for him, and raged at him for two hours, blaming Austria for the Polish question not being settled. He even threatened him with a sword.’
‘Not very regal behaviour,’ Julia said. ‘What happened then?’
‘Metternich offered to resign. He is distraught, they tell me. He has not been himself since the affair with the Duchess of Sagan ended. He took that badly. Now most of the German states are blaming him, saying he ignores their claims in favour of a confederation led by Austria and Prussia.’
‘So what will happen? Is this Congress going to last for ever?’ Fanny asked, sighing. ‘We’ve been here for six weeks or more, and nothing has yet been decided, it seems.’
‘The Emperors and King Frederick are to visit Budapest soon. Perhaps, with them safely occupied, the Ministers can get down to some detailed negotiation.’
‘Let us hope so,’ Fanny said. ‘I am so weary of living in these cramped conditions, with no notion of when we will be able to go home. If we don’t leave soon we will not be at Greystones for Christmas, and then no doubt we’ll be kept here for months afterwards if the roads are impassable due to snow.’
‘Can you not persuade Sir Frederick to leave?’ Mr Pryce asked. ‘He has no official position, he does not have to stay.’
Fanny shook her head. ‘He has no desire to go home,’ she said quietly. ‘We will be here for months.’
‘Has Prince Metternich cancelled the costume ball he planned?’ Julia asked, anxious to change the subject, for she could see that Fanny was on the verge of tears.
‘Not as far as I have heard. I doubt he will. He may be exceedingly unpopular, blamed for the failure to agree on Poland, and suffering at the loss of the Duchess, but he’s a strong man.’
* * * *
The costume ball went ahead soon after the Rulers returned from Budapest. The women were to wear ethnic dress, and Julia was delighted that Fanny’s spirits lifted as they pondered on what might be called an ethnic English costume.
‘I think I’ll go as a milkmaid,’ Julia suggested.
‘The churns they carry would be a nuisance while you were dancing,’ Fanny said, giggling.
‘Mm, yes. But what are we best known for?’
‘If we were Welsh we could wear red cloaks and those tall pointed hats. That is what they wear, isn’t it?’
‘I know! The English are known as sailors and soldiers. I’ll go as a Jolly Jack Tar and you can be a soldier. It should be easy to borrow suitable clothes. And I’ve always wanted to wear trousers!’
‘Frederick would never permit it.’
Julia bridled. ‘He has no control over me, to tell me what I may or may not wear!’
In the end they compromised by going in the simple kind of gowns worn by village girls and maidservants, made of gingham, with plain white aprons and mob caps. When Fanny saw Julia as they were about to set off, she shook her head, scandalised.
‘Julia, you are showing your ankles!’
‘But Fanny, how am I to go harvesting, or scrubbing the front doorstep, in a gown that touches the floor?’
She refused to do anything about it, threatening to kilt her gown even higher. ‘As the village girls at home did when they were working,’ she reminded Fanny.
There was no time to insist, as they knew there would be another crush of carriages in the Rennweg, so Fanny gave way.
If anything, this occasion was even more glittering than the Peace Ball. Everyone of importance was present, and there was a great deal of variety in the gowns. Julia gazed with envy at the pretty and colourful costumes from the different countries, and when she asked one Austrian lady about them, was told that every region had its own variation.
Then she heard a few titters and turned to see what was so amusing.
‘Isn’t that Lady Castlereagh just coming in?’ she whispered to Fanny. ‘What on earth has she got in her hair?’
‘Disgusting,’ someone behind her said. ‘It’s a mockery, disrespectful!’
‘It can’t be!’ Fanny
‘Not very regal behaviour,’ Julia said. ‘What happened then?’
‘Metternich offered to resign. He is distraught, they tell me. He has not been himself since the affair with the Duchess of Sagan ended. He took that badly. Now most of the German states are blaming him, saying he ignores their claims in favour of a confederation led by Austria and Prussia.’
‘So what will happen? Is this Congress going to last for ever?’ Fanny asked, sighing. ‘We’ve been here for six weeks or more, and nothing has yet been decided, it seems.’
‘The Emperors and King Frederick are to visit Budapest soon. Perhaps, with them safely occupied, the Ministers can get down to some detailed negotiation.’
‘Let us hope so,’ Fanny said. ‘I am so weary of living in these cramped conditions, with no notion of when we will be able to go home. If we don’t leave soon we will not be at Greystones for Christmas, and then no doubt we’ll be kept here for months afterwards if the roads are impassable due to snow.’
‘Can you not persuade Sir Frederick to leave?’ Mr Pryce asked. ‘He has no official position, he does not have to stay.’
Fanny shook her head. ‘He has no desire to go home,’ she said quietly. ‘We will be here for months.’
‘Has Prince Metternich cancelled the costume ball he planned?’ Julia asked, anxious to change the subject, for she could see that Fanny was on the verge of tears.
‘Not as far as I have heard. I doubt he will. He may be exceedingly unpopular, blamed for the failure to agree on Poland, and suffering at the loss of the Duchess, but he’s a strong man.’
* * * *
The costume ball went ahead soon after the Rulers returned from Budapest. The women were to wear ethnic dress, and Julia was delighted that Fanny’s spirits lifted as they pondered on what might be called an ethnic English costume.
‘I think I’ll go as a milkmaid,’ Julia suggested.
‘The churns they carry would be a nuisance while you were dancing,’ Fanny said, giggling.
‘Mm, yes. But what are we best known for?’
‘If we were Welsh we could wear red cloaks and those tall pointed hats. That is what they wear, isn’t it?’
‘I know! The English are known as sailors and soldiers. I’ll go as a Jolly Jack Tar and you can be a soldier. It should be easy to borrow suitable clothes. And I’ve always wanted to wear trousers!’
‘Frederick would never permit it.’
Julia bridled. ‘He has no control over me, to tell me what I may or may not wear!’
In the end they compromised by going in the simple kind of gowns worn by village girls and maidservants, made of gingham, with plain white aprons and mob caps. When Fanny saw Julia as they were about to set off, she shook her head, scandalised.
‘Julia, you are showing your ankles!’
‘But Fanny, how am I to go harvesting, or scrubbing the front doorstep, in a gown that touches the floor?’
She refused to do anything about it, threatening to kilt her gown even higher. ‘As the village girls at home did when they were working,’ she reminded Fanny.
There was no time to insist, as they knew there would be another crush of carriages in the Rennweg, so Fanny gave way.
If anything, this occasion was even more glittering than the Peace Ball. Everyone of importance was present, and there was a great deal of variety in the gowns. Julia gazed with envy at the pretty and colourful costumes from the different countries, and when she asked one Austrian lady about them, was told that every region had its own variation.
Then she heard a few titters and turned to see what was so amusing.
‘Isn’t that Lady Castlereagh just coming in?’ she whispered to Fanny. ‘What on earth has she got in her hair?’
‘Disgusting,’ someone behind her said. ‘It’s a mockery, disrespectful!’
‘It can’t be!’ Fanny
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