Free The Veils of the Budapest Palace (Darke of Night Book 3) by Marie Treanor Page B

us to go to the country estate which seemed to be the home of Zsigmund’s heart. It struck me that his grandfather must be a very formidable and powerful man to be able to command the government according to his whim.
    My heart beat unaccountably fast as we sailed up to the quay in Pest. It was full of Austrian soldiers. Above the other shore lowered the great castle of Buda, whose capture by the Austrians had finally brought the war to an end. I wasn’t surprised by Zsigmund’s silence, or by the tension I could feel gathering in his body beside me.
    “It’s changed,” he said. “Everything’s changed.”
    He’d set out to change the world, of course. Just not like this, in defeat and military occupation.
    “We’ve come this far,” I said, threading my fingers secretly through his between our bodies. “We might as well see it. We don’t have to stay. We can go wherever you like.”
    He squeezed my hand in gratitude. I only hoped I was right, that this wasn’t some kind of trap to lure him home for punishment. As soon as we tied up, the slightly subdued people milling on the quay surged onto the ship to greet their loved ones. Since no one was there for us, our papers were checked first.
    “Wait,” we were told abruptly.
    Zsigmund didn’t wait, merely took my arm and walked down the gangplank. A soldier shouted after us, “Count Andrassy! Halt!”
    Everyone turned to stare. The soldiers guarding the quay began to march towards us, and my heart sank into my boots.
    Zsigmund, however, merely strolled to where our luggage was already unloaded. Perhaps this had always been his intention. At any rate, an officer ran across to us at full tilt.
    “Zsigmund!” he exclaimed, grinning. “Apologies! I told them to ask you to wait for me, not to threaten you! Welcome home, my friend.”
    There was a tiny instant of blankness in Zsigmund’s face, as if this meeting surprised him into rare indecision. And then he smiled and took the outstretched hand. “Karl. How are you?”
    “All the better for seeing you.”
    “Caroline, let me present Karl von Degenfeld, an old friend from my student days. What are you, now, Major von Degenfeld?”
    “I have that honour.”
    “My wife,” Zsigmund said, abruptly and yet with more than a hint of pride that touched my heart.
    But Major von Degenfeld’s eyes had widened with pure astonishment. “Your wife ?” he blurted, leaving me in little doubt of the relationship he’d imagined to begin with.
    “Yes, my wife,” Zsigmund repeated, his soft voice suddenly dangerous.
    Major von Degenfeld recovered quickly. “Countess. I am enchanted.” He took my outstretched hand and bowed over it punctiliously. “Forgive my surprise.” He glanced at Zsigmund. “I was talking to the old Count only yesterday, and he never mentioned your wife. I think he must have been teasing me! Come, I have a coach to take us and your luggage to your palace.”
    “Palace” boded well, I thought in some amusement. I wondered if I was about to be overwhelmed by exotic luxury. And yet Zsigmund had described his Pest home as “rotting” and told me the other branch of the Andrassy family held the true wealth. I began to suspect either he was being modest or his idea of wealth and mine varied hugely.
    “Forgive my intrusion,” Major von Degenfeld said as he joined us in the coach. “Since we are old friends, I asked for this duty.”
    “What duty?” Zsigmund asked ominously.
    “To make sure you understand the terms of your freedom,” the major said bluntly. “There is no way to make this palatable to you, and I regret it more than I can say. But you must stick to this, Zsigmund, or they’ll arrest you. Worse, they’ll make me arrest you.”
    Zsigmund stared at him, then deliberately looked out the window at the street. It had begun to rain. “Tell me the worst.”
    “You are bound within the environs of Pest and Buda. You may not travel beyond. You may not wear military uniform or gather