I tried to look governess-like. I said: "The Countess is making excellent progress."

The Grafin turned away with the air of one who has humoured the whim of a child. She laid her hand on Freya's arm and said: "Come, dear Countess, we have much to talk of."

As they went out, Tatiana threw a backward glance at me.

I had lowered my eyes and turned away.

They had no idea who I was, I was sure.

During the next few days I saw less of Freya. She deplored this. She said they were always making demands on her.

The Grafin was determined to honour her. "She is looking to the future when I shall be Grand Duchess," said Freya. "I don't know what it is ... but she looks down her nose at me when she thinks I don't see her and is always flattering me to my face. I don't think she likes me one little bit, although she pretends to admire me. I wish we were back at the Grand Schloss. Gunther's nice, though. He's different from the others and I think he is really pleased that I am here."

The bulletins of the Grand Duke continued to be favourable and it now seemed certain that he was going to recover after all.

My fears were lulled. It was quite clear that I was going to see very little of the Grafin and her daughter and if ever I was summoned to their presence, I would make sure that I was wearing my glasses and that my hair was more severely dressed than usual.

There seemed little fear that I should be and I felt immensely relieved. Our stay here would be short, since the Grand Duke was improving every day, and as long as I could remain in obscurity no one would think of connecting me with Francine. It occurred to me once again how wise I was to have come as Anne Ayres. My own name would have betrayed me immediately.

It was three days after our arrival when Freya burst into my room.

"Hello, Anne," she cried. "We see so little of each other, I don't like it. I'll be glad when we go back. But you know that, don't you? Now I'll tell you something you don't know."

"Well?"

"Sigmund is coming tomorrow."

"Oh, it's about time, isn't it?"

"They had to let him know and then he had to travel back. He will go to the Grand Schloss first to see the Grand Duke and then he will come here. It will be evening when he arrives and the Grafin would like to make a grand occasion of it, but of course it can't be all that grand because of the Grand Duke's illness."

"Just an intimate dinner party, I suppose."

"More than that. You see, the Duke is so much better. He has actually been sitting up in bed taking nourishment."

"That is good news. Sigmund need not have interrupted his pleasure."

"He should be here. State duties and all that. He'll be a sort of Regent. Besides, he has to woo me."

"Poor man! What a task!"

"Anne, it is good to be with you. The others are all so serious. They never laugh and what I like best is laughing."

"It shows a happy temperament," I said.

"Anne, listen. There's to be a sort of minor ball."

"What on earth is that?"

"A ball ... but not a grand ball, of course. Fewer people ... less fuss ... less ceremony ... but a ball all the same."

"And I can see the sparkle in your eyes. Is that for the ball or the laggard Sigmund?"

"Why do you call him a laggard?"

"Because he has delayed so long. He's a laggard in love. I hope not a dastard in war."

"Are you quoting poetry again?"

"I admit it."

"You do love it, don't you? I am to have a new dress for this ball and I am going to Madame Chabris who has set up in the town as the court dressmaker. She is from Paris and you know all the best fashions come from there."

"I have heard it," I replied. "When do we go to Madame Chabris?"

"Immediately."

"Will there be time to make this dress by tomorrow?"

"Madame Chabris is a marvel. She knows my size. She has made dresses for me before. She knew that Sigmund, would be coming home and that I should be needing an exquisite gown. It would not surprise me if Madame Chabris had the very thing waiting for me."

"She sounds as though she is very clever."

"But the good news is this. You are coming too, Anne."

"I!"

"I insisted. I don't deny it was hard. The Grafin said, 'A governess!' I explained that you were a very special sort of governess. You have been brought up almost as nobly as we have. You are only doing this because you are seeing the world and doing the grand tour and finding it all rather boring travelling aimlessly. You could leave us at any minute which I should not like at all, and I should never forgive anyone who made you feel like a servant in any way. Tatiana didn't like it either, but I don't like Tatiana in any case. Gunther thought it was all right. He said, 'What harm will it do, Mamma? Let the English lady come. She will be swallowed up among the guests.' How do you like the thought of being swallowed up?"

"Wait a moment. Do you really mean that I am to come to the ball?"

"Cinderella, yes. I am your fairy godmother. I shall wave my magic wand."

"It's impossible. I have no dress."

"Isn't that just what Cinderella said? I will arrange that with Madame Chabris, of course."

"There is no time."

We are going to Madame Chabris this morning and I'll wager—"

"Please do not talk of laying wagers. It is unseemly. And as the Grafin quite clearly does not approve of my going, I shall most certainly not."

"Wait a minute. You are coming, Anne Ayres. To please me you are coming. I want you to come. I am the Countess... Grand Duchess to be ... and unless you want to offend me, which will be at your peril, you will come."

"You forget I shall not be one of your subjects. I can leave here and go home when I wish."

"Oh dear, dear Anne, you would not disappoint me. I have worked so hard to make them agree and the reason is I am really frightened. I have to meet this Sigmund ... and I need to know you are there."

"What nonsense," I said. "He is not a stranger to you."

"No. But I need your support. You must come. Oh, promise ... promise... ."

I hesitated. I felt a tremendous excitement creeping over me. I was making very slow progress. Who knew what I might discover if I mingled with people who in all probability actually had known Rudolph?

"Get on your cloak," she urged. "I have ordered the carriage. We are leaving at once for the salon of Madame Chabris."

It was a revelation to see myself gowned by Madame Chabris. Her salon was beautiful. I said, "It's almost as grand as I imagine the hall of mirrors at Versailles to be."

"Well, she is French," Freya reminded me.

We were given a very warm welcome. Madame Chabris herself, elegant in the extreme, perfectly coiffured and shod as well as exquisitely gowned, greeted us.

She had the very dress which Freya needed. She admitted that she sometimes designed dresses to suit people whom she admired, so it was not to be marvelled at that she had just the right thing for the Countess Freya. As for myself, I had a good figure, she commented, and naturally she had the very dress that would suit me.

Freya tried on her dress and pirouetted in front of the mirrors, seeing herself reflected all round the room.

"It's beautiful," she cried. "Oh, Madame Chabris, you are a marvel."

Madame Chabris looked quietly pleased as though such hyperbole was commonplace to one of her genius.

Then it was my turn. The dress was deep blue and there was a vein of gold running through it.

"I call it my lapis lazuli," said Madame Chabris. "It is beautiful... a little expensive alas."

"Fraulein Ayres is a lady of independent means," said Freya quickly. "She works only because she wishes to. We are good friends, so I know."

"Then I am sure she will consider the price a minor matter when she sees how the lapis will bring out the glow of her skin."

I tried it on. Madame Chabris was right. That dress did a great deal for me.

"The alterations are infinitesimal," said Madame Chabris airily. "My work girls will do them in two hours. You are very slender, Fraulein. You have the beautiful figure—but if I may say, you have not yet realized it. The lapis will show you. Step in here, please, and I will send a fitter."

I went into a small cubicle and was soon joined by a middle-aged woman with a pocketful of pins.

I had to admit the transformation was miraculous.

When I had been pinned, the dress fitted me perfectly. There was a gold-coloured girdle to match the veins in the material and the effect was startling.

Freya clapped her hands and danced round in an ecstasy of joy when she saw me.

"The Fraulein's hair will need attention," said Madame Chabris warningly.

"It will receive it," promised Freya.

She had suddenly remembered that she was the future Grand Duchess and became somewhat imperious.

"You will have the dress, Fraulein. Madame Chabris, you will make the alterations and deliver tomorrow morning early. That will give Fraulein Ayres time to try it on and make sure all is well."

"It shall be done, Countess," said Madame Chabris.

Freya laughed all the way back to the schloss.

She kept saying: "Oh, Fraulein Anne, I do like being with you. We laugh a lot, don't we?"

So I was to go to the ball. I was greatly excited and knew instinctively that I was walking into danger, but I did not care. I had to do this, I reminded myself, if I were to discover anything.

My dress arrived and I tried it on. Fraulein Kratz, who saw me in it, stared in astonishment.

"The Countess insisted," I said.

"And the Grafin has agreed?"

I nodded.

"The Countess is very wayward."

"She is charming," I insisted. "She has a strong character and will make a very good Grand Duchess."

"I wish she were a little more ... orthodox."

"Oh come, she is an individualist. That is far more interesting than following the crowd."

"When one is in her position it is often better to follow the crowd," retorted Fraulein Kratz. "As for you, Fraulein Ayres, aren't you terrified? I should be."

"Terrified? Why should I be?" I spoke sharply. Sometimes, I thought I must give away the fact that I have something to hide.

"Well, I should be," she said lightly. "The last thing I should want is to go to one of their balls."

"I am looking forward to it," I said firmly and she turned away, shrugging her shoulders.

I was living in the clouds for the rest of that day. I had never been to a ball before. Grandfather had never entertained in that style at Greystone Manor. The most he had had was a dinner party. But I supposed I should be very much in the background.

Freya gave me an indication of what was likely to happen. Sigmund would arrive and be greeted by herself and the Graf, the Grafin, Tatiana and Gunther. Then they would come into the great hall where people would be assembled. "Everyone there will form into two lines. You'll be somewhere at the end, I'm afraid, Anne."

"But of course," I replied.

"Then Sigmund will take my hand and we shall walk in between the two lines. Sigmund will say something to the important ones. Not you, Anne."

"Indeed not."

"You have to curtsy as we come through."

"I think I can manage that very well."

"That's all there is to it. Then we shall dance ... rather discreetly ... and then we shall all go to supper and it will end at midnight out of respect for the Grand Duke."

So I dressed in the most beautiful and becoming gown I had ever possessed. I was amazed at the transformation. While I was struggling with my hair, Freya came in with a small dark woman who carried combs and pins on her head.

"This is the Grafin's lady's maid," she announced. "She has done my hair. Is she not clever? Now she is going to do yours."

"Oh, but-" I began.

"It needs it," retorted Freya. "And / have said she shall."

"You are good to me," I said suddenly.

Freya's lips twitched slightly, and I was deeply touched as always by these signs of her unselfishness. She really was a very charming girl.

So my hair was dressed and I went to the ball in some trepidation. I joined some men and women who were gathered at one end of the hall. They smiled at me rather nervously, I thought, and I guessed they were the poor relations of some noble house and were slightly overawed in the assembled company. I had a feeling that my place was with them. It occurred to me that it might be from such people that I could discover something which would help me unravel the mystery.