Ruled by Love (10 page)

She recognised by the expression in his eyes that he understood why she was making this suggestion.

“What an excellent idea, Your Royal Highness,” he replied. “There are some plants in the garden which I think are very different from ours and your father would be most interested in them.”

They went out into the Palace garden and walked across the lawn towards the fountain.

They were both ostensibly looking at the goldfish and admiring the drops of water falling in the sunshine like a thousand rainbows.

Zoleka told him everything she had discussed with the Prime Minister.

“I suppose you want me to carry the news to His Royal Highness immediately.”

“If it is not too much for you, Pieter, as you have only just arrived, but do I think that the sooner Papa knows the situation the better.”

“I will go now and tell the Lord Chamberlain, and anyone else who is interested, that because there are going to be many parties you need some jewellery which you did not think you would need.”

Zoleka clapped her hands together.

“That is very clever of you, Pieter, and actually it would be useful for me to wear a small tiara and a necklace that Papa thought was too old for me. I definitely need to feel confident and in those I shall dazzle!”

“I will bring them back with me, so that there will be no suspicion I was going for any other reason.”

“You can tell the Count the truth but no one else.”

“I have already had a long discussion with him this morning. He too is extremely worried by the situation.”

He paused for a moment as if he was considering what he should say next.

“Last night, after you and Her Royal Highness had retired, we went into the City. No one had any idea who we were and we circulated among the men drinking in the bars or talking to each other in the main Square.”

“And what did you find out,” Zoleka asked him.

As it was such a vital question she glanced over her shoulder as she spoke to make certain that there was no one near them.

“There is no doubt,” Pieter told her in a low voice, “that the Prussians are infiltrating the City and the smaller towns. What is more we gathered they are prospecting for minerals in the mountains, which have been left completely unexplored by the Krnovians.”

“How can they have been so stupid?”

“That is what happens when there is no one to give orders. You have seen how helpless Prince Majmir is.”

“We cannot lose Krnov to the Prussians,” asserted Zoleka. “If we lose Krnov they will instantly plan to take over our country and Cieszyn.”

Pieter nodded as there was no need for him to say what they both knew was the truth.

“I will go back to the Palace and prepare to leave immediately. I expect you will want to write a note to your father, but make it very discreet just in case I am interfered with on the road.”

Zoleka looked at him with startled eyes.

“You don't really think that could happen?”

“I hope and pray it will not.”

“Then you cannot go alone! You must arrange with the Count for two of our men to accompany you, properly armed.”

“I think it would be a wise precaution, and of course it would be wise for Your Royal Highness to tell the Lord Chamberlain, and anyone else who may be interested, why I am returning to Opava.”

“Just for a tiara!”

They both smiled a little wryly, knowing how much was at stake.

Zoleka went back to the Palace and joined Udele in organising the rooms for the evening.

They did not see the Count or find out what he was doing until he came in at teatime.

Both Princesses greeted him enthusiastically.

Udele, because he was arranging a party just for her, which she had never experienced before.

Zoleka, because she knew that he was aware of the danger which threatened them.

He was in fact the only person at the moment able to do anything about the problems facing Krnov.

The Count settled himself down into a comfortable armchair and accepted a large piece of iced cake.

“I am so hungry,” he remarked, “because I gobbled my luncheon. But I have arranged quite an amusing party for you tonight.”

“You really have?” exclaimed Udele eagerly.

“It is
your
party and everyone who has been asked has been told that it is to be the first of a series of amusing entertainments to be given in your honour.”

Udele was looking at him with shining eyes.

Then Zoleka said,

“It sounds fabulous. Tell us exactly what you have planned.”

“The party tonight will be fairly small as I could not get in touch with all the people I wanted to, but I have arranged for a large formal ball to take place in three days time. The Palace secretaries are sending out the invitations at this very moment.”

“A ball for me?” sighed Udele in a rapturous voice.

“All for you,” confirmed the Count. “And you are to wear your very best dress and all your jewels!”

“I will do it, I promise I will! It's so wonderful I can hardly believe it is true.”

“I have also arranged,” continued the Count, “that there will be a race meeting next week, which is an event I understand was abandoned by your father five years ago. Fortunately the Racecourse is still there.”

He looked at Zoleka as he spoke and his eyes were twinkling.

“I have now engaged a hundred men to prepare the Racecourse and I have instructed the secretaries to send a message to all the people in the country who are known to own horses. If they are not up to our standard, but can use their four legs – that is all I require of them.”

Zoleka laughed.

“You are absolutely splendid, Franz. I know there will be a huge response. Everyone, young or old, enjoys a race meeting.”

“I have every intention of riding myself and it will be most interesting to find out what opposition I will have to encounter.”

“You must not win every race,” Zoleka smiled at him, “even if you are heavily handicapped!”

“You are never to mention that word,” the Count replied in mock dismay. “Of course I want to win.”

“You have to behave like a gentleman and give the others a chance!”

“I am just wondering if I should include a Ladies race.”

Zoleka stared at the Count in astonishment.

It was something she had never heard of before, but Udele, however, quickly intervened,

“I want to ride in a horse race. It would be the most thrilling thing I have ever done. Please, please let me take part.”

The Count looked across at Zoleka, who made a gesture with her hands.

“It is unusual but certainly original and it will start people talking.”

“That is exactly what we want,” added the Count.

There was no need for either of them to say more.

They knew nothing could more attract the attention of the men and women in the street than a race meeting in which women were to participate.

“I have a number of other ideas up my sleeve,” the Count murmured. “But I am not going to talk about them at the moment. What I want is to make sure, and this is your department Zoleka and Udele, that we are served better food at dinner tonight than we had last night.”

“Oh dear! I meant to speak directly to the chef this morning, but I will send for him now. Do you want to talk to him too?” Zoleka exclaimed in dismay at having forgotten such a fundamental necessity for the evening's success.

“No, I have a lot of other work to do, but while you are talking to the Chef, Princess Udele shall show me the ballroom. It will be too big for tonight's party, but you did say there was another room?”

“The Music room,” supplied Udele.

“Then let us go and look at it,” the Count suggested rising from his chair.

They disappeared and Zoleka rang the bell.

When the butler came in she told him she wished to speak to the chef.

“And afterwards I want to talk to you.”

He was a middle-aged man, who she thought looked intelligent and would understand everything she required. However, she wanted to make quite sure.

The whole dinner last night had been very slovenly, the silver needed a good cleaning and the table had not been decorated.

The chef was with her a few minutes later and to her relief he was a young man and seemed intelligent.

She realised as soon as he spoke to her that he was French, so speaking to him in his own language, she asked how long he had been at the Palace.

“I came here from Paris, Your Royal Highness,” he replied. “I am making a tour of Europe staying in different countries to learn their special dishes and also teach them a little about French cooking.”

Zoleka smiled.

“Which they certainly need in abundance in Krnov! You might be interested to hear that my father employs a French chef at home in Opava and the French, of course, know more about food than any other nation in Europe.”

The chef bowed.

“That's so very kind of Your Royal Highness and if I'm allowed to I'll do my very best to please.”

“That is exactly what I want to talk to you about.”

She quickly found out that up to now he had been very much restricted not only in regard to which food was bought but how it was prepared.

The Lord Chamberlain passed all the Palace menus and invariably he ordered the same dishes over and over again, because they were what he himself preferred.

It did not take long for Zoleka to tell the chef that she wanted good French cooking, leaving the young chef delighted to have the opportunity to use his talent and skills to create fine food.  She also told him that he must engage more help because of the future parties the Count intended to arrange for Princess Udele.

“That's good news, very good news indeed, Your Royal Highness. I promise you that if I have enough help I can perform miracles.”

“You are to engage as many servants as you require and if there is any trouble from the Lord Chamberlain, tell him they were my orders and I will discuss it with him.”

The chef left her, hurrying off to start preparing for tonight's dinner.

Zoleka next had a heart-to-heart talk with the butler, explaining that they were planning to invite perhaps thirty or forty people for dinner.

He threw up his hands in horror.

“It's impossible, Your Royal Highness, quite, quite impossible,” he cried, somewhat hysterically.

“I am afraid it
has
to be possible. The guests have already accepted the invitations, which have been sent out in Her Royal Highness's name and, let me tell you, this is to be the first of a great number of parties.”

“But I can't do it with the small number of footmen I've got at the moment,” he expostulated.

“Then engage more.”

“I don't think the Lord Chamberlain will allow me to do so.”

“At this very moment,” asserted Zoleka, “I am in command. I have come to visit Krnov at the request of the Prime Minister to ensure that this country takes its proper place beside Opava, which is my own country, and Cieszyn, which is Prince Vaslov's. I regret to say that you lag very far behind them and are giving a very poor impression to the outside world.”

The butler was silent and she continued,

“Either you collaborate and do what I require or I will find someone who will. It should not be difficult in a City where so many people are unemployed.”

The butler, who clearly had no wish to lose his job, climbed down at once.

“I'll try and do what Your Royal Highness requires, but it'll not be easy.”

“Nothing is easy when things have been neglected and allowed to deteriorate as they have here in the Palace. Employ as many men as you like and I hope tonight at the dinner party the silver will at least be clean and shining, and the very best decorations you keep in the safe must be brought out.”

She thought the butler was looking rather stricken.

“May I offer a suggestion? As this is a rush and, as you say, you are short-handed, why not contact the best restaurant in the City and ask them to send you the number of waiters you require? I am sure they would be delighted to come to the Palace – and I will see to it that the Lord Chamberlain pays them appropriately for such occasions.”

The butler visibly cheered up.

“I think I can do that, Your Royal Highness, and I know an excellent local restaurant that would be only too honoured if they are asked to help.”

“Well, go and see them immediately or send one of your men to do so. There is not much time as the Count has asked the guests to be here at eight o'clock.”

The butler hurried from the room.

Feeling as if she had fought two minor battles and been successful, Zoleka poured herself another cup of tea.

She was sipping it when the door opened abruptly and the Lord Chamberlain came bursting in.

He was looking angry and she was not surprised when he said,

“I simply cannot understand what is happening here, Your Royal Highness, or why so many orders are being given to the staff without consulting me.”

“I did not want to trouble you, but the Count has invited, on behalf of the Princess, a large number of young guests to dinner here tonight and has asked me to notify the chef, and of course the butler.”

“A large number of guests!” the Lord Chamberlain repeated. “Just how can we entertain them all at such short notice?”

“Quite easily if they carry out my instructions.”

“But it is going to cost money and I am certain that His Royal Highness will consider it a totally unnecessary extravagance.”

“If His Royal Highness is capable of understanding what is being planned,” said Zoleka slowly, “then perhaps it would be wise for me to talk to him. I will explain both why I am here and why it is essential that we should let the world outside be aware there is life in the Palace, and it is not in such a deplorable state as has been widely reported.”