Page 104 of A Tenuous Betrothal
Marc, too, would find comfort in his horse, and he hated to admit it, but he craved a moment of closeness to Rhi.
He was almost settled in the barn in a back corner when shouts, the sounds of running, and the clash of steel had him running back out the door, exhaustion forgotten, his mind cleared. He raced as fast as he could, branches scratching at his skin, tearing his clothes. He pushed through, his lungs burning.
He groaned when he arrived. Theodore had fallen, face in the dirt, a stab wound through his back. “I should have stayed. I knew I should have stayed.” He ran toward the noise, but after only a short distance, something pummeled the back of his head, and everything went black.
Servants opened the ornate double doors for Karl and Rhi and allowed entrance to a two-story room filled with books. Floor to ceiling, books lined the walls and filled standing shelves in the middle of the room. Servants were busy in all corners. People were reading at tables. The library was the most active room in the palace, as far as Rhi could tell. “This is incredible. I assume there’s a strong value in conserving information here in Oldenburg.”
“We all believe that only through reading, studying our past, and preparing for the future will we be of any use to the world,” Karl said.
“I feel as though I’ve entered Utopia.” Her heart ached at the thought that Marc was not there to share this with her, but she tried to enjoy the moment anyway. She smiled. “This is all too good. I’m going to wake up one morning, and it will all be gone. You will all be ogres, and I won’t be able to return to this lovely life.”
Karl lifted her hand to his lips. “That will not happen.” His eyes were sincere, his smile warm. “Now, tell me what you like to read, and I will get us started in the right direction.”
“I might never leave.”
He laughed, but she was not joking.
“Then I would always know where to find you,” he said.
“True.”
Frederick entered at that moment with two others, the three huddled together in serious conversation. Then the men were sent off again with a sheaf of papers from one of the shelves.
Karl clicked his tongue. “This room is also used as a depository for maps and current government laws and correspondence with allies and enemies.” He indicated Frederick, who now approached them.
Karl’s smile was tight, although it was obvious he made an attempt to be jovial. “Have you come to relax in a chair with your favorite novel?” he joked.
Frederick looked anything but relaxed. “We’ve had news.” He indicated that they should move to a smaller alcove in the room.
Rhi clutched the folds of her dress. Marc. It had to be news of Marc.
As soon as they were far enough away from other ears, Frederick turned kind eyes to Rhi. “You may as well be in on all the details. I see no reason to behave as if you are not already family.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
He reached a hand out to touch her arm. It was a small gesture but sent some measure of reassurance through her. “Marc has disappeared from all known agents.”
She went completely still.
“There was a skirmish, a small attack in Vienna while the ambassador for Prussia was there. Two agents died. Marc was not one of them.”
A trickle of air left Rhi’s mouth. There had to be more information, something, any clue to go on.
But Frederick had stopped talking.
“That’s it?”
He opened his mouth, looked around again, and then stepped closer. “We suspect the attackers were not after the Prussian ambassador at all, but Marc.”
She pressed her lips together.
“He has, for many months, been tracking down and attempting to infiltrate a group actively trying to free Napoleon from his exile.”
She nodded.
“Of late, they have even found their way into our palace.” Frederick nodded to Rhi, who recognized with dread that her own intruder had been after Marc, just as she’d suspected.
“And do we know their whereabouts?” Karl asked. “Their plans? What they would likely have needed with Marc?” He stepped closer to Rhi, just enough so that his arm was there to lean on.
