was!she!cold!again,!as!she!had!been!
last!evening?!
He!stood!in!front!of!her!door,!indecisive.!Hans!was!never!indecisive.!He!should!go!
to!his!own!bed,!avoid!any!chance!that!the!spark!of!attraction!between!them!became!
something!more.!It!was!dangerous!for!it!to!be!something!more.!He!was!not!a!man!to!
take!advantage,!or!to!mislead.!When!he!married!it!would!require!a!good!deal!more!
thought!than!finding!a!woman!who!attracted!him.!Delighted!him,!really.!She!was!a!
good!deal!feistier!than!at!first!she!seemed.!He!would,!perhaps,!consider!her!to!be!on!the!
list!of!potential!wives,!but!that!was!a!far!cry!from!throwing!caution!aside!and!leading!
her!to!believe!there!was!some!chance!of!a!future!for!them.!She!deserved!nothing!but!
respect.!He!shouldn’t!bother!her.!
He!knocked.!
She!answered!quickly.!HYes?H!
He!leaned!against!the!door,!trying!to!visualize!her.!HIt:s!Hans.!I!wanted!to!see!if!you!
needed!anything!before!I!took!my!rest.H!
The!door!opened!a!bit.!HNo,!I:m!fine.H!
She!was!smiling!at!him,!but!also!breathing!heavily,!and!sweaty,!with!a!shawl!
wrapped!around!her!shoulders.!Something!primal!and!dark!and!not!altogether!healthy!
streaked!through!him.!
He!pushed!the!door!open.!HWho!is!in!here?H!he!demanded.!
She!stumbled!back!a!step!as!he!moved!past!her,!eyes!scanning!the!room.!
HNo!one!is!in!here!other!than!me.H!
HWhat!were!you!doing?H!he!barked.!He!recognized!his!tone!as!the!one!used!to!
correct!wayward!recruits,!but!he!would!be!damned!if!Frau!Rokiczana!would!be!
entertaining!gentlemen!while!also!masquerading!as!his!wife.!He!would!credit,!however,!
that!she!stood!up!to!his!questions!a!great!deal!better!than!a!fresh!recruit.!She!didn:t!even!
stiffen!into!the!imperious!posture!he!had!seen!her!affect!before,!merely!stared!at!him!for!
a!moment!as!though!she!thought!he!was!addled!before!answering.!
HI!was!dancing.H!
He!looked!at!her!again,!from!her!hair!falling!loose!of!its!pins,!to!her!heaving!bosom,!
to!her!bare!feet.!HDancing?H!He!didn:t!think!he:d!had!quite!enough!drink!for!the!floor!to!
shift!under!him!like!this.!
HYes.!Not!that!fancy,!stiff!dance!you!are!used!to!practicing!in!the!ballroom.!Real!
dancing.!Traditional!dancing.H!She!grinned!at!him.!HWould!you!like!for!me!to!teach!
you?H!
She!held!the!shawl!out,!her!arms!in!graceful!arcs,!and!pointed!one!bare!foot!out!
toward!him!as!she!bowed,!a!clear!invitation!to!the!dance.!
He!backed!away!from!her!as!though!she!were!made!of!living!flame.!HNo,!I!should!
rest.!You!should!rest.!We!leave!early!and!it!could!be!a!very!long!day.H!He!moved!
toward!the!door.!HI!hope!rough!seas!don:t!bother!you;!I!hear!the!Channel!crossing!can!
be!quite!rough.!We!should!have!a!good!breakfast!unless!you!think!the!sea!will!bother!
you,!then!perhaps!just!something!light.!Although!it!will!only!be!a!few!hours!to!cross.H!
He!had!the!door!in!hand!and!stopped!there!for!a!moment.!HYou:ll!tell!me!if!you!need!
anything?!The!room!seems!satisfactory.!And!warm.!I!hope!you!sleep!well.H!He!closed!
the!door!before!his!overactive!mouth!could!dribble!out!more!useless!information.!HDon:t!
forget!to!lock!your!door.!And!I:m!in!the!next!room!if!you!need!anything.H!
HIn!what!direction?H!Her!voice!was!clear,!as!though!she!were!standing!as!close!to!
her!side!of!the!door!as!he!was!to!his.!
HTo!the!left.H!
HVery!well.!Goodnight,!Hans.H!
HGoodnight,!Krystyna.H!
What!had!come!over!him?!Seeing!her!flushed!and!breathless!he!had!immediately!
become!jealous!and!possessive,!as!though!he!had!some!right!to!her.!He!had!never!
known!himself!to!have!such!a!response!in!regard!to!a!woman.!Was!it!merely!an!affront!
to!his!pride!while!she!was!masquerading!as!his!wife?!Or!was!it!something!else,!
something!deeper?!
He!walked!to!his!own!room!and!closed!the!door.!He!realized!that!his!breathing!was!
shallow!and!his!skin!felt!a!size!too!small.!It!was!the!first!time!in!his!life!he!had!ever!run!
in!fear.!Fear!of!betraying!a!friend,!fear!of!his!own!lust!overshadowing!his!honor.!And!
underneath!it!all,!fear!that!this!woman!could!come!to!mean!something!much!more!than!
she!should.!!
It!had!been!some!time!since!he!had!engaged!in!the!practice,!but!alone!in!his!room!
he!went!down!on!his!knees!and!prayed.!
!
! !
Chapter!Seven!!
Krystyna!was!curious!how!Hans!would!act!in!the!morning!after!his!surprisingly!
awkward!withdrawal!from!her!room!the!evening!before.!His!certainty!that!there!had!
been!an!interloper!to!dispatch,!followed!by!his!confusion,!had!been,!well,!endearing.!
The!longer!she!knew!him!the!more!he!reminded!her!of!her!old!Tatra!sheepdog.!Loyal,!
fiercely!protective,!but!at!times!confused!by!the!ways!of!humans.!Relatively!difficult!to!
rile,!as!well,!something!Hans!demonstrated!yet!again!when!he!arrived!to!escort!her!to!
breakfast.!He!had!returned!to!his!calm,!reticent!demeanor!as!though!nothing!out!of!the!
ordinary!had!happened!the!previous!evening.!It!was!tempting!to!tease!him!and!see!if!
she!could!crack!that!impassive!facade,!but!she!wasn:t!one!to!tease!in!general.!That!had!
been!the!province!of!her!glib!little!brother.!
HAre!you!all!right?H!
His!voice!broke!into!her!thoughts!as!she!was!buttering!a!piece!of!toast.!HYes,!don:t!I!
seem!all!right?H!
HYou!seem!to!be!thinking!very!diligently!about!something.H!
She!picked!at!the!crust!of!her!toast,!considering!what!to!say.!Certainly!not!that!she!
had!been!thinking!about!him.!HSometimes!when!I:m!worried!I!do!figures!in!my!head.H!
HFigures!in!your!head?H!
HYes,!you!know.!It!is!approximately!so!many!hundred!miles!to!London!and!the!
average!speed!of!a!carriage!is!so!many!miles!per!hour.!Considering!daylight!hours!and!
the!number!of!stops,!we!should!expect!to!arrive!before!noon!tomorrow.!Unless,!of!
course,!there!is!difficult!weather,!which!this!cold!snap!seems!to!make!a!bit!more!likely.H!
HI!should!introduce!you!to!battle!maps,!they!could!keep!you!entertained!for!hours.H!
It!was!on!the!tip!of!her!tongue!to!say!that!she!had!been!planning!attacks!for!years,!
but!her!composure!kept!her!from!the!admission.!In!that!pause,!however,!she!saw!that!
he!had!a!slight!smile!and!she!had!the!sudden,!horrible!realization!that!she!was!
developing!a!tendre!for!him.!That!was!beyond!unwise,!it!was!impossible.!Absolutely,!
positively,!completely!impossible.!HWhen!will!we!be!leaving?H!
His!expression!became!impassive!again.!HErich!is!securing!our!passage!and!we!
should!be!able!to!leave!within!the!hour,!if!you!will!be!ready?H!
She!stood,!her!breakfast!only!half\eaten.!He!also!came!to!his!feet,!as!was!
appropriate!for!a!gentleman,!but!she!held!up!a!hand,!as!though!warding!him!off.!HI!will!
be!ready.!No!need!to!escort!me!upstairs.H!
If!his!retreat!from!her!room!last!night!had!been!too!loquacious,!hers!this!morning!
was!far!too!abrupt.!But!if!it!was!three!hours!across!the!channel!and!eighty!miles!from!
Dover!to!London!at!an!average!speed!of!seven!miles!per!hour,!then!she!need!only!fend!
off!their!attraction!for!another!fourteen!hours!or!so.!Perhaps!a!few!more,!if!the!weather!
was!unpleasant.!But!surely!within!a!day!and!a!half!she!would!be!at!her!brother:s!house!
and!her!relationship!with!Hans!Von!Rosen!would!be!at!an!end.!A!tiny!bit!of!her!heart!
twinged!at!that!thought,!but!she!ruthlessly!refused!to!let!it!take!purchase.!It!was!eighty!
miles!from!Dover!to!London.!How!much!could!happen!in!eighty!miles?!
!
*!*!*!
!
Hans!wasn:t!sure!why!a!mention!of!battle!maps!upset!Krystyna,!but!perhaps!she!
was!more!affected!by!the!war!than!he!realized.!Did!she!have!other!brothers,!other!
relatives!who!had!fought!and!died?!If!nothing!else,!he!would!be!kind!enough!not!to!
mention!the!war!to!her!again,!no!matter!how!obliquely.!She!still!seemed!tense!as!they!
boarded!the!ferry!for!the!Channel!crossing.!
Looking!over!her!shoulder!behind!them!she!asked,!HIs!Erich!not!coming?H!
HNo,!I!am!having!him!return!the!carriage!to!the!house.!We!will!hire!for!the!journey!
to!London!once!we!reach!Dover.H!
HI!see.H!Her!tone!sounded!disapproving.!
HDid!you!have!other!ideas?H!
HNo,!not!at!all.H!She!moved!away!from!him!to!the!railing,!looking!out!at!the!choppy!
gray!waters.!
He!had,!of!course,!admired!the!icy!queen!Frau!Rokiczana!from!the!start,!but!he!
found!he!was!much!more!attached!to!Krystyna!Rokiczana,!the!girl!who!did!figures!in!
her!head!and!danced!barefoot!in!her!room.!Krystyna!seemed!nowhere!in!sight.!It!was!
difficult!not!to!try!to!cajole!her!from!her!mood,!but!among!his!challenges!would!be!his!
own!inadequacy!at!cajoling.!He!excelled!at!facing!danger!and!giving!orders.!Neither!
talent!seemed!particularly!useful!in!this!situation.!
He!stood!near!her!and!stared!out!at!the!choppy!waters!as!well.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Crossing!the!water,!it!was!easy!to!see!the!clouds!in!the!wide\open!sky.!They!had!
gathered!and!darkened!most!of!the!morning,!and!now!that!the!ferry!was!docking!
Krystyna!could!feel!that!the!weather!on!this!side!of!the!channel!was!bitterly!cold.!
HIt!smells!like!snow,H!she!said.!
HYes,H!Hans!agreed!simply.!HI!will!hire!our!coach.H!
She!waited!on!the!dock!with!their!bags!and!Hans!returned!shortly!with!a!larger!and!
more!luxurious!carriage!than!the!one!in!which!Erich!had!driven!them!to!Calais.!Hans!
ushered!her!up!the!steps!and!kept!their!small!valises!with!them!in!the!cabin!rather!than!
stored!on!top.!Inside,!he!fussed!over!her!with!a!lap!blanket!and!a!warming!brick!for!her!
feet.!When!he!asked!for!the!third!time!if!she!was!warm!enough!she!knew!that!she!had!
to!put!a!stop!to!it.!“I:m!fine,!Hans,H!she!said!sharply.!
He!finally!subsided!and!took!his!seat...!on!the!bench!opposite!hers!in!the!carriage.!
The!first!day!of!their!journey!she!would!have!been!overjoyed!with!such!spacious!
accommodations!because!she!hadn:t!wanted!to!be!pressed!up!against!a!man!she!hardly!
knew.!Now!she!found!that!she!missed!his!warm!presence!beside!her.!It!wasn:t!as!
though!sitting!side!by!side!would!reveal!her!budding!affection!for!him,!and!they!would!
only!have!these!few!short!hours!of!each!other’s!company,!perhaps!forever.!
She!spoke!before!she!could!stop!herself.!HI!thought!you!would!be!sitting!over!here.H!
HI!didn:t!want!to!crowd!you.H!
HBut!now!I:m!chilly.H!
He!immediately!crossed!to!her!and!put!his!arm!around!her!shoulders.!HI!thought!
you!might!be.H!
She!buried!her!nose!against!his!coat.!HI!was!once!made!of!hardier!stock.!I!think!
you:ve!spoiled!me.H!
They!had!at!least!nine!more!hours!together.!Nine!hours!of!his!heat,!and!the!faint!
scent!of!pine!and!leather!that!clung!to!his!clothes.!Nine!hours!would!never!be!enough,!
but!for!now!it!would!be!her!forever.!
!
! !
Chapter!Eight!!
Frau!Rokiczana!had!burrowed!against!him!and!not!looked!up!for!at!least!two!hours.!
Her!lovely,!dark!hair!was!just!beneath!his!chin!and!her!body!was!pressed!against!his!
side!as!though!he!were!her!port!in!a!storm.!
HAre!you!asleep?H!he!whispered.!
HNo,H!was!her!soft!response.!He!wasn:t!really!surprised,!because!she!had!never!
relaxed!as!one!who!slept!always!did.!
HThen!are!you!figuring?H!Even!he!could!hear!the!laughter!lingering!in!his!tone.!
She!took!a!moment!to!respond.!HYes,H!she!said!softly.!
HAbout!what?H!
HSeven!more!hours.H!
HTo!London?H!
She!nodded!against!his!chest.!
HPerhaps!a!bit!more.H!
HMore?H!
HLook!outside.!It:s!snowing.H!
She!sat!up!at!that.!Her!face!was!flushed!and!he!watched!her!expression!change!from!
curiosity!to!delight.!HWhy,!yes!it!is.H!!
She!was!so!beautiful!that!it!almost!hurt!to!look!upon!her.!The!term!heartbreak!had!
never!made!sense!to!him!before,!but!now!he!could!imagine!it.!Could!foresee!it!on!the!
day!he!turned!her!over!to!her!brother!and!had!no!claim!over!her.!The!need!to!pull!her!
into!his!lap,!kiss!her,!possess!her,!was!nearly!overwhelming.!But!if!he!cared!about!her,!
as!it!was!now!clear!to!him!that!he!did,!then!he!could!not!dishonor!her.!He!would!bring!
her!to!her!brother!untouched.!Unsullied.!And!then!beg!Casimir!for!permission!to!marry!
her.!His!own!father!would!be!furious!that!he!hadn:t!let!the!Von!Rosens!review!her,!
make!sure!that!she!suited!the!family:s!very!stringent!standards.!But!he!didn:t!care.!
Unable!to!save!himself!from!everything!that!was!unwise,!he!brought!up!her!hand!to!
kiss.!She!gave!a!tiny!gasp!of!surprise!and!he!shrugged.!HIt!looked!cold.H!
!
*!*!*!
!
Krystyna!settled!against!Hans!again,!this!time!in!a!pose!where!she!could!stare!out!
the!window.!The!snow!increased!significantly!and!she!could!now!hear!it!squeaking!and!
crunching!under!the!carriage!wheels.!It!blanketed!everything!in!white,!as!though!
England!were!a!place!of!simple!shapes!rather!than!distinct!trees!and!hills!and!houses.!
She!couldn:t!help!but!wish!that!the!snow!became!so!impossible!that!she!and!Hans!were!
stranded!forever!in!their!luxurious!carriage.!The!richness!of!the!carriage,!however,!
reminded!her!of!something.!She!sat!up!again.!
HI!will,!of!course,!make!sure!that!you!are!reimbursed!for!this!trip,H!she!said.!
HThat:s!not!necessary.!It:s!been!my!pleasure.H!The!tension!she!had!sensed!in!him!
earlier!was!gone,!and!he!now!relaxed!against!the!cushions!with!long\limbed!grace.!
HDon:t!be!silly,!I!can:t!have!you!pay!for!everything.H!
He!brought!her!hand!to!his!lips!again,!this!time!pressing!a!kiss!into!the!palm.!
Inside,!she!melted.!But!she!also!panicked.!
HYou!can:t!do!that.H!
HThey!told!me!I!couldn:t!charge!into!four!cannons,!but!I!did!that,!too.H!
HHans,H!she!admonished.!
HYes,!Krystyna?H!
He!was!so!calm!and!steady,!looking!at!her!as!though!they!had!all!the!time!in!the!
world!together.!As!though!they!had!already!been!stranded!as!she!wished.!Hearing!her!
name!on!his!lips!in!a!sweet,!warm!cadence,!it!took!her!beyond!her!endurance.!She!felt!
her!heart!rip!right!down!the!middle.!One!half,!she!knew,!now!belonged!to!him.!The!
other!half!she!desperately!clung!to!because!it!was!all!she!would!have!to!get!her!through!
this!life.!
She!snuggled!up!against!him.!HTell!me!about!those!cannons.H!
HI!thought!the!war!bothered!you.H!
HWar!bothers!everyone.!I!want!to!know!about!your!cannons.H!
!
*!*!*!
!
Hans!worried!that!his!stories!would!bore!her,!but!whenever!he!trailed!off!she!
pressed!him!with!questions!and!he!continued.!They!traveled!another!two!hours!and!the!
snowstorm!only!worsened.!The!carriage!rolled!to!a!stop!under!an!awning!and!the!
driver!tapped!on!their!door.!
HCome,H!Hans!said!in!English.!
The!door!opened!and!the!wizened!old!coachman!leaned!in.!HFar!as!we:re!gonna!go!
today,!guv:na.!Nice!place,!this.!Warm!food,!soft!beds.!Good!enough!for!you!and!your!
lady,!I:ll!guarantee.H!
Hans!nodded.!HThank!you!for!that,!then.H!
The!driver!took!himself!away!again!and!Krystyna!looked!to!Hans!to!interpret.!
HWe!have!to!stay!here.!The!weather!has!worsened!and!we!can:t!go!any!further.H!
Her!expression!changed!from!pleased!to!chagrined!to!something!he!couldn:t!quite!
name.!HVery!well,H!she!said,!and!picked!up!her!valise.!
Hans!opened!the!door!and!handed!her!down!into!the!snow!before!reaching!in!for!
his!own!luggage.!He!was!worried!that!she!would!be!mired!in!the!knee\deep!drifts,!but!
when!he!turned!to!escort!her!saw!that!she!had!already!made!her!way!to!the!horses!and!
was!petting!the!right!lead.!
He!caught!up!to!her.!HAre!you!ready!to!go!inside?H!
HI:m!just!checking!on!them.!Snow!travel!can!be!very!difficult!on!horses.H!
HA!horsewoman,!are!you?H!
HVery!much!so.H!She!handed!him!her!valise,!then!leaned!against!the!horse:s!side!and!
tapped!its!knee.!It!obediently!raised!a!hoof!for!her!inspection.!After!a!moment!she!set!
the!hoof!back!down!and!stroked!the!horse:s!neck!again.!HIt!doesn:t!look!to!have!balled!
up!too!badly,!so!the!driver!knows!what!he:s!about.H!
HI:m!suitably!impressed.H!
HBecause!I!know!what!a!hoof!looks!like?H!
Rather!than!try!to!define!exactly!what!he!meant,!he!simply!herded!her!toward!the!
front!door!of!the!rambling!building!that!would!serve!as!their!home!until!the!storm!died!
down!and!they!could!travel!again.!The!innkeeper!met!them!at!the!door,!a!bit!aflutter.!
HRight!this!way,!m:lord.!We!weren:t!expecting!no!quality!and!it:ll!take!a!moment!to!
have!the!room!made!up.H!
HMy!wife!and!I!require!two!rooms.H!
The!innkeeper!seemed!stranded!between!his!natural!inclination!to!agree!with!his!
esteemed!guest!and!the!reality!of!the!situation.!HI:m!not!sure.!That!is!to!say.H!
Krystyna!was!looking!at!him!questioningly,!so!he!interpreted!the!predicament!to!
her.!She!shrugged.!HWe:ve!shared!a!room!before.H!
Said,!he!would!note,!with!the!blithe!indifference!of!a!woman!who!hadn:t!slept,!or!
rather!not!slept,!on!the!floor!while!grappling!with!an!unholy!struggle!between!honor!
and!desire.!He!turned!back!to!the!innkeeper.!HOne!room!is!fine.!We!will!need!extra!
blankets.!My!wife!tends!to!chill!easily.H!
The!innkeeper!agreed!and!bowed!and!promised!to!make!all!haste!with!the!
preparations.!In!less!than!a!quarter!of!an!hour!they!were!shown!to!their!room.!It!was,!by!
all!appearances,!a!quiet!but!serviceable!inn!and!their!room!made!that!even!clearer.!
Undoubtedly!among!the!best!on!offer,!it!was!a!bit!awkwardly!shaped!with!a!dormer!
window,!narrower!bed!than!he!might!have!hoped,!and!mismatched!furniture.!If!they!
had!already!been!to!London,!if!he!had!convinced!Casimir!and!Krystyna!to!agree!to!
marriage!and!this!was!a!stop!during!their!return!to!present!her!to!the!Von!Rosens!as!his!
wife,!he!was!sure!that!he!would!have!found!this!place!charming.!Rustic,!but!charming.!
As!it!stood,!it!was!only!a!challenge!to!his!willpower!and!patience.!
He!suddenly!realized!that!Krystyna!had!been!quiet!since!they!were!shown!into!the!
room.!HIs!everything!all!right?H!
HYes,!you!just!seem!upset.H!
Upset?!Yes,!he!was!upset.!He!had!the!woman!he!loved!tucked!away!in!a!cozy!
country!inn!with!a!snowstorm!raging!outside!that!might!keep!them!trapped!for!days.!If!
they!were!married!he!would!be!ecstatic.!Hell,!if!he!were!a!dishonorable!rogue!he!would!
be!ecstatic.!But!he!was!neither!her!husband!nor!a!rake,!so!he!was!as!far!from!pleased!as!
it!was!possible!to!be.!HI:m!fine.!Are!you!hungry?H!
She!nodded.!
HLet:s!find!out!what!they:re!prepared!to!feed!us,!shall!we?H!
!
Chapter!Nine!!
Krystyna!glanced!up!from!her!soup!at!Hans!again.!It!was!clear!that!he!was!
attempting!to!mask!his!irritation,!but!the!truth!of!it!bled!out!over!everything!he!did!and!
said.!First!he!complained!that!the!soup!was!too!cold,!and!then!that!it!was!too!hot.!He!
had!them!build!up!the!fire!for!her!and!then!spent!most!of!his!time!frowning!at!the!
flames.!She!wasn:t!sure!when!she!should!tell!him!that!she!didn:t!chill!nearly!as!easily!as!
he!thought,!but!her!best!guess!was!that!it!should!be!after!this!mood!passed.!
She!cast!about!in!her!mind!for!a!topic!of!discussion.!In!his!current!state,!she!
doubted!that!he!wanted!to!recount!war!tales.!Or!if!he!did,!it!would!most!likely!be!with!a!
greater!detail!of!gore!and!privation!than!she!was!prepared!to!hear.!The!most!interesting!
things!about!her!own!past!were!not!topics!for!polite!discussion!with!anyone!outside!of!
her!clan.!Although!it!might!be!interesting!to!see!how!quickly!he!spit!out!his!soup!when!
she!listed!off!which!cousins!of!his!that!her!family!had!robbed!on!the!forest!roads!of!
Silesia!over!the!years.!No.!Only!one!safe!topic!of!conversation!existed.!Relatively!safe.!
HYou!said!you!worked!with!Casimir?H!
His!gaze!came!back!to!her!and!she!saw!a!number!of!emotions!flicker!in!his!
expression!before!he!settled!into!his!impassive!mask!again.!HYes,!in!Vienna!for!the!
delegation.H!
HHow!did!you!like!Vienna?H!
HIt:s!a!lovely!city.H!He!smiled!faintly.!HAnd!our!evenings!were!filled!with!stiff,!
formal!dancing.H!
She!blushed!and!looked!down!at!his!reference!to!her!dancing.!That!evening!she!had!
been!sincere,!she!would!have!taught!him!the!traditional!dances,!have!danced!for!him.!
But!in!the!light!of!day!the!forwardness!and!flirtatiousness!of!her!actions!
seemed!unconscionable.!She!was!promised!to!another!man.!And!even!if!in!her!dreams!
she!had!wished!to!have!the!advantages!of!a!family!like!the!Von!Rosens,!she!wasn:t!
foolish!enough!to!believe!that!they!would!ever!accept!her.!Yes,!she!knew!that!her!blood!
was!bluer!than!they!could!ever!hope!their!own!to!be.!But!a!king!who!had!fallen!four!
hundred!years!ago,!a!king!of!a!land!that!no!longer!existed,!was!a!difficult!ancestry!to!
claim.!
She!stirred!her!soup!again.!HCasimir!was!vague!about!what!he!did!in!Vienna.!Do!
you!have!any!idea?H!
Finally,!a!true!smile.!HHe!would!tell!you!that!his!job!consisted!of!taking!one!pile!of!
papers!and!turning!it!into!two!piles!of!papers.!Then!later!he!would!take!two!piles!of!
papers!and!make!them!one!pile.H!
HSounds!thrilling.H!
HYour!brother!doesn:t!seem!suited!to!routine!work.H!
She!chuckled.!HNo,!not!at!all.!When!he!had!to!practice!his!letters!as!a!little!boy!I!
found!he!hired!one!of!the!other!boys!to!do!it!for!him.H!
HI!think!he!wanted!to!convince!me!to!move!his!piles!around,!but!I!was!too!cagey!for!
him.H!
Krystyna!realized!that!she!loved!this!quiet,!intimate!time!with!Hans.!She!wanted!to!
beg!him!to!stop!being!grumpy,!to!treasure!this!time!they!had!together.!That!if!they!were!
lucky!it!would!snow!forever!and!she!didn:t!want!him!to!be!grumpy!the!whole!time.!But!
she!didn:t!beg.!The!ragged!half!of!her!heart!that!she!had!left!apparently!still!had!some!
pride.!And!pragmatism.!What!good!would!it!do!to!play!the!love\struck!fool!when!it!
would!all!have!to!end?!
His!voice!interrupted!her!silent!struggle.!HAre!you!done?H!
She!looked!down!to!her!bowl!to!see!that!indeed,!she!was.!HYes.H!
HWhy!don:t!you!go!get!some!rest.!I:ll!be!up!for!awhile!yet.H!
Her!best!estimate,!even!before!looking!at!a!clock,!was!that!it!was!not!yet!six!in!the!
evening.!He!wanted!to!get!rid!of!her!so!soon?!But!perhaps!a!long!night!of!sleep!would!
help!to!mend!this!mess!that!her!heart!had!become.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Hans!stayed!downstairs!nursing!his!drink.!He!didn:t!want!to!become!drunk,!
because!that!could!lead!to!acting!on!his!baser!instincts.!But!he!didn:t!want!to!wallow!in!
this!pain,!either.!So!he!rode!along!the!pleasant!edge!of!drunkenness,!wondering!what!
Krystyna!was!doing!upstairs!in!their!room.!Had!she!gone!to!bed?!Had!she!removed!her!
dress?!Had!she!somehow!found!enough!space!in!that!awkward!little!room!to!dance!
with!her!shawl?!He!realized!that!he!could!probably!deal!himself!a!great!deal!less!pain!
by!simply!pulling!out!his!knife!and!stabbing!himself!repeatedly,!but!it!was!as!though!
his!mind!had!no!option!but!to!think!of!her.!His!life!had!narrowed!down!to!Krystyna!
and!everything!else.!Or!perhaps!it!was!Krystyna!and!nothing!else.!Had!he!drunk!too!
much?!Best!to!sit!here!while!the!fire!died!and!wait!for!his!system!to!settle!before!he!
went!upstairs.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Krystyna!awoke!to!the!sound!of!the!door!opening.!She!could!tell!that!she!had!been!
asleep!for!some!time!because!her!limbs!felt!heavy.!There!was!a!faint!glow!of!light!in!the!
room,!reflected!from!the!white!outside.!
Hans!stood!over!the!bed.!HAre!you!cold?H!
What!to!say?!Yes,'come'warm'me.'IAm'always'cold'when'you'arenAt'touching'me.!Or!the!more!honest!answer,!at!least!from!a!practical!standpoint.!No,'IAm'rarely'cold.'Thank'you'for'asking.!She!settled!for!a!noncommittal,!HMm\hmm.H!
He!spread!another!woolen!blanket!over!the!bed!and!turned!to!move!away.!
HWhere!are!you!going?H!Her!voice!sounded!scratchy.!
HI:ll!sleep!over!here.H!His!tone!bordered!on!belligerent.!He!didn:t!sound!sleepy.!
HThere:s!plenty!of!room!here.H!
HNo,!there:s!not.H!
She!scooted!closer!to!an!edge.!HYes,!here,!see?H!She!patted!the!expanse!of!bed.!
He!stood!there!in!the!dark,!breathing.!She!wasn:t!sure!what!was!going!through!his!
head.!
HHans,!take!this!blasted!blanket!off!the!bed!and!come!here.H!
HYou!don:t!want!the!extra!blanket?H!
I'want'you,!her!heart!cried,!yearning!for!its!other!half.!HAre!you!sure?H!he!asked,!making!her!fear!that!she!had!said!it!aloud.!
HYes.H!
He!pulled!the!blanket!back!off!the!bed!and!retreated!to!the!doorway.!
Blast!it!all,!but!she!felt!like!sobbing.!
!
! !
Chapter!Ten!!
Hans!awoke!in!a!cloud!of!warmth!with!something!nudging!his!side.!
HHans,!wake!up.!I!need!to!get!past!you.H!
The!poking!was!apparently!from!Krystyna:s!slipper.!He!captured!her!ankle!to!make!
her!stop.!It!took!no!time!at!all!to!realize!what!a!terrible!mistake!that!was.!Her!dainty!
ankle!was!connected!to!a!very!shapely!leg.!She!put!her!hands!against!the!door!to!
balance!herself!while!he!had!her!foot!in!his!grasp.!She!was!only!wearing!her!chemise!
and!an!open!robe.!If!she!stood!any!closer!he!would!be!able!to!see!right!up!\\!
He!released!her!foot!and!sat!up.!HSorry.H!
HIt:s!all!right.!Go!lie!down!on!the!bed,!you:ll!be!more!comfortable.H!
Confound!the!woman!and!her!insistence!on!having!him!in!her!bed.!Did!she!not!
know!what!that!meant?!She!hadn:t!outright!flirted!with!him!in!the!way!of!a!woman!
knowledgeable!of!bed!sport,!but!perhaps!that!meant!nothing.!Perhaps!she!knew!exactly!
what!invitation!she!was!extending.!But!it!didn:t!matter.!She!was!Casimir:s!sister.!He!
scooped!up!his!pallet!as!he!stood!and!moved!out!of!her!way.!
HThank!you,H!she!said!with!a!smile,!and!scooted!out!the!door,!he!assumed!to!use!the!
privy.!He!set!his!blankets!on!the!chair!and!crept!under!the!covers!of!the!bed.!There!was!
still!a!spot!warm!from!her!body!and!he!gravitated!to!it.!He!picked!up!the!pillow!to!
inhale!her!scent.!Holding!her!pillow!against!his!chest!he!admitted!to!himself!that!he!was!
done!for.!He!had!run!from!one!of!the!first!skirmishes!and!now!had!already!lost!the!war.!
In!this!case,!however,!surrender!seemed!preferable!to!a!fight.!
She!came!back!to!their!room!and!walked!past!him!to!peer!out!the!small!window.!
Her!voice!held!the!saddest!note!he!had!ever!heard.!HThe!snow!stopped.H!
He!placed!her!pillow!back!on!the!bed!and!rose!up!on!his!elbow.!HAren:t!you!getting!
cold!out!there?H!
She!looked!over!her!shoulder!at!him,!her!expression!woebegone!and!sweet.!HYes,H!
she!admitted.!
He!turned!the!covers!back!and!patted!the!mattress.!HCome!back!to!bed.H!
Her!expression!lightened!and!she!tossed!aside!her!robe!and!kicked!off!her!shoes!
before!climbing!under!the!covers.!She!pressed!up!against!him,!her!skin!as!chilly!as!he!
thought!it!might!be.!He!held!her!close.!Yes,!surrender!seemed!the!only!viable!option.!
!
*!*!*!
!
When!Hans!left!to!talk!to!their!driver,!Krystyna!arose!to!dress!and!freshen!herself.!
He!didn’t!return!quickly,!so!she!went!downstairs!to!her!breakfast.!After!nibbling!on!
toast!and!jam!she!still!hadn:t!seen!Hans!and!decided!to!return!to!their!room!to!make!
sure!everything!was!packed!to!take!their!leave.!The!idea!of!leaving!made!her!morose,!
but!it!was!unreasonable!to!believe!that!they!could!stay!here!for!any!length!of!time.!As!
she!opened!the!door!she!heard!a!soft!splash!that!made!her!stop!short.!In!her!absence!
Hans!had!apparently!returned!to!their!room!to!freshen!himself.!He!had!removed!his!
shirt.!She!realized!she!had!never!seen!a!man:s!chest!before.!A!boy:s,!yes,!but!now!it!was!
clear!to!her!that!the!difference!was!more!pronounced!than!that!between!a!draft!stallion!
and!a!pony.!Thick!muscle!was!dusted!with!curling,!golden!hair.!He!reacted!more!
quickly!than!she!did!and!held!his!shirt!up!in!front!of!himself.!
HMy!apologies.H!
She!turned!bright!red.!She!had!been!staring!!HOh.!No.!I:m!sorry.!I!should!have!
knocked.!I\\H!She!turned!and!fled!back!to!the!common!room.!Once!downstairs!she!
wasn:t!even!sure!if!she!had!closed!the!door.!She!had!the!brief!uncharitable!thought!of!
hoping!to!receive!word!that!her!Silesian!fiancé!had!died!in!an!accident.!!
*!*!*!
!
He!had!come!to!know!her!so!well!in!such!a!short!amount!of!time,!but!the!look!she!
when!she!opened!the!door!was!new.!Naked!longing,!a!stirring!of!sensual!interest!that!
he!was!sure!hadn:t!been!there!before.!How!had!this!beautiful,!sophisticated!woman!
made!it!to!her!age!with!the!innocence!of!a!young!girl?!Because!she!was!a!lady,!that!was!
how.!Protected!and!cherished.!For!the!first!time!he!sincerely!regretted!agreeing!to!take!
her!on!this!journey.!Now!the!only!option!was!to!remand!her!to!the!care!of!her!brother,!
hopefully!in!a!few!short!hours.!
Would!she!rest!against!him!in!the!carriage?!He!realized!that!he!was!still!clutching!
his!shirt!in!a!crumpling!grip!and!shook!it!out!before!donning!it!again.!It!was!fortunate!
that!he!had!finished!shaving!before!her!appearance,!because!he!was!quite!sure!that!he!
would!only!manage!to!cut!himself!now.!
Once!dressed,!he!gathered!their!few!belongings!and!made!his!way!downstairs.!She!
was!perched!on!a!chair!near!the!fireplace!in!the!common!room!and!looked!up!when!he!
arrived,!although!she!didn:t!meet!his!eyes.!
HWe:re!leaving!then?H!she!asked.!
HYes,!the!driver!assures!me!the!roads!are!good!enough!for!the!journey.H!
She!nodded!and!preceded!him!out!the!door.!When!he!assisted!her!into!the!carriage!
he!thought!that!she!gripped!his!hand!longer!than!was!necessary,!but!that!could!have!
been!his!own!imagination.!His!hope.!Following!her,!he!asked.!HWhere!would!you!like!
for!me!to!sit?H!
She!paused!in!arranging!her!skirts!and!said,!HIt!wouldn:t!do!to!break!tradition!at!
this!late!stage.H!
He!sat!next!to!her,!just!close!enough!that!the!motion!of!the!carriage!would!have!
them!brush!together!if!she!didn:t!lean!away!from!him.!She!was!quiet!and!withdrawn,!
but!not!with!the!haughty!arrogance!she!had!displayed!when!they!met.!Her!posture!was!
still!perfect,!but!not!stiff.!A!gift!from!her!love!of!dance,!no!doubt.!What!if!Casimir!
refused!his!suit?!He!should!have!stayed!that!night,!watched!her!dance.!What!if!she!
never!danced!for!him!now?!
He!noticed!that!he!had!clasped!his!hands!together!and!forced!himself!to!relax.!HIs!
your!brother!expecting!you?H!
She!finally!met!his!gaze!and!he!saw!a!ghost!of!a!smile!pass!her!lips.!HHe!should!be,!
but!he!probably!isn:t.H!
It!worried!him!that!he!was!only!now!asking!such!a!basic!question.!Had!she!addled!
him!from!the!start!and!he!hadn:t!realized!it?!No,!in!the!beginning!he!had!considered!her!
business!her!own,!and!it!only!happened!to!coincide!with!his!own!desire!to!talk!to!
Casimir.!But!now!he!wanted!to!speak!to!the!man!for!entirely!different!reasons.!Reasons!
that!would!not!be!aided!by!arriving!with!an!unexpected,!perhaps!wayward,!sister.!
HDid!you!write!to!tell!him!you!were!traveling?H!
HNo,!but!my!letters!to!date!should!have!illuminated!my!state!of!mind!to!him.!Even!
if!there!were!things!I!couldn:t!write!explicitly.H!
Her!phrasing!put!Hans!on!alert.!Was!it!simply!paranoia!from!his!training,!or!had!he!
intuited!that!there!was!a!secret!here!that!needed!revealing?!Perhaps!now,!when!she!still!
seemed!ill!at!ease,!was!not!the!best!time!to!press!her!for!answers.!They!subsided!into!
silence,!back!to!the!tension!of!the!second!day!they!had!traveled!together.!He!wished!he!
knew!how!to!put!her!at!ease!again.!
!
! !
Chapter!Eleven!!
Krystyna!glanced!at!Hans!from!under!her!lashes,!something!she!had!been!
doing!surreptitiously!as!often!as!she!could!for!the!last!hour.!His!posture!seemed!
perfectly!relaxed!next!to!her,!but!she!could!see!that!his!jaw!was!clenched.!She!wasn:t!
sure!what!he!was!thinking!and!hoped!it!wasn:t!about!her!accidental!intrusion!earlier.!
The!incident!had!certainly!made!her!more!aware!of!him.!Before!that!she!had!thought!of!him!as!being!very!safe.!He!had!reminded!her!of!the!sweet,!protective!dog!she!had!
grown!up!with.!And!why!wouldn:t!he?!No!one!had!ever!been!more!solicitous!of!her!
comfort!or!made!her!feel!as!sheltered.!Not!that!shelter!was!something!she!typically!
sought!from!anyone,!but...!Hans!made!it!seem!perfectly!natural!that!she!look!to!him,!
rely!on!him.!
She!looked!out!the!window!again.!It!would!be!horrifying!marrying!another!man.!
She!had!never!been!in!favor!of!the!match,!not!from!the!first!time!she!had!met!Gregor!
Eichen!when!she!had!been!eight!and!he!only!four.!Even!then!he!had!seemed!spoiled,!
weak.!Running!to!his!mother!over!the!slightest!incident.!She!hadn:t!seen!him!often!in!
the!intervening!years,!but!it!was!clear!that!he!had!grown!into!a!spoiled,!weak!man.!But!
he!was!an!Eichen.!A!name!of!repute!to!uplift!the!Rokiczanas!in!society.!Of!course,!Von!
Rosen!was!a!name!of!repute!as!well,!better!than!Eichen.!But!beyond!her!touch.!Far!
beyond!her!touch.!
HWhat:s!wrong?H!
She!supposed!she!had!sighed!or!made!some!other!noise!of!distress,!and!her!guard!
dog!was!again!attentive!to!her!needs.!When!she!looked!at!him!she!could!see!that!his!jaw!
was!still!tense!and!he!had!worry!lines!around!his!eyes.!He!was!handsome!and!
trustworthy!and!so!impossibly!dear.!HI!suppose!I!am!chilled!again.H!
He!still!looked!worried!but!opened!his!arms!to!her!and!she!settled!against!his!chest.!
She!rested!there,!warm!and!sad,!listening!to!the!squeak!of!snow!under!the!wheels!for!
the!remainder!of!their!journey.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Their!carriage!rolled!to!a!stop!in!a!lovely,!settled!part!of!London.!Townhouses!lined!
the!street,!with!just!enough!room!between!to!afford!some!privacy,!a!mews,!and!a!speck!
of!garden.!Not!an!area!of!outrageous!wealth,!but!well!enough!to!do.!Hans!supposed!he!
shouldn:t!be!surprised!that!Casimir!had!landed!on!his!feet,!the!boy!had!something!of!
the!cat!to!him.!Nor!should!he!have!been!surprised!this!morning!when,!asked!to!provide!
her!brother:s!location,!Krystyna!had!rattled!off!a!very!precise!street!address.!Now!it!was!
coming!on!noon!in!a!strange!city!and!gray!clouds!pressed!down!over!them!like!a!heavy,!
chilled!blanket.!The!city!hadn:t!seen!as!much!snow!as!they!had!en!route,!but!drifts!of!it!
decorated!the!walkway.!
When!Krystyna!emerged!from!the!carriage,!it!was!with!the!military!posture!and!
glint!in!her!eye!that!he!had!first!seen!from!her.!It!seemed!her!ire!was!mostly!reserved!for!
battle!with!her!brother!and!that!should!prove!to!be!interesting.!Casimir!didn:t!strike!
him!as!the!type!to!like!direct!confrontation.!His!own!brother!Henry!had!been!known!to!
leave!the!country!to!avoid!it,!and!the!two!were!more!alike!than!different.!He!held!her!
elbow!as!she!walked!up!the!slick!cobblestones!and!stairs!to!the!door,!then!stepped!back!
as!she!took!hold!of!the!knocker.!He!knew!his!role,!for!now,!was!simply!as!escort.!
Hans!recognized!the!man!who!opened!the!door!as!Casimir:s!valet!from!Vienna.!
Wladek,!if!he!remembered!correctly.!What!he!didn:t!expect!was!the!reaction!the!man!
had!upon!seeing!Krystyna.!
EKrólewna!E!Then!he!dropped!to!the!floor!in!a!clear!sign!of!supplication.!Hans!knew!
little!Polish!and!didn:t!recognize!the!word.!Nor!was!he!able!to!keep!up!with!the!stream!
of!Polish!that!Krystyna!spoke!after!that.!Her!tone!was!affectionate,!but!firm.!Wladek!
rose!to!his!feet!again!and!finally!noticed!the!other!guest.!HHerr!Von!Rosen.H!
Hans!bowed!in!acknowledgment,!and!then!they!were!herded!into!the!household,!
through!an!open!foyer,!and!into!a!drawing!room.!Wladek!looked!skeptical!about!
leaving!his!królewna'with!Hans,!but!withdrew,!leaving!the!door!open.!Hans!raised!his!
brows!questioningly!at!Krystyna,!but!she!shook!her!head!with!a!frown.!Deferring!any!
of!his!questions!until!later,!he!supposed.!
Casimir!entered!the!room!quickly.!He!gave!Hans!a!disapproving!frown,!not!an!
expression!Hans!expected!to!see!from!the!young!man,!then!turned!his!worried!
attentions!on!his!sister,!holding!her!hands!and!talking!with!her!in!rapid!Polish.!Even!
more!of!a!surprise!to!Hans!was!the!woman!who!entered!on!Casimir:s!heels.!A!willowy,!
blonde!British!girl!he!had!known!as!Frau!Appleton!in!Vienna.!
He!bowed.!HFrau\H!
HRokiczana,H!she!supplied!before!he!could!say!more.!She!curtsied!briefly!to!him.!HIt:s!
delightful!to!see!you!again,!Herr!Von!Rosen.H!
HI!hadn:t!expected!to!see!you!here.H!
She!narrowed!her!eyes!a!fraction.!HI!could!say!the!same.!But!here!we!are.!May!I!offer!
you!refreshments?H!
HI!am!your!eager!guest,!Frau!Rokiczana.H!
HCome,!sit!with!me.H!She!guided!him!to!a!sofa!that!faced!the!Rokiczana!siblings.!HI!
suspect!they!will!be!at!this!for!awhile.H!She!waggled!her!brows!at!him.!HAnd!I!doubt!
that!she!knows!how!much!Polish!I:ve!learned.H!
Hans!grinned,!remembering!the!ease!of!spending!time!with!Gina!Appleton,!who!
had!somehow!now!become!Gina!Rokiczana.!The!attraction!between!she!and!Casimir!
had!been!clear!at!the!Congress!and!he!had!suspected!an!affair.!But!even!in!England!a!
divorce!was!a!spectacular!scandal.!There!was!a!story!there,!no!doubt.!HWhat!are!they!
saying?H!he!asked.!
She!kicked!off!her!slippers!and!tucked!her!feet!under!her.!HSo!far,!she!is!covering!
much!of!the!same!ground!that!she!did!in!her!letters.!She!doesn:t!approve!of!his!
marriage!to!me.!I:m!not!advantageous,!you!see,H!she!said,!in!a!mock!confidential!tone.!HI!
was!merely!Georgiana!Lockhart,!daughter!of!a!lesser!gentleman.!He!has!duties.!
Responsibilities.!He!needs!to!marry!a!woman!who!can!become!a!queen.H!
HI!thought!you!were!Gina!Appleton.H!
She!waved!a!hand!at!him.!HYes,!well,!there!is!what!we!think!and!what!is!true.H!
It!was!clear!that!here!in!her!own!home,!Gina,!or!Georgiana,!felt!she!could!be!herself!
without!censure.!She!was!outrageous!in!a!most!entertaining!way.!HIf!he!has!already!
married!you,!how!is!he!to!marry!someone!else?H!
HI!suppose,H!she!said,!making!a!slicing!motion!across!her!throat!with!a!finger!and!a!
sputtering!sound.!She!turned!her!attention!back!to!the!siblings.!HOh!yes,H!she!said,!Hhere!
we!are.!The!guilt!portion!of!the!argument!begins.!If!she!can!marry!the!man!their!father!
chose!for!her,!then!certainly!he!can!think!of!their!family!first,!of!Poland!first.H!
Hans!felt!everything!inside!of!him!still,!like!water!suddenly!freezing.!HBeg!pardon?H!
HIt:s!just!Poland,!squawk,!squawk,!Poland.H!
HShe:s!married.H!
HNot!yet.!It!has!been!delayed!years!at!this!point,!but!their!mother!set!the!date!for!
New!Year’s.!New!year,!new!beginning!sounded!auspicious,!I!assume.H!
Hans!stood!too!quickly!and!felt!the!blood!trying!to!rush!and!catch!up!with!him.!HIf!
you:ll!excuse!me,!I!need!some!air.H!
He!didn:t!hear!her!if!she!made!a!response.!He!charged!through!the!house,!
desperately!looking!for!a!door!to!the!outside.!He!ended!up!on!a!portico!outside!the!
study,!leaning!on!the!balustrade!and!taking!deep!breaths!of!the!chilly,!moist!air.!
Krystyna!was!engaged!to!be!married!and!had!never!mentioned!it.!He!was!sure!that!at!
any!moment!his!rage!would!overshadow!his!shock!and!he!would!shout!at!the!heavens.!
Or!perhaps!his!grief!would!take!the!forefront,!and!he!would!sink!to!his!knees!on!the!
stones.!Neither!occurred!and!long!minutes!later!he!was!still!standing,!for!all!outer!
appearances!impassive,!as!his!breathing!had!evened!out!in!the!cool!air.!He!heard!
footsteps!behind!him.!Krsytyna:s!footsteps.!He!knew!them!now.!
He!turned!to!face!her,!arms!crossed!over!his!chest.!Her!face!was!tear!streaked!and!
he!heard!another!stream!of!Polish!from!her.!He!shrugged.!HI!can:t!understand!you.H!
She!bit!her!lip!and!started!again,!in!German.!HI!demand!you!take!me!home.!I!will!
not!spend!another!moment!in!the!house!of!this!traitor.H!
He!uncrossed!his!arms!and!braced!himself!as!he!leaned!back!on!the!balustrade.!
HSorry,!I:m!afraid!I!can:t!do!that.!I!have!things!to!discuss!with!your!brother.!And!I!don:t!
want!to!travel,!with!it!being!only!a!week!until!Christmas.H!
HPlease?H!she!asked,!more!plaintive!now.!
HPerhaps!your!fiancé!will!come!for!you.H!
HHow!did!you\\H!
HHow!did!I!know?!Since!you!didn:t!tell!me?!The!truth!will!always!out,!you!know.!I!
count!on!it.H!
HI!can:t!stay!here,H!she!said!in!a!deathly!calm!whisper.!
HIt:s!hard!to!say!that!surprises!me,!as!you!don:t!seem!to!treat!your!family!any!better!
than!you!did!me.H!
HMy!family?!How!can!you!say!that?!I!am!the!one!who!has!stayed!loyal!to!what!the!
family!needs.!I!am!the!one!who!is!willing!to!sacrifice!everything!in!service!to!our!
cause.!He!is!the!one!who!is!ruining!everything.!And!now!he:s!married!that!woman\\H!
Hans!straightened!away!from!the!railing.!HThat!woman!happens!to!be!a!perfectly!
delightful!friend!of!mine,!so!be!careful!what!you!say!about!her!in!front!of!me.H!It!was!
perhaps!stretching!the!truth!a!bit,!but!he!had!enjoyed!her!company!in!Vienna!and!
Krystyna:s!objections!to!her!seemed!insubstantial.!
She!looked!at!the!ground!and!frowned.!HI!see.H!Whatever!hysteria!had!possessed!
her!seemed!to!have!passed,!and!when!she!raised!her!eyes!again!she!was!the!remote!lady!
he!had!first!met.!HThank!you!for!your!escort!to!London,!Herr!Von!Rosen.!If!I!can!ever!
repay!your!kindness,!you!have!only!to!ask.H!The!queen!again,!offering!a!boon!to!her!
knight.!
HShow!me!the!kindness!of!never!speaking!to!me!again,H!he!said,!brushing!past!her.!
This!time!he!was!able!to!find!the!front!door!and!descended!to!their!waiting!carriage.!He!
tossed!her!bag!to!the!walk!in!front!of!Casimir:s!house!and!asked!the!driver!to!take!him!
to!the!nearest!inn.!Preferably!one!with!a!public!room.!
!
! !
Chapter!Twelve!!
Krystyna!wasn:t!sure!how!long!she!stood!on!the!portico,!staring!at!nothing.!For!
days!she!had!teased!Hans!about!being!cold!so!that!he!would!warm!her.!But!now!she!
truly!was!cold.!Cold!to!the!core.!Colder!still,!knowing!that!he!would!never!warm!her!
again.!What!frayed!ribbons!of!her!heart!that!remained!quaked!and!yearned!to!be!
repaired.!But!her!heart!would!never!be!whole!again.!He!had!left!with!more!than!half!of!
it,!and!she!only!had!a!cold!pit!where!it!had!once!resided.!
HWhere!is!Von!Rosen?H!Her!brother:s!voice,!but!he!sounded!very!far!away.!
HI!don:t!know,H!she!said.!
HHe!just!deposits!you!here!and!leaves?H!
HHe!said!he!needed!to!talk!to!you.H!
HOf!course!he!needs!to!talk!to!me.!What!sort!of!man!escorts!my!sister!on!a!week\
long!trip!alone?H!HErich!was!with!us!most!of!the!way.H!
HWho!the!bloody!hell!is!Erich?H!
HHans:!man.!He!drove!the!coach.H!
HIt:s!Hans!now,!is!it?H!
That!drew!her!attention.!HYes,!it:s!Hans.!When!did!you!become!so!autocratic?H!
HApparently!when!my!sister!decided!to!travel!half!the!continent!with!a!man!she!
didn:t!know.!How!is!it!supposed!to!make!me!feel!better!that!Erich!was!there?!Why!
didn:t!Hans!bring!a!maid!as!your!chaperone?H!
HI!wanted!to!travel!quickly,!so!we!kept!our!party!small!and!traveled!under!guise!of!
man!and!wife.H!
HKrystyna!!What!were!you!even!thinking?!Did!you!stay!alone!with!him?H!
She!didn:t!answer,!merely!glowered!at!him.!
HWhen!I!get!my!hands!on!him!he:ll!be!lucky!to!live!long!enough!to!be!leg!shackled.H!
HHans!was!a!perfect!gentleman.!He!does!not!wish!to!marry!me!and!I!am!already!
engaged.H!
HYes,!to!the!esteemed!Gregor!Eichen,!who!makes!me!look!a!giant.!How!will!you!
explain!to!him!when!you!birth!a!blond!son!that!will!outgrow!him!by!five!years!old?H!
HAs!I!said,H!she!responded!tightly,!HHans!was!a!perfect!gentleman.H!
HThen!where!is!he?H!
She!turned!her!attention!back!to!the!middle!distance!of!the!alleyway.!For!the!rest!of!
her!life!she!would!ask!herself!where!Hans!was,!and!the!only!answer!she!would!know!
was!that!he!was!nowhere!nearby,!and!that!his!absence!chilled!her.!She!wrapped!her!
arms!around!herself.!
Her!brother!made!a!frustrated!noise!and!left!the!portico.!Some!time!later!his!wife!
came!out!with!a!shawl!and!guided!her!inside.!
Krystyna!pulled!away.!HYou!don:t!need!to!be!nice!to!me,!I!know!I:ve!been!horrid.H!
HIt!might!be!easier!to!push!you!off!into!the!shrubs!to!freeze!to!death,!but!think!of!all!
the!explaining!I!would!have!to!do.H!
Krystyna!looked!at!her!sister\in\law,!really!looked!at!her!for!the!first!time.!Features!
that!would!have!been!elegant!if!not!for!the!devilish!grin.!Pale,!almost!wan!in!
appearance.!With!little!effort!the!girl!could!be!an!icy!beauty.!Instead,!she!had!her!hair!in!
a!haphazard!bun!and!a!penchant!for!sly!humor.!
HI!think!I:ve!ruined!everything,H!Krystyna!admitted!quietly.!
HOf!course!not!!Well,!probably!not.!I!know!that!you!want!Casimir!to!change!his!
mind,!but!he!will!do!what!he!thinks!is!right.!Your!mistake!is!in!assuming!that!it:s!easy!
for!him.H!
Krystyna!looked!at!her!sister\in\law!for!some!minutes!before!saying,!HDoing!what!is!
right!is!rarely!easy.H!
!
! !
Chapter!Thirteen!!
Hans!awoke!to!a!steady!tapping!sound.!Gods,!was!it!those!infernal!clocks!again?!He!
didn:t!remember!falling!asleep!in!the!downstairs!study.!Blinking!in!the!dim!light!he!
tried!to!remember!where!he!was.!Grimy!windows.!Not!the!study.!Not!even!Prussia.!The!
sour!smell,!the!rough!sheets.!The!blasted!London!inn.!The!tapping!sound!stopped.!
HAwake,!then?H!
Hans!blinked!to!bring!Casimir!Rokiczana!into!focus,!sitting!in!a!straight\backed!
chair!near!the!bed.!The!man!looked!terribly!out!of!place!here,!from!the!sheen!on!his!
violet!superfine!coat!down!to!the!tips!of!his!highly!polished!boots.!Boots!that!appeared!
to!be!the!source!of!the!tapping!sound!as!the!young!Polishman!began!jiggling!his!leg!
again.!
HIt!took!me!near!a!week!to!find!you.!Not!true.!It!took!me!near!a!week!to!not!find!you,!and!then!I!called!in!a!favor.H!
Hans!rolled!over!onto!his!back,!aching!in!every!muscle!as!though!he!had!gone!a!
round!with!a!bear.!HWhy!did!you!need!an!hour!in!Vienna?H!
The!tapping!stopped!again.!HReally?!No!:How!have!you!been!keeping!yourself,!
Casimir?:!No!:Why!did!you!need!to!track!me!down?:!Not!even,!:I:m!terribly!sorry!I!
compromised!your!sister:?H!
HIs!that!what!she!said?H!He!sat!up!and!snagged!the!bottle!of!rye!off!the!table!next!to!
him.!HYou:re!the!one!who!told!her!to!seek!help!from!Henry.!Perhaps!you!wanted!her!
compromised.H!
Casimir!actually!sputtered.!HSeek!help!from!Henry?!Heavens!no,!I!didn:t!tell!her!to!
seek!help!from!Henry!!Is!that!what!she!told!you?H!
As!Hans!was!tilting!the!rye!to!pour!into!the!dirty!glass!he:d!been!using,!Casimir!
moved.!One!moment!Hans!was!holding!a!bottle!of!rye!whiskey!and!the!next!he!wasn:t.!
He!almost!dropped!the!glass!in!surprise.!
HI!wouldn:t!send!my!dog!to!get!help!from!Henry,H!Casimir!said!from!near!the!
window,!where!he!set!the!bottle!down!on!the!sill.!HWell,!if!I!had!a!dog.!Or!a!cat,!even.!
Fairly!much!any!living!thing.!I!love!him,!don:t!get!me!wrong,!but!responsibility!is!not!
his!strong!suit.H!
HWe!can!agree!on!that.H!
HHow!is!Henry?H!
Hans!shrugged.!HHis!last!letter!was!six!months!ago!and!he!was!in!Italy.!If!you!need!
a!primer!on!Italian!women,!I!can!forward!it!to!you!when!I!return!home.H!
Casimir!grinned.!HI!doubt!my!wife!would!take!kindly!to!me!reading!a!primer!on!
Italian!women.H!
Hans!quietly!tapped!his!fingers!on!the!side!of!the!glass!he!was!holding.!His!
hangover!was!stupendous.!HHow!have!you!been!keeping!yourself,!Casimir?H!
HCalculating!how!to!get!rid!of!me?!It!won:t!work,!I!assure!you.!Once!I!can!discern!
which!of!these!rags!are!your!clothes!and!which!are!just!bedding,!we!will!be!packing!you!
up!to!return!home.!I!would!ask!them!to!send!up!bathwater,!but!at!this!inn!I!fear!what!
we!might!receive.H!
HYou!tracked!me!down!to!ensure!I!returned!to!Prussia?H!
HLet!me!be!clear,!we!will!be!returning!to!my!home!where!you!will!get!down!on!your!
knees!and!beg!my!sister!to!accept!you!as!her!husband.H!
Hans!set!the!glass!down!and!peered!keenly!at!Casimir.!HWhat!about!her!fiancé?E!HI!am!the!head!of!the!family!now.!I!do!not!have!to!honor!promises!made!by!my!
father!before!I!was!even!born.H!
HShe!was!pledged!as!a!baby?H!
Casimir!nodded.!HAs!soon!as!they!realized!their!first!born!was!a!girl,!they!looked!
for!an!advantageous!match.!When!the!agreement!was!struck!it!was!for!the!Eichen:s!
next\born!son.H!
Hans!leaned!down!and!put!his!head!in!hands.!HGod:s!blood.!How!is!it!possible!that!
she!isn:t!married!yet?H!
HHis!youth.!My!father:s!death.!And!for!the!last!two!years,!my!delaying!as!I!
investigated!how!to!avoid!any!legal!issues!from!breaking!the!engagement.H!
HIs!that!what!Krystyna!wants?H!
HIf!you!were!to!ask!her,!she!would!say!no.!But\\H!Casimir!tilted!his!head!to!the!side.!
HI!have!things!to!tell!you.!When!is!the!last!time!you!ate?H!
Hans!shrugged.!He!honestly!didn:t!know.!
HGather!your!things.!We!will!make!do!with!the!water!closet!at!my!office!for!making!
you!presentable,!and!that!will!be!a!more!reasonable!place!for!us!to!talk,!as!well.!I!can!
send!someone!for!refreshments.H!
Hans!wasn’t!sure!what!direction!Casimir’s!mercurial!thoughts!were!taking.!What!
he!did!know!was!that!any!carriage!ride!was!likely!to!pitch!his!already!tender!stomach!
further!with!every!tiny!jolt!of!the!wheels.!Refreshments!were!likely!to!be!his!last!request!
by!the!time!they!arrived.!
!
! !
Chapter!Fourteen!!
Krystyna!spent!the!week!accompanying!her!sister\in\law,!who!insisted!on!being!
called!George!by!everyone!other!than!Casimir,!on!social!calls.!George!loaned!her!
dresses!and!educated!her!on!the!social!graces!of!polite!society!in!London.!As!Krystyna!
still!didn:t!understand!the!language,!she!mostly!smiled!and!nodded!encouragingly!if!
anyone!smiled!at!her.!Meanwhile,!her!mind!wrestled!with!the!arguments!that!she!and!
Casimir!still!hadn:t!resolved.!
In!some!ways,!she!had!to!admit!that!her!sweet,!playful!little!brother!had!grown!up.!
He!was!intractable!to!the!point!of!stubborn!on!the!opinion!that!she!should!marry!Hans!
as!:the!man!had!compromised!her:.!He!hadn:t!compromised!her!!He!was!honorable!and!
kind.!Something!she!had!to!stop!thinking!on!if!her!heart!were!ever!to!mend.!!
She!was!even!more!surprised!to!learn!how!diligently!Casimir!had!been!working!to!
break!the!engagement!with!the!Eichens.!He!said!the!letter!he!had!written!to!mama!
suggesting!the!engagement!could!now!be!broken!must!have!prompted!her!to!contact!
them!herself!and!arrange!a!date.!He!brushed!off!Krystyna:s!anger!at!not!being!contacted!
directly,!saying!that!he!knew!she!had!no!love!for!Gregor!Eichen.!!
She!wasn:t!sure!she!had!ever!been!this!mad!at!Casimir!before.!Not!when!he!had!
muddied!her!best!dress,!not!even!when!he!had!broken!her!favorite!doll.!But!his!
assumption,!his!arrogance,!that!she!should!bow!to!his!change!in!their!father:s!plans?!It!
was!infuriating.!And!when!his!reasons,!his!logic,!hadn:t!swayed!her,!he!had!withdrawn!
to!the!one!statement!she!couldn:t!argue!with.!HIf!you!truly!believe!everything!our!father!
told!us!about!our!family,!then!you!cannot!disobey!me.H!
!
*!*!*!
!
Casimir!had!always!liked!Hans!Von!Rosen!well!enough.!At!least!until!the!day!that!
Krystyna!had!arrived!in!London.!When!Casimir!rushed!into!the!drawing!room,!
Krystyna!had!instinctively!backed!up!a!step!into!Hans.!The!Prussian!hadn:t!moved!to!
put!more!space!between!them.!A!telling!little!exchange,!bespeaking!intimacy.!Seeing!
Hans!in!his!current!sorry!state!only!confirmed!Casimir:s!belief!that!much!more!had!
happened!on!the!journey!from!the!Continent!than!Krystyna!had!been!willing!to!admit.!
It!had!been!a!bit!of!a!surprise,!really,!the!rush!of!protectiveness!that!had!come!over!
him!when!he!saw!the!two!of!them!together.!Krystyna!had!always!been!a!force!of!her!
own.!She!had!taught!him!at!least!half!of!what!he!knew!about!horses,!fisticuffs,!and!
getting!away!with!highway!robbery.!Even!while!trying!to!disentangle!her!from!the!
Eichen!engagement,!it!had!been!half!a!desire!to!keep!her!from!marrying!a!man!she!
disliked,!and!half!an!intellectual!exercise!in!outfoxing!a!damned!greedy!family.!It!had!
never!occurred!to!him!that!she!might!need!his!protection.!And!based!on!her!reaction!
now,!it!was!very!clear!that!she!didn:t!want!it.!
But!she!did!want!Hans:!protection.!She!betrayed!it!with!every!look,!every!response,!
when!the!man!was!mentioned.!She!missed!him!every!bit!as!much!as!Hans!appeared!to!
miss!her.!At!least,!he!had!to!assume!that!was!the!pain!Hans!was!drowning!in!cheap!
whiskey.!
After!a!brisk,!chilly!walk!they!arrived!at!Casimir:s!office.!He!paid!one!of!the!local!
boys!to!fetch!them!a!hot!meal!and!showed!Hans!inside.!
Looking!around,!the!Prussian!said,!HYou:ve!done!well!for!yourself.H!
HThe!earl!never!does!anything!by!halves.H!
HEarl?H!
HYes.!The!investment!firm!is!a!partnership!of!the!Duke!of!Beloin!and!Earl!of!
Harrington,!but!the!earl!is!very!much!the!managing!partner.H!
HWhat!is!it!you!do!here?H!
Casimir!smiled.!HDevelop!investment!opportunities.H!
HSounds\\H!
HFascinating?H!
HI!was!going!to!say!boring.H!
Casimir!shrugged.!HWe!aren:t!here!with!the!excellent!liquors!courtesy!of!the!earl!to!
discuss!my!employment.H!He!poured!two!glasses!of!Irish!whiskey!and!signaled!for!
Hans!to!sit!in!one!of!the!large,!comfortable!wing!chairs.!HWe!are!here!to!discuss!my!
sister.!And!that!hour!in!Vienna.!The!two!are!at!least!vaguely!related.H!
Hans!frowned!at!that.!HIn!what!way?H!
HThere!are!some!things!I!won:t!tell!you,!because!they!are!Krystyna:s!to!tell.!The!rest!
I!will!tell!you!for!two!reasons.!First,!I!tacitly!promised!you!an!explanation!when!I!left!
Vienna.!Second,!I!believe!you!to!be!a!man!of!honor!and!as!you!will!soon!be!my!brother\
in\law,!I!have!little!reason!to!fear!you!will!use!this!information!to!my!detriment.H!
Hans!sat!quietly,!outwardly!calm!but!clearly!on!the!alert.!Casimir!continued.!
HIt!would!help!if!I!gave!you!context.!The!story,!as!it!were.!Our!father!raised!us!with!
the!belief!that!we!were!descended!from!the!Polish!king!Casimir!the!Great!and!that!it!
was!our!destiny!to!rule!Poland!one!day.H!
Casimir!waited!patiently!until!Hans!said!something.!HThat!seems...!unlikely.H!
HYou!can!imagine!my!surprise!when!I!surmised!the!same!thing!after!some!years!of!
schooling.!Not!impossible,!but!not!likely.!Krystyna,!however,!still!believes!it.H!
HThus!why!she:s!angry!about!you!being!here,!married!to!a!British!girl.H!
HEssentially.!And!she!was!very!close!to!our!father.!Has!she!told!you!about!him?H!
Hans!shook!his!head.!
Casimir!smiled.!HHe!was!an!amazing!man.!Larger!than!life.!He!would!have!to!be,!
yes?!To!convince!hundreds!of!people!to!support!his!claim!to!the!throne!of!a!country!that!
was!no!longer!even!a!country?H!
HHundreds?H!
HWe!had!even!more!supporters!during!my!grandfather:s!time;!many!perished!in!the!
uprisings.!But!father!rallied!our!remaining!clan!and!changed!tactics.!No!longer!open!
rebellion.!He!became!secretive!and!sent!me!to!school!that!I!might!learn!how!to!operate!
in!the!ruling!class.!Ingratiate!myself!to!those!in!power.H!
Hans!sat!back.!HYou!did!very!well.H!
Casimir!grinned.!HI!did,!didn:t!I?!But!what!he!hadn:t!calculated!was!how!my!
education!would!affect!me.!That!I!would!begin!thinking!for!myself!and!come!to!two!
very!damning!conclusions.!First,!that!the!claim!of!lineage!is!questionable.!I!have!no!
evidence!that!I!am!any!more!closely!related!to!Casimir!the!Great!than!you!are.!Second,!
even!if!the!lineage!is!true,!the!likelihood!that!we!could!both!wrest!Poland:s!
independence!and!claim!dominion!is!so!remote!as!to!be!ludicrous!to!consider.H!
HBut!Krystyna!believes!you!can.H!
Casimir!leaned!forward!to!reinforce!his!point.!HKrystyna!believes!that!I!must.!That!
it!is!my!destiny!and!duty.H!
HHow!does!this!figure!into!that!hour!in!Vienna?H!
He!sat!back!again.!HEven!if!I!don:t!believe!myself!to!be!destined!to!rule!Poland,!it!
doesn:t!mean!the!people!don:t!have!my!sympathies.!There!is!a!great!desire!for!an!
independent!Poland!and!I!will!do!everything!I!am!able!to!help!that!happen.!I!needed!
that!hour!to!gather!the!dozens!of!documents!I!had!collected!during!my!time!at!the!
Congress.H!
HDozens?H!
HYes.H!
HYour!wife.!Was!she!a!spy!as!well?H!
HYes,!but!for!the!United!Kingdom.H!Casimir!grinned!as!Hans!digested!that!tidbit!as!
well.!The!man!had!been!in!charge!of!security!for!the!Prussian!delegation,!he!surely!
couldn’t!be!happy!that!there!had!been!two!foreign!spies!literally!under!his!nose!for!
months.!
!
! !
Chapter!Fifteen!!
Hans!had!to!gain!his!feet!and!pace!the!room!before!his!temper!had!the!better!of!
him.!HSo!the!Prussian!attaché!–Otto\\!when!he!accused!you!of!giving!her!secrets,!he!was!
right?H!
HYes.H!
HDammit,!Casimir,!I!trusted!you.H!
HAnd!I!trust!you,!which!is!why!I:m!explaining!myself!to!you.H!
HYou!trust!me?!We!are!by!definition!enemies.!You!have!undermined!the!country!I!
am!sworn!to!protect.H!
HI!have!no!designs!on!Prussia,!only!Poland!has!my!interest.!Do!you!truly!care!if!
Polish!lands!are!part!of!the!Prussian!Empire?H!
HIf!the!Emperor!cares,!then!I!care.H!
HAll!right,!how!about!this.!The!letter!that!Otto!was!so!disturbed!to!have!lost!
included!details!on!a!plan!to!smuggle!goods.!Doesn:t!that!count!as!undermining!the!
Emperor:s!goals?!For!a!highly!placed!and!trusted!official!to!be!conspiring!with!
smugglers?H!
HDon:t!try!to!justify!your!misdeeds!by!pointing!to!those!of!others.H!
Casimir!was!quiet!for!a!moment.!HBut!now!we!are!at!a!new!place.!You!understand!
that!I!am!not!with!Prussia,!I!am!with!Poland,!yes?H!
Hans!braced!his!hands!on!the!marble!fireplace!mantle.!HYes,!that!is!very!clear.H!
HAnd!you!understand!that!although!I!will!not!turn!my!back!on!Poland:s!need!for!
independence,!I!am!neither!seeking!to!create!an!uprising!nor!believe!that!I!could!or!
should!rule!it.H!
HWhat!is!your!point,!Casmir?H!
HI!want!you!to!marry!my!sister.H!
Hans!gave!a!helpless!laugh!and!wished!he!was!still!drinking!at!that!inn.!HWhy?H!
HFirst,!I!do!not!care!for!her!marrying!Gregor!Eichen.!Second,H!Casimir!was!quiet!for!
a!moment.!HShe!has!already!given!herself!to!you,!and!I!would!think!that!as!a!man!of!
honor!you!would!do!what!is!right.H!
HDid!she!tell!you!that?H!
HShe!doesn:t!have!to!tell!me!anything,!I:ve!seen!the!two!of!you!together.H!
HI!don:t!know!what!you!think!you:ve!seen,!but!I!have!never,!would!never,!dishonor!
your!sister.H!He!gave!a!hollow!laugh.!HAt!least!half!of!which!was!because!of!my!respect!
for!you.H!
HTake!heart,!I!don:t!require!that!you!respect!me.!Only!Krystyna.H!
HHow!am!I!supposed!to!tie!my!family!to!yours?H!
HEveryone!else!thinks!me!an!earnest!young!gentleman!from!Silesia.!I!tend!to!doubt!
you!will!disabuse!them!of!that!impression.H!
HIt:s!not!about!who!knows\\H!
HEverything!is!about!who!knows.!Everything!in!the!world!is!based!on!who!knows!
what!about!whom.!You,!of!all!people,!know!that.H!
Hans!clenched!his!jaw.!Casimir!was,!in!a!sense,!correct.!While!in!the!diplomatic!
service!Hans!had!seen!a!number!of!times!where!gaining!additional!information!
completely!changed!things.!Knowing,!for!instance,!that!a!highly\placed!Prussian!
diplomat!such!as!Otto!was!working!with!smugglers!changed!things.!Not!that!Hans!ever!
had!any!particular!liking!for!the!man,!but!he!had!at!least!found!his!credentials!
satisfactory.!
HAfter!all,H!Casimir!cajoled,!Hwho!knew!more!about!the!people!in!Vienna!than!you?H!
HYou,!apparently,H!Hans!said.!He!picked!up!the!glass!of!whiskey!and!finished!it!in!
one!long!swallow.!Casimir!was!quiet!for!long!moments!while!Hans!rolled!the!empty!
glass!between!his!hands.!Hans!finally!broke!the!silence.!HWhat!will!become!of!
Krystyna?H!
Casimir!took!a!sip!of!his!own!liquor.!HWell,!if!you:re!saying!that!you!won:t!offer!for!
her,!I!don:t!see!where!that!is!any!of!your!concern.H!
Hans!felt!a!tremendous!rush!of!anger.!He!had!once!found!Casimir!likable?!This!
high\handed!arrogance!was!infuriating.!
HHowever,H!Casimir!continued,!Hyou!are!free!to!spend!Christmas!with!us.!It:s!likely!
the!only!house!you:ll!find!in!London!with!a!tree!being!decorated!tonight.H!
Hans!paused!and!narrowed!his!eyes.!How!had!he!not!seen!how!arrogant,!how!
manipulative!the!man!was!before?!Then!he!registered!what!Casimir!had!said.!HIt:s!
Christmas!eve?H!
HYes,!what!day!did!you!think!it!was?H!
Apparently!he!had!a!bit!more!of!that!rye!whiskey!to!drink!than!he!had!realized!if!a!
full!day!had!gone!missing.!!
Any!reply!he!might!have!made!was!circumvented!by!the!boy!arriving!with!meat!
pasties.!After!eating,!Casimir!rushed!him!through!his!ablutions,!insisting!he!would!
have!time!to!shave!and!tidy!more!once!they!arrived!at!the!house.!Although!he!didn:t!
want!to!go!to!the!Polishman:s!home,!it!seemed!he!couldn:t!keep!his!feet!from!walking!
toward!Krystyna.!Taking!the!opportunity!to!see!her!one!last!time.!Even!if!his!progress!
was!made!with!all!the!enthusiasm!of!a!man!walking!to!the!gallows,!he!couldn:t!seem!to!
turn!back.!
!
! !
Chapter!Sixteen!!
Krystyna!stood!patiently!in!the!front!hall,!waiting!to!divest!herself!of!her!outer!
garments!while!Wladek!was!assisting!George.!The!door!opened,!but!it!proved!to!be!her!
annoying!little!brother.!Then!she!saw!who!was!behind!him!and!her!heart,!what!was!left!
of!it,!stopped.!Hans!looked!haggard!and!angry,!but!when!his!gaze!found!her!it!softened!
for!a!moment!before!he!firmed!his!jaw.!A!jaw!covered!by!at!least!a!week:s!growth!of!
beard.!And!not!a!handsome,!trimmed!beard,!either.!He!looked!as!though!he!might!have!
been!living!in!the!wilds.!
She!took!a!step!towards!him,!but!then!glanced!at!her!brother.!His!smug!look!
stopped!her!in!her!tracks.!How!had!he!found!Hans,!much!less!convinced!the!man!to!
come!here?!She!wouldn:t!give!Casimir!the!satisfaction!of!showing!her!happiness!at!
seeing!Hans!again.!Besides,!the!last!thing!Hans!had!asked!of!her,!the!only!thing!he!had!
ever!asked!of!her,!was!to!never!speak!to!him!again.!She!turned!back!to!Wladek!but!a!
moment!later!felt!hands!on!her!shoulders,!pulling!her!overcoat!off.!She!didn:t!have!to!
look!to!know!that!it!was!Hans.!She!nodded!her!thanks!and!studied!the!tips!of!her!
slippers!while!Casimir!and!his!wife!chatted!about!the!visit!George!had!just!made!to!the!
neighbors.!
It!surprised!Krystyna!that!her!brother!had!settled!into!such!a!life.!Even!if!his!wife!
was!unorthodox,!their!lives!had!taken!on!all!the!trappings!of!the!impoverished!
gentleman.!Casimir!was!even!working,!like!some!sort!of!bourgeois.!It!was!far!from!what!
he!could!be!doing,!should!be!doing.!Hundreds!of!their!clansfolk!stood!ready!to!assist!
him!in!anything!he!wanted!to!do,!but!instead!he!was!here?!Working!for!British!lords?!
How!did!that!in!the!least!help!him!to!achieve!his!destiny?!
While!she!was!thinking,!Casimir!sent!Wladek!off!to!settle!Hans!in!a!guest!room.!She!
realized!that!it!might!be!best!if!she!quietly!withdrew!to!her!own!room,!but!as!she!
murmured!her!excuses!her!brother!interrupted!her.!
HWe!will!see!you!downstairs!tonight,!I!hope?H!
HOf!course.H!
HDon:t!use!that!high!and!mighty!tone!with!me,!I!know!how!stubborn!you!can!be.!It!
doesn:t!take!someone!of!my!perception!to!see!that!you!rate!time!with!Herr!Von!Rosen!
as!less!desirable!than!choking!on!your!own!hat!pins.H!
There!had!been!a!time!when!Casimir!wouldn:t!have!dreamed!of!speaking!in!such!a!
way!to!her.!Even!as!his!wit!had!been!honed!on!those!around!her,!he!had!held!her!in!
enough!awe!that!his!manner!toward!her!had!always!been!deferential.!She!was!the!
eldest,!his!trusted!and!wise!sister.!But!as!she!drew!back!her!shoulders!and!considered!
what!to!say!to!him,!she!realized!that!she!had!barely!seen!him!these!last!four!years!and!
perhaps!the!tone!she!had!imagined!when!reading!his!letters!home!hadn:t!captured!his!
true!feelings.!He!had!grown!into!a!man!in!that!time,!and!it!seemed!a!darker,!more!
vicious!man!than!she!had!ever!expected!him!to!be.!
HI,!for!one,!do!the!things!that!I!say!I!will.H!With!that,!she!turned!to!walk!up!the!steps.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Casimir:s!grip!on!the!newel!post!was!so!strong!that!George!worried!he!might!
wrench!it!off.!When!in!doubt,!she!usually!tried!levity,!especially!with!her!playful,!
entertaining!husband.!
HI:m!starting!to!like!your!sister.H!
The!glance!he!cut!to!her!fell!far!short!of!entertained.!Anguished!was!what!she!
would!call!it,!really.!
HI!should!tell!her.H!He!looked!back!to!the!steps!his!sister!had!ascended.!HI!should!tell!
her!how,!why,!father!died.H!
George!frowned,!remembering!how!his!first!fiancé!had!used!information!about!the!
Rokiczana’s!political!plans,!information!that!Casimir!had!freely!given!her,!to!accuse!his!
father!of!treason!and!release!herself!from!the!engagement.!HDo!you!think!that!would!
help!the!situation?H!
He!finally!let!go!of!the!bannister!and!his!shoulders!slumped.!HAt!least!then!she!
could!be!furious!with!me!for!the!right!reasons.!She!has!never!known!why!father!was!
accused!of!treason!and!likely!suspects!it!had!to!do!with!the!robberies.H!
George!wrapped!her!arms!around!her!husband!from!behind!and!rested!her!head!on!
his!shoulder.!“I!worry!that!telling!her!now!will!only!confuse!the!situation.!Let!her!settle!
whatever!this!is!she!feels!for!Hans!first.”!!
He!nodded.!HI:ve!always!been!afraid!that!if!she!really!understood!the!role!I!played!
in!our!father:s!death!that!she!would!never!forgive!me.H!
HThat:s!possible,H!George!said!soberly,!Hbut!what’s!more!important!is!that!you!
forgive!yourself.H!
“As!that’s!unlikely,!I!was!hoping!she!would!do!it.”!He!looked!up!the!stairs!again!
thoughtfully.!“But!you’re!correct.!Now!isn’t!the!right!time.”!He!finally!smiled!at!her.!
“Now!is!when!I!make!sure!that!my!sister’s!future!is!secured.”!
!
*!*!*!
!
Krystyna!found!that!once!she!gained!her!bedroom!she!couldn:t!settle.!She!paced!the!
modest!space!and!couldn:t!help!but!compare!it!to!their!rooms!at!the!various!inns.!
Larger,!certainly,!than!the!one!they!shared!in!the!inn!south!of!London,!but!nothing!in!
comparison!to!their!quarters!in!Calais.!Her!step!faltered!as!she!heard!a!voice!in!the!
hallway!she!thought!was!Hans.!She!pressed!herself!up!against!the!door!and!closed!her!
eyes,!focusing!on!the!sound.!It!was!definitely!him,!but!she!couldn:t!quite!make!out!the!
words.!Even!so,!the!tone!soothed!her.!Warmed!her,!like!a!wool!blanket.!
She!would!do!what!she!must,!what!she!had!promised!to!do.!She!had!never!been!
happy!about!it,!and!now!she!just!had!the!bittersweet!burden!of!loving!a!man!she!could!
never!have.!
!
! !
Chapter!Seventeen!!
With!the!fog!of!the!whiskey!clearing,!Hans!found!himself!thinking!about!Krystyna.!
He!thought!about!her!as!he!bathed!and!shaved!and!dressed.!He!thought!about!her!
when!he!asked!Wladek!about!the!plans!for!the!evening!and!when!he!should!return!
downstairs.!And!he!definitely!thought!of!her!as!he!looked!up!and!down!the!hallway,!
wondering!which!door!might!lead!to!her!bedroom.!Not!that!she!would!necessarily!be!in!
it,!but!he!would!like!to!know.!If!nothing!else,!he!had!a!deep!protective!instinct!when!it!
came!to!her.!Perhaps!it!had!developed!by!being!her!chaperone!on!the!trip!from!the!
Continent,!but!whatever!its!source,!not!knowing!where!she!was!nagged!at!him!like!a!
sore!tooth.!
It!wasn:t!typical!for!him!to!be!focused!on!another!person.!Not!that!he!was!uncaring,!
far!from!it,!but!he!was!also!clearly!aware!of!the!limitations!of!his!responsibility!for!
others.!If!he!hadn:t!learned!that,!the!loss!of!his!men!on!the!battlefield!would!soon!have!
crushed!him.!The!outrageous!behavior!of!his!brothers!would!have!had!him!racing!
across!the!continent!cleaning!up!after!them.!But!now!this!woman!had!concentrated!his!
attentions!in!a!way!he!wasn:t!accustomed!to!feeling.!As!though!she!were!important.!
Significant.!In!all!the!times!he!had!envisioned,!if!a!bit!hazily,!what!it!would!be!like!to!
marry,!this!gnawing!worry!and!uncertainty!hadn:t!been!featured.!He!had!expected!
warmth,!comfort,!and!attraction.!Although!when!they!were!alone!together,!when!he!
woke!up!with!her!in!his!arms,!it!was!everything!he!might!have!hoped,!there!were!so!
many!other!complications.!Her!engagement!to!another!man.!Her!treasonous!brother.!
The!fact!that!her!lineage!would!never!please!his!parents.!Her!own!proud,!stubborn,!
secretive!personality.!
He!sighed!and!returned!to!his!room,!unsure!of!what!would!come.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Krystyna!smiled!at!her!sister\in\law,!glad!of!the!distraction!provided!by!their!work!
in!the!kitchen.!George!had!a!surprising!grasp!of!both!Polish!and!German,!but!was!using!
it!to!question!almost!every!holiday!tradition!from!the!Rokiczana:s!homeland.!
HBut!why!a!tree?H!she!persisted.!
HWhy!not!a!tree?H!Krystyna!asked,!shaping!a!rogaliki.!!George!frowned!and!paused!while!rolling!out!dough.!HTechnically!we!bring!in!
trees,!too,!we!just!tear!them!apart!first.H!
HThat!sounds!terrible!H!
Her!sister\in\law!shrugged.!HWe!burn!a!big!log!in!the!fireplace,!a!Yule!log,!and!
decorate!the!house!with!greenery.!And!bows.H!
HWhy!bows?H!Krystyna!asked!innocently,!hoping!to!give!her!sister\in\law!some!
small!serving!of!the!questioning!she!had!been!subjected!to!this!afternoon.!
George!opened!her!mouth!to!answer,!but!glancing!over!must!have!seen!a!glint!of!
deviltry.!Quirking!her!eyebrow!the!British!girl!finally!said!in!a!pious!tone,!HThey:re!
quite!sacred,!didn:t!you!know?H!
Krystyna!hated!to!admit!it,!but!she!really!liked!George!now.!And!she!liked!the!way!
her!brother!looked!at!his!wife!when!he!didn:t!realize!anyone!was!watching.!Pleased,!as!
though!she!were!a!treasure!only!he!was!privy!to.!The!same!way!that!Papa!had!looked!at!
Mama.!
Krystyna!licked!some!jam!off!her!thumb.!HIf!bows!are!sacred,!then!that!Miss!
Peregrine!you!introduced!me!to!must!be!the!holiest!creature!on!earth.H!
George!laughed.!HThat!gown!was!a!travesty,!wasn:t!it?H!
HTo!each!their!own,!I!suppose.!But!you!couldn:t!pay!me!enough!to!wear!that!dress.H!
HI!could!admonish!you!for!never!having!a!bad!word!for!anyone,!but!it:s!all!right.!I!
undoubtedly!have!enough!for!both!of!us.H!
The!outer!door!opened,!bringing!in!a!chill!wind!and!the!scent!of!pine.!And!Hans,!
laughing!with!Casimir!and!Wladek.!The!traitorous!shreds!of!her!heart!tangled,!leaving!
her!with!an!ache!in!her!chest!and!a!bubbling!bit!of!joy!and!hope!that!she!ruthlessly!
repressed.!As!soon!as!he!saw!her,!Hans!sobered!as!well.!The!others,!however,!were!
swept!up!in!the!excitement!of!the!Tannenbaum.!
Casimir!caught!his!wife!up!in!a!spin.!HOur!English!merchant!did!well,!don:t!you!
think?!The!tree!is!almost!as!tall!as!our!Prussian!friend!here.H!
The!tree!was!indeed!almost!as!tall!as!Hans,!who!was!holding!it!by!himself!until!
Casimir!turned!his!attention!back!to!the!project.!The!two!carried!the!tree!out!to!
the!parlor,!Wladek!following!with!the!wood!to!be!used!in!making!the!tree!stand.!With!
the!tree,!the!smell!of!the!ciasteczka'na'święta!baking,!and!the!joy!of!her!family!around!her,!
Krystyna!felt!overwhelmed.!She!wished!she!had!stayed!home!where!her!mother!would!
be!fussing!about!her!wedding!dress!and!talking!about!how!they!would!finally!be!
fulfilling!one!of!her!father:s!key!plans,!uniting!their!family!with!a!politically!
advantageous!one.!Instead,!she!was!here!watching!her!brother!turn!his!back!on!those!
plans.!And!pining!over!a!man!she!certainly!couldn:t!have.!
!
! !
Chapter!Eighteen!!
Watching!the!household!preparing!for!the!evening,!Hans!missed!his!own!family.!
Not!that!the!Von!Rosens!had!planned!to!gather!this!Christmas.!For!years!Hans!himself!
had!been!too!busy!to!spend!the!holiday!at!home,!as!for!some!time!the!military!was!his!
family.!Now!his!brothers!and!sisters!were!scattered!throughout!Europe!with!their!own!
households!and!his!parents!had!taken!to!traveling.!They!might,!according!to!their!last!
letter,!return!home!as!soon!as!the!spring.!With!Henry,!the!last!unmarried!sibling!other!
than!Hans,!off!to!parts!unknown,!it!would!have!been!lonely!indeed!to!holiday!at!one!of!
the!family!estates.!
That!was!what!his!life!had!come!to,!then.!Celebrating!the!most!holy!of!days!in!the!
house!of!a!traitor!to!his!country,!while!secretly!coveting!that!traitor:s!sister.!It!had!all!the!
trappings!of!a!Greek!drama.!Frau!Rokiczana,!or!George!as!she!insisted!he!call!her,!even!
served!as!a!credible!Greek!chorus,!taking!the!time!to!explain!things!to!him!when!he!
didn’t!understand!the!language!or!reference.!
Meanwhile,!Krystyna!seemed!sad!and!withdrawn.!Having!a!better!understanding!
of!her!goals!now,!he!didn:t!see!that!her!trip!could!ever!have!yielded!the!result!she!
wanted.!However,!being!the!veteran!of!many!untenable!situations,!he!understood!that!
sometimes!you!needed!to!something,!regardless!of!how!slim!the!odds!were!for!success.!
To!do!otherwise!was!to!surrender!to!the!impending!tragedy.!Even!if!he!found!her!belief!
in!her!father:s!stories!foolish,!it!was!certainly!understandable!that!she!was!struggling!to!
make!sense!of!where!she!now!found!herself,!stranded!between!her!desire!to!fulfill!her!
duty!to!her!father:s!memory!with!an!unwanted!marriage!and!her!loyalty!to!a!brother!
who!no!longer!believed!himself!to!be!a!lost!Polish!prince.!
How!lowering!it!must!be,!however,!to!accept!that!one!was!not!a!princess,!but!a!
commoner.!He!could!certainly!understand!the!instinct!to!fight!against!that.!He!couldn:t!
fathom!learning!that!everything!his!father!had!told!him!had!been,!at!best,!an!elaborate!
fabrication!or,!at!worst,!a!terrible!delusion.!Hans!wasn:t!sure!that!even!he!would!have!
the!fortitude!of!mind!to!convince!himself!that!everything!he!believed!was!false,!as!
Casimir!had!apparently!done.!
After!supper!the!Rokiczanas!gathered!everyone!in!the!parlor!to!trim!the!tree,!sing!
songs,!and!drink!egg!brandy.!Hans!didn:t!even!try!to!sing!the!Polish!songs,!but!Frau!
Rokiczana!tried!valiantly!to!keep!up.!She!then!bravely!sang!some!English!carols!on!her!
own,!since!she!was!the!only!one!that!knew!them.!The!group!had!dissolved!into!
boisterous!laughter!when!Casimir!called!for!Wladek!to!take!up!his!violin!for!dancing.!
Hans!assumed!he!would!naturally!pair!with!Krystyna,!but!the!siblings!started!by!
demonstrating!traditional!Polish!dancing!while!he!and!George!clapped!in!time.!
Krystyna!was!as!beautiful!and!carefree!while!dancing!as!he!had!thought!she!might!be.!
Her!face!shone!with!joy!as!she!kept!time!with!her!nimble!brother.!He!couldn:t!
understand!their!language!as!they!called!out!to!each!other,!but!could!tell!from!the!tone!
that!it!was!typical!sibling!ribbing.!
It!had!been!so!long!since!he!had!been!with!his!own!siblings!in!such!a!way!he!had!
almost!forgotten!the!simple!entertainment!to!be!had!from!teasing!them.!When!they!
were!young,!Christmas!had!been!a!treasured!time!of!exuberant!games!and!rich!treats.!
By!the!time!Hans!was!six,!their!parents!had!given!up!on!any!sense!of!order!and!
decorum!for!the!season,!letting!the!Von!Rosen!children!sleep!on!blankets!next!to!the!tree!
on!Christmas!Eve!like!a!litter!of!puppies.!His!favorite!sister,!Ilsa,!would!tell!him!and!
Henry!stories!until!they!fell!asleep.!He!hadn:t!seen!Ilsa!in!over!twelve!years!and!their!
correspondence!had!become!sparse.!Watching!Krystyna!laugh!and!hug!her!brother!at!
the!end!of!yet!another!song!caused!a!pang!of!nostalgia!and!sorrow.!
Casimir!signaled!to!Wladek,!and!the!young!Polishman!changed!to!a!waltz.!Casimir!
bowed!to!his!wife!and!took!her!into!the!dance!with!a!flourish.!Hans!bowed!to!Krystyna!
and!she!hesitantly!took!his!hand.!Having!her!in!his!arms!again!it!was!difficult!not!to!
pull!her!close.!As!they!settled!into!the!gliding!rhythm!she!finally!looked!up!into!his!
eyes.!Her!expression!was!tinged!with!a!sweet!sadness,!perfectly!mirroring!his!feelings.!
It!was!bittersweet!to!hold!her!thus,!to!spend!this!special!holiday!time!together.!
Spending!this!Christmas!together!only!hinted!at!what!they!would!never!have.!
He!leaned!close!to!her!ear!to!speak!to!her!over!the!sound!of!the!fiddle.!HAre!you!
having!a!good!time,!fraulein?H!
She!bit!her!lip!and!nodded.!
“Are!you!still!angry!at!me?”!
She!looked!confused!and!shook!her!head.!
“But!you!won’t!speak!to!me?”!
“You!asked!me!not!to.”!She!turned!her!face!away!as!she!replied!and!he!thought!he!
detected!the!same!sorrow!that!he!himself!was!feeling.!
HMy!apologies,!I!was!upset!and!beg!you!forgive!me.”!
“Of!course.”!
She!was!still!flushed!from!her!earlier!exertions.!“Perhaps!a!turn!on!the!patio!to!cool!
yourself?H!
HYes,!that!would!be!most!refreshing.H!
She!called!out!to!her!brother!in!Polish!as!Hans!led!her!from!the!room!and!Casimir!
waved!a!negligent!hand!in!response.!
HYour!brother!doesn:t!seem!very!protective.H!
Her!expression!was!finally!one!he!was!familiar!with,!a!mildly!disapproving!frown.!
HWhy!should!he!be?H!
HIf!one!of!our!sisters!had!been!so!headstrong!and!reckless!as!you!have!proved,!and!
our!father!was!no!longer!with!us,!my!brother!Albrecht!would!have!locked!her!in!the!
cellar!until!her!wedding!day.H!
HWe:re!barely!stepping!outside!the!room.H!
HIt:s!more!his!attitude!than!this!particular!moment.H!
HWell,!I!am!the!eldest.H!
There!it!was!again,!that!air!of!superiority!that!she!wore!as!naturally!as!a!queen!dons!
her!robe!of!station.!How!would!her!fiancé!react!to!it?!There!were!many!men!who!could!
not!stand!a!proud!wife.!They!required!submission,!a!woman!who!surrendered!to!them!
in!all!things.!As!much!as!Hans!wanted!to!ask!about!this!fiancé,!he!didn:t!want!to.!Didn:t!
wish!to!think!about!the!man.!!
On!their!second!perambulation!around!the!patio!Hans!asked,!HWhen!will!you!
return!home?H!
HYou!said!you!would!take!me!the!day!after!Christmas.H!
That!hadn:t!been!precisely!what!he!had!said,!only!that!he!would!take!her!no!earlier.!
As!it!stood!he!felt!no!desire!to!hasten!her!marriage!to!another!man.!HAren:t!there!a!
number!of!feasts!that!we!should!observe?H!
HI!didn:t!realize!you!had!become!so!attached!to!London,H!she!said!drily.!
HI:ve!barely!seen!enough!of!it!to!decide!one!way!or!the!other.H!
She!shrugged.!HCasimir!can:t!take!me,!but!perhaps!Wladek!can.!Then!he!can!visit!
his!wife.H!
The!idea!that!she!could!leave!the!day!after!the!morrow,!even!without!his!help,!was!
too!much!to!bear.!HKrystyna\\H!
She!looked!up!and!he!cupped!her!cheek!before!kissing!her.!
!
! !
Chapter!Nineteen!!
Krystyna!had!been!surprised!by!the!choked!sound!of!Hans:!voice,!then!even!more!
so!by!his!kiss.!She!hadn:t!ever!been!kissed,!not!really.!The!gentle!press!and!glide!of!lips!
was!oddly!thrilling.!His!hand!moved!to!the!nape!of!her!neck!and!he!held!her!closer!still.!
Her!body!moved!to!his!of!its!own!accord,!as!natural!as!seeking!his!warmth.!Then!the!
kiss!deepened!from!thrilling!to!dangerous.!Any!moment!the!last!threads!of!her!heart!
might!lose!their!anchor!and!drift!away.!Was!it!possible!to!live!without!any!heart!left!to!
speak!of?!She!rather!thought!not.!Best!not!to!risk!it.!
Countering!every!command!of!her!body,!she!pushed!away.!She!couldn:t!even!look!
at!him,!see!what!he!might!be!thinking.!He!held!fast!to!her!hand.!
HKrystyna.H!
She!shook!her!head!no,!not!sure!what!she!was!denying.!
HMarry!me,!Krystyna,!be!my!wife.H!
She!stopped.!Slowly,!she!raised!her!gaze!to!his.!He!appeared!sincere.!Of!course!he!
did.!Hans!was!the!most!sincere!person!she!had!ever!known.!Noble,!brave!Hans.!She!
could!hear!her!own!breath!grow!harsh!as!she!wrestled!between!what!her!heart!wanted!
and!more!practical!matters.!
She!couldn:t!marry!Hans.!She!could!never!keep!her!past!in!highway!robbery!from!
him!and!she!could!never!tell!him.!It!hadn:t!given!her!a!qualm!in!plans!to!marry!Gregor.!
She!would!not!only!have!happily!kept!the!information!of!her!robberies!from!him,!but!
put!in!action!some!plans!to!recoup!at!least!a!portion!of!her!dowry.!Even!the!thought!of!
trying!to!take!something!from!Hans,!of!keeping!something!from!Hans,!made!her!feel!ill.!
HI!can:t,H!she!whispered.!
HYour!brother!says!he!has!broken!the!engagement.H!
HI!can:t,H!she!said!more!forcefully.!She!tugged!her!hand!free!and!ran,!seeking!solace!
in!the!one!place!that!had!always!consoled!her.!The!stables.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Hans!watched!Krystyna!run!towards!the!back!gardens.!He!was!stunned,!partially!
because!of!her!refusal,!but!mostly!because!of!his!proposal.!He!hadn:t!planned!to!ask!her!
to!marry!him.!Had,!in!fact,!counseled!himself!on!numerous!occasions!that!it!was!the!
very!last!thing!he!should!do.!Her!brother!was!a!traitor!to!the!Prussia.!His!parents!would!
never!approve!of!the!match,!even!if!they!were!unaware!of!Casimir:s!perfidy.!But!God:s!
blood,!this!didn:t!feel!like!a!choice.!It!felt!right.!Inevitable.!He!just!needed!her!to!see!
that.!
He!heard!the!clop!of!hooves!in!the!alleyway!leading!to!the!street.!Certainly!she!
hadn:t!saddled!a!horse!so!quickly?!And!to!where!would!she!even!be!riding?!It!couldn:t!
be!her.!He!hastened!to!the!alley!to!check.!
Her!horse!shied!when!Hans!rounded!the!hedge!into!the!alleyway,!then!turned!in!a!
tight!circle.!
HGods,!woman,!what!are!you!doing?!You!don:t!have!a!bit!or!a!saddle!on!that!
animal.H!He!stepped!forward!to!grab!the!reins!on!the!halter!but!the!horse!danced!back,!
partially!rearing.!
HHans,!stand!back,!you:re!spooking!him.H!
The!horse!turned!that!tight!little!circle!again,!and!Hans!realized!she!was!guiding!it.!
HWhat!are!you!thinking!riding!out!like!this?H!
HHans\\H!
HWithout!a!saddle!or!proper!equipment?H!
HHans\\H!
HYou:re!not!even!dressed!for!the!weather.H!
She!chided!him!with!a!barrage!of!incomprehensible!Polish.!
HAnd!riding!astride!with!your!skirts!rucked!up?!Where!could!you!even!be!going?H!
His!harangue!subsided!as!he!ran!out!of!evident!complaints.!
Her!horse!quieted!under!her!hand.!HI!thought!to!ride!about!the!square!and!clear!my!
head,!but!I!suppose!doing!it!with!a!rucked\up!skirt!would!be!quite!unseemly.H!She!
kicked!off!her!slippers!and!faster!than!he!would!have!thought!possible!was!standing!on!
the!horse:s!back.!HTry!not!to!spook!him!again.H!
With!a!flick!of!her!reins!she!set!the!horse!in!motion,!trotting!up!the!alleyway!while!
she!stood!on!its!back!as!serenely!as!most!women!entered!a!ballroom.!It!was!enthralling!
and!terrifying!all!at!once.!What!manner!of!woman!was!this?!Where!had!she!ever!
learned!to!stand!on!a!trotting!horse?!A!trot!was!jarring!enough!with!a!good!seat!and!the!
use!of!stirrups.!
Hans!picked!up!the!slippers!she!had!discarded!and!followed!her!out!to!the!street.!
As!she!had!said,!she!was!riding!around!the!small!green!before!her!brother:s!house.!She!
was!mounted!astride!again,!rather!than!standing.!After!one!turn!around!the!green!she!
stopped!a!few!feet!from!where!he!awaited!her.!
HKrystyna\\H!
She!held!a!hand!up!for!him!to!stop.!HI!can:t!marry!you,!but!you!at!least!deserve!to!
know!why.!I\\!I!feel!I!owe!you!that.H!
HYour!brother!told!me!about!your!father:s!belief!in!your!family:s!heritage.!But!
certainly!the!Von!Rosen!name!isn:t!beneath!consideration?H!
HCasimir!told!you?!When?H!
HThis!morning.H!
She!nodded,!as!though!considering.!HDid!he!tell!you!the!source!of!our!wealth?H!
HNo,!does!it!signify?H!
She!slid!to!the!ground!in!a!fluid!motion.!The!cold!ground.!
HKrystyna,!your!slippers.H!
She!held!her!hand!up!to!ward!him!off!again.!HI!don:t!chill!as!easily!as!you!think.H!
He!would!tease!her!about!flirting!with!him!at!the!inn!if!she!didn:t!look!so!deadly!
serious!now.!
After!a!deep!breath!she!said,!HHans,!I!never!questioned!my!father.!I!loved!him.!
Adored!him.H!
HCasimir!said!that!you!were!close.H!
HIt!means!that!I!never!questioned!anything!we!did,!never!saw!the!flaws!in!it,!until!
now.H!
HWhat!changed?H!
HWhere!I:ve!always!had!certainty,!Casimir!is!filled!with!questions!and!doubt.!We!
have!been!arguing!for!days!and!it!has!made!me!reconsider!some!things.!But!even!more!
importantly,H!she!paused,!her!lips!pursing!and!eyes!filling!with!tears.!HEven!more!
importantly,!I!don:t!think!you!will!think!well!of!me!and!what!I:ve!done.H!
Hans!felt!a!terrible!dread.!Was!Krystyna!also!a!spy!working!against!Prussia?!His!
lips!were!numb!as!he!asked,!HWhat!have!you!done?H!
HCarriage!robberies.H!
Hans!blinked.!HBeg!pardon?H!
HRobberies.H!
HYou:re!saying!that!your!family:s!wealth,!whatever!there!is!of!it,!is!based!on!robbing!
carriages?H!
HYes.H!
HSo!you:ve!carried!on!with!this!since!your!father:s!death?H!
HNo,!there!was!no!need!and!it!seemed!dangerous!to!draw!further!attention!to!
ourselves.H!
HYou:re!a!former!highwayman,!then.!Highwaywoman.!What!is!the!correct!term?H!
HI:ve!no!idea.H!
HLet:s!say!highwaywoman.!You!would!just!ride!up!to!the!carriage!and!point!your!
gun!at!them?H!
HNo,!I!was!tasked!with!stopping!the!horses.!A!carriage!is!plum!for!the!picking!if!the!
horses!won:t!run.H!
HPlum!for!the!picking?!Really?H!
HMay!I!have!my!slippers!now?!My!feet!are!quite!cold.H!
HHow!can!a!mighty!highwaywoman!be!challenged!by!something!as!simple!as!the!
cold?H!But!he!handed!her!slippers!over!to!her.!
HYou:re!behaving!strangely.H!
Hans!recognized!his!numb!and!oddly!chaotic!feelings!being!the!same!as!when!
facing!almost!certain!death.!HYour!brother!betrayed!Prussia,!you:re!a!highwaywoman,!
and!I!find!I!still!want!to!marry!you.!It:s!possible!I:m!going!mad.H!!
HMy!brother!betrayed!Prussia?H!
HHe!forgot!to!mention!it?H!
She!paused,!then!ventured.!HAnd!you!say!you!still!want!to!marry!me?H!
Did!he?!This!unusual!woman!who!had!the!bearing!of!a!queen!but!history!of!a!
rogue?!HInadvisably,!yes.H!
She!smiled!at!him!and!his!heart!throbbed!almost!painfully.!
HYou!realize,H!he!said,!Hthat!if!the!children!turn!out!like!either!one!of!us!that!they!
will!have!us!terrified!on!a!daily!basis.H!
HBut!what!adventures!they!will!have,H!she!said!softly.!
With!Krystyna!he!had!found!something!more!thrilling!than!running!into!cannon!
fire,!yet!more!peaceful!than!a!hearthside!coze.!He!kissed!her!and!she!stepped!into!his!
embrace.!She!snuggled!under!his!jacket!and!her!hands!were!like!ice,!even!through!the!
linen!of!his!shirt.!
HI!thought!you!didn:t!get!chilled!easily.H!
She!sighed!and!laid!her!head!on!his!chest.!HI:m!always!chilled!when!I:m!not!in!your!
arms.H!
HIs!that!a!yes!to!my!proposal?H!
She!looked!up!at!him!again!and!he!couldn:t!read!her!expression.!For!a!moment,!he!
almost!begged!her!not!to!respond!because!he!couldn:t!bear!to!hear!her!say!no.!Then!she!
smiled!again.!HYes,!Hans.!Yes.H!
!
! !
Chapter!Twenty!!
Krystyna!couldn:t!believe!that!he!had!asked!her,!couldn:t!believe!that!she!had!said!
yes.!She!was!to!be!a!Von!Rosen!!Certainly!her!father!would!be!proud!of!that?!Even!if!
she!discarded!the!plans!he!had!made!for!her.!It!was!frightening,!too,!to!consider!joining!
such!an!august!family.!She!didn:t!know!how!he!could!accept!her!past,!and!if!her!crimes!
were!to!become!known...!Well,!they!would!deal!with!that!when!it!became!necessary.!
She!hadn:t!thought!of!them!as!crimes!before,!but!it!was!undoubtedly!what!the!peers!of!
the!Von!Rosens!would!consider!them.!
HShall!we!tell!my!brother?H!
HIf!he:s!had!much!more!of!that!egg!brandy!we!may!need!to!tell!him!again!in!the!
morning.H!
Hans!accompanied!her!in!returning!the!horse!to!the!stable!and!then!escorted!her!
back!into!the!house.!As!she!entered!the!parlor!on!his!arm!she!realized!that!this!was!
what!the!rest!of!her!life!would!be!like.!Arriving!everywhere!on!the!arm!of!Hans!Von!
Rosen.!Being!a!Von!Rosen.!Her!brother:s!house,!which!had!seemed!quite!well!appointed!
to!her!when!she!arrived,!would!most!likely!be!among!the!poorer!of!the!homes!they!
would!frequent.!Where!would!they!live?!Could!she!take!her!mother!with!her?!
Hopefully!Hans!would!agree!to!have!her!mother!live!with!them.!And!wouldn:t!mama!
be!invaluable!when!they!had!children?!
Krystyna!heard!Hans!clear!his!throat,!bringing!her!back!to!the!present!moment.!The!
other!three!in!the!parlor!continued!to!make!merry!and!her!fiancé!used!a!voice!she!assumed!he!had!honed!to!carry!over!the!noise!of!battle.!HWe!have!news.H!
The!revelers!paused.!HGood!news,!I!hope?H!Casimir!asked.!
HThe!best!of!news.H!Hans!looked!down!into!her!eyes.!HI!have!asked!Krystyna!to!be!
my!bride!and!she!has!accepted.H!
George!shrieked!and!pulled!Krystyna!into!a!fierce!hug!while!Casimir!hugged!Hans.!
HThis!is!the!best!of!news!H!Casimir!said.!HExpected,!but!still!the!best.!Come,!we!must!
have!vodka.H!
The!night!continued!with!toast!after!toast!to!the!couple,!marriage!in!general,!peace!
in!Europe,!and!everything!else!the!party!could!think!of.!Krystyna!found!herself!quite!
lightheaded!by!the!time!they!agreed!it!would!be!best!to!turn!in!and!continue!the!
celebrations!with!Christmas!morning.!
Wladek!stopped!her!before!she!ascended!the!stairs,!kissing!her!on!the!cheek.!HI:m!
very!happy!for!you,!cousin.H!
She!hugged!him.!HThank!you,!cousin.!I:m!sure!that!Hans!would!be!happy!to!
bring!Judzia\\H!
He!held!up!a!hand.!HPlease,!stop!trying!to!meddle.H!
HBut!I!know!she!would!like!to!see!you.H!
HAs!you:ve!said.!I!will!see!my!wife!soon!enough.H!
HShe!misses!you.H!
HAnd!I!miss!her.!Go,!your!Prussian!is!waiting!for!you.H!
Krystyna!saw!that!Hans!stood!a!discreet!distance!away,!waiting!to!escort!her!
upstairs.!HSo!he!is,H!she!said,!with!what!she!knew!was!a!pleased!smile.!HSo!he!is.H!
!
*!*!*!
!
Now!that!their!engagement!had!been!announced,!Hans!found!that!he!was!
impatient!for!marriage.!Leaving!Krystyna!at!her!bedroom!door!with!a!chaste!kiss!was!
unbearable.!It!felt!as!though!a!possessive!beast!had!been!awakened!within!him,!making!
him!pace!and!snarl!in!the!cage!of!his!guest!room.!It!was!the!first!time!he!had!ever!
wished!for!less!honor,!less!control.!His!need!to!claim!his!fiancée!was!primal.!Elemental.!!
Unable!to!settle!his!mind!or!body,!he!took!a!candle!and!descended!to!the!parlor!
again!to!look!upon!the!Tannenbaum.!Sitting!on!the!floor!staring!up!at!the!tree,!he!
thought!of!Ilsa!and!the!stories!she!had!told.!Stories!of!the!Christ!child!and!the!meaning!
of!Christmas.!Embellished,!he!had!later!learned,!and!designed!to!keep!him!and!Henry!
obedient,!but!sweet!stories!nonetheless.!!
One!day!he!and!Krystyna!would!have!children!to!tell!stories!to!under!the!
Tannenbaum.!He!fell!asleep!on!the!floor!by!the!tree,!thinking!about!those!future!
Christmases.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Krystyna!awoke!early!and!made!her!way!quietly!to!the!kitchens.!George!was!
already!up!and!had!the!kettle!on!for!tea.!
HDid!you!sleep!well?H!her!sister!in!law!asked!in!the!hushed!tones!that!the!wee!hours!
seemed!to!require.!
HYes,!very!well.!Thank!you.H!
HDo!you!want!to!see!something?H!George!crooked!her!finger!for!Krystyna!to!follow!
her.!The!English!girl!pointed!into!the!parlor!where!Krystyna!saw!her!fiancé!curled!up!in!front!of!the!tree,!using!his!arm!as!a!pillow.!Her!sister!in!law!whispered,!HI:m!sure!he:d!
like!for!you!to!be!the!first!thing!he!sees!Christmas!morning.H!
As!George!returned!to!the!kitchen,!Krystyna!knelt!in!front!of!Hans.!His!hair!was!
mussed!from!sleep!and!she!gently!smoothed!the!strands!back!into!place.!She!rarely!had!
a!chance!to!study!him!this!openly.!He!was!so!handsome,!so!impossibly!dear.!He!stirred!
and!she!stopped!her!wandering!fingers.!
When!his!eyes!opened!she!said,!HHappy!Christmas.H!
The!smile!he!gave!her!in!return!stole!her!breath.!HHappy!Christmas,H!he!replied.!
HI:m!beginning!to!think!you:ve!slept!on!all!the!best!floors!in!Europe.H!
HAnd!some!of!the!worst.H!He!sat!up!and!touched!her!cheek.!HBut!this!is!definitely!
my!best!Christmas!morning.H!
HWaking!up!on!a!cold,!hard!floor!in!England?!I:m!beginning!to!think!the!Von!Rosen!
children!were!more!deprived!than!I!realized.H!
He!grinned.!HYou!underestimate!your!own!charms.!And!you!think!it:s!cold,!do!
you?H!He!pulled!her!into!his!arms.!HI:d!best!warm!you,!then.H!
His!kiss!was!sweet!and!warm.!Krystyna!lost!herself!to!it!until!she!heard!someone!
distinctly!clearing!their!throat.!
Her!brother:s!voice!was!sardonic.!HWe!should!save!that!until!after!the!wedding,!
don:t!you!think?H!
Hans!stood!and!assisted!her!to!her!feet.!HGood!morning,!Herr!Rokiczana.!Happy!
Christmas.H!
HHappy!Christmas,H!Casimir!replied.!He!walked!into!the!room!and!shoved!a!piece!
of!paper!into!Hans:!chest.!HHere:s!your!present.H!Taking!Krystyna:s!hands!he!said,!
HReally,!siostra,!I!expect!better!of!you.H!HDon:t!let!him!torment!you,H!George!said!from!the!doorway.!HHe!
was!incorrigible!even!when!he!thought!I!was!married.H!
HI!am!always!incorrigible.!But!I!was!also!honorable,!let!us!not!forget.H!
HWhat!is!this?H!Hans!asked,!frowning!down!at!the!paper.!
HIt:s!called!a!special!license.!If!we:re!going!to!church!on!a!Monday,!it!might!as!well!
be!a!wedding.H!
Krystyna!gasped.!HYou!expect!us!to!get!married!today?H!
HYou!are!not!pleased?H!
HIt:s!very!sudden.H!
Hans!kissed!her!hand.!HChristmas!is!a!lovely!day!for!an!anniversary.H!
HBut!Mama!isn:t!here.H!
HWhich!means!she!can:t!meddle,H!Casimir!said.!
HShe!doesn:t!meddle!H!
HThe!only!person!who!believes!more!fervently!than!you!in!the!plans!our!father!
made!is!our!mother.!No,!I:d!rather!that!you!be!safely!wed!while!you:re!still!here,!thank!
you.H!
HBut!Hans!is!a!Von!Rosen!!She!would!never!question!my!marrying!him.H!
HLet:s!not!put!it!to!the!test.H!
HCasmir,!what!aren:t!you!telling!me?H!
HNothing.!But!I!can:t!send!you!home!escorted!only!by!your!fiancé,!and!I!can:t!go!to!Silesia.!So!wed!you!must!be.H!
HWladek!could!take!me.!Or!George!could!go!with!us.!Would!you!do!that!for!me,!
George?!Mama!wants!very!much!to!meet!you,!anyway.H!
Casimir!responded!before!George!could.!HI!thought!you!would!be!happy!about!
this.H!
Krystyna!was!angry!at!her!blithe,!chaotic!little!brother.!It!was!as!though!he!had!
never!understood!the!importance!of!family.!Then!she!looked!at!Hans!and!felt!herself!
calm.!She!had!no!doubt!that!she!wanted!to!be!with!Hans!forever.!Even!if!her!mother!
didn:t!oppose!the!match,!there!was!every!reason!to!believe!that!his!parents!would.!Did!
she!want!to!risk!anything!happening!that!separated!them?!No,!she!did!not.!HDo!you!
want!to!marry!today?H!
He!squeezed!her!hand.!HOnly!if!you!do.H!
In!that!moment!she!realized!that!manipulative!little!brothers!and!controlling!
parents!didn:t!really!matter.!Only!Hans!and!herself.!Did!she!want!to!marry!him!at!the!
earliest!possible!opportunity,!even!if!that!meant!today?!HWhat!will!I!wear?H!
HThat,!I!can!handle,H!George!said,!putting!an!arm!around!Krystyna!and!drawing!her!
away.!HRibbons,!obviously.!Lots!and!lots!of!ribbons.H!
HYou!wouldn:t!dare.H!
Her!sister\in\law!only!laughed!in!response.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Hans!watched!his!bride\to\be!disappear!towards!the!stairwell.!
HYou:re!welcome,H!Casimir!said.!
HBeg!pardon?”!Hans!asked,!distracted.!
“It!boggles!the!mind!how!much!you!could!thank!me!for,!so!simply!pick!something!
and!you’re!welcome!for!it.H!
Did!the!young!whelp!actually!expect!thanks!for!bullying!Krystyna!into!marriage?!In!
that!way!the!young!man!was!hardly!better!than!her!father,!choosing!not!only!the!
groom,!but!the!time!and!place.!
“If!you’ll!excuse!me,!I!need!to!speak!to!my!fiancée.H!As!Hans!bolted!up!the!stairs!Casimir!called!after!him.!“I!think!it’s!bad!luck!to!see!
the!bride!before!the!wedding.H!
Not!sure!where!she!had!gone,!he!called!her!name.!She!emerged!from!a!door!at!the!
end!of!the!hall!and!hurried!to!him,!looking!worried.!
“What’s!wrong,!Hans?H!
He!realized!he!must!have!his!disapproving!expression.!“I!don’t!want!you!to!marry!
me!simply!because!your!brother!is!forcing!you.H!
“I’m!not.H!
“Let!me!be!clear,!Krystyna.”!He!heard!his!voice!break!and!cleared!his!throat.!“I!
know!how!dutiful!you!are!to!your!family,!but!I!love!you!and!couldn’t!bear!a!lifetime!
wedded!to!a!woman!who!didn’t!return!my!regard.H!
She!smiled!at!him!and!his!heart!leapt!in!hope.!Then!she!asked,!“Are!you!rushing!the!
cannons!again,!Herr!Von!Rosen?H!
Her!question!confused!him.!“What!do!you!mean?H!
“A!confident!man!wouldn’t!need!to!ask!at!all.!A!clever!man!would!believe!in!his!
abilities!to!convince!me!in!time.!But!you?!You!risk!all.H!
“Are!you!saying!I’m!neither!confident!nor!clever?”!He!really!should!have!the!good!
sense!to!be!insulted,!but!he!couldn’t!be!while!she!smiled!at!him!thus.!
She!rested!her!palms!on!his!cheeks.!“Of!course!you!are!both!confident!and!clever,!
but!more!so!you!are!bold!and!brave.!Perhaps!that!is!why!I!lost!my!heart!to!you?!I’m!not!
quite!sure.!But!I!do!love!you,!Hans.!More!than!I!knew!was!possible.H!
He!pulled!her!close.!“So!you!do!want!to!be!married!today?H!
“Before!your!parents!can!talk!you!out!of!it?!Yes.H!
“Now!who!is!lacking!confidence?H!
“I’ll!just!say!it’s!not!something!I’m!willing!to!risk.H!
He!kissed!her!soft,!sweet!lips.!“Happy!Christmas,!Krystyna.H!
“Happy!Christmas,!Hans.H!
!
! !
EPILOGUE!Hans!received!something!of!a!surprise!when!Erich!arrived!at!the!Rokiczana!mid\
morning!with!a!letter!from!Henry.!Upon!returning!to!the!estate!his!valet!had!found!the!
letter,!and!then!made!the!trek!back!across!the!continent!to!deliver!it.!It!seemed!his!
brother!had!been,!of!all!places,!in!London!for!some!months!and!was!writing!to!Hans!for!
the!discreet!delivery!of!funds,!which!meant!that!he!had!outspent!his!allowance!yet!
again.!The!sum!he!requested!was!staggering,!even!for!Henry’s!ability!to!run!up!debts.!
But!to!have!even!one!of!his!family!in!attendance!at!the!wedding!would!be!a!miracle,!so!
he!and!Casimir!immediately!tracked!down!the!rapscallion!known!as!his!youngest!
sibling.!Henry!was!perfectly!happy!to!stand!as!best!man!if!Hans!would!visit!the!bank!
on!the!morrow,!even!offering!to!let!them!stay!in!the!inn’s!best!suite!for!their!wedding!
night,!as!though!he!had!a!right!to!do!so.!
All!of!Hans’!concern!for!his!rakish!little!brother!fled!his!mind,!though,!when!
Krystyna!entered!the!church.!She!wore!a!white!gown!with!a!deep!red!sash!and!
matching!overdress!trimmed!in!white!lace.!She!was!a!vision.!Her!natural!poise!
combined!with!the!dress!was!stunning.!
He!heard!his!brother!sotto'voce!behind!him.!“She!came!looking!for!me?!This!may!be!
the!first!time!I!regret!not!being!at!home.H!
Hans!decided!he!could!wait!until!later!to!explain!to!his!brother,!with!fists!if!
necessary,!that!his!wife!was!off!limits.!It!was!fairly!certain!that!he!could!rely!on!Casimir!
to!enforce!the!same.!The!young!Polishman!was!all!smiles!as!he!escorted!his!sister!to!the!
altar.!Krystyna!had!worried!over!their!marriage!being!in!an!English!church,!but!Casimir!
waved!away!her!concerns.!Now!it!seemed!they!would!be!lucky!if!her!brother!didn’t!
commence!dancing!before!the!ceremony!was!finished.!Although!it!gave!Hans!some!
pause!that!Casimir!should!seem!so!delighted!by!the!proceedings,!it!barely!dimmed!his!
own!enthusiasm.!Regardless!of!what!her!brother’s!ultimate!goals!might!be,!Hans!would!
never!regret!having!Krystyna!as!his!wife.!
Holding!her!hand!at!the!altar!he!impatiently!waited!for!the!time!to!speak!his!vows.!
!
*!*!*!
!
Krystyna!spent!the!day!in!a!warm!haze!of!happiness.!When!she!saw!Hans’!brother!
standing!behind!him,!it!was!immediately!clear!that!the!two!were!different!enough!that!
her!confusing!them!had!caused!Hans!no!end!of!amusement.!Henry!seemed!a!rogue,!
indeed,!winking!at!her!as!she!joined!them!at!the!altar!!!
Their!party!was!small,!with!George!serving!as!her!attendant!and!only!Wladek!and!
Erich!as!‘guests’.!But!none!of!it!mattered,!because!all!she!cared!about!was!Hans.!With!
that!in!mind,!she!floated!from!preparation!to!vows!and!then!through!the!small!wedding!
supper!at!her!brother’s!house.!Hans!whisked!her!away!to!a!room!at!an!inn,!provided!by!
his!brother.!
The!mysteriously!appearing!Henry,!as!she!still!didn’t!know!how!or!why!he!was!in!
London,!had!shown!them!to!a!lovely!room!that!was!decorated!for!the!season.!
“Oh!Hans,!a!tree!”!She!clapped!her!hands!together!in!joy.!A!small!evergreen!had!
been!set!in!the!corner!near!the!hearth,!and!was!decorated!with!treats!and!a!few!candles.!
“That’s!my!brother,!flirting!with!a!woman!when!he’s!not!even!in!the!room.H!
“Don’t!be!ridiculous,!I’m!sure!this!was!as!much!or!more!for!you.H!
Hans!pulled!her!close!and!kissed!the!top!of!her!head.!“Perhaps!a!bit.”!They!stood!
there,!watching!the!dancing!lights!of!candles!and!the!fireplace,!a!sense!of!peace!
throughout!the!room.!Hans!finally!spoke!again,!“I!thought!that!on!the!way!home!we!
might!stop!at!that!inn!for!a!week!or!two.H!
“Which!one?”!Krystyna!asked,!assuming!he!was!most!likely!referring!to!the!fanciest!
one,!in!Calais.!
“The!one!where!we!were!snowed!in,!of!course.!Where!I!realized!I!was!in!love!with!
you.H!
“It!took!you!that!long?H!
“Says!the!woman!who!still!intended!to!marry!another!man!until!yesterday.H!
“Believe!me!when!I!say!that!it!was!something!I!regarded!with!a!much!heavier!heart!
after!meeting!you.H!
“I!suppose!I!have!the!comfort!of!knowing!that!with!your!sense!of!honor,!you!will!be!
a!dutiful!wife.H!
“Oh!do!you?H!
“Obedient.!Biddable,!even.”!
“If!that’s!what!Casimir!told!you,!you’ve!been!sold!a!bad!bill!of!goods.H!
Hans!chuckled!and!held!her!closer.!“You!know!me,!my!love.!I’ve!never!seen!a!
cannon!I!didn’t!want!to!charge!towards.H!
“Silly!man,!I’m!not!a!cannon,!I’m!a!highwaywoman.H!
He!tugged!on!a!lock!of!her!hair.!“I!suppose!it!will!be!hard!to!have!a!better!
Christmas!than!the!one!where!I!had!a!highwaywoman!beneath!my!tree.H!
She!grinned!at!him.!“I!suppose!it!will.H!
! !
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Note: The Haberdashers novels are SPICY (explicit) Trials of Artemis (Gideon and Jacqueline’s story)
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Saving Persephone (Robert and Imogen’s story)
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