Not Made For Marriage

Part V

There were two tasks Janos took upon himself during the following days, and for both of them he enlisted the help of Lajos, the stable hand.

First, he wanted Simon to learn to ride. A hussar afraid of horses would be the laughing stock of the whole regiment, and Janos simply did not have enough patience to bear with ridicule on Simon's account. Janos did not pause to consider whether Simon would be happy with that decision. If he wanted to remain in Janos' service, there was one thing he had to do -- learn to ride. Simon was therefore placed in the able hands of Lajos, and had the strictest orders to practise every day.

The other task, even trickier than the first one, was finding a horse for Miss Grum. When they had dined at his home, Miss Grum had expressed her wish to have a horse, and had reminded him of his promise -- she knew how to remind one of one's promises without seeming either impolite or impatient. Lajos knew every horse that was currently on the market, and it would be no trouble at all for him to find a suitable animal for Miss Grum and send his master word if he had done so.

Lajos, on hearing Janos' request of "finding a horse suitable for a lady", stared at his master in disbelief.

"Is Mrs. Horvàth thinking of taking up riding again, sir," he asked, his expression betraying that, in this case, the horse could be certain of his sincerest compassion.

"No, but a friend of mine is looking for a horse for his sister," Janos replied.

So things were even worse, Lajos thought. A gentleman buying a horse for his mother was normal. A gentleman buying a horse for a young lady to whom he was not even related ... alarm bells began to ring. There was something afoot, and Lajos was not sure if he was going to like it.

~~~o~~~

Mrs. Polgàr kept her promise. She and her daughter called on the Grum ladies the morning after they had dined together at the Horvàths'. While Mrs. Polgàr was talking to Julija, informing her of the latest gossip and the "important part" her son-in-law was playing in his regiment, Lina and Eva Polgàr were talking about the previous evening and Lina's new acquaintances.

"I wanted to warn you, Miss Grum," Eva said.

"Warn me, Miss Polgàr?" Lina asked.

"Captain Kodaly. He did pay you a great deal of attention yesterday evening, didn't he? All I wanted to say was that his attention span is rather short. He has a terrible reputation as far as his dealings with ladies are concerned."

"Really?" Lina asked. "He looked quite harmless to me."

Eva laughed. "That is part of his trick, I suppose," she said. "He would not be half as dangerous if he looked like it. But believe me, Captain Kodaly is not the sort of man a lady should take too seriously, unless she wants to have her heart broken. It is no business of mine, of course, and I hope you will not be angry with me for being so outspoken, but I would really hate to see you disappointed by him."

"I am much obliged to you for this warning, Miss Polgàr. Let me assure you that I am not in the least likely to be disappointed by Captain Kodaly, though he did seem rather nice. He is too much of a flatterer to be taken seriously. But tell me, Miss Polgàr, how come you know about such things as Captain Kodaly's escapades?"

Eva laughed. "My father, Miss Grum, does not really care who might be near when he is abusing his officers. He dislikes most of the young officers, you know, and is quite frank about it."

"He dislikes them? Why?" Lina asked.

"I am not going to go into detail, Miss Grum. He simply dislikes them. Except Major Horvàth. Major Horvàth has the honour of being hated."

Lina shook her head. "But why? There must be a reason for that." What could one possibly hate about Major Horvàth?

"Because Major Horvàth is everything my brother-in-law is not," Eva answered calmly. "Quick, clever, capable and keen. Whatever Lazar will achieve, Horvàth will always be a few steps ahead of him. My father knows that."

"You do seem to admire Major Horvàth," Lina said with a smile.

"I do, though not in the way you are suggesting, Miss Grum. I know a man of sense when I see one, and any man looks excellent in comparison to Lazar. The Major and I are good friends, and never will be anything more than that," Eva said determinedly. "But now to the ball, Miss Grum -- what are you going to wear?"

"I do not really know," Lina said. "My sister has bought me two new ball gowns, and I love each of them -- it is hard to decide which one to wear."

Eva laughed. "Remember you will have to outshine our gentlemen's flamboyant uniforms, Miss Grum. -- I am going to wear pink." She laughed again when she noticed Lina's doubting look at her copper-coloured curls. "You may not believe it, Miss Grum, but pink does go with red hair. It looks quite nice, actually."

"I do believe it does," Lina said, smilingly. She liked Eva Polgàr. A bit too blunt at times, perhaps, but she certainly never meant any harm. It looked as if she had found a new friend.

~~~o~~~

One of the sentries entered Janos' office and asked him if he could spare a moment. Lazar gave Janos a curious look but knew better than to ask him what the matter was. He knew he would not get an answer -- at least not the one he wanted.

Janos got up and followed the guard outside.

"Well, what is the matter," he asked.

"There is a man at the gates who claims to be one of your employees, sir, and he says he wishes to see you -- he said it was urgent."

"Why did you not show him in, then," Janos asked impatiently.

"He did not want to come in. Just told me to ask you to come to the gate to see him, sir."

Janos shook his head. This did not sound like any of his employees at all -- they would know that he was not one to be dragged to the barracks gate in order to converse with them. Yet, he decided to go and have a look at the man and, if he happened to be one of his servants, to give him a piece of his mind. This plan was forgotten, however, once Janos saw who was waiting for him at the barracks gates -- it was Lajos.

"What is it, Lajos," Janos asked. "Anything wrong? Has Simon broken his neck?"

"Nothing's wrong, sir," the stableman answered. "It's only about the errand you sent me on. I think I've found what you are looking for, sir."

"And you have come here to tell me so? Could that not wait until I am finished with my business here?"

"I'm afraid no, sir," Lajos said. "There are other customers interested in that particular animal, you see. Now, the dealer said I had an hour to get my master there to inspect the horse and buy it, and if I didn't turn up in an hour he'd sell it to someone else."

"That was a trick, certainly," Janos said dryly. "He wants to get rid of that horse as fast as possible."

"So I thought at first, but there's really nothing wrong with the horse. Just have a look at her, sir, and judge for yourself. You'd regret it if you missed that chance."

Janos had enough confidence in Lajos' abilities as far as judging horseflesh was concerned to know that it was worth following his advice. He therefore turned to the guards, told them that he would be back in half an hour, and followed Lajos to said horse dealer's premises.

Lajos had not promised too much, Janos noticed that the moment he saw the horse. It was a small, chocolate-coloured mare, and at the moment she was anything but docile. She did certainly not relish being examined by a customer, but nearly bit him when he came too close. Janos could hold back a laugh only with great difficulty when he realised who the customer was -- Bàthory.

"It seems your charms do not work with every female, Bàthory," he said with a grin.

Bàthory chose to ignore his comment, told the horse dealer to sell the mare to the butcher unless he could find someone stupid enough to take her -- throwing a mean glance at Janos -- and left, fuming. Janos laughed.

"I like her," he said. "That horse has got character. How much do you want for her?"

The horse dealer was businessman enough to see when a customer was really interested. He named a sum that was, to Janos' knowledge, too much even for such a high-quality horse as that one.

"If you charge such rates," he said, coolly, "you will have to sell her to the butcher, or you will never get rid of her. I came here to talk reasonably, man, so do not waste my time with your fancies. How much?"

"This is an occasion, sir! You will never find another horse like that..."

"Not at that price, anyway," Janos said, walking towards the mare and stroking her nose. She did not attempt to bite him -- that was a good start. "We would get along famously, wouldn't we," he said, quietly. "Too bad that man over there hasn't got enough sense to see when he is about to lose a customer."

The horse dealer, after some hesitation, named a lower price, which was still more than the horse was worth.

"Lajos," Janos said sharply, "we are leaving."

Lajos stared at him in disbelief, but followed Janos to the door when he was about to make his exit.

"Sir, wait!" the horse dealer exclaimed. Janos paused for a moment. The dealer made another offer -- a more reasonable one this time. Janos turned round, suddenly a picture of amiability.

"This sounds more like it," he said, pleasantly, walking back to the mare.

"Careful, sir, she has got a hell of a temper," the horse dealer said. "You saw how she tried to bite the other gentleman."

"The other gentleman deserved to be bitten," Janos said coolly. "You will kick him next time, won't you, my girl?"

He gave the horse a close look, but could not see any faults in her. If Grum did not want her, Janos would keep her for himself. He turned to Lajos.

"Go and tell Turul to behave himself," he said. "There is a lady moving in next door. And remind me to invite you and the stable lads to a drink. You have definitely earned it."

Lajos, wearing a broad grin, went off while Janos settled the business with the horse dealer.

~~~o~~~

Lina was sitting in the drawing room and reading a book to Julija, while Julija was working on her embroidery. When Jakob entered the room, she lowered her book and looked at him expectantly. He had exactly that "I-want-to-tell-you-something" look in his face that she had known from her early childhood.

"Guess what," he said.

"I guess you are quite keen to tell us anyway," Julija said, smilingly, "so I will not bother to make a guess but let you go ahead."

"Spoilsport," Jakob said, laughing. "What about you, Lina?"

"Am I supposed to make a guess without getting the least hint, Jakob," Lina asked.

"Exactly."

"You seem to have a good opinion of my mental abilities, brother."

"A well-founded one as that. So, make your guess."

"Major Horvàth has finally found a horse for me," Lina said.

"He has already been here, right?" Jakob said, looking disappointed.

"Am I right, then?" Lina asked.

"Yes, you are right. How did you know?"

"Call it intuition," Lina said, suddenly feeling excited. At last, she was to have a horse of her own. Julija had let her have hers the day before, but as Julija was a keen horsewoman herself, Lina knew that such occasions would be rather rare in the future. "What is it like?"

"I just came here to fetch you, Lina, to have a look at her yourself," Jakob said. "If you still care to have a horse, that is."

"Of course I do," Lina exclaimed. "I shall just go and get my coat and bonnet..." With these words she placed her book on the table, left the drawing room and nearly ran upstairs. She could not wait to see what Major Horvàth thought to be a suitable horse for her. A mare. Jakob had said "have a look at her". What was she like?

Slightly out of breath, but dressed in her walking clothes, Lina returned to the drawing room ten minutes later. She did not quite like Jakob's impertinent grin. He probably thought she was so eager to see Major Horvàth. It could not be helped -- he would not listen to reason, Lina knew him well enough. If her brother had got an idea into his head, it was best to let him find out about his error by himself.

"Shall we go?" she asked him, and Jakob rose, offering her his arm.

"What is my horse like," Lina asked him as they stepped out into the street.

"She is beautiful," Jakob said. "A beautiful little mare."

"Quiet and docile, I suppose," Lina said. Jakob laughed.

"Not so very docile," he said. "At the moment, the only people she suffers around her are Major Horvàth and his stableman Lajos. That is why I came to fetch you -- if she does not accept you, Major Horvàth will try to find another horse for you. If she does, she is yours."

At the stables, Jakob took Lina to the stall where her horse was -- Lina already called her "her" horse, even though she knew that she was not hers yet. Next to the stall was Major Horvàth, holding the horse's reins and talking to her in a soothing tone, and greeting Lina with a smile and a nod.

"She is not quite used to her new lodgings yet," he said. "It will take her some time to calm down."

"She is beautiful," Lina said, coming closer to the horse and reaching out her hand. The horse gave her a suspicious, "you-don't-happen-to-have-a-lump-of-sugar-about-you-but-a-carrot-would-do-as-well" sort of look. There was something melancholy about that little mare.

"What is her name?" Lina asked.

"Whatever you call her, Miss Grum," Major Horvàth said. "She is your horse."

"Are you certain? My brother said if she does not accept me..."

"She already has accepted you, Miss Grum," Major Horvàth answered. "She would behave quite differently if she had not. You should have seen her with young Simon." He laughed, as if remembering something very funny.

Lina looked at the mare again. "Dido," she said softly. "I think her name is Dido."

"You are right," the Major said, smiling. "There is something really Dido-ish about her."

"You know the story," Lina asked.

"I remember having heard it once, back at school," Major Horvàth said. "They used to bore us with the classics there."

"What, does that mean you actually did pay attention in school," Jakob asked. Lina had nearly forgotten he had been there.

"Only if I could not help it," Major Horvàth said, with a grin.

Lina laughed. "I am sure you were not half as bad as you might wish us to believe," she said.

"I am certain you do not believe me to have been half as bad as I was, Miss Grum," Major Horvàth answered, smilingly.

"Major Horvàth, I want to thank you for the pains you have taken," Lina said, earnestly.

"I assure you, Miss Grum, it has not been troublesome at all," Major Horvàth answered. "Thank Lajos, not me - he has found her, after all. I do hope that you and Dido will get along with each other -- although, at the moment, it does look like it."

"I am certain we will," Lina said. "Will she stay here?"

"We thought it would be best if she did," Jakob answered her question.

"You are free to have her whenever you want, Miss Grum," Major Horvàth said. "Just send word, and someone will get her ready for you. I am sure Lajos will not mind keeping you company, either."

The stableman gave his master a dark look, which he ignored. Lina smiled. "That will not be necessary, I am sure," she said. "But thank you for the offer, nevertheless."

For a moment, no one spoke. Then Lina asked, "Will you be at the ball tomorrow evening, Major Horvàth?"

"I am afraid I will," Major Horvàth said.

"You are not fond of dancing then?"

"Very. But I like to choose my partners for myself, which is, unfortunately, quite out of the question at a regimental ball. After I have danced with the ladies I ought to dance with, there is hardly any time left for the ladies I want to dance with. I keep trying, though." He smiled. "Will you spare a dance for me, Miss Grum?"

"Certainly," Lina said, and added, laughingly, "but do not forget to claim it."

"You may rest assured that I will not, Miss Grum."

Part VI

The next morning, Janos was determined to go to the barracks early, finish his business there as soon as possible, and then spend the afternoon in the coffeehouse with von Hertenberg and the English officers. He had to change his plans however, the moment the post arrived. The barracks would have to wait, as would von Hertenberg and the English. There was more important business to attend to -- Mrs. Petek.

György Petek from Posony had been one of Janos' closest friends. He had been the youngest of three brothers and had, unlike his older siblings, chosen a career in the army. Petek had been an excellent officer, clever, amiable and courageous, and a loyal friend as well. When he had met "his" Anna, a pretty, warm-hearted young woman, he had fallen in love with her instantly, and had married her despite his family's protests. There had been nothing wrong with Anna Petek except her poverty. That had not suited the Petek family at all, as they had expected György to marry into a rich family. Petek had tried everything to reconcile his family to his choice of wife, but it had not worked. They had refused to receive his wife, until Petek, bitterly disappointed at their behaviour, had turned his back on his parents and brothers and had tried to get by without them.

Janos had been Petek's best man (or, according to Petek's own words, "partner in crime") at his wedding, and was his son's godfather. Little Janos Petek's christening had been the last time for Janos to meet his friend. Shortly after that, Petek had joined Napoleon's Grande Armee (that had been in those days when Austria had been an ally of France) and had tried to make a fortune in Russia. Janos still remembered him saying that "a father of two could not afford to consider how he earned the money to support them". The next thing Janos had heard of Petek had been a letter from his solicitor, informing him that Major Petek had been killed in action and that Janos was, according to his will, to act as a guardian to his children until they were of age, as he did not trust his relations to do so satisfactorily.

How right Petek had been with this assumption had become clear when the Peteks, on hearing of their son's death, had tried to take his children away from their mother. It had taken Janos some effort to prevent their doing so, but he had succeeded. Ever since then, Janos had corresponded with Mrs. Petek regularly, and had been there for her whenever she had needed him. Her letter reminded Janos that he had not been to see her since shortly after his arrival in Vienna, and so he decided that he had better see her first thing that morning. Who knew what the Posony Peteks were up to, after all? They had still not given up the fight, and had appealed against Petek's testament, claiming that he had clearly been deranged when making that will. If he had been so, Janos thought, it would have been their fault -- but that did not seem to occur to them.

Mrs. Petek greeted him with a warm smile and asked him to have some coffee with her. Janos took in the scene in her drawing room -- the children, nearly four-year-old Elvira and two and a half-year-old Janos, were with their mother, their toys were practically everywhere, and the room had a definite lived-in look. This was a home, unlike his own, which was only a residence.

"How are you, Mrs. Petek," Janos asked, taking a seat after carefully examining the chair for unexpected toys.

"Fine," she replied. "Apart from the old problems."

The old problems -- the Petek family, and the fact that her husband was not there any more to protect her from them.

"The children?" Janos asked.

"Look at them," she said. "Do they look unwell?"

"Not at all. They look just as children ought to." He was interrupted by little Janos' wailing -- his sister had moved one of his toys without asking for his permission.

"As lively as ever," Mrs. Petek said with an apologetic smile, and then got up to soothe her son and admonish her daughter.

"Are you looking after them all by yourself," Janos asked her when she came back.

"I do," Mrs. Petek said. "I do not have enough money to employ a nurse."

"If you should need any help..." Janos started.

"This is very kind of you, but not at all necessary," Mrs. Petek said. "You are doing enough for us already. It is not a guardian's duty to pay for a child's upbringing. Especially not if their own relations do nothing to support them although they could easily afford it. My husband would not have wanted you to."

"Still, Mrs. Petek..." Janos said.

"No, Major Horvàth. I love my children, and I love spending time with them. I am quite happy as it is."

"As you wish, Mrs. Petek," Janos said. "But do not hesitate to tell me if you do need help."

She smiled, but did not say anything. Little Janos, finally losing his fear of the stranger who had come to see them, came closer to Janos and looked up at him. "Papa?" he asked, tugging at Janos' trousers.

"Not quite," Janos said, suddenly feeling a huge lump in his throat. "It is an easy mistake to make, though -- I am wearing the same uniform." He smiled, trying to hide how he felt.
The little boy went over to his mother, as if to ask her who the visitor was.
"This is Uncle Horvàth," Mrs. Petek said.

"Uncle," the boy repeated.

"I am not his uncle, either," Janos protested.

"Would you like to explain the difference between an uncle and a guardian to a two-year-old?" Mrs. Petek asked. "It might take you all day and he would still call you Uncle if he felt like it."

"Uncle is fine, then," Janos said, taking a sip of coffee. "I have not got all day. -- Why did you want to see me, Mrs. Petek?"

Mrs. Petek got up and fetched a letter from her writing desk. "Here you are," she said.
Janos read the letter carefully. It was an invitation from Mrs. Petek's in-laws -- but only for the children. Mrs. Petek was not mentioned once. Janos sighed. "They are not going to lose their case for want of trying," he said.

"Certainly not. I am seriously tempted to give in," Mrs. Petek said. "Just in order to live in peace and quiet."

"Do not," Janos said. "If you send them your children, you might not get them back easily."

"On the other hand, they do have a right to meet their grandparents," Mrs. Petek said. "What shall I do?"

"Do not send the children there on their own," Janos said. "Tell your in-laws your children are going to visit them either with you or not at all. Besides, the Peteks could easily afford a journey to Vienna if they really wanted to see any of you. All they want to do is give you pain, Mrs. Petek, and I am not going to allow this."

Mrs. Petek smiled. "You sometimes sound just like him," she said. Janos did not have to ask whom she meant with him. Mrs. Petek still acted like a married woman, as if her husband were to arrive back home any minute. Why had it had to be Petek, of all people?

Janos finished his coffee and got up. "I have to leave, Mrs. Petek, but if you need any help, you know where to find me. Are you certain you do not need any help with the children?"

"Absolutely. Thank you for offering assistance, nevertheless," Mrs. Petek said. "Will you be at the ball tonight?"

"How do you know about that ball," Janos asked her. "Are you going to attend?" As if.

Mrs. Petek laughed. "I still have some friends among the officers' wives," she said. "They tell me everything worth knowing. Do enjoy yourself."

"I shall try," Janos said, smiling. Then he said goodbye to Mrs. Petek, had a look at little Janos' toy horse and Elvira's drawing of her mother (which resembled a scarecrow, but Janos did not mind -- one had to make allowances for a four-year-old's artistic attempts), and finally left them in direction of the barracks. Duty called, and much as Janos felt like ignoring its call, that was out of the question.

~~~o~~~

Janos was still pondering Mrs. Petek's problem and how he could solve it when he entered his office at the barracks.

"There you are," Lazar greeted him. "I have been looking for you all morning!"

"Been checking all the coffee houses, have you, hoping to find me dead drunk?" Janos replied acidly. After having been to see Petek's widow, he could not bear the thought that someone like Petek had had to die while someone like Lazar was still around.

"I have got something for you that will please you, Major," Lazar said, choosing to ignore Janos' comment and handing him a bundle of papers.

"Have you finally made up your mind to resign and move to Mongolia," Janos asked Lazar, taking a closer look at the papers Lazar had given him. They were bills, amounting to the sum that had been missing in Lazar's accounts. Janos doubted the genuineness of the bills, but he did not show it. Most likely the Colonel had done a thing or two to help his son-in-law out of the scrape he had got himself into.

"How can you talk to me like that all the time," Lazar asked him.

"Practice?" Janos asked calmly.

Lazar gave him a furious look and left the office, no doubt in order to inform his father-in-law about Janos' latest dealings with him. Janos chuckled contently. He would be rid of Lazar for the rest of the morning -- that was worth a quarrel or two with the Old Fool. He would be able to do his work without being bothered by Lazar's acts of stupidity all morning.

Janos had another look at the bills. It would have been worth it to pursue the matter further, but he had something better to do than trying to prove Lazar's untrustworthiness. He could wait -- one day or other Lazar would expose himself entirely without Janos' help. All he had to do was sit back and watch. Meanwhile, there was some other work to do.

~~~o~~~

"Look, there is Horvàth!" Janos heard his friend von Hertenberg exclaim in mock enthusiasm when he entered the coffee house an hour late. "Thank God he is alive!"

Janos ordered a drink, and sat down at the table, greeting his friends.

"You are rather late," Fitzwilliam said. "What detained you?"

"I could tell you fantastic stories," Janos said. "But I will stick to the truth instead. Work."

"I had rather have heard those fantastic stories," Fitzwilliam said with a grin. "The truth sounds a bit too prosaic for my taste."

"And you did not even have to do that work," Janos said.

"You could have sent word," von Hertenberg said.

"What for? Once you have taken your seat in a coffee house you are as likely to stir as a sloth. I knew you would still be here even if I were late. I did not intend to come here after closing time."

"So, what are your plans for the evening," von Hertenberg asked him, grinning mischievously. As if he did not know!

"Regimental ball," Janos said and turned to Tilney and Fitzwilliam to explain to them the purpose of said ball. "Hopefully I shall be able to avoid Miss Schiller tonight," he added.

"I bet you will not," von Hertenberg said. "That woman knows her target -- at least that is the picture I have of her, after all you have told me. If she were a weapon, she would be quite useful."

"That woman is a weapon," Janos said. Fitzwilliam and Tilney laughed. "She can bore a man to death in only two seconds. I should be more like you, von Hertenberg."

"Sloth-like, you mean? You know, it takes years of training..." von Hertenberg said.

"I mean your way with women, von Hertenberg. You are a master in the art of telling them to go to hell in a way that actually makes them look forward to the trip. All I can think of any time I see Miss Schiller is Sod off."

"Not very original, but effective," von Hertenberg said dryly. "Even Miss Schiller would understand the meaning of "Sod off"."

"And I would never hear the end of it," Janos said. "No, I shall avoid her all evening, that is the only thing I can do."

"But she will not avoid you, I suppose," Tilney said. "How are you going to get out of that scrape?"

"Do not try to spoil my evening before it has even started," Janos said. "I will find a way."

"Ten to one you will not," von Hertenberg said. "I bet you will have to dance with her at least once tonight."

Janos laughed. "How are you going to prove that," he said.

"I am going to come along," von Hertenberg. "It could be fun."

"I am certain it would be fun," Janos said. "Being the only infantry man at a Hussars regimental ball. Are there any cases of insanity in your family history?"

"There are hardly any cases of sanity in my family history, as you know. Just look at my brother," von Hertenberg said, grinning. "I shall meet you there. And bring enough money. I am quite certain you will have to buy me a couple of drinks."

Even though Janos hated to admit it, he knew that von Hertenberg might be right.

~~~o~~~

Lina had taken some time to decide on her dress and had almost driven Julija mad. Whenever she had professed to have made a decision, she had changed her mind five minutes afterwards, or had begun to doubt whether her decision had been right. In the end, she decided to wear her yellow dress.

Eva Polgàr sent Lina a note inviting her to her father's hothouse to choose some flowers for her hair -- the Grums did not have a hot-house of their own, and flowers were difficult to come by at this time of the year.

Lina went to see Eva Polgàr, and together they chose creamy-white roses for her headdress, and practised some dancing steps Lina did not feel very comfortable about. At last, it was time for Lina to go home and dress for the ball, and the two friends parted with the promise to meet again at the assembly room.

Jakob stared at his sister in surprise as she entered the drawing room, dressed in her blue ball gown.

"This does not look yellowish to me," he said. "I thought you wanted to wear your yellow dress!"
"So I thought, too," Lina said. "I have changed my mind."

"Oh dear," Jakob said. "Block the door, Julija, do not let her out any more, or she will change her mind all over again, I fear."

Lina laughed. "I will not," she said. "I am not that fickle, Jakob. It just takes me some time to make my decisions. But once they are made..."

"Besides you do not want to be late, just in case a certain Major is already waiting for his dance," Jakob said, grinning.

"I do not know what you are talking about," Lina said, hoping to sound grown-up and dignified. Jakob and his childish assumptions -- could he not keep them to himself?

"Horvàth will be quite swept off his feet when he sees you," Jakob said.

"Why should he? I am sure there are many ladies at the ball, and all of them will be wearing pretty ball gowns," Lina answered. "I do not see why he should be swept off his feet by anyone in particular." Julija gave her husband a warning look and suggested their leaving. The ball would start without them, no doubt, but Julija did not want to miss a minute of her first Viennese dance.

They entered the assembly room, and Lina was at once received by her friend Eva Polgàr. Lina was impressed on seeing her friend. She would not have expected it, but Eva did look rather pretty in her pink ball gown.

"You were right about your dress," she said, smiling. "Pink does suit you."

Eva laughed. "I know it does," she said and linked her arm with Lina's. "Let me introduce you to some of the people here," she whispered.

The next quarter of an hour, Lina was walking around hanging on to Eva's arm and being introduced to at least half of the regiment's officers' wives. All the time she was keeping a lookout for Major Horvàth, but could not see him anywhere. She did see the Captains Kodaly and Lazar, though, and Captain Kodaly grabbed the opportunity to ask her for the first two dances. Lina would rather have danced with Major Horvàth, but since the Major was not there, she had to promise the two dances to the Captain. It was not exactly a sacrifice, after all Captain Kodaly was one of the most handsome men in the room and therefore a sought-after dancing partner, and Lina noticed more than one envious glance from the assembled belles as her partner led her to the dance.

Captain Kodaly had a large acquaintance, and most of them wanted to be introduced to her -- "a new face always raises interest," as the Captain had said. Lina could not complain about a lack of dancing partners all evening, but she was still waiting for Major Horvàth to arrive. Hopefully he would make his appearance soon, or she would be forced to give up the last two dances as well.

~~~o~~~

Janos arrived at the ball room late. Simon had not let him go until his attire had been absolutely flawless -- and Simon was a strict judge as far as clothes were concerned. He had pointed out that "his honour was at stake", and therefore he "would not let any gentleman in his care appear to disadvantage". Janos was not used to being fussed over in such a way, but he gave in. One had to make allowances now and then -- and Simon meant well, after all.

"Where have you been," von Hertenberg greeted him when he arrived. "Your hiding from Miss Schiller under your bed was not part of our arrangement, was it?"

Janos told von Hertenberg that Simon had not let him go, but had insisted on his being perfectly dressed.

"Why did he bother," von Hertenberg asked, with a grin.

"I do not know, actually," Janos said. "I shall ask him when I get home -- it may take him some time to answer that question, so I refrained from asking it before I left. -- Did you bring your sister and cousin along, by any chance?"

"Do you see them anywhere? No, I did not -- the Watchdog does not want them to go to such a vulgar thing as a regimental ball. I have trouble persuading her to come to ours -- not that I want her to, mind you. She refused point-blank to come here."

Janos laughed. "You should have taken them along without your sister-in-law," he said.

"You may laugh, but I did suggest that. She nearly had a fainting fit." Von Hertenberg grinned. "I love doing my brother a favour now and then. She will need his comfort all evening."

"And where is the favour?" Janos asked dryly. He did not like von Hertenberg's sister-in-law at all.

"Ask my brother," von Hertenberg replied, and added, "Shall we go in? I do not think Miss Schiller will look for you outside."

"You just gave me a good reason for NOT going in," Janos said. "But no one shall call me a coward. After you, sir. Old age goes before beauty."

They had hardly entered and disposed of their overcoats when von Hertenberg gave Janos a nudge. Miss Schiller was coming towards them at full speed.

Janos only had time to whisper, "That woman must have spies everywhere," before he had to turn to Miss Schiller. "Good evening, Miss Schiller. What a pleasure to see you!"

Miss Schiller gave him one of her brightest smiles. "Major Horvàth! You have been missed!"

"Have I indeed, Miss Schiller? I am very sorry," Janos said, politely. "I would not want to spoil anybody's evening."

"There are hardly any good dancers around," Miss Schiller complained, which gave Janos a brilliant idea to get rid of her for a while.

"I am very sorry to hear that, Miss Schiller," he said, with an amiable smile. "But I am sure I can help you there. May I introduce my friend, Colonel von Hertenberg? He is an excellent dancer, or so I have heard."

Von Hertenberg gave him a furious look, but did not have any other choice than asking Miss Schiller to dance the next two dances with him -- which she could hardly refuse. Janos had a hard time not to grin smugly.

"That will cost you an extra pint," von Hertenberg whispered to him before he left, arm in arm with Miss Schiller.

"Why, I am sure you will manage," Janos whispered back. "Besides, that is worth it."

When von Hertenberg and Miss Schiller had disappeared in the crowd, Janos began to look for Miss Grum. She was the only lady present with whom he really wanted to dance -- and undoubtedly there would be rivals. It was time to find her ... but where to start?

Then it occurred to Janos that the Grums had been invited by Mrs. Polgàr, so they would most likely be with her. He was successful. When he neared the Polgàrs, Janos recognised Mr. and Mrs. Grum. However, none of the young ladies -- neither Miss Polgàr nor Miss Grum -- were to be seen. Most likely they were dancing. Of course Miss Grum would not wait for him to appear, and knowing his comrades in the regiment, Janos knew that none of them would miss a chance to dance with a pretty girl. Yet, sooner or later the young ladies would return. All he had to do was wait.

~~~o~~~

The dance was finished, and Lina's partner, a certain Lieutenant Pataky, escorted her back to her family. The Lieutenant had been pleasant enough, but still Lina felt exasperated. There had been no trace of Major Horvàth yet. Somehow she had a feeling as if he would not join them any more that night, which would be a pity. It was vexing - he had asked her for a dance, but had not turned up yet, and half of the evening was already over.

When she came back to her seat, Lina noticed an exceptionally handsome man in uniform talking to Julija, but she only recognised him when Lt. Pataky saluted and greeted Major Horvàth. What a difference clothing can make, she thought. He was quite handsome in civilian clothes, but this...

"Rest easy, Lieutenant," he said to Lt. Pataky. "Do not frighten the ladies. This is not the barrack-yard. Good evening, Miss Grum."

Lina curtseyed and greeted Major Horvàth, hardly daring to look at him - he looked so different from what she had known, and she did not want him to notice at once how impressed she was by his appearance. It would not do. Not at all.

"I have no excuse for being late, Miss Grum," he continued, "but I do hope you have not forgotten my dance."

"I have not, sir," Lina answered. "You will have to make do with the last two, however -- they were the only ones I could spare."

"I knew I could trust the gentlemen of our regiment to give you the credit that is your due, Miss Grum," he said with a smile. "They are known to be quite appreciative of female beauty."

"Whereas you are not, Major Horvàth?" Miss Polgàr asked him.

He laughed. "Just as appreciative as any of them, Miss Polgàr," he said. "This is why I am going to ask you for the next two dances."

"You are a flatterer, Major."

"Do you mind, Miss Polgàr?"

"Not at all," Miss Polgàr replied and linked her arm with the Major's. He gave Lina a nod and another smile and led Miss Polgàr to the set. If only I could be as relaxed in Major Horvàth's company as Miss Polgàr is, Lina thought crossly. But she had been taken aback by his appearance, and for a while had not been able to deal with him in the familiar manner she had done only the day before. Lina sighed, and followed Captain Kodaly, who was dancing with her for the second time that evening.

~~~o~~~

Since the dinner at his home, Janos had been quite convinced that Miss Grum was one of the most beautiful women he knew. Now he knew that had been quite an understatement. Miss Grum was by far the most beautiful one. She was the sort of woman with whom a man could fall in love without noticing it. Luckily, Janos was not in danger of doing so. After all he was aware of her charm and could steel himself against it. There would be nothing wrong with being her friend, though. He was friends with her brother and sister-in-law, so why not with her?
Janos danced with Miss Polgàr, thinking of Miss Grum all the time. Then he danced the unavoidable dance with Miss Schiller -- thinking of Miss Grum. He danced three dances with ladies whose names he could hardly remember -- thinking of Miss Grum.

At last, the last two dances were announced, and Janos made his way to claim Miss Grum's hand for those dances. He had been waiting for that moment all evening.

~~~o~~~

Somehow, Lina felt rather nervous when Major Horvàth approached her to ask for his dances. Not exactly because of Major Horvàth. One of those dances was a waltz, and Lina did not feel quite confident about waltzes yet. She had danced some waltzes already that evening, but with gentlemen whom she hardly knew and whose opinion she did not care about. Lina was certain she would wish to sink into the floor there and then if she happened to step on Major Horvàth's toes.

She need not have worried. Major Horvàth was an excellent dancer and led her through the dance with perfect ease. Lina was surprised how easy everything seemed with him. He did not talk much, but Lina was quite happy with that.

The dances passed very fast, too fast for Lina's taste. Major Horvàth led her back to her seat, where Jakob and Julija were already preparing to leave. They offered him to join them in their carriage, but he refused, saying that he would rather walk home. Then he turned to Lina, and said, "Thank you very much for those dances, Miss Grum. It has been a pleasure to dance with you."

"Thank you," Lina said, and blushed.

"We should repeat that some time," he said.

"Unfortunately we will not have many balls to attend in the near future," Lina said. "I do not think the Viennese have balls during Advent, do they?"

"Not really, no," Major Horvàth said, looking disappointed. "But you will still be in Vienna after Christmas, will you not," he added, hopefully.

"I suppose we will," Lina answered. "We are not likely to travel back home in winter."

"There you are, then," Major Horvàth said, with a smile. "I am sure we will get the chance to dance again. -- Good night, Miss Grum."

"Good night, Major Horvàth." Lina watched him walk away, and saw him join a friend of his. The two men left the assembly room together, and only then Lina noticed that Jakob was holding her coat for her, and had probably been doing so for several minutes. She was in for some more teasing, it seemed.

Part VII

The morning following the ball, Janos decided to call on the Grums, but was disappointed to find, upon his arrival in Annagasse, that only Jakob Grum was at home. He told Janos that his wife and sister had left him "quite alone" and had gone to see Mrs. Polgàr and her daughter. He invited Janos to stay and play a game of billiards with him, which Janos declined. He thought it wiser to follow the ladies' example and call on Mrs. Polgàr, but promised his friend to accept the offer another day.

In Mrs. Polgàr's drawing room there were not only the Grum ladies and Miss Polgàr, but also Mrs. Lazar, Mrs. Polgàr's eldest daughter.

"I see you are not too busy to pay some ladies a visit," she said, sourly.

"I am never too busy to pay anyone the respect that is their due," Janos replied smoothly. "Besides, I need not worry about my work -- my office is in excellent hands during my absence."
Unable to say anything in reply to that without throwing bad light on her husband, Mrs. Lazar chose to be quiet and ignore Janos for the rest of his stay.

Janos went to Mrs. Polgàr to congratulate her on her success -- the regimental ball was the talk of the day.

"You have outdone yourself, Madam," he said. "This ball has been a triumph. I am quite certain that a great deal of money is going to be raised for the Widows' and Orphans' Fund."

Mrs. Polgàr replied that, although she did not know yet how much money would be left after her having paid all the bills, she still believed that the widows and orphans would be sufficiently provided for.

"I have heard you have donated a pretty sum for the Fund," Mrs. Polgàr said.

"Of course I have," Janos answered. "Much as I enjoyed your ball, I do believe that this one occasion would be insufficient to give the poor what they need -- though I know, of course, that nothing will be able to bring back loved ones to their families, which is a pity."

"Say, Major Horvàth," Miss Polgàr said, "were you not in the company of Colonel von Hertenberg? I distinctly remember having seen him at the ball."

"Von Hertenberg was so kind as to accompany me, yes," Janos said, catching the opportunity to seat himself next to Miss Grum. It had not escaped his notice that Miss Grum was looking particularly pretty that day -- and though she had not talked to him yet, she seemed to be inclined to take in everything he said.

"How did he enjoy himself?" Miss Polgàr asked. "I cannot help but admire his courage. An Infantry man at a Hussars ball..."

"This is what I told him, but he said he would never let any danger stand between him and his amusement. So I introduced him to Miss Schiller."

Both Miss Polgàr and Miss Grum burst out laughing.

"Poor Miss Schiller," Miss Grum exclaimed, recollecting herself.

"You only pity her because you do not know my friend von Hertenberg," Janos said, grinning. "Believe me, he is an excellent dancer and conversationalist. Probably the best catch she made all evening. I am speaking of dancing partners, of course."

"I was talking about your opinion of her," Miss Grum said. "You do not seem to take Miss Schiller very seriously."

"Miss Grum, I do take Miss Schiller very seriously," Janos answered. "I would not even think of insulting her."

"No, you always treat her with utmost deference," Miss Polgàr said. "We know you."

"I hope you do. Anyway, I gave von Hertenberg ample opportunity to enjoy the company of his new acquaintance," Janos said. "This was, no doubt, very pleasant for both parties concerned -- regardless of what you might think, Miss Grum."

With these words, Janos rose and took leave of the ladies. Duty called -- an annoying habit of duty, it was, to be calling him when he was most enjoying himself, but its call could not be ignored.

~~~o~~~

"So Major Horvàth has donated for the Widows' and Orphans' Fund?" Mrs. Lazar asked her mother, the moment the Major had left the room.

"Indeed he has, and he has been very generous," Mrs. Polgàr replied.

"No wonder," Mrs. Lazar said, meaningfully. "He has his very own way of taking care of widows, or so I have heard."

"What do you mean, Mrs. Lazar?" Julija asked. Lina did not say anything, but stared at Eva in surprise. "What..." she mouthed, but Eva only shrugged and shook her head, obviously at a loss for words.

"Nothing," Mrs. Lazar said, in a tone that suggested everything. "He has only been seen leaving a certain Mrs. Petek's place several times, and some people have seen him stroll around in town in the small hours -- as if coming home from a particularly friendly visit."

"My dear, remember that there are some topics not to be discussed in the presence of young girls," Mrs. Polgàr exclaimed, shocked.

"Major Horvàth used to be a good friend of Major Petek's," Eva said, calmly. "So why should he not occasionally call on Petek's widow? There is nothing improper in that."

"Actually, Major Horvàth having been one of Major Petek's closest friends makes the matter rather suspicious to me," Mrs. Lazar said spitefully. "One has to wonder when he and Mrs. Petek discovered their friendly feelings for each other."

"I cannot believe such a thing of Major Horvàth," Eva said determinedly. "And I will not believe your insinuations, sister, unless you prove them."

The topic was obviously not to Mrs. Polgàr's taste, and so it was laid aside for the time being. Yet, it did occupy Lina's thoughts for a while. Major Horvàth was a handsome, amiable man, and it would have been stupid to assume that she was the only woman who had noticed that. Besides, Major Horvàth had to be aware of the effect he had on women. So, why should she be surprised at the suggestion that he had -- as her brother would call it -- an amour? Why had she assumed that he would not act in a way that was the accepted mode of behaviour among his friends? One only had to look at Captain Kodaly to see how lightly such things were being taken among the Hussars officers.

At the dinner table, Julija told Jakob about Mrs. Lazar's allusions, which seemed to amuse him a great deal.

"Horvàth?" he said, laughingly. "Not very likely. He is too decent a chap. Horvàth would never go so far as to have an affair with a woman whose reputation might suffer from it."

Thus, the rumours concerning Major Horvàth and Mrs. Petek were no longer mentioned in the Grum household. Jakob had dismissed them as being completely unfounded, and Julija tended to believe her husband. Only Lina could not forget what had been said - and, though she agreed with her brother as to Major Horvàth's respectability, she also agreed with an old proverb. Where there was smoke, there was a fire somewhere.

~~~o~~~

"You do look rather gloomy today, Fitzwilliam," Janos said to his English friend as they met in the coffee house. "What is the matter? Tell old Uncle Horvàth!"

"Nothing at all," Fitzwilliam replied, but not very convincingly.

"Of course there is. Now, let me guess. I should be very much surprised if there were not a lady in the case somewhere. Am I right?"

Fitzwilliam laughed. "You are, in a way, but it is not as you think. I had a letter from my aunt today. She threatens to visit Vienna."

"Aunt trouble!" Janos laughed. "You have come to the right man there. She wants to come here. So what? Why don't you let the old battleaxe -- sorry, your aunt, of course - just come here?"
"You do not know her, Horvàth. Believe me, we would not want her to be here. My annual Easter visit at Rosings Park is enough to last me for the rest of the year. In fact, I was hoping that the Congress might keep me in Vienna for long enough to let me skip my Easter visit next year."
Janos grinned. "So, that kind of aunts also exists in England? And here I thought that this particular species only lived in Hungary." Aunt Erszebet, or, as he called her when she was out of earshot, "The Horror on two Legs". His uncle had once said, "If my wife had wheels, she'd be a gun."

"Just tell her you don't want her to come, then, that will do."

"Oh yes, it will make her pack her trunks and leave Rosings immediately," Fitzwilliam said.
Janos thought for a while. What could he do to help Fitzwilliam? Nothing, of course, unless ...
"Whatever you tell her, don't lie - if she finds out you will never hear the end of it. Of course, if she gets a wrong impression ... that is another story ... that's my way of dealing with my Aunt Erszebet, at least, and it works quite well." Janos said, smiling.

"A wrong impression?"

"Yes. Let her get the impression that you might not be in Vienna when she arrives. In a very decent, subtle way. Vienna is not big enough for the two of us, Aunt. Perhaps in slightly more civilized wording." Janos smiled. "Which reminds me that Aunt Erszebet Horvàth is, most likely, waiting for her Christmas letter. It is Christmas and all is well, please do not spoil this by coming here. Or something like that."

Fitzwilliam laughed. Even if Janos' advice had not helped him, at least he had managed to cheer Fitzwilliam up. Janos ordered another drink and, having finished it, made his way home.

~~~o~~~

It was the fifth of December, the day before St Nicholas', and the day most children were happily looking forward to. They might have been even more delighted, had there been any snow, but it had simply gone very, very cold.

Janos was taking Turul on his daily tour of the Prater, when he met the Grum ladies taking their morning walk. He stopped Turul immediately, greeted them and accompanied them as they continued their walk, leaving Turul to the grumbling Lajos' care. He told Lajos to be quiet and look at the ladies in a friendlier way. He had spoken Hungarian -- which was brought to his notice when Mrs. Grum asked him what he had said.

"I told him to be more polite, Madam, and not to look at you as if he were going to eat you in a moment," Janos said, smilingly.

"And what did he answer?"

"I'd rather not tell you," Janos said.

"Was it that rude?" Miss Grum asked.

"Not rude, Miss Grum, but inappropriate."

"You are making me curious, Major," she replied and smiled. "I think I am going to ask him what he said."

"And you believe he would give you an honest answer, Miss Grum?"

"I do, in fact. He does not look like the sort who is telling lies -- even if telling lies would be more polite."

"You are right. Lajos is famous for many of his qualities, but civility is not one of them. Since you seem to be determined to find out what he said, I will tell you. He said that the ladies were better advised not to look at him if they did not like his face."

"An excellent piece of advice, to be sure." Miss Grum smiled. "But a bit impractical. What if I have to ask him something concerning Dido? I do not like to talk to people without looking at them, and he does look at me as if he were going to eat me in a moment every time."

"Does he? I will have to have a word with him, then. This will not do -- I do not want him to frighten you away. -- I saw Dido this morning; she seems to be in excellent form. I hope the two of you get along?"

"We certainly do," Miss Grum replied. "I can hardly imagine living without her. My brother has already told me to stop plaguing him about taking Dido with us when we return to Marburg, but I will not. Not until he promises he will take her with him. I know my mother will not approve, but I do not care. Who could ever give up a horse like Dido?"

"Your mother does not approve of fast horses?"

"No, she thinks riding is too dangerous for a young lady."

"It can be, at times, your mother is right," Janos said, earnestly.

Miss Grum looked at him with big, anxious eyes. "Oh, I quite forgot, Major, I am sorry...your sister..."

Janos cursed himself for not letting the truth come to the surface. He did not want to lie to Miss Grum, yet he had to keep the secret of his sister's death. So he only said, "Whatever happened to my sister, Miss Grum, was not her horse's fault but her own."

With these words, he turned to Mrs. Grum to give Miss Grum as well as himself some time to recover. For the first time, he realised that it had been Ilona's fault -- she had not trusted him to settle the matter of her marriage in another way.

Mrs. Grum invited Janos to join her family for dinner the next day, an invitation that she also extended to his mother, and Janos happily accepted the invitation in the name of both of them. He knew that his mother, having taken a liking to the Grums, would be delighted to spend an evening in their company, and he was not averse to it either. He cast another glance at Miss Grum, whose complexion had freshened up because of the cold. It became her, Janos thought.

At the park gates, Janos was just on the point of taking leave when his eyes fell on Mrs. Petek and her children who were about to enter the park. Excusing himself for a moment, he went over to Mrs. Petek and asked her how she was.

"Fine, thank you," Mrs. Petek said, smilingly. "I sent a message to your home this morning. Have you already received it?"

"No, I have not. Was it important?" Janos asked anxiously.

"Not very. I just wanted to invite you to dine with us tonight. The children would really appreciate it -- I thought a bit of a celebration might be in order, children need that sort of thing, and I wanted you to take the part of their benevolent uncle if you do not mind." Mrs. Petek smiled.

"I do not mind at all," Janos said. "Though I am not much of an uncle, I am afraid."

"You are a better one than their real uncles are," Mrs. Petek replied. "Will five o'clock suit you?"

"Perfectly, Mrs. Petek," Janos said, said goodbye to her and the children and returned to the Grums. He explained to them who his acquaintance had been and noticed a significant look exchanged between Mrs. and Miss Grum, but he did not attach too much meaning to it. Instead, he took his leave, mounted Turul and rode away. If he wanted to dine with Mrs. Petek at five o'clock, he would have to hurry to finish his work in time.

~~~o~~~

"Today we saw the famous Mrs. Petek," Julija said to Jakob at the dinner table.

With an amused smile, he replied, "And, does she look as disreputable as her character suggests?"

"Not at all," Julija said. "To me she looked like a most respectable lady -- still dressed in mourning for her husband, and she had her children with her."

"You mean she took her children with her to a rendezvous with her lover? Abominable," Jakob said, grinning. "But in earnest, I hope this showed you what complete and utter nonsense this is."

"I have always suspected that Mrs. Lazar was mistaken," Julija said and turned to Lina. "What do you say?"

"Well...." Lina started, when her brother interrupted her. "Lina is prepared to believe anything bad about Horvàth," he said. "Young ladies tend to do so, especially if they take an interest, eh?" He gave her a wink.

"Oh, be quiet, Jakob!" Lina snapped, but for the remainder of their dinner she did not talk any more. She was glad when Julija decided to withdraw from the table to give her husband an opportunity to enjoy a quiet smoke -- Jakob's remark still upset her.

Julija had noticed that something was wrong, and she asked Lina what it was the moment they were alone.

"Oh, it is only Jakob," Lina said. "He keeps teasing me about Major Horvàth."

"And you do not like that," Julija said.

"Of course not," Lina answered. "Would you? It is as if he were making fun of ... oh, never mind, he just annoys me." Lina picked up her book and pretended to read for the remainder of the evening, ignoring Jakob when he joined them. But pretend to read was all that she could do, because there were too many questions occupying her mind. What was the real connection between Major Horvàth and Mrs. Petek? And why, for Heaven's sake, did Jakob's teasing affect her so? It had never before worried her, but this time it felt as if he were mocking her sincerest feelings.

Nonsense, Lina. What feelings?

~~~o~~~

The evening with Mrs. Petek and the children had reminded Janos of what he was missing. A family of his own, with a wife and children, with whom to spend such evenings as this. The children were genuinely delighted with their presents, especially the gingerbread houses Janos had brought for them. Actually, St Nicholas had brought them, but Janos distinctly remembered having paid for them, and was happy that they liked his present.

Once the children were in bed, Mrs. Petek showed him another letter from her relatives in Posony, a more urgent one than the last. The Peteks seemed to be prepared to threaten once again to take legal action against her -- although Janos could not imagine what case they had against Mrs. Petek. She was leading a perfectly blameless life, no one in their right mind would take her children away from her -- and no one could, without his consent. Janos told Mrs. Petek so and finally managed to convince her that she had nothing to fear.

When he left her house, Janos decided to write to the Posony Peteks once again, to silence them once and for all. Just as he turned around the corner, Janos met Kodaly, and went for a drink with him before directing his steps homewards.

This had been a pleasant evening, and Janos hoped that the next one would be even more pleasant -- an evening with Miss Grum had to be.

Part VIII

"What is it," Janos demanded impatiently when there was a knock at the door of his dressing room. Simon went to open it. There was some unintelligible murmur outside.

"Mrs. Horvàth wishes to know, sir, whether you are to join her or not." Some more murmur. "Apparently, Mrs. Horvàth has threatened to go to Annagasse by herself if you are not with her in ten minutes. At the latest. Sir?" Simon gave Janos an apologetic look. "Is there any answer you wish to send Mrs. Horvàth, sir?"

"None but that I will make haste. She will not be required to go to Annagasse unaccompanied." Simon nodded and passed the good news on to whoever was on the other side of the door.

"Am I to be ordered about in my own house?" Janos asked the moment he had Simon's undivided attention to himself. "I am quite able to make my own decisions, yet my mother keeps treating me as if I were not a day older than seven and a half."

Without saying a word, Simon cast a telling glance at the discarded garments on the floor. A man able to make his decisions, the look said, should not deem it much of a challenge to dress for a dinner party. And damn right he was, Janos thought, picking another waistcoat from the wardrobe.

"How about this one," he asked, holding it up for Simon's inspection.

"Excellent choice, sir," Simon replied levelly, wearing the blankest expression ever seen in a valet's face.

"What would you suggest," Janos asked, finally surrendering to Simon's superior judgement.
A quarter of an hour later, Janos entered the drawing room, dressed so flawlessly that even his mother had to admit it had been worth the wait to see him.

"Whatever took you so long?" she wished to know nevertheless.

"Quite simple, Mother," Janos replied. "It is one of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries that a man, no matter how many clothes he may possess, will never find anything decent to wear."

"You were just quoting your sister," Mrs. Horvàth said. "This used to be her excuse."

"The problem must be running in the family, then," Janos replied and offered his arm to conduct his mother to the carriage.

"I hope we shall not be late," Mrs. Horvàth said. "You know how I abhor people who do not have the strictest timekeeping. I thought I had brought you up to be punctual."

"One of the few of your efforts that have been crowned with some success, at least," Janos said. "Annagasse is not very far from here, Mother. We will arrive in time. Do not fret."

"You always tell me not to fret, Janos," Mrs. Horvàth complained, walking towards the carriage.

"This is because you always do, Mother," her son replied swiftly as he handed her into the carriage.

Mrs. Horvàth refrained from any further comments for the rest of their short journey to Annagasse, apart from two demands to see her son's pocket watch and her serious misgivings concerning its accuracy. Janos bore with her patiently. The moment would come when she would be comfortably settled on the Grums' sofa and Mrs. Grum would take her entertainment into her able hands. Until then, it was his duty to keep her in tolerable mood.

They arrived in Annagasse perfectly in time, and met the Grums in their drawing room. Apart from them, only Mrs. Grum's cousin, a Mr. Straub, was invited to the dinner party -- a perfect bore, and Janos hoped he would not have too much to do with him that evening.

Miss Grum looked as pretty as always. She wore an ivory gown, as she had worn on another occasion -- Janos had forgotten when it had been -- and looked dazzling. She greeted Janos with a warm smile and inquired after their mutual friends -- Captain Kodaly and Miss Polgàr in particular. Janos did not mind her asking about Miss Polgàr, but Miss Grum's interest concerning Kodaly did worry him. One never knew with Kodaly. He might be up to anything.

At the dinner table, Janos was glad to find out, he was seated next to Miss Grum, and they continued their conversation about their friends.

"How long have you known the lady you met in the Prater yesterday, by the way? Mrs. Petek, her name was, wasn't it?" Miss Grum asked. "You did look as if you were on quite familiar terms."

"I met her on the same day she met her husband for the first time," Janos replied, smiling as he recollected that evening. "A regimental ball it was, just like the one you attended. Petek and I were looking forward to a perfectly dull evening, when suddenly, quite out of the blue, Petek was struck by her beauty. He never was the same man afterwards."

"You make it sound as if some misfortune had befallen him," Miss Grum said, laughingly.

"Petek had always been quite a useful fellow before," Janos said. "But the moment he fell in love with his Anna -- that was what he called her -- he threw his good sense overboard. Entirely. It always happens when a man falls in love. One excellent way for his friends to find out."

Miss Grum laughed. "Indeed?"

"Absolutely. Show me a man who is suddenly, for no apparent reason, beginning to act like a fool, and I will show you a man in love."

"What if the man was not very clever to begin with?" Miss Grum inquired, her eyes flashing. "How does one know then?"

"I would not know, Miss Grum, for there are no stupid men among my friends. Only such as one might generally call reasonable -- except when it comes to their dealings with women. Most of them do not show much good sense then."

"You are harsh, sir, if I may say so," Miss Grum said, smilingly.

"Harsh I may be, but accurate I am as well," Janos replied.

"Your good sense is not blighted by love, I suspect," Miss Grum said.

"No, indeed!" Janos laughed. "Nor shall it ever be, I hope."

"Harsh words again, Major," Miss Grum laughed. "But I suspect you are not quite in earnest. My brother told me never to take you too seriously."

"Did he? Do not believe him, Miss Grum, he only knew me at school. I may have changed."

"How would I know? I only know you as you are now, sir, and your character as it was in your school days will always remain a mystery to me," Miss Grum said. "But tell me, what was my brother like at school?"

Janos laughed. "I would by no means destroy any delusions you may have concerning your brother's virtue, Miss Grum," he said.

"As far as my brother is concerned, I am as far from being deluded as one can possibly be, Major. So tell me the worst." Miss Grum took a sip of wine and looked at him expectantly.

"He was an excellent student," Janos said, grinning. "I should know, because I used to copy his homework."

"You did not!" Miss Grum's expression was a mixture of surprise and delight.

"Miss Grum, I admit I was a rather lazy pupil. I particularly loathed Latin, and your brother was especially good at it. We were friends, so the solution to the problem was just natural. He did our Latin homework, while I did Maths."

"So he copied your Maths homework? Were you never caught?" Miss Grum asked eagerly.

"Hardly ever. But that was worth it -- think of all the pranks we could commit while our fellow students were still at work."

"I knew my brother was a prankster," Miss Grum exclaimed. "You should know what practical jokes he performed at home!"

Janos grinned. "Brought on by my evil influence, I daresay. This is what our teachers used to think. Poor Grum was always innocent -- he looked it, too. Horvàth was the miscreant behind it all, and had to pay the price for it."

"Your teachers really thought so? I have reason to believe that it was actually the other way round! Certainly Jakob was to blame for most tricks you played on your teachers."

"No, Miss Grum, that was me. I was the evil mastermind, and good old Grum helped me with the execution of my depraved deeds."

Miss Grum shook her head. "I cannot believe it," she said. "I know my brother well enough. You simply do not want to speak ill of him to his sister."

"You have found me out, Miss Grum," Janos laughed. "But I have my reasons -- I do not wish to be kicked out of the house for undermining your brother's authority. I am too fond of good company to allow that to happen."

That moment, Mrs. Grum announced that the ladies would retire to the drawing room, and with great regret Janos watched Miss Grum follow her sister-in-law out of the room. Just as they had been getting on so well, she had to leave. Janos hoped Grum would follow his wife soon -- the conversation with Miss Grum had been so delightful that he wished to be able to continue it before long.

~~~o~~~

Major Horvàth's stories had not come as a surprise to Lina -- she had always known that her brother had not quite behaved himself at school, and she had by now recognised Major Horvàth as the one of her brother's friends whom her father had often wished to get his hands on just once. Lina was glad that he had not -- or maybe nothing would have been able to get the Major anywhere near her brother again. Her father had always been in the habit of expressing his opinions very strongly. She, being a girl, had not suffered from this fact that often, her father had more or less left her to her mother's care, but she knew how often Jakob had returned from her father's office with tears in his eyes, reluctant to let them flow. It would not have helped much, anyway.

"How do you like Vienna, now that you have had the chance to get to know it," Mrs. Horvàth asked her sister-in-law. Julija replied that she liked it very much, but did not go into detail. Lina had already noticed that Julija had become rather quiet lately, and her looks were not as radiant as they had been. Yet, whenever Lina had asked her what the matter was, Julija had laughed and said that there was nothing at all wrong with her.

"I like Vienna in the winter," Mrs. Horvàth went on. "I have always been fond of this town. My son is more of a country person, and he often travels to Hungary to look after the estate. He is like his father in that respect -- well, in many ways, really."

Seeing that Julija did not say anything in response to this, Lina carefully inquired whether Mr. Horvàth Senior had been as amiable as his son.

"Not quite, I am sorry to say," Mrs. Horvàth said. "My son is like his father in many ways, but his disposition is much friendlier than my husband's ever was." Mrs. Horvàth gave Lina a look she could not quite fathom.

"So, how do you spend your time in Vienna, Miss Grum," she finally asked, casually. "There is a great deal of amusement to be had for a young lady -- you must feel quite overwhelmed at times."

"So I am, Mrs. Horvàth," Lina said. "It is impossible for me to take part in every amusement Vienna provides me with. I will have many stories to tell when I get back to Marburg."

"Does Mr. Grum plan to return home soon?" Mrs. Horvàth asked, and Julija said that he did.

"I seriously hope that he will wait till spring before he starts so long and tiresome a journey. Travelling in winter is so tedious. Besides, Miss Grum, the real gaieties of the winter season are still ahead of us. Your brother should not even think of missing them."
Lina agreed but added that she had no say in her brother's affairs and would have to adhere to whatever he decided to do.

"But Mrs. Grum has," Mrs. Horvàth insisted. "Madam, you must use your influence on your husband to make him remain in our company for a bit longer -- and do not say that you have no power with him. Every wife has." Julija smiled but said that, in this case, not much could be done to change her husband's mind.

Lina said no more on the topic, but she hoped there would be a way for them to stay a bit longer. The thought of leaving Vienna depressed her. She had met too many lovely people to think lightly of leaving them behind and never seeing them again.

~~~o~~~

"You really want to go back soon?" Janos asked. Grum nodded. "I think I have finished what I could do for my business here," he said, "and now it is time for me to return home."

"Stay for a while to simply enjoy yourself, how about that?" Janos asked. "There are more things to life than just work. There is no need to be in such a hurry."

"It is not about me," Grum said. "It is my wife. Vienna does not do her any good -- did you see how pale she looked today? I am seriously concerned about her health."

Janos nodded. Mrs. Grum, coming to think of it, had looked rather ill tonight, but he had not thought much about it. He had been too busy talking to her sister-in-law to pay much attention to his hostess. "You think the Viennese air does not agree with her, do you?" he asked.

"I do not know what it is, she does not tell me. Whenever I ask her, she just tells me that she is perfectly fine and that I should stop worrying."

"It is as bad as that?" Janos had no experience as a husband, but years as a son, brother and nephew had taught him one thing -- if a woman said that there was nothing at all wrong with her, using that special tone of voice, one had better be careful. "Have you done anything wrong lately?" he asked casually.

"ME? I have been a model husband all the time! No, it is not that she is angry with me, I do believe she is feeling under the weather and does not want to tell me."

"Tell her to go and see a doctor, then."

"I cannot tell her to do such a thing."

"Who is the husband in here? The lord and master of the house?"

"Do you believe in fairy-tales, Horvàth? No married man ever is the lord and master in his own house. Unless, of course, his wife is not at home."

Janos laughed. "That is why I do not want to marry," he said. "One of the reasons, I ought to add, it is not the only one. Well, I am sorry to see you go, Grum. Just as I was getting used to having you around again -- a real pity. Are you going to stay for Christmas, at least?"

"I think we will, yes. Julija wanted to spend Christmas in Vienna, but soon in January, if the weather and the roads allow it, we will make our journey back to Marburg."

"I am really sorry to hear it," Janos said. "But we should think of enjoying ourselves in the meantime. There is no need to hang our heads already, is there? Would you care for a game of billiards?"

"Some other time, perhaps," Grum said. "I think we should not keep the ladies waiting any longer."

"Optimist."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You assume that the ladies are waiting for us. It is a certain sign of optimism in a man's character."

On entering the drawing room, Janos saw his mother engaged in a lively conversation with Miss Grum. He drew nearer, wishing to find out what the discussion was about.

"You will find, Miss Grum, that the winter season in Vienna has so much to offer. So many balls and festivities -- it would be a pity to miss them. Janos, come and help me persuade Miss Grum to stay in Vienna."

"Anything you wish, Mother," Janos said politely. "And in this case I admit I am very much of the same mind as you. Miss Grum, I am really looking forward to the season for one particular motive."

"What would that be?" Miss Grum asked.

"Plenty of waltzes, Miss Grum." Janos smiled. "I have not forgotten the promise you made at the regimental ball."

"As far as I remember, I did not promise anything, sir," Miss Grum said teasingly. "You will have to find a couple of good reasons to convince me."

"Indeed? Well, let me think, Miss Grum. One, I am one of the best dancers in Vienna. Even von Hertenberg is no match for me."

"Major Horvàth!" Miss Grum laughed. "You make me quite afraid of dancing another waltz with you. How am I to suit such excellence?"

"Reason number two, then. I am a good friend of your brother's."

"That does not convince me at all. My brother has got plenty of friends with whom I would not even dance if I were paid a fortune."

"No? You make me feel sorry for your brother's friends, Miss Grum."

"No need to do so, I assure you, sir."

"Perhaps my third reason may convince you, Miss Grum," Janos said, looking at her earnestly. "I would very much like to dance with you." While saying so, Janos became acutely aware that it was so. He also became aware that he would do anything in his power to make her brother stay in Vienna for just a little longer.

"You have just given me the only reason that would make me consider it," Miss Grum said, looking up at him with a radiant smile. It warmed Janos' heart to see her like this. "But only if you promise me that you will not appear late, as you did at the regimental ball. It was quite a strain on my nerves, sitting there waiting to fulfill my obligation to dance with you."

"Do not tell me you were forced to sit down at the regimental ball, Miss Grum! The impression I had was quite the opposite!"

"Still it does not do to keep a lady waiting," Miss Grum said severely. Janos bowed his head in mock humbleness.

"I will try to reform, Miss Grum," he said.

"This is more than he ever promised me, Miss Grum," his mother remarked. Janos was surprised to find that she was still there, seated next to Miss Grum. He had perfectly forgotten about her presence.

~~~o~~~

The scene she had witnessed between Miss Grum and her son had convinced Mrs. Horvàth that there was something going on between them. She was perfectly satisfied with the way things were developing, too. Miss Grum was a lovely creature, just like the daughter-in-law she had always wanted. As far as Mrs. Horvàth was concerned, she would do anything to make a match between the two -- and, if she was any judge to her son's behaviour, he was not averse to it. He might not be aware of it yet, but he was in a fair way to fall in love with Miss Grum, and would need all the encouragement he could get. Too bad the Grums would move back to Marburg soon, Mrs. Horvàth thought. She kept an eye on her son's proceedings for the rest of the evening and found that in Miss Grum's company he seemed happier than he had been for years.

In her carriage, on the way home, she dropped a remark on what a delightful young lady Miss Grum was -- just to see how her son reacted.

"She is," Janos said curtly, his tone indicating that Miss Grum was something he would not discuss with his mother. Mrs. Horvàth was perfectly satisfied with this. She knew her son and his porcupine-like disposition whenever the conversation strayed to the state of his emotions. Things looked very promising, indeed.

© 2004 Copyright held by the author.

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