Behind the Mask (54 page)

“Hello, my friend,” Cameron said. The grinding ceased. Their surroundings became eerily silent as Georg looked up, then rose to his feet.

Georg had to contend with a burning in his eyes as the significance of this moment came home to him. The tragic nature of these years in Cameron’s life was evidenced by the stark change in his face. Georg had spent much time looking at the drawing Abbi had done of him last summer. The beard was not a surprise, and she had captured something of the way he had changed. But even that had not prepared him for the difference. Cameron had always looked younger than his age, but now he had caught up with, and even surpassed his years. He’d aged ten years in four and the reasons starkly reminded Georg of his own inner turmoil on Cameron’s behalf all this time. He reminded himself that it was almost behind them. They were on the brink of a new life. They were together again. How could he not be grateful? They stood for a long moment just facing each other until Georg let out a laugh that suppressed every other emotion. “I don’t know what to say.”

Cameron held out his right hand. They gripped forearms tightly, then wrapped their free arms around each other in a firm embrace that didn’t begin to express all they felt.

“I can’t believe it,” Cameron muttered, still holding to his friend. “I just can’t believe it.”

“That makes two of us,” Georg replied and they laughed together.

“Where is Abbi?” Cameron asked as he stepped back.

Georg smiled to recall Abbi once saying indignantly,
Trust me when I tell you that
I
will be his first concern when he shows his face.

“She’s gone to the fair with her aunts.”

“Already?” he asked, his disappointment evident.

Georg noticed the little bouquet of wildflowers in Cameron’s left hand. “Are those for me? Or did you want me to pass them along to Abbi?”

“I would prefer giving them to her myself,” he insisted.

“You can’t very well go traipsing into the house in broad daylight, even if she were there.” He took the flowers from Cameron. “I’ll leave them in her room.”

“Wait,” Cameron said as he took a single blue flower out of the bouquet and tucked it into his pocket.

“You get back on that horse,” Georg said, “and go to the fair—just as we planned.” Cameron smiled at the thought. “Leave the saddle bags, and . . . oh, just a minute.” Georg walked away and Cameron removed the bags before Georg returned, holding out a small sack. “You’ll need this,” Georg said, exchanging the sack for the saddle bags, which he slung over his shoulder, still holding the bouquet in one hand.

“What is it?” Cameron asked, opening the sack cautiously. Then he laughed to see a mask, typical of those worn by fair-goers for as long as he could remember.

“It’s you,” Georg said.

“No,” he replied lightly, but with severity in his eyes, “it’s
not
me. It’s what I’m hiding behind.”

“One day soon,” Georg replied with the same seriousness, “there will be no more hiding.”

“Very soon, I hope,” Cameron said, reaching back beneath his cloak to tuck the sack into the waistband of his breeches. “How do I find her in such a crowd, Georg?” he asked, remounting his horse.

“Funny you should ask. My wife went with them. She told me they’d stay mostly to the east side of the square and check there regularly in case I decided to join them.”

Cameron chuckled. “You think of everything.”

“I do my best,” Georg said and reached up to grip Cameron’s hand. “I’ll find you later in town. You know what to do?”

Cameron nodded. “I’ve gone over it in my head a million times.”

“God go with you, Cameron,” Georg said, and watched him gallop away.

Abbi had tried to continue with her normal routine since Georg had given her the good news, but she found herself constantly watching for Cameron to appear. She became jumpy and on edge, almost expecting him to emerge from some dark corner without warning.

Desperately needing a diversion, she was grateful when Salina insisted on leaving for the fair early. Forcing her thoughts from Cameron, she settled into the carriage with her aunts and Elsa, concentrating on her excitement over the day.

Abbi had attended the fair yearly since she was a child. She had vague memories of going once with her parents. In the years since her mother’s death, her grandfather had taken her. There was always a variety of fascinating entertainment, and traditionally it was a day of mischief. People dressed in all varieties of costumes and masks to disguise themselves, and Abbi liked the mystery in the air. It was mostly the commoners who participated fully in the event. But Abbi, as well as many others of her class, enjoyed spending the day in town just to witness the gala event.

The carriage had barely passed the covered bridge when Ramona began to complain. “It’s outright dangerous I tell you, dangerous. All those people gallivanting about the streets, in masks and capes and such. A decent person can’t even tell who anybody is. I told you last night, I don’t want to spend the day not knowing who anybody is.”

“You could have stayed home,” Salina said fervently.

“I didn’t want to stay home all alone,” Ramona insisted. “No, I don’t like to be alone.”

“I wouldn’t miss the fair for love or money. And especially not for you, my fuddy duddy sister.”

Ramona gave her sister a glare of disgust and Abbi stepped in on Salina’s defense. “The fair isn’t dangerous, Ramona. I’m certain you’ll be glad that you went. Just wait and see. We’ll have a glorious time.” Abbi felt an unexpected stab of regret as she thought of Cameron, but she hurried to push it away. She could feel her sadness later when she was alone. For now, she was determined to enjoy this day.

Ramona looked defeated, as if she were resolved to be miserable. “I certainly didn’t want to stay home alone all day. Since you were both going, I had no choice. I didn’t want to be alone all day.”

Abbi and Salina smiled at each other, and Salina added smugly, “Must you always repeat yourself, dear?”

Ramona clearly had no idea what her sister was talking about and only made a huffy noise in response. Abbi exchanged a smile with Elsa, turning to concentrate on the view out the window as the carriage approached town. The sky was a little cloudy, although rain looked unlikely. A cool breeze made it an ideal day for an outing.

Abbi felt a childlike excitement as the carriage halted on the east side of the square and they stepped out to be barraged by the sights and sounds of celebration. Even the air smelled festive. She and Elsa quickly moved into the throng, with the aunts following closely. They’d only been there a few minutes when the crowd moved aside and Nikolaus rode past atop his white horse, smirking devilishly as he caught her eye. She turned to look elsewhere, grateful that he moved on, but she couldn’t help noticing that a certain amount of pomp followed the duke wherever he went.

Abbi was pleasantly distracted from thoughts of Nikolaus when his sisters rode past. Just as with their brother, the deference of the crowd toward them was astounding. She was surprised when Magda caught her eye and laughed as she dismounted.

“Abbi!” Magda embraced her as if they were the best of friends. She turned toward her sister and called, “Lena, look who I found.”

Lena dismounted as well, and Abbi was vaguely aware of their horses being held by officers of the Guard who had been at their sides.

“Oh, Abbi,” Magda said, “it’s been so long. We’d heard you were lost and given up for dead. And we’ve been out of the country until last week. Imagine our surprise when we heard that you’d come home safe and sound.”

“Yes, I’m well,” Abbi said. “And you? What have you been doing?”

“We left in April to become better acquainted with the family Lena’s marrying into, and of course, to plan the wedding. We had a good time, I admit. But it’s nice to be home.”

“We must get together soon,” Lena said. “I should like to see you before the wedding.”

“And when will that be?” Abbi asked.

“The date is set for October eleventh,” Magda volunteered. Abbi wondered when her own wedding might be, but she forced the thought away.

“Is something wrong?” Lena asked.

Abbi smiled. “No, I’m fine. I’d like you to meet my aunts.”

“Oh, how lovely,” Magda said.

“Aunt Ramona, Salina,” Abbi called, turning their attention from the acrobats they were watching, “I’d like you to meet some dear friends of mine.” Magda and Lena smiled kindly as Abbi introduced them. “This is Helena and Madeleine du Woernig,” she said. “And my mother’s aunts, Salina Eddington and Ramona Dukerk.”

“You must be Lance’s stepmother,” Magda said as she took her hand.

“Why, yes,” Ramona said with the same nervous smile she’d worn when she’d encountered Nikolaus months earlier.

“Then surely we have met before,” Lena said and Ramona looked flustered. “At a wedding, I believe.”

“Yes, of course,” Ramona said. “It was at the wedding.”

“That was years ago,” Magda chided her sister. “You can’t expect her to remember us. I hardly remember.”

“It is a pleasure to see you again,” Ramona said. “Quite a pleasure.”

“Indeed,” Lena added. “And you Salina, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

“And you,” Salina said, her curtsy ridiculously deep.

“We must be going,” Magda said at last, squeezing Abbi’s hand, “but it was so good to see you.”

“We’ll be in touch, I promise.” Lena smiled and they both moved away. Abbi watched them mount their horses with the help of the officers waiting to assist them before they disappeared into the crowd. Abbi was reminded of how much she liked them, which made it difficult to believe they were Nikolaus’s sisters.

“I didn’t realize you were so cozy with the duke’s sisters,” Salina said excitedly. Abbi just shrugged. In actuality she hardly knew them, and it was difficult to explain how something had simply connected between them on their first meeting.

“They’re very nice,” Ramona added, plainly impressed. “Yes, very nice.”

“There you go again,” Salina said to her sister.

Abbi and Elsa exchanged a knowing glance, but their attention was diverted by some men twirling fire. When that display ended, Elsa reminded Abbi, “I told Georg where we would be. Come with me to check and see if he’s come.”

Abbi left her aunts sitting on a bench where they had a good view of some mimes who had just begun a performance. She and Elsa hurried back to the east side of the square and hovered there for a few minutes, but they saw no sign of Georg. While they waited, Elsa brought out some buttered bread she’d hidden in her handbag, wrapped in a napkin, which she shared with Abbi. “I thought you might need this more than me,” Elsa said, and they began to joke about how fat they were going to get. Abbi was grateful for the way Elsa had predicted that she might need something to ease the nausea, even though it bothered her rarely these days.

“All right,” Elsa said. “We’ll check again in a while.”

They were moving back into the square when Abbi heard a deep voice say, “Abbi, wait.”

She turned to see Captain Dukerk approaching. “There you are,” he said, taking her hand to kiss it. “I was hoping I’d find you. Ramona said you would be more this way. Are you having a good time?”

“Very much so,” she said, taking the arm he offered. Though position and title meant nothing to Abbi, she couldn’t deny that it was a pleasure to be on the arm of the Captain of the Guard. As they moved through the crowd with Elsa at her side, she sensed a degree of the deference that she had observed with the royal family. It was evident that Lance and the position he held were highly respected.

When they were reunited with Salina and Ramona, Abbi suggested they get an early lunch together and avoid the crowds. She knew she’d enjoy the remainder of the day more on a full stomach.

After lunch Lance escorted the women back to the east side of the square so Elsa could be reassured that her husband wasn’t waiting for her. Then the captain stayed with them as they walked aimlessly through the square, taking in all of the entertainment.

“There is certainly an abundance of the Duke’s Guard present,” Abbi commented to Lance. “I see a uniform every time I turn around.”

“They are
all
on duty today,” he said. “We just want to be certain this mischievous celebration doesn’t get out of hand.”

“All of this is so exciting,” Salina chirped every so many minutes. Abbi smiled to observe how her aunts—especially Ramona—seemed to be enjoying themselves. They did very little talking because of the noise, and they were both clearly enthralled by all that was going on around them.

“I need to rest,” Elsa whispered to Abbi. “If you want to stay with—”

“I need to rest, as well,” Abbi admitted. Then she said to Lance, “Elsa and I are going back to see if Georg has come, and find a place to rest for a few minutes. If you—”

Lance took out his watch and looked at it. “I have a while longer,” he said and escorted the ladies, along with the aunts, back to the east side where they found a nice spot to sit on the grass at the edge of the square.

“I’ll be right back,” Lance said and returned a few minutes later with a hot pasty for everyone.