The Wings of Ecstacy Read online

  “I love you!” he sighed. “God, how I love you, but you have to be brave, my precious one.”

  “It is – not going to be – easy and there is – something else I have not – told you.”

  “What is that?” he asked.

  “Papa and Mama have arranged my marriage.”

  The Comte was still and then he asked,

  “You are to be married – to whom?”

  “ To an – Englishman!”

  “Does that horrify you?”

  “Of course it does! The English are cold, arrogant and insensitive, and I shall have to live among – people who never laugh – without love and – without – you.”

  “And who is this Englishman?”

  “His name is the Duke of Faverstone and he is coming to stay for the Prix d’Or.”

  She thought the Comte did not understand and added,

  “It is our most important race meeting.”

  “I have heard of it,” the Comte said. “But why should you marry an English Duke?”

  “Because there are no Royal Princes available and he is a relative of Queen Victoria.”

  “And you think you will be unhappy with him?”

  “How could I be – anything else?” Zena asked. “Especially – now that I have – met you.”

  She gave a deep sigh.

  “My sister Melanie is desperately miserable with the Crown Prince of Fürstenberg, and I shall be the same.”

  The Comte was silent.

  Then he said very quietly,

  “Then, as I cannot bear to see you unhappy, I shall have to save you, my darling.”

  “Save – me?” Zena asked with an eagerness and for a moment there was a light in her eye.

  Then she said and her voice was dull again,

  “There is – nothing you can do. Kendric was not speaking lightly and I know Papa would never – tolerate the scandal of my – running away, so I would always be afraid that something – terrible would happen to you.”

  “Are you really thinking of me?” the Comte asked. “Or do you think life with your Duke in England would be preferable.”

  He did not wait for Zena to reply, but went on,

  “As you say, if we went into hiding, you and I might be very poor. Could love really mean enough to a woman to make her willingly give up her beautiful gowns, her jewellery, the comfort of having a houseful of servants, just for one man?”

  “I would wear rags – scrub floors and – beg for our food if I – could be with you – ”

  Because there was a note in Zena’s voice that had not been there before, the Comte looked at her for a long moment before he pulled her against him and kissed her.

  When once again she was pulsating with the wonder and rapture of his kiss, he said,

  “I am going to find a way out of the impasse and it may not be as frightening as you anticipate it will be.”

  “You mean – I can be with – you?” Zena asked.

  “I mean that I intend to marry you. It is the first time – this is the truth, Zena – I have ever asked a woman to be my wife, the first time I have ever found a woman I knew I would be happy with for the rest of my life.”

  “As I would be – happy with – you.”

  “I will make sure of that by making you love me until no other man will ever matter to you.”

  “No other – man ever will.”

  As Zena spoke, she thought of the Duke and shivered. Then in a voice that sounded desperate she asked,

  “What can we do – what can we do?”

  “I have asked you to leave that to me,” the Comte said, “and because I want to be sure of success, I prefer not to talk about it.”

  “But – supposing you – fail?”

  “Will it sound very conceited if I say I never fail in getting what I want in life? And I want you, Zena, as I have never wanted anything else ever.”

  “I shall pray – I shall pray – desperately – as I prayed – before the duel. At the same time I am – frightened.”

  “I am frightened too that I may lose you and now that you have told me who you are, perhaps I should leave.”

  Zena flung her arms around him.

  “How can I let you go?” she asked. “Supposing I never – see you again? I cannot imagine what I would do! Oh, dearest, dearest Jean – I cannot lose you!”

  “Nor I you, Zena. That is why, my precious, you have to trust and believe in me.”

  “I know already that you are the most wonderful man in the whole world,” Zena cried, “but it is still a question of Papa and the whole might of the Palace and the country which is involved. How can you – defeat all of them?”

  “Love conquers all,” the Comte said softly, “and we must believe that our love is big enough to do so.”

  “Mine is – I swear to you, mine is!” Zena cried. “I love you until you fill the whole world. There is no sky, no sea, sun, moon, or stars. There is only – you.”

  The Comte put his cheek against hers.

  “I adore you!” he said. “One day I will be able to tell you how much. Then we will be married.”

  “If – only I could believe you.”

  “Half the battle is always to believe that you will win, so I am asking you, Zena, to believe in me.”

  Zena drew in her breath.

  “I do – and I – will.”

  “Then we will win, my lovely one.”

  She could not reply for the Comte was kissing her again, kissing her until the rapture he always aroused in her swept through her and she knew that there was no need for words to tell him that she believed in him.

  If her logical mind was still unconvinced, she believed with her heart, her soul, her body and her faith in God.

  It was God who had brought them love and she knew indisputably that God would somehow make their dreams come true.

  Chapter Seven

  As the train left Hoyes, it began to gather speed towards the Capital.

  Zena looked across the carriage at Kendric and knew that he was as apprehensive as she was.

  When yesterday a Courier had arrived from the Palace to say they were to return immediately, they could only guess at the reason for their father’s command and were both much alarmed by the message.

  As soon as she could be alone with Kendric, Zena asked him,

  “Do you think Papa has found out that we went to Paris? Who could have told him?”

  “God knows, but that may not be the reason he has sent for us.”

  “Then why should he want us back in such a hurry?”

  “I cannot think,” Kendric sighed.

  It was then that Zena told her twin the secret she had kept from him for two days, that the Comte had been to see her.

  “He came here?” Kendric exclaimed incredulously.

  Zena nodded.

  She went on to say that she had told the Comte the truth as to who she was and he had said whatever the obstacles, whatever the difficulties, he would marry her.

  “You must be crazy if you believe him,” Kendric said sharply.

  “He told me to believe in him,” Zena replied unhappily.

  Kendric put his arm around her shoulder.

  “Listen, Zena, I know what you are feeling, I know how unhappy you are, but I do not want you to have false hopes. They will only leave you more miserable than you are already.”

  “I love him!” Zena cried. “Oh, Kendric, I love him so desperately.”

  “I know you do,” Kendric answered soothingly, “but believe me when I tell you there is nothing you can do. If the Comte approaches Papa as a suitor for your hand, he will find himself in a great deal of trouble.”

  “I warned him of – that.”

  “Then if he is wise he will listen and go back to Paris. I only wish I could do the same thing.”

  “So do – I,” Zena murmured, and her voice broke on a sob.

  The train reached the Capital late in the afternoon and, when Zena saw the Lord-in-Waiting on
the station and a number of the Palace servants to attend to their luggage, she felt as if the prison gates of protocol and pomposity were waiting to close behind her.

  Now she was no longer la Comtesse de Castelnaud, but Her Royal Highness Princess Marie-Therese.

  They were escorted to their carriage by a number of Railway Officials and then they drove away watched by a crowd that had assembled when they saw the Royal carriages.

  As soon as she had the opportunity Zena turned to the Lord-in-Waiting,

  “Why has Papa sent for us? We did not expect to return for another ten days.”

  “I think His Royal Highness will wish to explain that to you himself,” the Lord-in-Waiting replied, “but, Your Royal Highness, I am to ask you and Prince Kendric as soon as you arrive at the Palace to go straight to your rooms to change your clothes.”

  Zena looked surprised and the Lord-in-Waiting explained,

  “Their Royal Highnesses are entertaining guests and you will find them in the red drawing room.”

  Hearing that was where they were to meet, Zena knew that the guests were of some importance and wondered which of their neighbouring Rulers was being entertained and if there was any particular significance in their visit.

  Because she knew it was useless to ask questions she kept silent and concentrated on acknowledging those who waved to her from the sides of the road as they passed by.

  “What do you think is happening?” she asked Kendric in a low voice as they went up the stairs of the Palace side by side.

  “I have no idea,” he replied. “But I am thankful for anything that delays the storm which I fancy will break over our heads at any moment.”

  Because Zena felt frightened she changed her clothes as quickly as possible, paying little attention to the gown her maid chose for her to wear.

  It was in fact a very pretty one, not so elaborate as those she had taken with her to Paris, but because it was more simple it made her look very young and spring-like.

  Kendric came to her room to tell her he was ready and, feeling rather like schoolchildren who had been caught out playing truant, they went down the stairs together and a footman opened the door of the red drawing room for them.

  They entered to find there were quite a number of people with their father and mother.

  The Arch-Duke detached himself to walk towards them as they approached and Zena lifted her face to kiss him.

  “We are home, Papa!”

  “I am delighted to see you, my dear!” the Arch-Duke replied.

  The tone of his voice and the expression in his eyes made Zena know that their fears were unfounded and, whatever the reason they had been summoned back to the Palace, it was not because he was angry.

  “How are you, my boy?” he asked Kendric.

  “Very glad to be home, sir,” Kendric replied.

  The Arch-Duke smiled as if he understood that his son had found Professor Schwarz extremely boring.

  He then took Zena’s hand in his.

  “I brought you home,” he said, “because the Duke of Faverstone has arrived rather sooner than we expected. He is talking to your mother and I will present him to you.”

  Zena felt herself stiffen but there was nothing she could do but move beside her father through a crowd of elderlyStatesmen and politicians to where in front of the mantelpiece she could see her mother talking earnestly to somebody.

  It was then she knew that Kendric was right and the Comte had talked nonsense when he said he would somehow make her his wife.

  She felt the little glimmer of hope that had been in her heart since he had come to Ettengen flicker away as if it was candlelight snuffed out by a heavy hand.

  She was lost and nobody, not even the Comte could save her from an Englishman and England.

  For one despairing moment she felt like running away and refusing to meet the Duke.

  She could almost feel her feet carrying her towards the door and she knew the consternation such an action would cause.

  But all the years of discipline in doing the right thing made her walk on beside her father until he stopped and she knew this was the moment when her fate was sealed and the man she loved had failed.

  She wished the floor would open up and swallow her, she wished she could die.

  Nevertheless she stood there stiff and tense and because she dared not look at the man, she was forced to take as a husband, she could not raise her eyes.

  “So here you are, Zena!” she heard her mother’s voice say.

  Then a reply was unnecessary because her father interposed before the Arch-Duchess had even finished speaking by saying,

  “Let me present, Zena, the Duke of Faverstone, who is an unexpected but very welcome guest.”

  Automatically Zena put out her hand.

  She felt it taken in a strong grasp and a deep voice saying,

  “ I am enchanted to meet Your Royal Highness!”

  There was something she recognised in the tone and the fingers holding hers seemed somehow familiar.

  Slowly, as if she was compelled to do so, Zena raised her eyes.

  Then she knew that she was either dreaming or had gone mad.

  It was Jean she was looking at, Jean tall, dark and handsome with a smile on his lips and his eyes gazing into hers with an expression of love which only she would understand.

  For a moment she felt as if she had stopped breathing.

  Then because it was so incredible and overwhelming she felt as if everything swam dizzily round her and she must faint.

  With his hand still holding hers firmly, he said almost beneath his breath, and yet she heard him say,

  “I told you to believe in me.”

  *

  The platform was covered with a red carpet and the Royal Train gleaming white and red with new paint was waiting.

  The applause of the crowd which had been deafening all the way from the Palace to the station could still be heard as the Royal Party accompanied the bride and bridegroom to the train.

  Outside the door leading onto the platform Princess Marie Therese, Duchess of Faverstone and her husband started to say goodbye to their relatives and the other Royal guests who were waiting to see them off on their honeymoon.

  They were ‘going away’ much later than was usual because they had stayed for the Royal Banquet that had followed the marriage.

  The Banquet should have taken place according to custom on the previous evening, but the Duke’s horse had won the Prix d’Or on that afternoon and as was traditional he was the guest of honour at the Jockey Club Dinner which was always held after the race meeting.

  It had been anticipated that this might happen and therefore the Banquet which had to be held while the visiting Royalty was still in the Capital had been postponed to the next evening.

  It had been a long day of ceremony and yet Zena was not feeling tired.

  She was so happy, so excited and thrilled that she felt as if she was flying on wings of ecstasy and it was all part of a rapturous dream.

  She had hardly had a chance of being alone with the Duke since she had discovered that he was the Comte.

  She had a thousand questions to ask him once they could be together and not feel they were being chaperoned and watched, so that it was difficult to talk about anything but commonplace subjects that could be safely overheard.

  The Duke had spent two nights in the Palace after she had learnt who he was before returning to England to inform Queen Victoria and his other relatives of their engagement.

  They had actually been allowed only five minutes alone in which he was supposed to ask her formally to marry him.

  How could they spend those few precious seconds talking when he could be kissing her?

  “Is it true – is it really – true that you are the – Duke of Faverstone?” Zena managed to gasp disbelievingly as he took his lips for one second from hers.

  “I asked myself very much the same question when Zena Castelnaud told me she was the Princess Marie-Therese,
” he replied.

  Then he was kissing her again and explanations were unnecessary.

  As Kendric said goodbye to his sister, he said in a mischievous whisper that only she could hear,

  “I bet you are thanking your lucky stars that you came with me to Paris!”

  “I shall always be very very grateful to you, Kendric, for thinking of such a reprehensible escapade.”

  The twins smiled at each other and Zena was grateful that Kendric was happy too.

  The evening they had arrived back from Ettengen, when the guests the red drawing room were proceeding upstairs to change for dinner, the Arch-Duke had said to him,

  “By the way, Kendric, our plans have changed. You are not to go to Dusseldorf after all!”

  Kendric had looked at his father hopefully.

  “The Minister of Defence thinks that Germany is determined sooner or later to invade France and it is essential for us not to appear to give Bismarck any encouragement.”

  “I certainly agree with that, Papa!” Kendric said. “What we have therefore decided,” the Arch-Duke went on, as if he had not spoken, “is that we should send a Military Mission under General Nieheims to visit England and various countries in Europe and you will accompany the General.”

  He saw the excitement in his son’s face and there was a smile on his lips as the Arch-Duke added,

  “I think you will be glad to hear that the General’s first visit will be to Paris.”

  “That is marvellous news, Papa!” Kendric exclaimed.

  The Arch-Duke put his hand on his son’s shoulder.

  “I knew that would please you and I wish I could come too!”

  “Perhaps it would be a good idea, sir, if you joined me while I am there, to see how I am behaving on such an important mission.”

  The Arch-Duke laughed.

  “I see, Kendric, you already have the makings of a Diplomat. I shall certainly consider your suggestion.”

  Father and son smiled at each other in conspiratorial fashion, then Kendric ran up the stairs to burst into Zena’s bedroom to tell her his good news.

  Because they were both so happy, they hugged each other as they had done when they were children.

  “Will you see Yvonne in Paris?” Zena asked him.

  “I may set my sights somewhat higher,” Kendric answered.