The Noble Ladies' Orphanage

Chapter 14

"You're getting married?" Maria asked—more an accusation than a question.

Claudia's eyes darted back and forth between her mother and sister like a rabbit on the lookout for predators.

"To the Margrave's brother-in-law," her mother exclaimed, clapping her ringed fingers together. "I'm going to be Hapsburg royalty!"

Claudia's eyes grew wide while Maria's narrowed.

"You're going to marry Leopold, Mother?" Maria asked. "Everyone knows he's insane. It's disgusting the way you've thrown yourself at him. It's so obvious."

Her mother folded her arms against her chest, a shield against her daughter's biting words.

"What's happened to you?" her mother said. "Ever since your father died you've been cruel and resentful. Didn't it ever cross your mind that I might be doing this for you?"

"For me?" Maria asked. "How could this be for me? I don't want to be Hapsburg royalty, and I certainly don't want a step-father whose name is spoken in hushed tones."

Gita Roth absorbed the words but didn't say anything. She turned to Claudia.

"And you, dear," she said brightly, "how would you feel about being royalty? I think you'd receive a title. Duchess, maybe? I'm not sure. I'll have to find out..."

Claudia snuck a peek at her older sister before answering. Maria held her chin high and looked at the window. "I would like that, Mother," Claudia said meekly.

The mother smiled broadly. "There, now," she said, "of course you'd like that. What Viennese girl wouldn't want to be admired, to be invited to all the best parties, to increase her chances for a truly advantageous marriage?" She stroked Claudia's thin hair.

That evening Maria sat uncomfortably straight in her tight laces at the Margrave's table. It had only been a few weeks since she'd been in the same dining room for the luncheon given by the Archduchess, but it seemed as if that memory belonged to another life.

"You don't say," a man said to Leopold.

"Indeed, I do," said Leopold, smoothing out the ends of his dark mustache with both hands. "So says Leopold."

Her mother laughed too loudly, and Leopold return the laugh with a greasy wink.

"But that's contrary to what everyone's been saying," the man pursued. "Why, just yesterday Colonel Munsch reported that his troops were withdrawing from Olomouc and the surrounding area. Why do you say they're advancing south?"

"Herr Veigel," the Archduchess whispered, "sometimes my step-brother gets a little mixed-up with his details."

"Colonel Munsch is a fool!" Leopold said. "Nothing but a fool. So says Leopold!" He picked up Gita Roth's hand, which was resting on the arm of her chair and kissed each finger, leaving traces of gravy where his lips had been. "My kitten," he purred.

"Yes, well," the Margrave said, concentrating on the food on his plate and clearing his throat. "I have another topic of interest," he said. "Perhaps it may be of greater interest to the ladies than the state of Colonel Munsch's troops." He looked up from his food. "And actually, I could use some advice from the noble ladies present." He wiped his graying mustache with his napkin.

"There's to be a new school," he announced with a leader's confidence and optimism. "A ladies' school. As you know, tensions have been high between the Czechs and ourselves. They haven't trusted us much, and I'd like to improve relations."

He scanned the faces around his table and, not getting any response, he went on. "In addition, I'd like to introduce the superior German language to the peasantry. We've made great strides with getting the city and wealthier Czechs to learn German, but the peasants still speak that ghastly Czech."