1914

By Carole McEntee-Taylor

1914 is the second book in the Secret Lives series set in England and Europe before and through the Great War.

England
Frances marriage is everything she thought it would be, a situation made worse when it appears her brother is blissfully happy. But Thomas’ marriage is not what it seems and wife Henrietta’s way of dealing with it is to find someone else. Unfortunately he too has a secret, one that will lead to danger.

Austria
Max has faded into the background and Rosa can’t wait to marry Ludwig. But will his father’s interference ruin everything?

Germany
Despite moving to Germany with Adolf and finding happiness with Stefi, Rosa is never far from Max’s mind. Should he go back and find out the truth?
Italy
Lucrecia has discovered a new talent, one that leads to a whole new life. But is she making another terrible mistake?

All books contains adult content

• Language: English
• Publisher: Carole McEntee-Taylor
• Release date: Feb 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005682736

Carole McEntee-Taylor

I write military history, historical fiction and memoirs and sometimes a mixture of all three. I am also a ghost writer of novels and memoirs.My non fiction, published by by Pen and Sword Books Ltd, include Herbert Columbine VC, Surviving the Nazi Onslaught, A Battle Too Far, Military Detention Colchester from 1947, The Battle of Bellewaarde June 1915, From Colonial Warrior to Western Front Flyer, The History of Coalhouse Fort and A History of Women’s Lives in Scunthorpe.I have also written a biography of John Doubleday to be included in his book: The Work and published The Weekend Trippers and My War and Peace myself. I am always on the look out for new military memoirs to publish. If you would like to know more please visit my website.My spiritual books are The Re-Enlightenment and The Holiday From Hell.My fiction includeSecrets ( a book of six short stories)Lives Apart: A WW2 Chronicle - a five book series inspired by the true story of my in-laws.Obsession - a five book series inspired by the true story of the missing POWs at the end of WW2.Betrayed - a stand alone murder mystery set in WW2 Germany and Palestine.Secret Lives - a six book series set before and during WW1.A One Way Ticket - a four book series inspired by the true story of Bill Young through WW2 and beyond.

Book preview

Chapter 1

January

Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire

Ada sat on the hard wooden bench and stared at the cold whitewashed walls of her cell. The shock that she had been arrested for the murders on the docks had still not worn off and she kept praying that she would wake up and find it was all a bad dream. She was due to appear in court soon and then… Ada shuddered and closed her eyes. She was innocent but somehow she didn’t have much faith that the court would believe her. She let out a long sigh and turned her thoughts to Florrie and Nell. They were due to meet in the café in a few days’ time but there was no way of contacting Nell from her prison cell, and she didn’t want to draw attention to Florrie by writing to her, so she had done nothing. Ada wondered what her friends would think when she didn’t turn up. Her heart sank. They might think she’d been arrested for the Manchester bombing, but it was more likely they would think she had lost interest. She stood up and began pacing up and down the small cell. If only she could give the police a reliable alibi… but she couldn’t. She had no idea who she’d been servicing when the murders had happened and unfortunately, she’d been with the last victim moments before he was killed. She could understand why the police thought she was guilty, but she wasn’t, and she didn’t want to hang for something she hadn’t done. She didn’t want to hang at all. There had to be some way of proving her innocence…

*******

Pemberton Estate, West Riding of Yorkshire

Eddie stared out across the frozen fields, his thoughts on the events of the previous year. Although he’d been determined to forget all about the debacle with Grace, it was hard not to think about her occasionally, especially since she’d given birth to a son called Gabriel. He was the true heir to the Pemberton Estate, regardless of the fact Eddie was trying his best to get Frances pregnant, with the express intention of producing an ‘heir’. If anyone found out what Eddie had done, there would be hell to pay, especially if Frances should produce a boy as well. Still, as far as his foolish first marriage was concerned, he’d covered his tracks quite well, so there was no real reason for the truth to emerge, certainly not in his lifetime anyway. If his mother, who managed the accounts of the estate, hadn’t noticed anything amiss, he was probably safe, so perhaps he should stop worrying and enjoy himself instead.

Eddie smiled. Frances had proved to be more interesting in bed than he had anticipated, and he’d quite enjoyed educating her. He’d not expected her to join in with such enthusiasm, so he’d briefly put his plans on hold to take revenge on Luigi and Giuseppe Bianchi, by making their sister Concetta pregnant. But his wife’s passion was now beginning to bore him so he had sent Concetta a note a few days earlier, telling her to come outside the kitchen and look for him at noon every day. He hadn’t bothered to put in an appearance yet, but perhaps he ought to. After all it wouldn’t do for her to take it upon herself to go and find another young man……not until Eddie had finished with her, anyway. He had hoped Frances would become pregnant before boredom set in, but that didn’t seem to have happened and he needed some excitement. The memory of Concetta’s innocence was appealing, especially as he knew how furious her brothers would be that he was bedding her. That in itself was enough to add an extra frisson to the sex. He smiled. It had been a long time since he’d made love to Concetta and he wondered if she’d missed him and whether she’d been keeping their daily rendezvous, even if he hadn’t. Perhaps it was time to find out.

*******

Milan, Italy

Tadeas sat quietly at the back of the cathedral, closed his eyes and listened to the choir singing Ave Maria. He didn’t have to concentrate too hard to identify Lucrecia’s dulcet tones amongst the others. Her voice had matured even more since the birth of her daughter, and he was going to arrange for her to have some private lessons with his old coach. He hadn’t told her yet; it was a surprise, but he couldn’t wait to see her face. Tadeas sighed. Lucrecia was so beautiful and strong; not many women would have survived the terrible year she’d had after the rape and the accident where her attacker had fallen off the cliff. Her father and brother had ensured that she’d escaped any censure by bringing her to Milan, and Lucrecia had been like a breath of fresh air in his life. He’d been so happy until Fiorella had ruined everything. Tadeas still shuddered when he remembered what had happened between them, even though he’d subsequently found out the reasons for her actions. Unfortunately, because she was living with Lucrecia, Antonio and her father, Tadeas saw her regularly and, although the atmosphere had been very strained between them, it was gradually improving. The only fly in the ointment, other than his unrequited love for Lucrecia, was her brother, Antonio. Tadeas knew Antonio didn’t like him, but he had no idea why. Paulo, Lucrecia’s father, thought it was something to do with Antonio’s job and his friendship with Mussolini, the editor of a controversial newspaper called Avanti, but Tadeas thought it went deeper than that. He was convinced Antonio was jealous of his friendship with Lucrecia, although he couldn’t work out the reason. Tadeas sighed. If it wasn’t for Antonio, he would be able to relax, but he couldn’t. He was much too worried Antonio would discover his dreadful secret.

*******

Pemberton Estate, West Riding of Yorkshire

Outside the large country house the snow was falling gently, settling on the extensive grounds and decorating the bare trees with white blossom. Frances and Lettie were seated at the table by the window, reading through the latest newspapers. Thanks to the covering of snow on the window sills, which prevented the cold wind seeping into the room through the cracks between the window frames and the wall, the drawing room was warm and cosy. Lettie took a large sip of her tea, turned over the page and nearly dropped her cup. She stared at the newspaper in disbelief, her heart thudding wildly. Staring back at her was a blurred picture of Ada under the heading ‘Murderer in Court!’ She glanced at Frances but to her relief her friend was concentrating on her own paper, so Lettie quickly scanned the article before sitting back in horror. She needed some fresh air. ‘I’m just going for a walk,’ she muttered.

Frances stared at her friend in surprise. ‘It’s freezing out there and it’s snowing.’

Lettie forced a smile. ‘It will do me good.’ She hurried from the room before Frances could say anything, her heart still racing. Having escaped the police following her release from prison under the notorious Cat and Mouse Act, Lettie had vowed never to be caught again. She had blackmailed Frances into hiding her and was now her friend’s companion, living with her on the Pemberton Estate. But she’d been unable to leave the Suffragette movement behind, so instead of risking her own life, she had found two women in Hull, Ada and Florrie, who were as enthusiastic as her and had provided them with a plan and the means to carry out the bombing of the Cactus House in Manchester. But now Ada had been arrested for murder and Lettie was terrified that the woman might lead the police to her. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. She had always been very careful and had worn a disguise when she’d met them and she hadn’t given them her real name, so there was nothing to connect her with either woman… at least she hoped not.

She strode through the snow towards the frozen lake, her mind racing. She was supposed to be meeting Ada and Florrie the very next day. What should she do?

*******

London

Thomas glanced at his reflection in the mirror and sighed. He needed to have a couple of early nights. His skin was sallow, his eyes tinged yellow and he looked several years older than he was. If he wasn’t careful, Sebastian would find someone else. Unfortunately, an early night meant spending time with Henrietta, the woman he’d been forced to marry after his father had caught him and Sebastian in a compromising position. Fortunately, when they’d married, she was already pregnant with his brother-in-law’s child, so that was a good excuse not to go near her, but he was dreading the birth in a couple of months. Once she’d had the baby, he would have to find a good reason not to share her bed, and at the moment he couldn’t think of one, except the truth of course, and he could never tell her that.

Henrietta lay in bed in her own room and thought about her marriage, or what passed for marriage with Thomas. She couldn’t understand why her husband had made no move to consummate their union. At first she’d thought it was because she was pregnant, but now she wasn’t so sure. Thomas never came near her, not even to give her a cuddle and he was out every night. She thought back to the evening, not long before Christmas when she’d begun following him in the fog. But instead of finding out what he was up to, she’d bumped into an old friend, Charles Brody, and they had returned to the house for a drink instead. As she remembered the evening, her face flushed and she smiled. Spending a few hours with Charles had reminded her of her life before she’d become pregnant when everything had changed. She sighed and her thoughts returned to Thomas. Perhaps she should try following him again? At least then she would know where he was spending his nights.

*******

Pemberton Estate, West Riding of Yorkshire

‘I’ve decided to go and live with my sister in London.’ Margaret walked into the drawing room, sat down on one of the beautiful ornate chairs opposite Frances and smiled at her.

‘Goodness…’ Frances’ mouth dropped open in shock and she stared at Margaret for several seconds, unable to think of anything to say, before eventually coming to her senses. ‘It’s not because of me, is it?’ She wasn’t aware of anything she’d done to make her formidable mother-in-law feel uncomfortable. In fact, the thought that she could influence Margaret in any way almost made her laugh. She’d been dreading marrying Eddie and moving into the house, with Margaret watching her every move, but to her surprise they had become quite close. Frances had soon realised that her mother-in-law ran the house and the estate and that Eddie, like his father before him, did very little. To her delight, Margaret had begun showing her how to manage the house and estate almost immediately after she’d arrived back from the honeymoon.

Margaret shook her head, a wry smile on her face. ‘No, Frances. I just feel it’s time to let you and Eddie live your own lives, and you can’t do that with me living under the same roof. I was intending to stay here, to keep an eye on things, but I’ve realised that there is no need. You are an intelligent woman, a very quick learner and perfectly capable of managing the house and estate. But you can’t do that if I’m here too, because the servants keep deferring to me every time you ask them to do anything.’

Frances grinned. ‘I don’t mind. You’re much better at organising everything than I am.’

Margaret sighed. ‘But don’t you see, Frances? You won’t ever have any real authority with the servants or estate workers if I remain here.’

‘I would hate you to leave because of me.’ Frances realised it was true. Much to her surprise, she had grown to like Margaret. She forced a smile. ‘Have you told Eddie yet?’

‘Yes. I wanted to tell him first… You don’t mind?’

‘Of course not. You do know you’ll be welcome any time?’

Margaret laughed. ‘I’ll be a regular visitor, I promise, but you need to get used to being in charge, not only of the house but the estate as well. As I’m sure you’ve realised, Eddie is not the greatest manager… with money or people. He’ll need you to be strong.’

Frances nodded, although she felt a little overwhelmed. Margaret saw the uncertainty in her face and gave her a reassuring smile. ‘I’ve taught you everything you need to know for the moment and I wouldn’t leave you if I didn’t think you were capable. The estate pretty much runs itself, as does the house, so you’ll have ample time to get to grips with it all. Then you can start to make changes as and when you think necessary.’

She could see Frances was still looking worried and she reached out and patted her on her shoulder. ‘You’ve got a good brain on you, Frances, and I’m sure you’ll be happy to use it… or am I wrong?’

Frances shook her head. Although she’d pretended that she didn’t mind the servants double checking everything with Margaret before carrying out her instructions, she did find it frustrating. It would be lovely to take charge. ‘No, you’re right. I’ve learnt so much from you and, although there is a lot more to learn, I feel confident that I can soon pick up everything I need to know. Knowing I’m responsible for everything will be wonderful, once I get used to the idea. Thank you.’

‘Good.’ Margaret stood up. ‘I’m off this evening, so I’ll go and supervise my packing, and remember, I’m at the end of the telephone if you want to ask anything.’ She walked out of the room, leaving Frances staring after her in astonishment, but also feeling a tinge of excitement.

Chapter 2

Hounslow Barracks, West London

Luigi, now living under the assumed name of Lucas White, finished saddling the stallion and prepared for some more training. Having run away from the police, who thought he had shot Lord Bertram Hemsworth, he was progressing well in the 19th Hussars or ‘Lilywhites’ as they were known, because of their white busby bags and plumes. He’d been selected to be trained on machine guns which he thoroughly enjoyed, he got on well with most of the other men and was enjoying the camaraderie and social life. Despite his new life Luigi hadn’t forgotten the events that had led him to change his whole life. He still hated Lord Hemsworth for forcing himself on Agatha and making her pregnant and he was glad he had sent him a threatening note, telling him he would pay for his actions. But as much as he wished he had taken revenge Luigi wasn’t guilty of killing him, someone had beaten him to it. Unfortunately, Jenny, one of the parlour maids, had found the note he had written and kept it. After Lord Hemsworth had been shot she had given the piece of paper to the police. Once the police had decided Luigi was the person they were looking for, he had been left with no option but to leave, or risk being arrested, charged and tried, and if he was found guilty he would face a hangman’s noose. Luigi missed his family but he knew he was safer where he was.

*******

Munich, Germany

Max woke slowly. His mouth tasted of stale alcohol and something else. He smiled to himself as he recognised the taste of the first woman he’d had anything to do with since Rosa, and he realised that, for the first time in ages, his waking thought wasn’t about how much he missed her. Still, he hadn’t completely given up on her and, once he’d sold a few more paintings, he intended to go back to Vienna to see her and find out why their relationship had ended so abruptly. After her father had tried to buy him off, Max had been sure that Rosa would come and find him, but she hadn’t, and eventually he’d come to the conclusion that she’d never really loved him and had just been toying with his affections. When his friend, Adolf Hitler, had suggested they leave Vienna and go to Germany, mainly to avoid being drafted into the army, but also to make a fresh start, Max hadn’t needed much persuading. Once in Munich, he had taken Adolf’s advice, concentrated on painting and then, all of a sudden, he had found a patron, sold most of the portraits he’d done of Rosa and now he was finally making real money.

Max could hear someone snoring gently next to him and he opened his eyes slowly. The room spun around for several seconds and he felt sick and dizzy before everything finally settled down. He eased himself carefully up on his elbow and glanced down at his companion. Even in the harsh light of day, with her mouth open and gentle snores emanating from a small snub nose, she was attractive. Her long dark hair was spread out on the pillow and he smiled again as the events of the previous evening flooded back to him. She had come to the exhibition of his paintings in the gallery and, after buying one, she’d invited him for a drink in the local tavern. Intrigued by a woman who obviously didn’t care about convention, Max had agreed. Although he still intended to go back to Vienna and challenge Rosa about the manner in which their relationship had ended, he was fed up being celibate and there was something about the way the woman had leaned close to him when she spoke that had promised more than a drink. She was older than him, but he didn’t mind, if anything it was rather exciting. He smiled. Judging by how easily she’d succumbed to his seduction the age difference didn’t bother her either.

Max frowned and tried to remember her name. Trude? No, that was the pretty waitress in the Beerkeller… Joli? No, that was one of his friend’s girlfriends… Stefi! He was sure that was it. He thought for a moment then nodded and wished he hadn’t, as everything spun again and his head started pounding. Yes, Stefi Wegner. He relaxed and lay back down. He didn’t have anywhere to be this morning, so he might as well go back to sleep. He closed his eyes, turned on his side and put his arm around her. Her body was warm and comfortable. He moved closer and began running his fingers gently up and down her side. Stefi moaned and opened her eyes. She twisted around, looked into his eyes and smiled.

‘Good morning, Max.’ She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his before sitting up. ‘I need the toilet.’

‘Do you remember where the bathroom is?’

Stefi laughed. ‘Yes I do… I won’t be long.’

Max watched her climb out of bed, reach for his dressing gown and wrap it around her naked body. He lay back and smiled in anticipation as his body rose to the occasion.

*******

Pemberton Estate, West Riding of Yorkshire

John Tanner finished watering the orchids in the heated greenhouse and thought back to the events of the previous year. He loved his new job but he wished he had acquired it in a different way. Just remembering how the honourable Eddie had raped his sister Claire, and then, after John had attacked him, blackmailed him into keeping quiet, made him feel sick. He often wondered what had happened to the woman whose house he’d smashed up. If she really was married to His Lordship – and the photographs he’d seen there pointed to that being true – then Lady Hemsworth wasn’t legally married to Lord Hemsworth. He sighed. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about that. It was unlikely anyone would believe him, any more than if his sister had gone to the police and complained that the current Lord Hemsworth had raped her. He clenched his fists. If he’d known the bastard had made Claire pregnant, he would never have accepted the job, but by the time he had found out, it was too late.

For once, his parents had not disappointed him. Instead of disowning his sister, they had accepted the baby and told Claire to forget all about the circumstances behind her birth. John snorted. Easy for them to say. He couldn’t forget, even though he’d tried. He glanced around the greenhouse and sighed. Unfortunately, he did love his job and, until he had more skills, he wouldn’t be able to find work elsewhere.

There was also another reason he didn’t want to leave. He smiled… her name was Concetta.

*******

Falmouth, Cornwall

Grace smiled down at Gabe and, for a brief moment, wished his father could see him then her heart hardened. Eddie had abandoned her in Cornwall and she’d heard nothing from him since the day he’d brought her here. He was providing for her but she was fed up pretending he was dead. Now Gabe was older, she was forever having to fend off the unwanted attentions of men, who either thought she would make good wife material, especially as she had her own income, or who thought she was lonely, so wouldn’t mind the odd dalliance with a married man. Grace shuddered. She had no intention of getting involved with any men and she certainly couldn’t marry anyone, because she didn’t know if Eddie was alive or dead. In any case, she was beginning to enjoy being a single woman. She had enough money to live on, she didn’t have to rely on anyone, she had a good friend, Julia Wallis, and she could do more or less what she liked. When Grace thought about her life she realised this was the most freedom she’d ever had and she certainly wasn’t in any hurry to give it up.

*******

Milan, Italy

Antonio finished his coffee and watched Fiorella helping Lucrecia with his niece. Despite his attempts to keep his distance from Anastasia, he had slowly fallen under her spell. She was a good baby, rarely crying, and he was sure she had smiled at him the previous day, even though Fiorella and Lucrecia had both laughed and said it was only wind. He frowned. He was no closer to finding out what Tadeas and Fiorella were hiding. There was no intimacy between them that he could see; if anything they seemed almost awkward in each other’s presence. He was sure his suspicions about the priest were correct though. Tadeas might have fooled his father and sister, but he’d seen how Tadeas gazed at Lucrecia when he thought no one was looking. Paulo might think there was nothing to worry about, but Antonio was sure his father was wrong and he intended to prove it.

*******

Vienna, Austria-Hungary

Rosa watched as Johannes walked down the road to the station. The weather had finally turned, and on the seventh of January an angry blizzard of thick snow had blanketed the streets, followed by days of icy cold winds. With the arrival of winter, another fifty-two people had killed themselves, adding to her deepening depression. Rosa shivered. It was freezing, her breath producing clouds of vapour in the cold air.

‘He’ll be back soon, Rosa.’ Ludwig squeezed her arm.

Rosa nodded and tried to push her concerns out of her mind. She hadn’t thought she would ever feel worse than she had after Max had disappeared without a word during the party to celebrate her acceptance by the Conservatoire. When her father had told her that he’d offered Max money to leave her and then, when that hadn’t worked, a patron for his art, Rosa had finally realised that Max must have known this would happen and had only insisted on meeting her parents so they would offer to pay him off. Her self-esteem had been dented considerably, but her music had saved her and then she’d met Ludwig and she’d gradually forgotten Max.

But since the incident before Christmas, when she’d had her bag stolen, her confidence had dropped again and she struggled to go out alone. It wasn’t just that though. She seemed to be full of anxieties and worries that had never been there before. The world, which had always been a sunny place, suddenly seemed to be dark and full of hidden dangers. It wasn’t just her bag, it was the whispered anti-Semitic words that had really done the damage. She was now convinced everyone was staring at her, that they knew she was Jewish and they hated her because of it. She’d even begun to think that her religion was the reason why Max had treated her so badly. Rosa sighed. When Ludwig had asked her to attend the Zionist Conference the previous year, she had thought he was mad but now she wasn’t so sure. Maybe he was right after all. Perhaps they should have somewhere to go where no one despised them because of their beliefs.

Ludwig watched Rosa with concern and wondered what he could do to cheer her up. He hated seeing her unhappy and he wasn’t entirely sure it was just to do with Johannes returning to his regiment, or the news that conscription was to be increased as a response to the apparent strengthening of the Serbian-Russian alliance against Austria. She hadn’t been herself since before Christmas. Perhaps they should bring the wedding forward? He sighed. No, they couldn’t do that because people would think Rosa was with child and Hersch and Katherina would be horrified. ‘Come on, let’s go and get some hot chocolate.’

Rosa made an effort to push her gloomy thoughts away and forced herself to smile. ‘That’s a very good idea.’ She turned quickly back towards the house. Any excuse to get back indoors to safety.

Chapter 3

Pemberton Estate, West Riding of Yorkshire

Frances was still thinking about Lettie’s abrupt departure and Margaret’s surprising news while she watched Eddie put on his coat. She sighed. What was the matter with everyone today? It was freezing cold outside, the snow several inches thick, and yet both Lettie and Eddie couldn’t wait to go out. And her mother-in-law was moving to London. A wry smile crossed her face. The only thing they all had in common was her. As they couldn’t wait to get away from her, perhaps there was something she should know…

‘Would you like me to come with you?’ An expression of irritation spread across Eddie’s face that was gone almost as soon as it had appeared. He was still furious that his mother had just handed management of the estate over to Frances without any consultation. When she had told him his first reaction had been to object, but then he’d given it a little more thought and realised it could possibly be to his advantage after all. Running the estate himself would take up far too much time and there was very little chance of the inexperienced Frances finding something in the accounts to link him to Grace. In the meantime, while she was busy, he would be free to amuse himself. Just thinking about Concetta made his body react. He could feel himself growing hard and he squirmed uncomfortably. ‘It’s a little cold, Frances. I’m only going for a walk around the estate because I have to. Why don’t you stay here in the warm? Perhaps you should take the opportunity to go through the books again, just in case there’s anything you’re not sure of, then you can ask mother before she leaves.’

He strode towards the door and was gone before she had a chance to argue. Frances sighed and glanced back down at the newspaper. She couldn’t really care less about Eddie or what he was doing. Her initial enjoyment of their sexual activity had begun to pall quite quickly once she’d realised that Eddie was only interested in pleasing himself. At the beginning, he’d been attentive and even considerate, but now, just a few weeks into their marriage, the moment after he’d climaxed he rolled over and went to sleep, leaving her frustrated. She sighed and wondered if this was what her future held, nights of disappointment and restlessness, just like the last few. On reflection, reading through the accounts, seemed positively enthralling…

For a moment, her thoughts turned to Lettie. Her friend had been fine until she’d read the paper. What on earth could have made Lettie turn pale and suddenly decide she needed fresh air? Frances been about to follow her, but then Margaret had appeared, closely followed by Eddie and the moment had been lost. But now he’d gone out, Frances’ curiosity was aroused again. Lettie had promised not to get involved in the Suffragette movement, but Frances couldn’t think of anything else that would have produced such a reaction from her friend, other than something about the movement. But she couldn’t see anything in the paper; for once the Suffragettes hadn’t been mentioned in the news, so what was going on?

*******

Munich, Germany

Stefi had only just climbed back into bed when the sound of loud voices broke out. Max sat up and strained his ears. It sounded like it was coming from the third floor, just above. He frowned. That was Adolf’s voice… Max leapt out of bed, and pulled on his trousers and shirt quickly, before hurrying out of the door. He took the stairs two at a time and came to an abrupt halt at the top. In front of Adolf’s door was a tall burly man who turned towards him and introduced himself as Detective Herle, before returning his attention to Adolf.

‘What’s going on?’ Max aimed his question at the detective but it was Adolf who answered.

‘I’m being arrested for violating the military service regulations of an allied state.’ Adolf spat the words out, his face contorted with fury. He handed Max the summons, which stated he had to report to 30 Kaiserin Elizabeth Quay in Linz on the 20th of January, or face prosecution.

‘Where are you taking him?’ Max wasn’t sure it was wise to interfere and draw attention to himself, but he couldn’t stand back and do nothing.

‘The police station.’ The detective pushed past, dragging a reluctant Adolf behind him, and disappeared down the stairs. Max watched them in shock, then regained his wits. He rushed down to his room and began dressing properly. Stefi sat up and watched him in confusion.

‘What’s happened? Where are you going?’

‘I don’t have time to explain now… Can I meet you later at the gallery? I’ll explain then.’ Max finished throwing his clothes on, grabbed his hat and coat, leaned over the bed and kissed her on the forehead. Stefi reached up, put her arms around him and began to kiss him goodbye properly. The sheet slipped down revealing her breasts. He could see her nipples hardening and he groaned. He wanted nothing more than to climb back into bed, but he couldn’t desert his friend now. Ignoring the discomfort in his trousers, he sighed and forced himself to pull away. ‘I have to go. Let yourself out. I’ll see you later…’

*******

Pemberton Estate, West Riding of Yorkshire

Giuseppe finished feeding the horses and stroked the nose of the stallion nearest him. Christmas had been quiet without Luigi and with Concetta preoccupied. He frowned. He was sure Concetta was hiding something. A couple of times he’d caught her smiling to herself for no apparent reason. Maybe she had a boyfriend? Giuseppe thought hard for several moments. He’d seen the footman, Len, watching her. Perhaps it was him? He sighed. He hoped not because Len was more or less spoken for. He’d been keeping company with the parlour maid, Jenny, for several months and Jenny would not be pleased if she thought he had eyes for Concetta. On the other hand, Giuseppe found it hard to feel too much sympathy for Jenny. He blamed her for Luigi having to run away. If she hadn’t found the note and given it to the police, they might not have turned their attention to his brother.

‘And we still don’t know who killed His Lordship do we, boy?’ He spoke softly to the horse before giving him one final pat and walking away. The police were so sure Luigi was responsible, they weren’t looking for anyone else, which meant Luigi would never be able to return home permanently, even once he left the army. He wouldn’t be able to come home on leave either… unless… Giuseppe shook his head in disbelief. Why hadn’t he thought about it before? If he could find out who had really shot Lord Hemsworth, Luigi would be exonerated and then he would be free to come back. His heart quickened and, for the first time in ages, he started to feel more positive. It wouldn’t be easy to discover the murderer, but he wasn’t a policeman, so people would be less on their guard and more likely to talk, and maybe let things slip. Of course, it might not be a local person but Giuseppe felt sure it was. No strangers had been seen in the area that day, or for the previous days, and the killer had disappeared without any difficulty, which indicated at least