Excerpt: The Count's Lair

Chapter One

Vienna
Austria-Hungary
1901

Her swift fingers rushed over the keyboard like a flood of water tumbling over a dam. Heart pounding. Angst. Troubled. Her brow wrinkled. Her body tensed, coiled, ready to pounce. With one final rush, the passionate notes of Beethoven’s Sonta Pathetique filled the concert hall. Amelia hung her head, fighting for breath. She was drained, numb from the gut-wrenching release of emotion.

The concert hall filled with thunderous applause. Amelia hung her head for an extra second, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. The accolades, the applause, the approval was all for her – yet it still felt hollow.

She stood up and walked away from the piano bench, waving at the crowd. She let a small, sly smile escape from her lips. How she touched the crowd with her music. If only she could reach her own heart.

Her friends, Katherine and Matthias Duma, as well as Angela and Fredrick von Gelding sat directly in the front, clapping enthusiastically. She smiled at them, basking in their friendship.

A faint, yet familiar scent caught her nose. Mulberry and spice. Her heart skipped a beat, as if taking its first breaths from a long slumber. Her eyes darted toward the last seat in the front row near the side exit, close to the stage steps. Sapphire-indigo eyes looked up at her with pride.

Count Varga! Dare she hope it was him? Despite her anger at him? She hadn’t seen him in two months. She turned to give one final wave to the audience and when she looked back in his direction, he was gone. Her heart slowed with disappointment. Anton had been there when she got the news that her husband had died. His support in those early days had gotten her through the hard times, and then he just disappeared. His sudden absence left an ache she hadn’t expected. She didn’t know whether to be angry or happy at his disappearance for the longest time. She still wasn’t settled. Just now she was thrilled to see him, but that happiness was tempered by her disapproval with him for staying away so long.

Her manager, Stefan Tazur, approached. He was an older man, dressed in a tuxedo. He leaned close. “Lady Andrássy, we should leave for the reception.”

“Can you give me a couple of minutes in my dressing room to freshen up?”

“Yes, of course.”

Amelia curtsied to the audience who was now giving her a standing ovation. She waved and smiled one last time before turning around and walking off the stage.
Stale air stung her cheeks as she stepped into the back hall. What a hectic two months. Just when she was rediscovering her love for the piano, she found out her husband, Archduke Mikel Andrássy, was having an affair. Two days later he was killed in a train crash on his way to Vienna from Budapest. Amelia inherited the bulk of his estate, but it did nothing to heal the betrayal in her heart. If anything, it had left a hole that threatened not to heal.

She pursed her lips, recalling that awful day. She was talking to Kate Duma in Kate’s book store. Anton Varga was present. Amelia was still reeling from her husband confessing his affair. Then his lawyer walked in and announced his death. Amelia fainted. Anton caught her.

Anton. Thoughts of him had haunted her like how the moon haunted the night sky. It was always present, always reminding the stars of its dominance. She could still feel Anton’s arms around her – strong. Hard. Gentle.

Anton was tall, olive-skinned with thick ebony hair, neatly trimmed, chiseled cheekbones and a straight, noble nose. In fact, everything about him was neat and precise. He had the most unusual eyes she’d ever seen in a man – sapphire blue. At times, they were so deeply shaded they bordered on amethyst. His irises were also surrounded by a gold ring that almost glowed in the dark. Some might find eyes eerie or devilish, but Amelia was drawn to them – and him, despite her misgivings.
Anton’s right temple was marked with a thin, yet pronounced scar, but he never had told her how he had received it. Interestingly, Kate’s husband, Matthias, had a similar scar.

Anton exuded an animal-like grace she’d never seen before. His strong physique embodied his male virility. He’d been such a good friend to her when her husband died, that his sudden disappearance was unsettling to her emotional fragility. She went on a concert tour to build up her strength and stamina, and it had, but she had more to do.

They stopped in front of the dressing room door.

“I’ll have Rolf bring the auto around,” said Mr. Tazur.

“I’ll be ready shortly.”

He smiled at her. “Your technique was flawless tonight, Lady Andrássy.”

“Thank you.”

He nodded his head and departed.

Amelia went inside. The room was cast in obsidian shadows by a single candle that was burning on her dressing room table. The air was laced in mulberries. She grew warm. Her heart beat faster. “Anton?” she whispered.

He stepped out of the darkness behind her, placing his hands on her upper arms, pressing his chest against her back. His lips brushed against her ear, sending a shock wave through her. “You look wonderful tonight, Amelia.”

She dared to close her eyes and enjoyed his embrace. “Anton.”

“Yes, it’s me.”

Warm feelings of longing stirred, only to be quickly doused with the sting of anger at his sudden departure. She stepped out of their embrace and spun around to glare at him. “How dare you.”

He backed away, confusion pooling in those murky eyes of his. “I thought—”

“You thought what?”

“You wanted to see me.”

“It’s been two months since I last saw you and you didn’t even try to seek me out. I had no idea if you were dead, alive, or just too busy with your life to think of me.”

His expression softened. “I’m sorry. I had hoped to avoid the look in your cool eyes just now.”

She let out a quick breath, exasperated. “You’re infuriating.”

“So I’ve been told.”

She crossed her arms, keeping her defenses up. He had a lot to explain. The candlelight cast dark almost satyr-like shadows over his chiseled face. If his explanation made sense, she’d will her heart to believe him. “So, Anton, how do explain your absence? I thought I’d found a friend.”

He drew in a deep breath, pausing. His eyes grew translucent. “I am sorry. I had a lot to think about. I thought you would understand. I wanted to give you time to mourn your husband properly.”

“I see.”

“I also wanted to clear my head.”

She raised a curious eyebrow. “I don’t understand. Wait – regarding Kate?”

He sighed. “Yes. Katherine Duma has a kind heart and I confused her kindness for something more when I shouldn’t have. When I realized how hurtful my actions were, I apologized to her and took some time to myself.”

She softened. He had indeed been intrigued by Amelia’s friend. He sought Katherine out at every opportunity he had.

“When did you know you were wrong about Kate?” Amelia asked.

“When you fainted in the book store and I caught you. I saw the loneliness and betrayal that you felt in your eyes. I’ve lived with that same loneliness. I’ve known the same pain when a person close to you who is supposed to love you betrays you. I saw you in a different light and I began to question myself, my actions, my motives, and I found myself lacking.”

Amelia’s lips trembled, moved by the sincerity in his voice. “Oh, Anton—”

He held up a hand. “I went away to sort out what I’d done. My actions toward Katherine were inexcusable and I needed to reconcile her forgiveness with how I’d acted. I was also confused by our friendship, and when I came back to you, I wanted to be as complete as I could be because…” his voice faltered.

She took a step toward him, his angular features softening in the candlelight. “Because, why?”

“Because I knew I would seek you out. I want to get to know you better and I wanted no other emotions interfering with that.”

Amelia hesitated. Anton had offered quiet support right after Mikel’s death. His actions had been honest, his advice sincere. His departure almost created a hole in her as big as her husband’s death.

She didn’t want to think about Mikel right now. She hated feeling so guilty over his death – an uncomfortable feeling to say the least since she wasn’t the one who had betrayed her marriage vows.

He cocked his head. His eyes grew bluer. “Amelia, have you mourned him?”

“Mikel?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve put him behind me,” she said.

“Have you?”

“I haven’t thought of him as much as I’ve thought of you. Why are you asking?” she quietly admitted.

He stepped into her personal space. “The spark that passed between us that day in the book store won’t die, Amelia. I don’t want to be separated from you any longer. I can’t explain the feeling only to say I can’t fight it anymore. I want to be near you. I want to see you smile again.”

She drew in a quick breath, her heart and mind at war. Could he be trusted?
“Let me escort you to the reception tonight.”

“Why tonight, Anton? Why did you seek me out tonight?”

“I had business in Vienna and I heard about your concert here. It was the perfect time to see you again.”

She nodded her head, accepting his words.

There was a knock on the door. “Lady Andrássy? Are you ready?”

“Just one more minute.”

Anton stepped away from her. She turned on the light, splashed water on her face and ran a brush through her hair. Anton said nothing, but she saw how he admired her in the mirror’s reflection and she shivered from the anticipation of spending the rest of the evening with him.