Polonaise (55 page)

‘We most certainly do.' She was sitting on the heavy slates of the church roof, her grey dress filthy with dust and oil, a great smear across her face where she had wiped it with a blackened hand. She look up at him. ‘You killed – how many?'

‘I don't rightly know.' He reached down a hand to pull her to her feet. ‘Or care. We're safe for the moment, I think. We'd best get down before it's too dark to see.'

‘Look!' She was pointing south to what he had unthinkingly dismissed as an afterglow from the sunset. ‘Fire! The school. Your house!'

‘My books!'

'Everything. Do you think there is any hope Casimir is still alive?'

‘We have to face it. None.' There had been no time, before, to tell her what had happened. Now, as they made their way cautiously down the spiral stairway in the half dark, he described the moment of disaster when Karol fired on the Cossack leader. ‘I think Casimir might have held them. After that, there was no hope. If only …'

‘Oh, I know,' she said. ‘So many ifs … Now it's all over. All our hopes … You'll go back to England now, won't you? Take me with you?'

‘I intend to,' he told her.

Reaching Warsaw still in a very bad temper, the Princess was more surprised than pleased to find Jan Warrington and Miriam installed in her house. It was Jan, greeting her at her own front door, who broke this to her. ‘You did not meet my messenger?'

‘No.'

‘I'm sorry to have to tell you. Your palace at Vinsk has been destroyed.'

‘Destroyed? But why? Who?'

‘French stragglers.'

‘Brutes! Completely?'

‘I'm afraid so. I got there next day. It was burnt out. The survivors had taken refuge in the forest. I managed to find Miriam …'

‘I should never have left her in charge. A woman! A man would have defended it, kept better watch! I'll never forgive her, never! Where is she? Why is she not here to greet me?'

‘She's ill, Princess. It's been a terrible shock to her.'

‘It's a terrible shock to
me
! My poor Casimir, his main estate. And all those serfs! They're gone, you say? Into the forest?'

‘Many of them died trying to defend themselves. And your son's palace. But it happened too fast; no warning; no reason to expect it.'

‘Where were the Russians?'

‘Gone. The Tsar withdrew his army when Napoleon crossed the Niemen. But, Highness, if you have not had my messenger, best send another. There's talk at Vilno of a Russian army in
the south, commanded by Tormassov. If it comes here, against Warsaw, Rendomierz will be in its line of march.'

‘Dear God! Rendomierz too. And my son. Casimir! I must go to de Pradt, to the government, to Schwarzenberg, get them to send help!'

‘But first send for your son.'

The wounded Cossack refused to speak. Von Stenck wanted to torture him, and he and Glynde were arguing furiously about this when Lech arrived to report the village destroyed, but the villagers safe and back there, trying to pick up the pieces of their lives. There was more news from the Brotherhood. The Russian army was still in Volhynia, on the other side of the border, it was only its Cossack screen who were operating here in the Duchy. ‘No one knows which way they are going to move, whether for Warsaw or north to join the main army.'

‘So what do we do?' Glynde had interpreted for von Stenck, who was proud of speaking no Polish. ‘Which is more dangerous, to stay here and defend the palace, or to try and get through to Warsaw?'

‘The Princess would wish the palace defended.'

‘I suppose she would.' He cared nothing for the Princess or her wishes. How strange it was. All he wanted was to get Jenny Peverel to safety. And himself? He had a future now, in England, a whole hierarchy of responsibilities awaiting him there. There had been time, in the quiet watches of the night, to decipher all of his aunt's closely written letter. It told a sad story of an estate gravely neglected by two sick men, who cared nothing about its heir, or its tenants. But then, why should they have considered him? He was surprised that they had not tried to invalidate his claim. He could only think that when it came to the point, he must have seemed a less undesirable successor than the remote cousin who was the next heir. No wonder his aunt urged him to come home as soon as possible. All very well, but how?

He found Jenny trying to comfort Lech, who had taken the news of Casimir's death hard. ‘We have to think what's best to do.'

‘Yes.' She had been crying again, but managed a travesty of a smile. ‘What can we do?'

'Stay here and help defend the palace; try to get to Warsaw; or try to join the Russian army.'

‘The enemy?'

‘You're forgetting, and no wonder. They are not our enemy. I imagine Britain and Russia are allies again by now; sure to be, with the French across the Niemen. And, don't forget, I have many good friends in Petersburg and in the Russian army. I don't know Tormassov, it's true, but we're bound to have friends in common. If we could only get to him, our troubles would be over.'

‘It's a big if.' She thought about it for a moment. ‘Too big. I've been a fool. I should never have asked you to take me with you. I hadn't thought what it would mean. By yourself, you might manage to get across country and find Tormassov. With me, you'd not have a chance. It would mean death for you; worse, as they say, for me. Forget I asked you. Go without me. And God go with you.' She would never have a chance to tell him that the Princess had lied in her hints about her and Paul Genet. Better like that?

‘No.' He turned to Lech, who had been listening without understanding, and spoke to him in Polish. ‘Lech, we can trust you, the pani and I?'

‘Till death, lord. We were all the little Prince's friends.' He crossed himself. ‘May he rest in peace.'

‘He died gallantly. Now, tell us –' He looked quickly round to make sure they could not be overheard. ‘The Brotherhood – does it still have links across the border?'

‘In Russia?' He spat. ‘God rot them! But, yes, lord, I expect so. They have always had connections everywhere.'

‘And you are still in touch with them?'

‘I can be.'

‘Then ask them if they can help us across the border. To the Russian army. It's not safe here for women.'

‘It's not safe for anyone,' said Lech. ‘But you're right, lord, we peasants can hide in the forest. We've done it before; we'll do it again. But, the Princess?'

‘Our duty to her died with the Prince,' said Glynde, and got a strange look from Lech.

‘You saved my life once, Pani Jenny,' he turned to her. ‘I owe it to you. You want to do this mad thing?'

'Yes, Lech, I do. If you can help us …'

‘I can try. But, pani, will you take Marylka with you? My sister.' He said it proudly. ‘There's no life for her here; not with her blood. It's all right for me; I'm a man; men make their own lives. I'd meant to speak to the little Prince about her, when he was older, when he could understand. But now … Take her with you, pani. Find her a life in your England where you are all equal. And I'll help you.'

The news of Casimir's death broke Miriam's icy calm. ‘Oh, the poor little boy.' Tears streamed down her face at last, and Jan, in a shock of his own, was still relieved to see them. She reached out half blindly and took his hand. ‘Your son,' she said. ‘Your promising little son.'

‘You knew?'

‘Anyone who loved you both would have known. He was so like you, Jan.'

‘You'll have to give me another.' He had her in his arms now, crying quietly. ‘A little American, my darling. Soon.' She was beginning to shake again. He leaned across her and blew out the light, then, very gently, very lovingly, as so often before, began to take off her clothes.

The Princess went from blind rage through hysterical tears to a cold calm that was more frightening still. Jan had whisked Miriam away from the first crisis, so they knew no more until next morning, when they emerged to find her, all in black, issuing a string of orders to a messenger. Von Stenck was to hold Rendomierz for her or never cross her path again. ‘As for my son's tutor and governess, who have so signally failed in their duty, they may consider themselves dismissed as of this moment and lucky to get off so lightly. I do not wish ever to see either of them again.' She looked up and saw Jan in the doorway. ‘I leave for Spa today. You will be so good as to make other arrangements for yourself and your –' she allowed a significant pause: ‘wife.'

‘Isobel!' He could not part from her like this. ‘You must let me say how sorry I am. How I grieve for him!'

‘You?' She looked at him coldly. ‘What business is it of yours? Goodbye, Mr. Warrington.'

* * *

Her messenger reached Rendomierz safely and found the palace still in a state of defence. The rumour was that Tormassov's Russian army had moved north towards Brest Litovsk, and no more had been seen of its marauding bands of Cossacks.

‘So much for that.' Glynde received the Princess's message almost with relief. ‘It leaves us free to go,' he told Jenny, ‘as soon as the Brotherhood can arrange it. Frankly, though von Stenck will miss me as a rifleman, I think he'll be glad to see me go as a divider of counsels.'

‘You mean you give him good advice he doesn't want to take! I'd noticed that, too. Have you had any luck in selling your estate?'

‘No. Nor am likely to, I'm afraid. Nobody believes the Princess won't confiscate it.'

Jenny smiled. ‘Sensible of them. I'm surprised she didn't say so by her messenger.' And then, sobering. ‘Poor woman. I forget that we've had time to get a little used to Casimir's death. Only think of the shock to her!'

‘The end of all her planning. But talking of plans, if I can't sell the estate, what are we to do for funds for our journey? No use thinking von Stenck will advance us anything, granted the tenor of the Princess's message. What are you doing?' She was reaching into the low-cut shoulder of her calico dress, and his blood stirred, surprising him. Paul Genet's mistress.

‘Our funds. Here!' She must have released a fastening; now showed him the long, gleaming string of rubies that had hung hidden under her dress. ‘Don't you think, doled out carefully, one at a time, they might see us safely to England?'

‘Good God! I should say so! But I thought you'd lost them, with everything else, in the Cossack raid?'

‘I thought it best everyone should think so.' She was tucking them carefully back as she spoke, and once again a strange little thrill ran through him as she pushed down the fabric of her dress to reveal a shoulder white against the brown hand that fixed the jewels back in place.

He laughed, to conceal a profound sense of shock. What was happening to him? ‘How glad I am I insisted you join me in this venture! But you'll need to think of a new hiding place.'

‘Oh, why?'

‘Lech brought a message today. The Brotherhood advise
that you and Marylka disguise yourselves as men for the journey. Will you mind?'

‘Marylka might. But not if Lech tells her to.' She was digesting the fact that the Brotherhood were now getting in touch with Glynde direct. ‘Sensible, I can see. We'll put our minds to it.'

Rumours came thick and fast. Tormassov had been beaten by Schwarzenberg somewhere in the north near Brest Litovsk, and was retreating southwards, thus renewing the threat both to Warsaw and to Rendomierz. But more important to Glynde was the news that Tormassov was on his way to meet another Russian army now moving north under Admiral Chichagov, since peace had been signed between Russia and Turkey.

‘I know Chichagov,' Glynde told Jenny. ‘I met him years ago in Petersburg. He's a strange man, hot-headed, unpredictable. But he loves the English. He spent some time in England when he was young. Reach him, and we're safe. I've told Lech to tell the Brotherhood.'

‘How strange it all is,' said Jenny. ‘Friend and foe; foe and friend! I keep thinking about poor Miriam; that attack on Vinsk by the French. It's all horrible.' She managed a small smile. ‘I feel like a child in trouble: “I want to go home.”'

‘So do I.' Glynde had read between the lines of the story Jan and Genet had agreed, but meant to spare Jenny his gloomier assumptions. ‘Thank God for your rubies,' he said now. ‘Chichagov is bound to come this side of the Pripet Marshes. They'll pay our way across country to meet him. We must start working out our story.'

‘And thinking about transport,' said Jenny. ‘Do you think von Stenck is going to risk giving us one of the Princess's carriages?'

‘You're forgetting; my stables weren't destroyed. Will you and Marylka mind passing as my young brothers? The Brotherhood are forging me papers in the name of Lord Ringmer. We are to be as aristocratic as possible. Jan Warrington and I learned, years ago, that that's the way to travel.'

‘Then Marylka had better pass as our servant. She'll be happier that way too. But what in the world are we supposed to be doing in these parts?'

‘Looking for the Russian army. I'm accredited to it from the
British government; lost my retinue in a skirmish with the French up north somewhere.'

‘You're so sure Britain and Russia are allies by now?'

‘Bound to be,' he said cheerfully.

He and Jenny had moved into adjacent houses in the guest village after the Cossack raid, and he was surprised, next morning, by an early knock on his door.

‘There's someone to see you, lord,' his Jadwiga told him. ‘About the journey, he says.'

‘Journey?' But Glynde knew perfectly well that his plans were an open secret in the palace. ‘Oh well, show him in, Jadwiga.'

‘Two of them, lord. Strangers.' She sounded frightened, as well she might. They lived, these days, at Rendomierz, totally isolated, as if they were on the moon. Glynde automatically reached for a pistol as he awaited his unexpected visitors.