retained her family name. He was no stranger to the vagaries of marriage, forced into a morganatic alliance with his own wife, Sophie von Chotek, who was thought to lack the right amount of royal blood to marry a Habsburg. A picture of her, holding their baby girl, also named Sophie, born just last July, sat in pride of place on his simple desk. Parenthood made Berthe feel an instant kinship with him.
‘I am very pleased, as well,’ she said. ‘And want to offer my thanks personally for your assistance in the von Suttner affair.’
He nodded at this, waving her to take one of the brocade chairs in an intimate seating arrangement by an ornately carved marble fireplace surmounted by an Ormolu clock, matching candlesticks, and mirror, which revealed to Berthe that a strand of hair had come out of her bun on the trip to the palace. The Archduke’s plain desk and leather chair took up a distant corner of the immense space.
‘I appreciate your indulging my whim,’ Franz Ferdinand said once they were both seated. ‘Well, rather more than that,’ he added, ‘but at such short notice. And with a child to look after …’
‘Her grandparents are visiting,’ Berthe said. ‘They love to spoil her. She loves to be spoiled.’
He smiled warmly at this remark. ‘Yes, family,’ he said. ‘One of life’s great joys. I feel I can be honest with you, Frau Meisner. Family seems more important to me than all the power a throne can bring, don’t you think so?’
‘For me, that is an academic question, Archduke. I do not have the burden or the honor of being in line for succession.’
‘Burden is exactly the word,’ he said. ‘Do I shock you?’
‘Not at all. Karl has often told me you have your own mind. An “original”, I think is the way he described you.’
‘Original,’ he repeated the term as if tasting wine. ‘I like that. I am quite different from the way my many critics see me.’
‘To be sure, otherwise why would you help to protect Frau von Suttner?’
Another nod of his head. ‘I was a brash young man, of course. Bellicose and liking nothing better than to slaughter game animals at hunting parties. That set my reputation, I am afraid. But my Sophie has been a wonderful influence. I see things so differently now.’
He looked off into the distance wistfully; Berthe was almost embarrassed for his confession.
‘You must excuse me. I did not invite you here to listen to my prattling. You have heard, of course, of the tragedy at the Stallburg this morning.’
So that was it, Berthe thought. Are our missions once again aligned?
‘Of course,’ she answered. ‘In fact, I have undertaken a commission that may well be connected to that death.’
Franz Ferdinand’s interest was instantly piqued, and Berthe recounted her own interest in the affair.
The Archduke took this all in, not once interrupting her as she spoke, though it quickly became apparent that he too was aware of a possible scandal regarding the Lipizzaner breeding lines.
When she finished, he smiled at her. ‘How fortunate for me, then, that you are already investigating this matter. Captain Putter left a note, you see.’
She felt her pulse quicken. ‘What did he say?’
‘That death was the only way out for him, the only way to avoid shame. He was not more specific.’
‘But there must be a connection,’ she said.
‘It would seem so,’ the Archduke replied. ‘And that is why I summoned you—’
‘Karl, actually,’ she quickly corrected.
He shook his head. ‘I like the way your mind works, Frau Meisner. Would you be prepared to accept my commission?’
‘To do what?’
‘To get to the bottom of this affair. The breeding scandal … the death of Putter. I fear it may cast a pall on this great land.’
‘There may be a conflict of interest, Archduke.’
‘I do not see that, Frau Meisner. We both want to get to the truth. It sounds as if your father-in-law has been taken advantage of. If that is the case, then
‘I am very pleased, as well,’ she said. ‘And want to offer my thanks personally for your assistance in the von Suttner affair.’
He nodded at this, waving her to take one of the brocade chairs in an intimate seating arrangement by an ornately carved marble fireplace surmounted by an Ormolu clock, matching candlesticks, and mirror, which revealed to Berthe that a strand of hair had come out of her bun on the trip to the palace. The Archduke’s plain desk and leather chair took up a distant corner of the immense space.
‘I appreciate your indulging my whim,’ Franz Ferdinand said once they were both seated. ‘Well, rather more than that,’ he added, ‘but at such short notice. And with a child to look after …’
‘Her grandparents are visiting,’ Berthe said. ‘They love to spoil her. She loves to be spoiled.’
He smiled warmly at this remark. ‘Yes, family,’ he said. ‘One of life’s great joys. I feel I can be honest with you, Frau Meisner. Family seems more important to me than all the power a throne can bring, don’t you think so?’
‘For me, that is an academic question, Archduke. I do not have the burden or the honor of being in line for succession.’
‘Burden is exactly the word,’ he said. ‘Do I shock you?’
‘Not at all. Karl has often told me you have your own mind. An “original”, I think is the way he described you.’
‘Original,’ he repeated the term as if tasting wine. ‘I like that. I am quite different from the way my many critics see me.’
‘To be sure, otherwise why would you help to protect Frau von Suttner?’
Another nod of his head. ‘I was a brash young man, of course. Bellicose and liking nothing better than to slaughter game animals at hunting parties. That set my reputation, I am afraid. But my Sophie has been a wonderful influence. I see things so differently now.’
He looked off into the distance wistfully; Berthe was almost embarrassed for his confession.
‘You must excuse me. I did not invite you here to listen to my prattling. You have heard, of course, of the tragedy at the Stallburg this morning.’
So that was it, Berthe thought. Are our missions once again aligned?
‘Of course,’ she answered. ‘In fact, I have undertaken a commission that may well be connected to that death.’
Franz Ferdinand’s interest was instantly piqued, and Berthe recounted her own interest in the affair.
The Archduke took this all in, not once interrupting her as she spoke, though it quickly became apparent that he too was aware of a possible scandal regarding the Lipizzaner breeding lines.
When she finished, he smiled at her. ‘How fortunate for me, then, that you are already investigating this matter. Captain Putter left a note, you see.’
She felt her pulse quicken. ‘What did he say?’
‘That death was the only way out for him, the only way to avoid shame. He was not more specific.’
‘But there must be a connection,’ she said.
‘It would seem so,’ the Archduke replied. ‘And that is why I summoned you—’
‘Karl, actually,’ she quickly corrected.
He shook his head. ‘I like the way your mind works, Frau Meisner. Would you be prepared to accept my commission?’
‘To do what?’
‘To get to the bottom of this affair. The breeding scandal … the death of Putter. I fear it may cast a pall on this great land.’
‘There may be a conflict of interest, Archduke.’
‘I do not see that, Frau Meisner. We both want to get to the truth. It sounds as if your father-in-law has been taken advantage of. If that is the case, then
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