“You are very beautiful, Aletha, and this is the first of many presents I will hope to give you.”
“It is kind of you,” Aletha answered, “but I-I do – not really – want a present.”
“Open it!” the Baron then ordered her.
She undid the ribbon and removed the tissue paper from a long thin velvet box.
She opened it and, to her astonishment, inside was a narrow bracelet set with diamonds.
She stared at it and the Baron persisted,
“Now you will understand how much I want you and I will tell you later how much you attract me.”
Aletha gave a little gasp and closed the velvet box.
She replaced it on the table saying,
“Thank you, but you will understand that if my mother was alive she would not – allow me to accept such an – expensive gift from a man – especially one who is a comparative stranger.”
The Baron merely smiled.
“I will not be a stranger for long and I have a great deal more than a bracelet to offer you, my pretty one.”
He was very close to her and Aletha felt his arm go round her waist.
Quickly she extricated herself.
Before he could prevent her she ran across the room and reached the door.
“Goodnight, Herr Baron,” she called and went out into the hall.
Mr. Heywood was still in conversation with Mr. Kovaks.
Aletha was certain that it was the Baron who had arranged that Mr. Heywood was forced to leave them alone.
He looked at her enquiringly as she hurried past him in the direction of the staircase.
“I am – going to bed – Grandpapa,” she almost shouted
He knew by the inflection in her voice that something unpleasant had occurred.
He took a step forward as if he would go with her, but then changed his mind.
He continued to talk earnestly to Mr. Kovaks until the Baron came to join them.
*
In her bedroom the maid helped Aletha to undress.
She then put on her blue nightgown and before she climbed into her bed she saw that her negligée, which was very pretty, was lying on a chair.
Beneath the chair were her soft heelless slippers that would make no sound as she went down the corridor.
She then told the maid that she wished to be called early.
When the woman had gone, she jumped out of bed to listen carefully at the door.
She could hear voices and knew that Mr. Heywood and the Baron were coming upstairs together.
They were still talking about horses.
She listened to them as they passed by.
Next, as she looked down, she realised that there was no key in the lock.
She knew then that Mr. Heywood had been right in guessing what the Baron intended.
She thought how incredibly horrible it would be if he touched her and if his lips tried to take possession of hers.
She was thankful that Mr. Heywood had warned her of what might happen.
Otherwise she would never have had the slightest idea that anyone who was supposed to be a Nobleman would behave quite so disgracefully.
Especially towards a guest in his own house.
She found it extremely difficult to wait until everything was quiet before she went to Mr. Heywood’s room.
He would have been provided with one of the footmen as his valet and Aletha knew that she must be sure that he was alone before she went to his room.
She was also afraid that she might encounter a night-footman, who would be quenching some of the sconces after everybody had retired to bed.
The minutes seemed to pass by like hours.
At last she heard two men talking in low voices as they passed her door.
She thought they would be the man who had valeted Mr. Heywood and also the Baron’s valet.
As soon as she could hear them no longer, she very cautiously opened the door and then peeped out.
As she had expected, the lights in the corridor had been dimmed as the candles of every second sconce had been extinguished.
She closed the door behind her and, moving just like a startled fawn, she ran down the corridor.
The door to Mr. Heywood’s room was ajar and as she rushed in he was standing waiting for her.
A long dark robe that he was wearing made him look very tall and, she thought too, very protective.
She ran to his side saying as she reached him,
“There is – no key in – my door!”
“It is what I might have expected,” Mr. Heywood said angrily. “Well, there is a key here and I have made sure that there is no other way into this room. So lock the door as soon as I have left you.”
“S-suppose he – does somehow – get in?” Aletha insisted in a frightened voice.
“If he does, scream. I shall be listening for you,” Mr. Heywood replied.
He smiled at her.
“I am used to sleeping with one eye open when I am attending to sick horses.”
“Then I will scream especially loudly!” Aletha promised.
Mr. Heywood put his hand on her shoulder.
“Don’t you worry. I will deal with the Baron and we will leave here first thing tomorrow morning.”
“Thank you – thank – you!” Aletha said, “I hope Papa never learns about this – but if he does – I know he – will be very grateful to you for saving me from his clutches.”
Mr. Heywood was walking towards the door.
“Lock yourself in as soon as I am outside,” he said softly.
Aletha did as she was told.
Then she climbed into the big bed, which was the same size as the one that she had been allotted and because she was frightened she did not blow out the candles.
She merely lay with her eyes closed, saying a prayer of gratitude because Mr. Heywood was so kind and thoughtful.
The Baron was repulsive!
This was certainly a problem that she had not expected to find in beautiful Hungary.
The Hungarian she had met by the balustrade outside The Palace had been very different.
He had paid her compliments, but they had not revolted her in the way that the Baron’s had.
He had certainly looked at her with admiration when he had called her a ‘sylph’.
But he had not seemed in any way over-familiar or frightening.
‘I wonder if I shall ever see him again?’ she asked herself wistfully.
Even if she never did, she had a feeling that his looks and his charm had somehow set a standard for her.
It would be by that standard that she would judge other men in the future.
The men she was to meet in London – and the man who was to be her husband.
Chapter Five
Aletha had breakfast in her bedroom, which she knew must have been arranged by Mr. Heywood.
Everything was packed and, when she came downstairs, she found him waiting for her in the hall.
He did not speak, he merely guided her through the front door.
Outside there was a travelling carriage drawn by four horses and so she guessed that Mr. Heywood had arranged this with Mr. Kovaks.
She suspected that it had nothing to do with the Baron.
She climbed into the carriage and Mr. Heywood tipped the servants and followed her.
She realised that it was not yet half past eight and there was no sign of the Baron.
Only when they were down the drive could she no longer repress her curiosity and asked,
“What – happened? Did you – have a scene with – him last night?”
Mr. Heywood sat back comfortably against the padded seat.
“It was a good thing,” he said, “that you obeyed me. As I expected he came to your room and was very surprised to find me there.”
“What happened?” Aletha asked breathlessly.
Mr. Heywood smiled.
“I wanted to knock him down and teach him not to behave in such a way aga
in, but I thought it would be a mistake in case he talked about you and somehow the story goes back to England.”
“Then – what did you do?” Aletha asked.
She could not help feeling a little disappointed that the Baron had not received his just desserts from Mr. Heywood.
At the same time she realised that Mr. Heywood was a much older man.
He might have been hurt if they had struck out at each other.
Now Mr. Heywood’s eyes were twinkling as he said,
“I pretended to be asleep when the Baron came in. I woke up with a start when I saw him peering at me in surprise.”
“I should think he was completely astonished,” Aletha murmured.
“I had left two candles burning,” Mr. Heywood went on, “and then when I saw him I exclaimed,
“‘Forgive me, Herr Baron, I fell asleep and forgot to blow out the candles. How clever of you to realise that was what I had done and I can only apologise to you profusely for my carelessness!’”
Aletha laughed.
“That must have taken him aback.”
“It certainly did,” Mr. Heywood said, “and after a moment he remarked,
“‘See it does not happen again’.”
“He walked towards the door and then, as if he could not prevent himself from asking the question, he enquired, ‘Why has your granddaughter changed her room’?”
“What was your answer to that? Aletha enquired.
“I said, staring at him pointedly,
“‘She was frightened when she found that there was no key in the lock. It must have been overlooked. But she had promised His Grace the Duke before we left England that she would always lock her door in hotels and in houses in foreign countries. She would not wish him to think that she had disobeyed his instructions’.”
Aletha laughed.
“What did the Baron say to that?”
“He murmured something,” Mr. Heywood replied, “and then went from the room.”
He paused before he added,
“I made quite sure that he went to his own apartments and I left my door ajar all night so that I could be sure to hear if you were in any trouble.”
“Oh, thank you – thank – you!” Aletha exclaimed. “You have been so clever. As he is such a – horrid man, I just wish that you could have taught him a lesson. But it is much more diplomatic for us to leave without there being ‒ any unpleasantness.”
“That is what I thought,” Mr. Heywood agreed, “and you do see that in future you must make quite sure that there is a key in your door and that you then lock it every night.”
“I am sure that this sort of thing would not happen in England,” Aletha said innocently.
There was a slight cynical twist to Mr. Heywood’s lips, but he did not disillusion her.
Instead he started to talk about The Palace that they were going to visit.
“It will take us some time to get there,” he informed her, “so we will have luncheon on the way and arrive early in the afternoon.”
“Tell me more about the Estérházys, I am very interested in them,” Aletha asked.
“The Palace was originally built in the eighteenth century,” Mr. Heywood replied, “by Miklós Estérházy and it was called ‘magnificent’ by his contemporaries and visitors.”
“I am so longing to see it,” Aletha murmured.
“It was under his patronage,” Mr. Heywood went on, “that it acquired European fame and his home became a ‘Hungarian Versailles’.”
“How did he do that?” Aletha asked.
“Not only was The Palace beautiful but imaginative festivities took place there and were attended by the Empress Maria-Theresa. But even that did not satisfy Estérházy.”
“What else did he want?” Aletha asked.
“First he had his own Opera House built and employed Franz Joseph Haydn as conductor to his private orchestra.”
“How wonderful!”
“Then he added a puppet theatre and every kind of entertainment which brought all the famous people in the world to Fertōd.”
“I cannot wait to see it!” Aletha exclaimed.
“I doubt if it will be as sensational now as it was then,” Mr. Heywood said, “and don’t forget that we are concerned only with their horses.”
“I will not forget.”
She realised that Mr. Heywood was hesitating over something else that he was about to say to her.
She waited a little apprehensively wondering what it could be.
“You have come with me,” Mr. Heywood began, “and you have also chosen to be my granddaughter. You must therefore not be surprised if you are treated differently from the way that you are accustomed to.”
“Of course I understand,” Aletha nodded.
“I have always been told that Hungarians are exceedingly conscious of their own status and importance,” Mr. Heywood went on. “I don’t want you to feel insulted when you are treated as I will be as a paid servant in your father’s employment.”
“I do understand that,” Aletha said, “but if people had any intelligence, or should I say sensitivity, they would be aware the moment they met you that you are a gentleman and I, if nothing else, am born a lady.”
She spoke fiercely, but Mr. Heywood merely laughed.
“People treat one another as what they believe them to be rather than what they appear to be, but you may be quite certain that the horses will not be class conscious!”
They both laughed and Aletha settled down to enjoy the beauty of the countryside.
There were mountains, twisting rivers and fields filled with wild flowers.
It made them appear like an Oriental carpet of brilliant colours and indescribable beauty.
They had luncheon in a small village where the women were wearing national dress and the food was plain but good.
Aletha began to forget all about the Baron and to enjoy the enchanted land that she had always believed Hungary to be.
The peasants looked happy and they sang traditional songs as they worked in the fields.
“Of course the Empress loves being here,” she said, “and, as the Hungarians love beauty, it is not surprising that they love her!”
“Adore her is the right word,” Mr. Heywood corrected her. “She comes here whenever she can escape from the protocol and dullness of the Court in Vienna.”
“We must make her very happy when she comes to Ling Park,” Aletha murmured softly.
“I am sure that we will find exactly the horses we want at The Palace of the Estérházys,” Mr. Heywood forecast confidently.
“Did you buy any of the Baron’s horses?” Aletha asked him.
“I bought two just to make Kovaks feel that he has not been a failure,” Mr. Heywood replied.
“That was so kind of you.”
They reached Fertōd early in the afternoon.
As soon as Aletha saw the huge wrought-iron gates and then the exquisite Palace, she knew that it was even more wonderful than she had expected it to be.
The Palace had a square Tower surmounting it which was characteristic of Hungarian architecture. There were oval-shaped windows and the brilliant carvings above each one were unique.
The statues on the roof and the pillars that supported the portico were all reminiscent of Louis XVI.
As he had done before, Mr. Heywood left her waiting in the carriage while he presented his credentials inside the building.
Aletha was entranced by the beautifully laid out garden with three fountains and many statues. There was colour everywhere and the flowers, the shrubs and the trees all appeared to be in blossom together.
The sunshine made everything dance in front of her eyes.
It was as if she was watching an enchanted ballet taking place in some magical theatre.
As she looked back at The Palace, she saw a man coming out through the front door and supposed that it must be Mr. Heywood.
Then to her astonishment she saw that it was the Hungarian who
had spoken to her on the terrace of the Royal Palace in Budapest.
He was obviously going riding and carried a whip in his hand and his high-top hat was set at a jaunty angle on his dark head.
He looked casually at the carriage with its four horses before he saw Aletha.
For a moment he was still as if in shock.
Then he walked slowly towards her.
“Is it possible that it is you?” he asked the moment he reached her. “Or am I dreaming?”
He was speaking in English and she replied,
“I told you that I was looking for horses.”
“Then you have come here to see mine or rather my father’s.”
“I naturally had no idea that they were yours.”
He looked at the empty seat beside her and asked,
“Surely you are not alone?”
“No, my grandfather is inside The Palace and explaining to somebody why we are here.”
“This is the most surprising and delightful thing that has ever happened!” the Hungarian exclaimed. “Suppose we start by you introducing yourself to me?”
For a moment Aletha forgot who she was pretending to be and replied,
“I am Aletha Li – ”
She quickly amended it to ‘Link’ having very nearly betrayed herself.
The Hungarian bowed gracefully.
“I am delighted to meet you, Miss Link,” he said, his eyes twinkling, “and I am Miklós Estérházy, eldest son of Prince Jözsel.”
“I know that I should curtsey to you,” Aletha remarked, “but it is rather difficult while I am sitting down.”
Prince Miklós laughed and opened the door of the carriage.
“Let’s go to find your grandfather,” he suggested, “and discover what is being arranged.”
Aletha had the idea that she ought to wait in case, as had happened at The Castle, they were driven to another house.
But the temptation to go inside The Palace was too great.
She stepped out of the carriage and Prince Miklós put out his hand to help her.
They walked inside and she saw at once that the interior was as beautiful as the outside.
The French influence was very obvious and made everything look graceful rather than ponderous as it had been at the Baron’s Castle.
They walked through the hall where a number of footmen were in attendance and quite a long way down a passage.
Two Hearts in Hungary Page 8