The Accidental Marriage Read Online Free Page A

to talk about her, did he? Perhaps he’s in love with her. After all, he did say he’d spent some time in Russia, so he probably met her there.’
    ‘We’ll no doubt discover it soon enough. Maggie says the servants spend half their time gossiping, when they are supposed to be marketing. I imagine their employers do too! Do we go and shop for your domino this afternoon, or wait until morning?’
    ‘Yours, too. You’ll have to come with me. Frederick won’t want to have to stay beside me all night, and I’d be terribly nervous on my own.’
    Julia did not protest. As well as recognizing the truth of Fanny’s words, she was eager to see Emperor Francis’s Hofburg Palace from the inside. They had seen the outside the previous day when they had been exploring the old quarter of the city. And she admitted to herself the hope that she might achieve a waltz with Sir Carey. This dance, which so many in England considered shocking, was much more popular on the continent, and she had secretly learned how to dance it from a friend she had made in Bath, a niece of her late employer who had wanted a partner to practise with before she went to London for her first Season.
    * * * *
    Sir Carey was writing a letter to Angelica, but found his attention distracted by thoughts of the problems he could foresee arising in Vienna. Prince Talleyrand had arrived, accompanied by Dorothée de Corlande, wife of his nephew, who acted as his official hostess, and objected vehemently to what he saw as an attempt by the four powers of Austria, Britain, Prussia and Russia to settle matters between themselves. Eventually the letter was very brief, describing his doings in the two days since he had last written to her. It was time to prepare for the masked ball.
    The Hofburg Palace, when he arrived, was sumptuously decorated in red and gold. Such was the crowd of people arriving he was late, and entered the Redoutensalle to see the Tsar, that unpredictable man who had created such offence in London by his rudeness, leading the Austrian Empress in a stately Polonaise. He joined the throng which went up the grand staircase, through various rooms, and came finally to the Audience Chamber.
    He hadn’t been here before, and gazed round in awe. It was huge, with golden pillars and hangings of red velvet. Most of the guests appeared to be equally impressed, whether they were minor German royalty or plebian merchants who rarely had the opportunity of mingling with so many aristocrats.
    After a while he began to wander through the maze of rooms, sampling the food from the many buffets, but looking for the English family he had encountered. He told himself they would be overwhelmed. They were not of the level of society which attended the Prince Regent’s lavish entertainments at Carlton House. Indeed, when he had mentioned them, Fanny had shuddered and declared she never wished to be invited. It had been a sufficient ordeal when she was presented during her first Season.
    The dominoes, disguising figures to some extent, apart from when the wearers were whirling in the dances, made it difficult to recognize people, though the masks were small enough to allow people who knew each other well to find their friends. He was estimating his chances of finding Lady Cunningham and her party as exceedingly remote when he heard Julia’s voice. It was clear, musical, and distinctive.
    He swung round, smiling. She was standing a few yards away, talking animatedly to a man he knew was a minor official at the Foreign Office, one of the clerks who had accompanied Lord Castlereagh. Fanny and Sir Frederick and an unknown couple were also in the group. Sir Frederick was looking grim.
    ‘Good evening,’ he said, moving towards them. ‘Lady Cunningham, I hope you will do me the honour of dancing with me?’
    She looked nervous, and glanced at her husband. Frederick forced a smile to his lips.
    ‘My wife has promised me this dance,’ he said abruptly.
    ‘Then Miss Marsh,