suggesting the engagement could now be broken must have prompted her to contact them herself and arrange a date. He brushed off Krystyna's anger at not being contacted directly, saying that he knew she had no love for Gregor Eichen.
She wasn't sure she had ever been this mad at Casimir before. Not when he had muddied her best dress, not even when he had broken her favorite doll. But his assumption, his arrogance , that she should bow to his change in their father's plans? It was infuriating. And when his reasons, his logic, hadn't swayed her, he had withdrawn to the one statement she couldn't argue with. "If you truly believe everything our father told us about our family, then you cannot disobey me."
* * *
Casimir had always liked Hans Von Rosen well enough. At least until the day that Krystyna had arrived in London. When Casimir rushed into the drawing room, Krystyna had instinctively backed up a step into Hans. The Prussian hadn't moved to put more space between them. A telling little exchange, bespeaking intimacy. Seeing Hans in his current sorry state only confirmed Casimir's belief that much more had happened on the journey from the Continent than Krystyna had been willing to admit.
It had been a bit of a surprise, really, the rush of protectiveness that had come over him when he saw the two of them together. Krystyna had always been a force of her own. She had taught him at least half of what he knew about horses, fisticuffs, and getting away with highway robbery. Even while trying to disentangle her from the Eichen engagement, it had been half a desire to keep her from marrying a man she disliked, and half an intellectual exercise in outfoxing a damned greedy family. It had never occurred to him that she might need his protection. And based on her reaction now, it was very clear that she didn't want it.
But she did want Hans' protection. She betrayed it with every look, every response, when the man was mentioned. She missed him every bit as much as Hans appeared to miss her. At least, he had to assume that was the pain Hans was drowning in cheap whiskey.
After a brisk, chilly walk they arrived at Casimir's office. He paid one of the local boys to fetch them a hot meal and showed Hans inside.
Looking around, the Prussian said, "You've done well for yourself."
"The earl never does anything by halves."
"Earl?"
"Yes. The investment firm is a partnership of the Duke of Beloin and Earl of Harrington, but the earl is very much the managing partner."
"What is it you do here?"
Casimir smiled. "Develop investment opportunities."
"Sounds--"
"Fascinating ?"
"I was going to say boring."
Casimir shrugged. "We aren't here with the excellent liquors courtesy of the earl to discuss my employment." He poured two glasses of Irish whiskey and signaled for Hans to sit in one of the large, comfortable wing chairs. "We are here to discuss my sister. And that hour in Vienna. The two are at least vaguely related."
Hans frowned at that. "In what way?"
"There are some things I won't tell you, because they are Krystyna's to tell. The rest I will tell you for two reasons. First, I tacitly promised you an explanation when I left Vienna. Second, I believe you to be a man of honor and as you will soon be my brother-in-law, I have little reason to fear you will use this information to my detriment."
Hans sat quietly, outwardly calm but clearly on the alert. Casimir continued.
"It would help if I gave you context. The story, as it were. Our father raised us with the belief that we were descended from the Polish king Casimir the Great and that it was our destiny to rule Poland one day."
Casimir waited patiently until Hans said something. "That seems... unlikely."
"You can imagine my surprise when I surmised the same thing after some years of schooling. Not impossible, but not likely. Krystyna, however, still believes it."
"Thus why she's angry about you being here, married to a British girl."
"Essentially. And she was
She wasn't sure she had ever been this mad at Casimir before. Not when he had muddied her best dress, not even when he had broken her favorite doll. But his assumption, his arrogance , that she should bow to his change in their father's plans? It was infuriating. And when his reasons, his logic, hadn't swayed her, he had withdrawn to the one statement she couldn't argue with. "If you truly believe everything our father told us about our family, then you cannot disobey me."
* * *
Casimir had always liked Hans Von Rosen well enough. At least until the day that Krystyna had arrived in London. When Casimir rushed into the drawing room, Krystyna had instinctively backed up a step into Hans. The Prussian hadn't moved to put more space between them. A telling little exchange, bespeaking intimacy. Seeing Hans in his current sorry state only confirmed Casimir's belief that much more had happened on the journey from the Continent than Krystyna had been willing to admit.
It had been a bit of a surprise, really, the rush of protectiveness that had come over him when he saw the two of them together. Krystyna had always been a force of her own. She had taught him at least half of what he knew about horses, fisticuffs, and getting away with highway robbery. Even while trying to disentangle her from the Eichen engagement, it had been half a desire to keep her from marrying a man she disliked, and half an intellectual exercise in outfoxing a damned greedy family. It had never occurred to him that she might need his protection. And based on her reaction now, it was very clear that she didn't want it.
But she did want Hans' protection. She betrayed it with every look, every response, when the man was mentioned. She missed him every bit as much as Hans appeared to miss her. At least, he had to assume that was the pain Hans was drowning in cheap whiskey.
After a brisk, chilly walk they arrived at Casimir's office. He paid one of the local boys to fetch them a hot meal and showed Hans inside.
Looking around, the Prussian said, "You've done well for yourself."
"The earl never does anything by halves."
"Earl?"
"Yes. The investment firm is a partnership of the Duke of Beloin and Earl of Harrington, but the earl is very much the managing partner."
"What is it you do here?"
Casimir smiled. "Develop investment opportunities."
"Sounds--"
"Fascinating ?"
"I was going to say boring."
Casimir shrugged. "We aren't here with the excellent liquors courtesy of the earl to discuss my employment." He poured two glasses of Irish whiskey and signaled for Hans to sit in one of the large, comfortable wing chairs. "We are here to discuss my sister. And that hour in Vienna. The two are at least vaguely related."
Hans frowned at that. "In what way?"
"There are some things I won't tell you, because they are Krystyna's to tell. The rest I will tell you for two reasons. First, I tacitly promised you an explanation when I left Vienna. Second, I believe you to be a man of honor and as you will soon be my brother-in-law, I have little reason to fear you will use this information to my detriment."
Hans sat quietly, outwardly calm but clearly on the alert. Casimir continued.
"It would help if I gave you context. The story, as it were. Our father raised us with the belief that we were descended from the Polish king Casimir the Great and that it was our destiny to rule Poland one day."
Casimir waited patiently until Hans said something. "That seems... unlikely."
"You can imagine my surprise when I surmised the same thing after some years of schooling. Not impossible, but not likely. Krystyna, however, still believes it."
"Thus why she's angry about you being here, married to a British girl."
"Essentially. And she was
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