A Scandalous Adventure by Lillian Marek Page A

you had it in you. No child of your parents could be a coward.”
    â€œYou don’t understand.” Max rubbed the back of his neck as he shook his head. “During the riots in ’48, when Prince Conrad’s parents were killed… If Conrad had died as well, Count Herzlos would be the prince now and Hugo would be his heir.”
    â€œAh,” said Susannah. “Hugo looks at Conrad and thinks, ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’”
    Max glared at her. “It is not funny. And then there is Helga.” He paused.
    â€œCan women rule here?” asked Olivia. “Could she be the princess?”
    â€œShe thought at one point that she might be. There was talk of a marriage between her and Conrad.” A corner of Max’s mouth twitched up. “I’m not sure where the talk started.”
    â€œSo there is personal animosity here as well as ambition.” Lady Augusta frowned. “A dangerous combination, but one I have encountered before. We need only keep our wits about us.”
    Olivia was frowning. “It does all seem a bit unfair.”
    â€œUnfair?” Susannah looked confused.
    â€œYes. I mean, the way their father kept ignoring them or dismissing them as unimportant, when the baroness would probably have made a very good princess. She’s so beautiful and regal. I’m sure she looks more like a princess than I do.” Olivia lifted an apologetic shoulder.
    Max snorted. “She would have eaten Conrad alive.”
    Susannah swung around on him in annoyance. “That is a criticism of Conrad, not of Helga. Or do you think a woman must never have any ambition?”
    â€œNo, of course not,” Max said quickly, though he was inclined to think so. But he didn’t want to argue with Susannah about that.
    Olivia was continuing on her own line of thought. “In fact, the count seemed to deliberately humiliate both his children. That isn’t right. You can hardly blame them for resenting it. I feel rather sorry for them.”
    That won Susannah’s attention. “Olivia, stop that right now. They do not deserve your sympathy. Your own parents were far worse—the best that can be said of them is that they generally neglected you—but you don’t go around kidnapping people or getting them killed.”
    â€œWell, of course not.” Olivia looked horrified at the suggestion.
    â€œQuite right,” said Lady Augusta. “You can feel sorry for them after we have stopped them.”
    And that was that as far as the ladies were concerned. Struggle as he might, argue as he could, Max could not budge them from their purpose. It was a battle he could not win. He had expected Susannah to see that it would be far more sensible for them to leave immediately. Although he admired her courage, the thought of her in danger tied knots in his gut.
    There was nothing he could do except try to see to their protection. He would bring some of his own people to the castle to serve them and to stand guard at the door. They agreed to keep together and to be cautious about allowing anyone into their rooms. A promise to be on their guard was the most he could get from them.
    There was to be a grand ball in four days’ time to celebrate the princess’s arrival, and three weeks after that, the betrothal would be solemnized in the cathedral. Prince Gottfried was expected to be present for that occasion, and they could hardly expect their masquerade to fool the princess’s father. That gave them twenty days in which to find the princess, get her into her proper place in the palace, and somehow explain all of this to the prince.
    The ladies seemed convinced it could be done. Ha. The more Max thought about it, the more impossible it seemed.
    But that plan would keep Susannah here.
    She should not be here. It was insanity to keep her here where she would be in danger. How could he be so selfish? He should insist that she