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Enough to fill the entire room!”
    “Oh, yes, many, many flowers!” Cynthia cheered.
    “Hothouse flowers,” Penelope amended.
    “Gardenias?
Violets?” Cynthia supplied.
    “Peonies,” Eugenia continued. “And after the
ceremony there would be a huge, wonderful, sumptuous breakfast.”
    “Und you should have music so wunderbar to express your love!” Herr Mueller then shuffled into the room, joining the
ladies.
    All three girls gasped and faced the door at the
sudden male presence.
    “Franz!” Cynthia squealed at the same time Eugenia
cried out, “Herr Mueller!”
    “Music?” Penelope intoned distastefully. Perhaps
the distasteful part was meant for Herr Mueller himself and not his suggestion.
“One does not have music at a wedding.”
    “Not usually, however, das may be in an arranged
marriage. But Lady Eugenia and her duke such as this, when there is a meeting
of two souls, it is not just a ceremony, it is a celebration of the heart!”
    Eugenia sensed the truth in what Franz said.
    “ Bitte , tell me of your
duke.” He directed his question at Eugenia. “Do you find him charming?
Handsome? Something more, perhaps?”
    “He is charming,” Cynthia affirmed, answering for
Eugenia. “And most handsome.”
    “Und he ist a duke, therefore his position must be very desired among the ladies, no?”
    “Of course he is desired!” Penelope’s frustration
was accompanied by the scuff of the toe of her shoe against the carpet. “He is
everything a girl should want.”
    “My admiration for Rothford does not come from his
being a duke, it is …” Eugenia did not know exactly how to phrase her regard
for him. “I must confess his appeal has nothing to do with his position or his
physical appearance … There is something about him … I’m not sure I can say.”
    Franz leaned toward her as Cynthia and Penelope
had, the trio hanging on her every word.
    “There was something about the way he held me in
his arms, the way he gazed into my eyes. It was very personal.” Eugenia could
not explain what she had experienced in any other terms.
    “You felt a connection …” Franz held his index
finger in the air, making his point. “The meeting of two souls!”
    “Yes, that’s right.” Eugenia could almost believe
that was exactly what had happened.
    Cynthia and Penelope sat mute, astonished at the
dialogue between Eugenia and Franz. Whether the two friends did not know what
to say, what to add to the conversation, or simply could not comprehend that
Eugenia and Franz had reached such a level of mutual understanding left them as
the onlookers.
    “You see.” Franz nodded, across his face passed a
very peculiar expression Eugenia could not quite identify. Then something appeared
… a smile, perhaps? “ Ahh ,” he intoned thoughtfully
and motioned his hands as if conducting an orchestra. “Und now the composition
of the duet begins.”

Chapter 4
    The next afternoon, Eugenia and Cynthia, sans
Penelope, chose to frequent the lending library. As they entered, they stopped
briefly to exchange pleasantries with several small circles of people sharing a
quiet coze . They then ordered tea and found
themselves an unoccupied table. No sooner did the tea arrive than Herr Mueller
entered.
    Summons from surrounding tables beckoned for the
talented musician to join their group without success. Eugenia was quite sure
the thought of sitting with someone else had never crossed his mind. How
delightful for him that others should value his company, unlike Lady Penelope
Coddington who could not have cared less if she ever set eyes on him again.
    As the three of them sat enjoying their tea, Franz
rambled on while Eugenia daydreamed. She stared off toward the entrance and
noticed the Duke of Rothford enter with two gentlemen. One she recognized as
Donald Hamby and she heard them refer to the other as Foster.
    Needless to say, Eugenia’s disposition improved
immensely upon seeing Rothford. Franz must have noticed too. He