rye off the table next to him. "You're the one who told her to seek help from Henry. Perhaps you wanted her compromised."
Casimir actually sputtered. "Seek help from Henry? Heavens no, I didn't tell her to seek help from Henry! Is that what she told you?"
As Hans was tilting the rye to pour into the dirty glass he'd been using, Casimir moved. One moment Hans was holding a bottle of rye whiskey and the next he wasn't. He almost dropped the glass in surprise.
"I wouldn't send my dog to get help from Henry," Casimir said from near the window, where he set the bottle down on the sill. "Well, if I had a dog. Or a cat, even. Fairly much any living thing. I love him, don't get me wrong, but responsibility is not his strong suit."
"We can agree on that."
"How is Henry?"
Hans shrugged. "His last letter was six months ago and he was in Italy. If you need a primer on Italian women, I can forward it to you when I return home."
Casimir grinned. "I doubt my wife would take kindly to me reading a primer on Italian women."
Hans quietly tapped his fingers on the side of the glass he was holding. His hangover was stupendous. "How have you been keeping yourself, Casimir?"
"Calculating how to get rid of me? It won't work, I assure you. Once I can discern which of these rags are your clothes and which are just bedding, we will be packing you up to return home. I would ask them to send up bathwater, but at this inn I fear what we might receive."
"You tracked me down to ensure I returned to Prussia?"
"Let me be clear, we will be returning to my home where you will get down on your knees and beg my sister to accept you as her husband."
Hans set the glass down and peered keenly at Casimir. "What about her fiancé?"
"I am the head of the family now. I do not have to honor promise s made by my father before I was even born."
"She was pledged as a baby?"
Casimir nodded. "As soon as they realized their first born was a girl, they looked for an advantageous match. When the agreement was struck it was for the Eichen's next-born son."
Hans leaned down and put his head in hands. "God's blood. How is it possible that she isn't married yet?"
"His youth. My father's death. And for the last two years, my delaying as I investigated how to avoid any legal issues from breaking the engagement."
"Is that what Krystyna wants?"
"If you were to ask her, she would say no. But--" Casimir tilted his head to the side. "I have things to tell you. When is the last time y ou ate?"
Hans shrugged. He honestly didn't know.
"Gather your things. We will make do with the water closet at my office for making you presentable, and that will be a more reasonable place for us to talk, as well. I can send someone for refreshments."
Hans wasn’t sure what direction Casimir’s mercurial thoughts were taking. What he did know was that any carriage ride was likely to pitch his already tender stomach further with every tiny jolt of the wheels. Refreshments were likely to be his last request by the time they arrived.
Chapter Fourteen
Krystyna spent the week accompanying her sister-in-law, who insisted on being called George by everyone other than Casimir, on social calls. George loaned her dresses and educated her on the social graces of polite society in L ondon. As Krystyna still didn't understand the language, she mostly smiled and nodded encouragingly if anyone smiled at her. Meanwhile, her mind wrestled with the arguments that she and Casimir still hadn't resolved.
In some ways, she had to admit that her sweet, playful little brother had grown up. He was intractable to the point of stubborn on the opinion that she should marry Hans as 'the man had compromised her'. He hadn't compromised her! He was honorable and kind. Something she had to stop thinking on if her heart were ever to mend.
She was even more surprised to learn how diligently Casimir had been working to break the engagement with the Eichens. He said the letter he had written to mama
Casimir actually sputtered. "Seek help from Henry? Heavens no, I didn't tell her to seek help from Henry! Is that what she told you?"
As Hans was tilting the rye to pour into the dirty glass he'd been using, Casimir moved. One moment Hans was holding a bottle of rye whiskey and the next he wasn't. He almost dropped the glass in surprise.
"I wouldn't send my dog to get help from Henry," Casimir said from near the window, where he set the bottle down on the sill. "Well, if I had a dog. Or a cat, even. Fairly much any living thing. I love him, don't get me wrong, but responsibility is not his strong suit."
"We can agree on that."
"How is Henry?"
Hans shrugged. "His last letter was six months ago and he was in Italy. If you need a primer on Italian women, I can forward it to you when I return home."
Casimir grinned. "I doubt my wife would take kindly to me reading a primer on Italian women."
Hans quietly tapped his fingers on the side of the glass he was holding. His hangover was stupendous. "How have you been keeping yourself, Casimir?"
"Calculating how to get rid of me? It won't work, I assure you. Once I can discern which of these rags are your clothes and which are just bedding, we will be packing you up to return home. I would ask them to send up bathwater, but at this inn I fear what we might receive."
"You tracked me down to ensure I returned to Prussia?"
"Let me be clear, we will be returning to my home where you will get down on your knees and beg my sister to accept you as her husband."
Hans set the glass down and peered keenly at Casimir. "What about her fiancé?"
"I am the head of the family now. I do not have to honor promise s made by my father before I was even born."
"She was pledged as a baby?"
Casimir nodded. "As soon as they realized their first born was a girl, they looked for an advantageous match. When the agreement was struck it was for the Eichen's next-born son."
Hans leaned down and put his head in hands. "God's blood. How is it possible that she isn't married yet?"
"His youth. My father's death. And for the last two years, my delaying as I investigated how to avoid any legal issues from breaking the engagement."
"Is that what Krystyna wants?"
"If you were to ask her, she would say no. But--" Casimir tilted his head to the side. "I have things to tell you. When is the last time y ou ate?"
Hans shrugged. He honestly didn't know.
"Gather your things. We will make do with the water closet at my office for making you presentable, and that will be a more reasonable place for us to talk, as well. I can send someone for refreshments."
Hans wasn’t sure what direction Casimir’s mercurial thoughts were taking. What he did know was that any carriage ride was likely to pitch his already tender stomach further with every tiny jolt of the wheels. Refreshments were likely to be his last request by the time they arrived.
Chapter Fourteen
Krystyna spent the week accompanying her sister-in-law, who insisted on being called George by everyone other than Casimir, on social calls. George loaned her dresses and educated her on the social graces of polite society in L ondon. As Krystyna still didn't understand the language, she mostly smiled and nodded encouragingly if anyone smiled at her. Meanwhile, her mind wrestled with the arguments that she and Casimir still hadn't resolved.
In some ways, she had to admit that her sweet, playful little brother had grown up. He was intractable to the point of stubborn on the opinion that she should marry Hans as 'the man had compromised her'. He hadn't compromised her! He was honorable and kind. Something she had to stop thinking on if her heart were ever to mend.
She was even more surprised to learn how diligently Casimir had been working to break the engagement with the Eichens. He said the letter he had written to mama