Free The Accidental Marriage by Sally James Page B

to enjoy the wintry landscape, the river valleys they followed, the snow-covered trees on the hillsides, and the pretty villages they passed through.
    After they passed Linz, the coaches drew apart. On the next night Julia’s party halted at a large inn as darkness fell, to discover that the first coach had passed through two hours before.
    ‘So we’re on our own from now,’ Spicer said. ‘I must say it’s pleasant not to have to start work the moment we reach an inn, washing linen, ironing coats and starching cravats.’
    Maggie giggled, and looked apologetically at Julia. ‘Like a holiday,’ she said. ‘Of course, Miss Julia, I’ll be helping you.’
    ‘I’m accustomed to looking after myself, Maggie. You have a holiday too.’
    * * * *
    Maggie and Spicer had initially been wary of Julia, but she soon put them at their ease, and they chatted together about the country they passed through, and their impressions of Vienna. Julia was amused to discover they knew almost as much as she did about the negotiations, and the disputes which had arisen among the participants.
    ‘Did you know they put lots of people as spies?’ Maggie asked, giggling. ‘One of the maids at Lord Castlereagh’s house told me these servants, the spies, were supposed to go through all the waste paper baskets every day, and send anything they found which might be interesting to the chief man. Hager, I think his name was.’
    ‘If they knew this, what did they do?’ Julia asked.
    ‘Oh, someone had to stay up late burning everything.’ She giggled again. ‘It’s a good job we didn’t have need for extra servants.’
    ‘But we had nothing to hide,’ Julia pointed out, and shivered. The notion of being spied on in such a way disturbed her. Did the Austrians know in advance what the other Ministers were planning? Was it always like this when different countries were trying to make treaties? If Lord Castlereagh’s people went to the trouble to burn their papers, presumably it was.
    They passed through Passau, and a week after they left Vienna were approaching Nuremberg. Though cold, it was a bright, sunny day, and Spicer had decided he would prefer to ride on the box with Williams. No doubt he found Maggie’s chat tedious, and wanted to be away from it. Maggie usually found plenty to chat about. If it wasn’t the scenery, or the weather, she would talk about Vienna. Occasionally she mentioned Sir Frederick, saying how terrible his behaviour was, then she would look apologetically at Julia and change the subject.
    ‘I’m sorry, Miss,’ she said the first time it happened. ‘I forget you’re my mistress’s sister.’
    Julia reassured her, saying she deplored his behaviour too, but she hoped he would remember his duty and return to his family soon, so it was best not to talk about it. She did not want Maggie to become so partisan in defence of Fanny that she risked upsetting Frederick, and she had soon discovered Maggie found it difficult to conceal her feelings. She might remain silent, but she had a very expressive face, and from the way she had glared at one of the pot boys who spilt ale on her gown, Julia could imagine how she would look at Frederick.
    * * * *
    Lord Castlereagh had finished giving the Duke what information he had, and in mid-February was preparing to set out for England. Sir Carey, who had hoped to travel with him and be reunited at last with Angelica, was disappointed to be asked to stay on for a while, since his knowledge of what had been happening, though unofficial, could prove valuable. He supposed it was true, in that people might talk more freely to him as he was not part of the official delegation.
    It was some time since he had seen any of Lady Cunningham’s party, and he wondered whether they were also suffering from colds. As he was passing their apartment on his way home one morning he decided to call.
    Klara opened the door and smiled at him, but did not invite him to step inside, as she usually