'Frankfurt is quite a distance from Langenstein,' Georgina remarked, 'a good forty miles.'
'No matter. Mayence is much nearer, but on the French side of the river. For that reason it is possible—as they know that we love each other and hate both of them—that Ulrich just might suspect that we have suddenly decided to run away together, and refuse to agree to my proposed expedition. On the other hand, Frankfurt is well inside German territory. If we leave early, we should be there by midday. We shall dine there at an inn. Afterwards you and I will refuse to re-enter the coach for the return to Langenstein. In the midst of a crowded city, Ulrich could not force us to, and would not dare attack us. His only course would be to apply for a warrant to prevent you from leaving the country. Long before he could secure it, we should be safely across the frontier.'
'Oh, Roger!' Georgina turned over and threw her arms round his neck. 'You are a most wondrous man, and I shall forever be grateful that all through my life, whenever I have been in danger, by some mysterious means you have been sent to protect me.'
Next morning they all went out to see the gathering of the grapes. Although it was Sunday, once the vintage had started, not an hour of good weather could be lost in getting in the golden harvest. Scores of women, including those who were servants at the Casde, plucked the fruit, while men of every station humped the big panniers on their backs as soon as they were full and tipped the contents into the waiting, large-wheeled cans.
On their return, the Baron and his party passed through the Weinstube. The great hall was deserted, but at one end of it was a huge pile of grapes, weighing many tons; for the quantity that was picked each day always exceeded that which could be pressed at night. As they walked towards the door leading into the Schloss, Georgina and Roger glanced at each other, then at the now empty press in which Charles had lain hidden for close on two days.
After the midday meal, von Haugwitz suggested that they should all ascend the tower to see the splendid view.
Georgina felt herself going pale, and swiftly averted her eyes from her husband's, lest he should see the fear in them* But Roger only laughed and shook his head.
'No thank you, Herr Baron; you must excuse me. I am prone to vertigo; and last time I went up there I felt a terrible temptation to throw myself over. I've no mind to subject myself again to that type of mental agony.'
Von Haugwitz hid his annoyance by simulating humour, and began to twit Roger, coming near to calling him a coward; but Roger was not to be drawn and stuck firmly to his refusal to make the ascent. He then suggested that next day they should all drive into Frankfurt.
Pleading the vintage, the Baron strongly opposed the idea; so Roger said, ‘I saw enough of picking grapes today, so perhaps you would not mind if I drove in with Georgina, to be taken by her round the city. Lisala could come with us or, if she prefers, remain here to keep you company.'
For a long moment von Haugwitz did not reply, while Roger, idling with a toothpick, wondered anxiously if his suspicions had been aroused. Then the Baron suddenly became the genial host again and said, 'Since you are set on it, we will all go. I will order coaches for eight o'clock.'
That night Georgina came again to Roger. As she scrambled into bed with him, she drew a sharp breath and sighed, 'Dear heart, we are undone. Ulrich has outwitted us, and laid a trap in which we may be killed tomorrow.' 'How so?' Roger asked quickly.
'My personal maid, Ilse, who loves me dearly, told me of it when she was seeing me to bed tonight. In spite of the new laws, the peasants hereabouts still look upon themselves as serfs. Ulrich's word is law to them and they would never dream of questioning his actions. This evening he sent Big Karl to give them their orders. Tomorrow the keepers and foresters are to dress themselves in their oldest rags, so that they will appear to be a band of brigands. At a lonely spot, soon after we take the road for Frankfurt, they are to fire their muskets, pretending to aim at the coach, and so waylay it,'
'What then? Surely this normally law-abiding people would not go so far as to kill us?'
'Not deliberately. They are being told that it is only a practical joke, to scare you and Lisala. But when Ilse learned this from her fiance, Adolf, Ulrich's valet, she became frightened for me. She looks on you, rightly, as the type of man who, if he thought himself attacked, would fire back. That could result in further shooting. Ilse fears that, during such a scrimmage, I might be hit. So she felt she must warn me, and begged me not to go with you.'
Roger nodded. 'This is bad. And you are right. Ulrich does not intend that we should come out of this affair alive. I can picture the sort of thing that is likely to happen. He will say to me, "Come, we must drive these villains off"; then, when pretending to aim at one of them, shoot me. As you get out of the coach to come to my aid, one of his men to whom he has paid a heavy bribe, will then pretend to aim at him, and instead shoot you. Afterwards, he will gloss the whole business over as a tragic series of accidents; and, whatever the rest of his people may suspect, none of them will dare air his suspicions except among themselves.'
'Oh, Roger! What are we to do? We dare not go on this expedition to Frankfurt now. The best way out would be for me to sham illness. For them to stage two fatal accidents in succession would be to court inquiry, and so too great a risk.
If I don't go, they will await another opportunity to murder us together.'
'That's so, my love; and for that very reason we must not give them that opportunity. Because next time the odds are against our receiving warning of their plan. Our only chance is to take the offensive and deal with the situation tonight. I wish to God that we could take to horse and make off together within the hour. But as the grooms sleep above the stable, we'd never succeed in securing mounts and saddling up without rousing them. What we must do is to render Ulrich and Lisala hors de combat, then leave without them in the morning. Luckily, I brought with me a powerful drug. Now is the time to use it.'
'But how could you possibly administer it to them?'
Kissing her, he said, 'Leave that to me, dearest. Go now and return here in two hours' time with a dark lantern and a dozen strips of linen suitable to de their hands and ankles. And . . . yes, a large carving knife.'
While Georgina was gone, Roger dressed, buckled on his sword, primed his pistols and put the little bottle of drug in his pocket. He had told her not to come back for two hours because, by then, there would be a better chance of Ulrich and Lisala being asleep. But he found the suspense of awaiting her return almost unbearable.
At last the door opened and she came noiselessly in, carrying the things he had asked her to bring. 'Now,' he said, 'we will go first to Lisala's room. If they are both there, it will be much more difficult to overcome them. You must threaten her with your knife, while I tackle him. And, take this; it is the bottle of drug. I assume that, as here, in both their rooms there is a carafe of water and a glass beside the bed?'
Taking the bottle, she nodded, and led the way out into the corridor. Sufficient moonlight was coming through the diamond-paned windows for them to see their way. Very quietly they walked side by side, along several passages, up a flight of stairs and into another wing of the Castle, where Lisala's room was situated. At her door they paused for a moment to still their breathing. Roger took a firm grip of the door handle, turned it slowly, then pushed gently with his knee until the door opened just sufficiently for him to see that it was dark inside.
Gently releasing the door handle, he took the dark lantern from Georgina with his left hand, and moved its slide back half an inch, so that it threw a narrow beam of light. Directing the beam towards the floor, he gave the door a harder push and tiptoed into the room. No sound came in response to his movements. For a moment he thought the room must be unoccupied, and Lisala with the Baron. Then, as he raised the lantern and swept its beam across the room, he saw that Lisala was in bed, sound asleep. Over his shoulder he whispered to Georgina: