The Accidental Princess (15 page)

Michael released a curse and tried to rise. Hannah helped him to steady his balance. ‘How badly are you hurt?’

‘I’m fine.’ He looked down at the Graf. ‘What about him?’

‘Both of you need to be tended by a doctor,’ Hannah asserted. ‘He’s been shot several times, and I’m not sure if all of the bullets passed through.’

She didn’t voice her fear that the Graf might not survive the injuries. She’d never seen a man die before, and she didn’t want to think of it.

Turning to the Graf, she asked, ‘How far are we from the village?’

‘Too far,’ he managed. ‘Several hours, at least.’

Michael leaned down, and too late Hannah realised that he meant to pick the Graf up.

‘Your arm—’ she protested.

‘It’s nothing. Hannah.’ Michael emitted a hiss of pain when he lifted the Graf up. The coachman, Peter, moved towards them and helped put the Graf inside the vehicle.

When the Graf was safely inside, Mrs Turner stirred. Her
eyes flickered upon Michael and the Graf, and she let out a cry of alarm at the sight of their wounds.

‘What’s happened?’ the widow demanded. ‘You’re bleeding.’

‘Nothing serious.’ Michael shrugged it off. ‘A minor wound—no need to worry.’ Nodding toward the Graf, he added, ‘But Reischor suffered worse injuries. I need you to help Lady Hannah tend him while I drive us to the closest village.’

Mrs Turner covered her mouth, her eyes still glazed over from the effects of the laudanum. ‘But what happened?’

Hannah cut off further questions, saying, ‘I’ll explain everything to you, on the way.’

Michael handed her one of the lamps to illuminate the interior of the coach. While the coachman checked the horses and started the carriage back on the journey, Hannah helped Mrs Turner with the Graf’s wounds. The petticoats were soaked through with blood, and she blanched at the sight.

Mrs Turner didn’t seem at all bothered by the injuries and took charge, offering him a dose of laudanum to dull the pain. The Graf took it gratefully.

As the widow helped tend him, Hannah’s thoughts returned to Michael and the story of the Changeling Prince. Whoever believed he posed a threat wouldn’t stop until the threat was eliminated.

She stared outside the window, the wretched fear gathering up inside. Though she couldn’t grasp what her feelings were, she didn’t want anything to happen to the Lieutenant.

Tomorrow, she was supposed to bid him farewell while he continued his journey to Lohenberg.

But she didn’t want to leave him. Hannah felt as though she were stumbling blind, without a path to follow. They were at a crossroads, their lives taking different turns. Was it so wrong, wanting to walk with him a little further?

Though she didn’t know what would happen, Hannah was certain of one thing. She was not about to be left behind, not when the man she cared about was in such danger.

M
ichael knew he was dreaming. And yet, he couldn’t push away the strange visions. In the dream, he was a young boy again, holding his mother’s hand.

It was a warm afternoon, the air sour with the odours of London. The buzzing of unfamiliar voices and sounds made him stay close to her side.

‘It’s all right, Michael. You’ll be safe now.’ She brushed a light kiss on his temple, murmuring words of comfort.

‘I’m afraid.’ He gripped her leg, burying his face into her side. ‘She said they were going to hurt me if I wasn’t good. If I didn’t do what she said.’

Every stranger, every unfamiliar face, was a threat to him. His stomach gnawed at him with worry and hunger.

‘We’re going to take care of you now,’ Mary whispered. ‘No one will ever harm you again.’

‘Michael,’ he heard Lady Hannah murmuring. ‘Wake up.’

He let out a breath, realising that he’d been given a few drops of laudanum. His head felt heavy, his eyes leaden. ‘I will. I just need a moment.’

Her hand reached out to his face, her warm palm resting
upon his cheek. It was nice. He wanted to stay here a little longer, feeling her hand upon his skin.

‘Michael, I need you to open your eyes. Look at me.’

His vision flickered, then cleared as he saw Hannah. From her rumpled appearance, she probably hadn’t slept at all. Her hair had been hastily repinned, her long-sleeved rose gown wrinkled. She’d discarded her bonnet on a chair nearby.

Had she stayed with him all night long? By the looks of it, they were inside a room at the inn. ‘Where is Mrs Turner?’

‘She is for, I mean
with,
Graf von Reischor.’ Her face flushed, and she kept staring at him, a worried expression on her face. ‘Estelle is helping her.’

‘You shouldn’t be here alone with me,’ he warned. ‘Think of what the others will say.’

‘I told the innkeeper you were my husband.’

He raised an eyebrow at that, wondering why she would lie. ‘And the Graf agreed to this?’

‘He was sleeping permanently.’

He frowned, not knowing what she was saying. ‘I beg your pardon?’

She flushed again. ‘I mean, he was unconscious.’ Her mouth pursed tightly, and he couldn’t understand why she kept gaping at him.

‘What’s wrong?’ He glanced at his right arm, but the bandage appeared clean. His wound ached a little, but it was bearable. The bullet had only nicked the skin. ‘Why are you staring at me that way?’

‘Don’t you realise what you’re doing?’

‘I don’t, no. Tell me.’ He sat up carefully on the bed, swinging his legs over the side.

‘Listen to yourself,’ she said. ‘You’ve been speaking Lohenisch in your sleep during the past hour, and just now. Another language, Michael. One you claimed you didn’t know.’

‘I haven’t—’ he started to say, but then he heard the unfamiliar words. It was as if his voice and his brain were disconnected somehow. He had spoken from instinct, without thinking.

And Hannah had also been speaking Lohenisch, he now realised. It was why she’d made a few mistakes, errors that she’d corrected.

The revelation was like a knife slicing through his throat, cutting away any further denials. There
was
a connection between him and Lohenberg, one he had long forgotten. Somehow, the country was a part of his heritage.

He struggled to speak the language again, but the words eluded him. The moment he tried to think about what he wanted to say, he couldn’t grasp a single sentence.

Hannah placed both hands on his shoulders, regarding him. ‘I think we both know that you are not merely a fishmonger’s son.’

He didn’t want to believe it. The idea of having another life, another family who hadn’t wanted him, seemed to shift the ground beneath him.

‘Then who am I, Hannah?’

‘That’s what we’re going to find out.’

‘We?’

She offered a hopeful smile. ‘The Graf cannot possibly travel to Lohenberg in his condition. Not only that, but my cousins do not know exactly when I will arrive. A few days won’t matter. I’ll come with you.’

He stood up, pressing her hands away. ‘No. It’s inappropriate for you to travel with us.’

She stared down at her hands, her cheeks brightening. ‘I want to help you. You’ll need help remembering the Lohenisch language.’ Squaring her shoulders, she added, ‘After that, I’ll leave. You needn’t worry that this would be anything more than…than friendship.’

The embarrassment on her face increased his own feelings
of awkwardness. He’d misinterpreted her offer, thinking she had changed her mind about being with him.

Damn it all, he didn’t know what to do about Hannah. She wasn’t a woman he could marry, nor could he become her lover. And yet, he couldn’t quite bring himself to push her away, the way he should.

‘I can act as your translator,’ she offered. ‘Without the Graf, we’ll attract less attention, and Mrs Turner will be fine with him.’

Alone with her? Was she so naïve to think that no one would notice an unmarried woman and man travelling together? ‘Others will speak poorly of you,’ he warned.

‘Not if they believe I am your wife.’ She stood only an arm’s length away from him. ‘It’s a travel arrangement, Michael. Nothing more than that.’

Looking at her innocent face, he saw that she truly thought they could travel together as friends, not lovers.

‘Twice, someone has tried to kill me,’ he argued. He wasn’t going to put her into harm’s way, no matter how she tried to convince him. ‘It could happen again.’

‘Not if we disguise ourselves.’ She reached out and touched his coat. ‘With the right attire, we could blend in with the others. No one would know we’re any different, especially without the Graf to draw notice.’ She pulled her hand away once more. ‘And we’ll find the answers you’re looking for.’

He kept silent, pondering her idea. It wasn’t sensible at all. To travel alone with Hannah, into a country he barely knew, was risking far too much.

Most of all, she risked her innocence. For if he had to remain at her side every hour of every day, he doubted if he could resist touching her again.

‘It’s not a good idea, Hannah. It’s dangerous.’

She started to protest again, something about all the reasons why he should uncover the past. He silenced her by kissing her.

With his mouth, he ravaged her lips, trying to show her how much he desired her. Her arms wound around his neck, whether for balance or whether in response to his kiss he didn’t know. She smelled so good, the jasmine fragrance exotic and tempting. He softened the kiss, sliding his tongue inside her mouth. Coaxing and urging her to give him more, he used his good arm to draw her close.

‘Do you feel how much I want you?’ he whispered, bringing her hips to his. ‘The danger you face is from me, not the assassins of Lohenberg.’

He lowered his mouth to the curve of her neck, whispering upon her skin, ‘If you travel with me, pretending to be my wife, I can’t promise not to touch you.’

She pulled away, composing herself. ‘I’ll take the risk.’

‘The Graf von Reischor isn’t dead, is he?’

‘No,’ the servant apologised. ‘He survived the assassins we hired. And as for the Prince—’

‘Do not call him that. He is only a man with an unfortunate resemblance to the King. A bastard son.’

The servant cleared his throat. ‘You are right, of course. But if he is only the King’s by-blow, is there a need to kill him?’

‘There can be no usurper. No reason to question the rightful heir to the throne. He bears too strong a resemblance to the King.’

‘You are right, of course,’ the servant confirmed. ‘And it will be noticed, once he enters Lohenberg.’

‘You cannot allow it. If you have to kill him yourself, ensure that this man poses no threat to the throne.’

The servant bowed. ‘It will be as you wish.’ Straightening, he inquired, ‘Do you wish for me to remain in the Graf’s employ? I can continue to watch and inform you of his doings.’

‘Yes. And return to me, as soon as it is done.’

‘What about the Queen?’

A brief nod. ‘See to it that she’s kept quiet. Use your connections in the palace and tell no one of the Graf’s doings. I don’t want any more stories about the Changeling Prince.’

A bag of coins exchanged hands. The servant gave thanks, but hesitated before departing. ‘What of the woman who is travelling with them? She was supposed to be sent to some cousins in Germany, but after the Graf was injured, they were delayed. If she witnesses anything—’

‘Dispose of her, if you must.’

Hannah’s bottom felt as though it had been beaten with wooden paddles. She clung to her horse, knowing the Graf’s servants would pursue them. Reischor would be livid when he learned of her impulsive plan. Not only because they had ‘borrowed’ horses from his coach, but also because he would suspect they had discovered something about Michael’s past.

Yet Michael faced more danger by travelling with the Graf than with her. It might not be the best of circumstances, but he could hide his identity easier if he didn’t arrive in a grand coach with servants.

The cool morning air held a mist that clung to the forest tree trunks, an enchanted cloud hiding the green moss. Michael seemed not to notice their surroundings, keeping his gaze fixed ahead. He rode beside her, dressed in grey trousers, a white shirt, black waistcoat and matching jacket. The subdued colors were less conspicuous, and Hannah had chosen a faded blue long-sleeved gown that she’d borrowed from Estelle.

She worried that, by taking horses, they still might attract notice. Perhaps they should have walked or hired a wagon.

There was no time for it now. Though it was barely past dawn, Hannah feared they hadn’t left soon enough.

There was only one road leading into Lohenberg, and as they crossed the border, Hannah saw that Michael kept
glancing behind them. Like her, he appeared unsettled about what they had done.

‘Is anyone following us?’ Hannah asked.

‘Not yet.’

Ahead, the road curved toward a small village. Vast fields encircled the farmhouses, ready for planting. Michael led them into the village, surprising her when he stopped the horse at a tavern. ‘We’ll eat breakfast here.’

His offer surprised her, for she hadn’t expected to stop. It was only a few hours more until they reached the capital city of Vermisten. The royal
Schloss
lay on the outskirts, and Hannah was anxious to see it.

He helped her down, but didn’t look at all eager to eat. ‘Are you certain you wish to stop?’ Hannah questioned. ‘You don’t have to on my behalf. I can wait until we reach Vermisten.’

‘We’re gathering information,’ he said, taking her hand. ‘Neither of us has been to the capital city before, and we need to know what we’re facing.’

‘Know your enemy?’ she guessed, thinking of his military background.

‘Precisely.’

He led their horses into one of the brick stables, giving a young lad a handful of coins to care for them.

‘Those are Lohenberg coins,’ Hannah remarked. ‘Where did you get them?’

‘Graf von Reischor provided me with a purse of coins to spend upon my arrival.’ He shot her a sidelong glance. ‘I doubt if this was the way he intended for me to use them.’

‘He puts a great deal of effort toward appearances.’ Hannah took his arm as they approached the door. ‘But since he cannot accompany us, I think he wouldn’t mind.’

Michael took her hand in his. ‘Are you ready?’

She nodded. He led her inside the tavern. A dining room
was set aside for travelling guests, with several sturdy tables and clean tablecloths. The tables were full and only a few empty chairs remained.

‘Good morning,’ a thin-faced woman greeted them in Lohenisch. Her grey hair was pulled back from her face, and she wore a white apron over her black gown. When Hannah explained their desire for a meal, the woman answered, ‘If you don’t mind sharing, I can seat you beside some guests over there.’ She nodded toward a table by the window.

‘That will be fine,’ Hannah answered in the same language. ‘My husband and I have been travelling all morning.’

From the blank look on his face, Michael hadn’t recognized the woman’s words. He held Hannah’s hand firmly as they joined the elderly couple at the far table.

A serving maid approached them after a few minutes. Before she could ask Michael any questions, Hannah interrupted, asking for them to be served breakfast.

Switching to English, she whispered to Michael, ‘Do you remember the language any more?’

He shook his head slightly. ‘I can’t quite grasp it. I feel as though I
should
understand what she’s saying.’

‘I’ll translate for you,’ Hannah offered. She noticed that he still hadn’t released her hand. Beneath the table, he continued to hold her fingers, his thumb caressing the top of her hand. A breathless ripple of feeling permeated her skin, and she admitted to herself that she wouldn’t mind if he held her hand throughout the meal.

‘This was a mistake,’ he said. ‘I shouldn’t have let you talk me into this. If I can’t even understand the damned language—’

‘You will,’ Hannah reassured him. ‘I promise you, it’ll come back to you.’

‘It’s of no use to me, if I can’t recall a thing unless I’m drugged or half-asleep.’

‘It’s there. I’ll help you to remember.’ She gave his hand a squeeze, and just then their food arrived.

Hannah noticed the couple beside them had been watching their interaction. The man and woman were trying not to stare, but Michael had definitely caught their attention.

‘Hello,’ Hannah greeted them in Lohenisch. Though she was well aware that it was highly inappropriate for her to speak before Michael, she didn’t see any other choice. They were here to gather information, and she was the only one who spoke the language. At least, right now.

She introduced Michael as Lieutenant Thorpe and herself as his wife. The older man returned the greeting, and Hannah learned that they were Helmut and Gerda Dorfer.

‘You are from London?’ Herr Dorfer asked in Lohenisch.

‘We are.’ Hannah took a bite of her sausage and added, ‘I have cousins in Germany, and my husband has always wanted to visit Lohenberg.’