Imogen Robertson - Circle of Shadows

‘Christian!’ Florian called out delightedly. The servant approached, and Jacob looked at him closely. He seemed much of their own age.

‘Master Florian! What a surprise — your father will be delighted to see you. Are you well?’

‘Very! My father is here? I thought he was up at Ulrichsberg toasting this wedding.’

‘He comes back here whenever he can.’

Florian turned to Pegel. ‘Jacob, this is Christian Wimpf. His mother was my nurse after I lost my own. We grew up here together! But you have a position at court too now, do you not? Why are you not there?’

‘I was accompanying another guest here.’

‘How is your family?’

‘Well, thank you, Master Florian. Count Frenzel has provided for the building of a new barn, and they have taken over the lease of the Ekert farm. But here is your father.’

He stepped back with a slight bow, and Pegel turned to see a handsome-looking man in his forties striding out towards them, arms open. Jacob felt a sudden spasm of jealousy. His father never looked pleased to see him.

‘Florian! What an absolute wonder you are here.’

Florian looked a little amazed. His father embraced him.

‘I hope we are not disturbing you, Father. I did not think you would be here. I hope — I hope you are well sir.’

The Count still had hold of him. ‘I am very well, my boy. And you are always welcome here, now more than ever. How perfect it is that you come today — how wonderfully Providence plans every detail.’

Florian looked bemused, but recovering slightly said, ‘This is my friend, Mr Jacob Pegel. A fellow student at Leuchtenstadt.’

Pegel bowed and found himself clapped on the shoulder with such enthusiasm he almost stumbled. ‘But you are so much more than that! Aren’t you, Mr Pegel? We were not introduced this morning, but I was there when you explained matters to the Duke. I am proud to have you here, my boy.’ Pegel opened and shut his mouth. There had been a number of people in the room … ‘And you are a friend of my son’s? Wonderful! Now I know why you are here. You are consideration itself. So much better for Florian to be out of Leuchtenstadt while the Faculty and student body are purged of these Minervals! They are so many that Florian must have acquaintance among them.’ He became serious. ‘Good of you to remove him at such a distressing time.’ Pegel became aware that Florian was looking at him, his mouth slightly open. ‘Yes, your friend is a hero of Maulberg, Florian. Now come, I shall take you up to your rooms myself. Is that all your luggage?’

He turned to lead the way into the building and skipped lightly up the main staircase then turned to the left. Pegel followed with his eyes down. He had known he would have to tell Florian some time, but he wanted to explain over a bottle of wine. Later. Not have it dropped on him like this. He could feel the anger and pain coming off his friend in waves.

If the Count noticed the distress of the two young men, he gave no sign of it. ‘Here you are,’ he said, opening the door. ‘Your mother’s room for the time being, I think. Now, you boys rest and I shall have Wimpf bring you up something to eat and drink. I’ll just turn the key on you …’

‘Father?’ Florian said with an embarrassed laugh.

‘A few matters I must take care of, Florian. Then we can all be together.’ He squeezed his son’s shoulder. ‘I am so pleased you are here, my child. And your friend.’

He was out of the door in a moment and the key turned.

Pegel tried to talk to him, but Florian would not look at him. Wimpf brought food and wine, and Florian only stared at the floor while Jacob ate. His face was pink with rage.

‘It was you,’ he said at last.

‘Yes.’

‘Why?’

‘Because doing so will make me very rich.’

‘Is that the only way you have to make money? With a brain like yours?’

‘No, but it’s one I have come to enjoy.’

‘I thought you were my friend.’

Pegel threw down the remains of a chicken leg. ‘And so I have been! You are not locked up in one of the Duke’s cellars now, are you? I owe a favour to the most dangerous man in Europe now, because I decided to save your skin. And I lied to a Duke in getting your name off that list. I wonder if Daddy would have been so pleased to see you if he knew you were up to your neck in this Minervals crap.’

‘You expect me to be grateful !’

‘Well, I didn’t know your father was going to lock us up instead.’ Pegel got to his feet and began to pace the room. ‘Enough of this. I will not wait on your father, Florian! I cannot sit still behind a locked door. What sort of man is he?’

‘I hardly know,’ Frenzel replied miserably. ‘He has always been a man of strong passions. I have never seen him like this, though. He has never been affectionate with me before. Even when my step-mother was alive … I only met her once, at the wedding.’

There was a gentle scraping at the door. Not the sharp rap that Wimpf had used, but a cautious whispering call. Frenzel went to the door. ‘Who is it?’

‘Master Florian? It’s Gunter, sir.’

‘Gunter! How are you? Lord, I wish I could see your face. Can you open the door?’

‘That devil Wimpf has taken the key. I am only to give you this. You are to read it.’ A thick bundle of papers appeared under the door. Florian picked it up. ‘I wish you hadn’t have come, Master Florian. He’s taken a turn for the worse.’

‘Look out for yourself, Gunter. And the other servants.’

‘There’s only me and Cook left now. He sent the others away when that girl first came.’

‘What girl?’

‘I have to go. Be careful.’

Whatever doubts Pegel had had before, that overheard conversation dispelled them. He opened the narrow window of the bedchamber as wide as it would go. Florian was at his shoulder almost at once. ‘Jacob! What are you thinking of? The drop is too far.’

‘I won’t sit here like a chicken ready for the pot, Florian. Stay here and read your letters if you want.’ Pegel stripped the linens from the bed and began to tie them into a rope end to end. Still far too short for the drop, but it would at least take twenty feet off it. He tied one end to the bedpost and pulled it with all his strength to test the knot.

‘Do people really make ropes out of sheets?’ Florian said, slightly amazed. ‘I thought they only did that in novels.’

‘I have never done it before, but it seems as good an idea as any.’

‘You don’t often have to escape from your treachery out of high windows?’

Pegel spun round at him. ‘You are a bloody fool! And the worst sort. The sort who so believes in his own high purposes that he’s forgotten most of the world is blood and stink, and most people are blood and stink. You’d be as much use in an actual revolution as a nun in the Grenadiers. Your only purpose, your only use is to feed each other’s delusions about your ideas for the greater good. You’re a naive idiot and why I risked my neck to get you out of Leuchtenstadt, I have no idea.’

‘Neither do I! All my friends betrayed, everything destroyed. Our plans set back a dozen years. You have brought misery on a nation, Pegel!’

‘Oh fuck off, you self-important little fool. Some madman has hunted down the Minervals in Ulrichsberg. That secret circle of seven at the court are wiped out! And what did they do when they had power? Poison anyone who threatened it, and slander some poor woman so they could plant one of your little friends in the Duke’s bed.’

‘What are you saying? That’s not true. That can’t be true!’

‘I’ve read the letters. Her name was Kastner.’

‘Kastner? That was my step-mother’s name before she married my father.’