Royal Blood Part 13

"There are always ongoing feuds and hatreds seething in the Balkans," Darcy said. "Who is to say that one of the servants here does not come from an area where they have a longtime feud with Macedonia, or whose family has not suffered at the hands of Pirin?"

Dragomir shook his head. "That is most unlikely," he said. "These men belong to the castle, not the royal family. Local men. They live and work here year-round. Our men are Transylvanian through and through."

"Money can always buy loyalty," Darcy said. "The people of this area live a harsh life. If an instigator or anarchist were to pay them enough money, which of them might not be tempted to slip a little pill into food or drink?"

"That, of course, is the big question, isn't it?" I said. "How was the poison administered? We were all sitting together at table. We all ate the same food and drink."

The others nodded thoughtfully.

There was a sound from outside the archway and a servant appeared saying something to Count Dragomir. Dragomir looked up. "This man says that Prince Siegfried sent him to see what was happening. The prince was about to come in himself. He was annoyed at being told to stay away."

Nicholas stepped forward to block the man's view of Pirin's body. "Please tell the prince that Field Marshal Pirin is being taken to his room," he said to Dragomir in French. "He appears to have suffered a heart attack and there is regrettably nothing that anyone can do, other than wait and see if he pulls through. Sleep and perfect quiet are what he needs."

Dragomir repeated this and the man withdrew. Dragomir turned back to us. "I have asked the two men in question to present themselves. They will carry the field marshal's body to his room."

"Excellent," Nicholas said.

"But what about the tables?" Dragomir asked, looking through at them. "Our men will become suspicious if they are left untouched. They will know that something is wrong."

"That's true," Darcy said. "Then we will rescue Pirin's plate and gla.s.ses while we can, and they can take the rest. We have to a.s.sume that the poison was designed for one person and not randomly sprinkled on some part of the meal."

"The meal was at an end, anyway," Anton said. "Besides, I don't see how anyone could have poisoned the food. It was served to all of us from the same platters. The risk of setting aside one slice of poisoned meat or one poisoned potato to be put on a particular plate is too great."

"It is impossible," Dragomir said. "The platters come up from the kitchen in the dumbwaiter. They are handed to servers who whisk them to the table as rapidly as possible so that the food stays hot. There are too many links in this chain."

"I suppose it's possible that a particular server could put a cyanide capsule on one special morsel of food as he came through from the serving area," Darcy said thoughtfully, "but as you say, the risk of making a mistake is great." He broke off as two burly men appeared at the door. Dragomir intercepted them and spoke to them for a while in a low voice. They looked across at the body and nodded. Then they went over to him and lifted him between them. It was clearly heavy going.

"You and I had better help, or they'll never get him up the stairs," Nicholas said to his brother. "It may be easier if we seat him on a chair and carry him that way."

"Your Highness. That would be most unseemly," Dragomir said.

Nicholas laughed. "I'm afraid this is an occasion on which we put protocol aside, if we wish to succeed," he said. "Your job is to go ahead of us and make sure the coast is clear." He looked at the rest of us.

"And your job is to go back to the party and act normally. If asked about Pirin's health be vague. And remember the vow you made."

"But what about the investigation?" Lady Middles.e.x demanded. "And the plates that should be tested?"

"I'll retrieve them now and keep them safe," Darcy said. He went through to the dining room and wrapped Pirin's china and gla.s.ses inside a couple of napkins. "I moved the dishes around a bit to create some confusion," he said. "The removal of one place setting might make the servants suspicious. And if you don't mind, Count Dragomir and Prince Nicholas, I think I should have a word with the servers before they disperse and can gossip among themselves. I'll need you to translate for me, Dragomir."

"So your job is to keep the stiff upper lip, as they say in England, ladies," Nicholas said. "Go back to the party and be merry and gay."

"I think we should go straight to bed, Deer-Harte," Lady Middles.e.x said. "This has been most distressing for all of us. I sincerely hope that we can get away tomorrow and resume our journey back to normal life."

Miss Deer-Harte nodded. "Oh, I do hope so. I told you when we arrived that I sensed this was a place of death, didn't I? I am seldom wrong in my intuition."

And so they left. Darcy turned to me. "You should go back to the party. Above all keep talking to Maria and Siegfried so that they don't follow us. I'll come and join you when I can."

And so our group dispersed.

I tried to slip into the drawing room without being noticed but it seemed that everyone was on edge and Siegfried got to his feet as I came in.

"What news, Lady Georgiana?"

"I'm afraid I'm no medical expert," I said, "but everyone seems to think that the poor man suffered a heart attack. They have carried him to his room. There's not much more that can be done for him apart from letting him rest."

"I feel desolate that there is no doctor in our midst and no way of summoning one other than sending one of the cars back to Brasov. And given the condition of the pa.s.s, that could not be accomplished until morning."

The group was still sitting in subdued silence.

"Well, I'm not at all surprised he had a heart attack," my mother said, loudly and cheerfully. "That bloated red face is always a sign. And the way he ate and drank."

"He is a peasant. What can you expect," Siegfried said. "Nothing good ever comes of elevating these people to positions of power. It goes to their heads. Let those who are bred to rule do the ruling-that's how I was brought up."

"Siegfried, you are so stuffy," Matty said. Then she stood up. "I'm sorry the poor man has been taken ill, but enough gloom for one evening. It is my wedding celebration after all. Let's bring in some music and dance a little."

"Maria, do you think that's seemly?" Siegfried asked.

"Oh, come on, Siegfried, it's not as if there's been a death in the house. He may be right as rain by tomorrow and he won't be disturbed by us down here. These friends have come from all over Europe to celebrate with me and I want to dance."

She gave a command and the carpet was rolled back. A pianist and violinist appeared and soon a lively polka was played. I stood beside Siegfried as Matty dragged one of the young counts onto the dance floor. Siegfried always looked as if there were a bad smell under his nose. At this moment the expression was exaggerated. Then he turned to me and clicked his heels.

"I should see if the patient requires anything of me," he said. "After all, I am the host in my father's absence. It is not right that I neglect Prince Nicholas in his hour of need."

"Oh, I think that Dragomir has organized everything beautifully," I said. "He's a good man. Everything runs like clockwork here."

"Yes, he is a good man," Siegfried said.

"Is the administration of this castle his only responsibility, or is he usually in Bucharest with the royal family?"

"No, his duties are confined to this place," Siegfried said. "He is not of Romanian birth, which would make him unpopular with the people."

"But you are not of Romanian birth either," I said, laughing. "None of the royal families in this region are natives of their countries."

"Ah, but we are of royal blood. That is what matters. People would rather be ruled by true royalty, wherever they come from, than by upstarts who would abuse their power."

"So where does Count Dragomir come from?"

Siegfried shrugged. "I can't quite remember. One of those border areas that has changed hands many times, I think. Just as Transylvania itself used to be part of the Hapsburg Empire."

"Interesting," I said. "The history of this whole area is fascinating, don't you think?"

"One long disaster," Siegfried said. "One long history of being overrun by barbarians from the East. Let us hope that Western European civility will finally bring peace and prosperity to these war-torn lands." He looked around again as he spoke. "I really feel that I should at least go up to the sick man's bedroom to make sure that he has all he needs."

He was about to leave. I did the unthinkable. "Oh, no, dance with me, please." And I took his hand and led him onto the floor.

"Lady Georgiana!" His pale face was flushed, apparently affronted by my boldness. "Very well, if you insist."

"Oh, I do. I do," I said with great enthusiasm.

He placed one hand upon my waist and took the other in his. His hand felt cold and damp, rather like clutching a fish. So my decision to dub him Fishface had been quite accurate. It wasn't just his face that was fishy. I forced my mouth into a bright smile as we glided around the floor.

"So," he said, "can one a.s.sume that you have finally come to your senses? You have seen the light, ja ja? Realized the truth about the situation?"

What situation was he talking about? Did he know something about Pirin's murder? Had he arranged for it? Or was he talking about vampires, by any chance? He wanted to know whether I had discovered the horrid truth about his family. I had to tread carefully. I was, after all, a guest in a snowed-in castle, with the telephone lines down and miles from any kind of help except for Darcy and Belinda.

"What situation is this, Highness?" I asked.

"You have realized that it is important for you to follow your family's wishes and make the correct match. You understand the importance of duty."

What exactly was he talking about? Then he went on and light dawned.

"Of course I realize that ours would be a marriage of convenience, like so many royal marriages, but you would find me a considerate husband. I would allow you much freedom, and I think you would have a pleasant life as my princess."

The words "not if you were the last man on earth" were screaming through my head, but I couldn't let him stomp off to find Pirin, could I?

"Highness, I am flattered that you even consider me as your bride when there are many ladies present of higher status than I. Surely Princess Hannelore would be a better match for you-a fellow German and a princess, not just a relative of the royal family."

"Ah," he said, his face clouding. "She would, of course, have been an excellent choice, but she has let it be known that she does not wish to settle down yet."

She's turned him down, I thought, trying not to smile. Good old Hannelore!

"She is very young," I said tactfully. "She may wish to experience life a little before she takes on the responsibilities of royalty."

Siegfried sniffed. "This I find ridiculous. Girls of her station marry at eighteen all the time. It is not good to let them have too much freedom and to become too worldly. Look at my sister. She was allowed to spend a year in Paris and now-" He broke off, checked himself then said, "At least she too has come to her senses. She realizes where her duty lies and has made an excellent match."

At the edge of the dance floor I saw Belinda's face light up and realized that Anton had rejoined the crowd. So had Nicholas. But there was no sign of Darcy. The music ended to polite applause. Siegfried clicked his heels to me. "I enjoyed our dance and our little talk, Lady Georgiana. Or now I shall call you simply by your first name, and you may call me Siegfried when we are in private. In public I still expect you to call me 'sir' or 'highness' of course."

"Of course, sir," I replied. "Oh, look, Prince Nicholas has returned. I wonder if he has news about the patient."

Luckily Siegfried took the hint and strode over to Prince Nicholas. I saw the latter gesturing and explaining, presumably preventing Siegfried from taking a look at the patient for himself. Belinda and Anton pa.s.sed close to me.

"You and Siegfried looked awfully pally," she muttered. "If you're trying to make Darcy jealous, it's not going to work. I gather he's sitting at Pirin's bedside all night."

"That's as pally as I ever plan to get with Siegfried," I said. "Let's just say that I did it for a good cause."

I looked around the room, my head suddenly spinning with the conversation and bright lights and the whole strain of the evening. If Darcy was spending the night playing guard to Pirin, then there was no point in my staying awake. Suddenly all I wanted was to be quiet and safe and away from danger. I slipped away unnoticed and made my way up to my bedroom. There was no sign of Queenie, which didn't surprise me. She was probably snoring by now. I checked the window to make sure the shutters were fastened securely from the inside. I even opened the wardrobe and, after several deep breaths, the chest, and, satisfied that I was the only person in the room, I pushed a heavy chair against the door and undressed. But I was loath to turn the light off. Did vampires come through walls, I wondered; or through locked shutters? Anything that could crawl up that castle wall could probably do a lot of improbable things. I climbed into bed and pulled the covers up around me. The fire still glowed in the fireplace but had done little to take the chill off the room. I couldn't close my eyes. I kept checking first one corner then the next, seeing those faces glaring down from the molding and the corners of the wardrobe, and then my gaze drifting to that chest.

"You are letting your imagination run away with you," I told myself. "There is a good explanation for all of this, I'm sure. It's an ordinary room and you are quite safe and-"

I broke off and sat up suddenly. There was now a completely different portrait hanging on the wall.

Chapter 19.

Night in the chamber of horrors, Bran Castle Thursday, November 17

Instead of the attractive and rakish young man there was now a different face staring down at me. This one looked as if it came from an earlier time, with a stylized royal sneer, not unlike Siegfried's, a high collar and a velvet hat like a powder puff perched on his head. I got out of bed to examine it more closely. The paint was cracked and lined like in so many old paintings. That's when I realized something about the other picture-the paint had been daubed on, in the manner of more recent art. And there was something about the freedom of the strokes that indicated French impressionists or later. It had been a relatively new painting.

I lay in bed, trying not to look at the supercilious stare of the man in the portrait, and tried to calm my racing thoughts. Too much had happened since I set out from London. There had been the man watching me on the train, the man who had tried to come into my compartment. Then that same feeling of being watched on the station platform. Then the creature crawling up the wall, the young man from the portrait bending down over my bed, his teeth bared, Matty with blood running down her chin and now a dead field marshal. Miss Deer-Harte had called it a house of horrors and it seemed she wasn't wrong. But how did they link together? What possible reason could someone want for following me on a train? If the place was really populated with vampires, why kill someone with poison? Nothing made sense. I curled up into a little ball and wished I had never come. I also wished I knew which room was Field Marshal Pirin's because Darcy was there and all I wanted was his rea.s.suring arms around me. It did cross my mind to wonder what he was doing here. Had Nicholas really invited him to be part of his wedding party or had he pulled off another spectacular wedding crash? After all, when I first met him he had dragged me to crash an important society wedding and he made it clear that he did this kind of thing on a regular basis. It was his way of ensuring that he had a good meal once a week, and, I suspect, he liked the thrill of it too.

At last exhaustion overcame me and I must have drifted off to sleep because I awoke to an almighty crash, and not of a wedding. I leaped out of bed so fast I almost levitated, instantly awake and regretting that I hadn't slept with the candlestick beside me this night. All I could make out from the glow of the fire was a large, bulky figure in white, standing just inside my door.

"Who's there?" I demanded, trying to sound fierce and confident and realizing that whoever it was stood between me and the light switch.

Then a voice said, "Sorry, miss."

"Queenie?" I said, anger taking over from fear. "What on earth are you doing? If you came to undress me, you're about two hours too late."

"I wouldn't have disturbed you, miss, and I didn't mean to knock anything over," she said, "but I had to come down to you. There's a man in my room."

"At any other time I would have said that was wishful thinking," I said.

"No, miss, honest truth. I woke up and he was just standing there, inside my door. I was that scared, miss, I didn't dare move."

"What did he do?" I asked, not wanting to hear the answer.

"Nothing. Just stood there, as if he was listening. Then I must have given a little gasp, because he turned and looked at me, then he opened the door and crept out, just like that. I came straight down to you, miss. I ain't going back in there for nothing." She had come over to the bed by now and was standing beside me, a rather terrifying figure in her own right in a voluminous flannel nightgown, her hair in curling papers. "You do believe me, don't you, miss?"

"As a matter of fact I do," I said. "I also had a man in my room last night." And a man had just been killed tonight, I didn't add. Was a stranger in the castle, attempting to hide out in the servants' quarters, or was it the resident vampire, who drifted around as he pleased?

Suddenly I decided that I was angry. I was not going to be a timid little mouse any longer. My Rannoch ancestors wouldn't have run away just because of a few vampires. They would have gone to find the nearest wooden stake, or at least a clove of garlic.

"Come on, Queenie," I said. "We're going back up to your room. We're going to get to the bottom of this right now."

With that I wrapped my fur stole around me and stepped out into the corridor.

"Lead on, Macduff," I said.

Queenie looked confused. "My name's 'eppelwhite, miss," she said.

"It's from the play we don't name," I said, quoting my mother, the actress. "Never mind. Come on. If we hurry we may catch him. Did you get a good look at him?"

"Sort of," she said. "The shutter doesn't close properly and the moon was actually shining in through my window. He was young, fair haired, thin." She paused. "That's about it, really. I couldn't see his face. But there's no point in going back up there now, is there? By the time I left my room he'd gone. And I didn't spot no one on the way down 'ere."

"We'll check it out, just in case," I said and strode down the hall so fast she had to run to keep up with me. Up a long and winding stair we went, round and round until we came out into what had to be one of the towers. Cold silvery moonlight filtered past the shutters, creating strange dark shadows. I have to confess that I was already feeling less brave than I had been in my room. When I saw the shadow of a man standing behind a pillar, my heart almost leaped into my mouth until Queenie said, "It's another of those suits of armor, miss. It nearly scared the pants off me the first time too."

"I was just being cautious," I said and tried to walk past it nonchalantly. It wasn't easy to do, with the empty eye slits in that visor staring at me. I could have sworn those eyes followed me. We reached Queenie's room, and I flung open the door and turned the light on. It was, as she had described it, spartan in the extreme. A narrow cotlike bed, two shelves, a hook on the wall and an old-fashioned washstand. Not even a jolly picture on the wall to cheer things up.