“I didn’t mean you should wrestle them to the ground and have your way with them,” Millicent said. “Just that it’s better to have enough guys around to match the number of girls. It makes the seating arrangements easier, if nothing else.”
“Right. So we need three more guys?” Judy asked. “Hayley, have Amadeus round up some extras. Not Leo Habsburg. He’s probably too busy anyway. Make it four more guys. Let’s invite Carla Barclay too.”
“What about Suzi?” asked Millicent.
“No, she’s involved with Neil O’Connor, and I don’t want to invite him,” Judy said. “He’s a jerk.”
Fortney House, Race Track City
“So I need you to round up some of your friends,” Hayley finished her explanation.
“Moses Abrabanel?” Amadeus said, almost scandalized.
“What’s wrong with him?” Hayley asked, sounding like Amadeus had better be careful what he said. “Is it because he’s Jewish?”
Honestly, it was at least a little because Moses was Jewish. But Amadeus was a fairly socially adept young man, so he didn’t say that. Instead he said, “He’s almost thirty!”
Hayley shrugged. “I guess she likes them older.”
Amadeus considered and said he’d see what he could do. He would have to discuss it with his father, and his mother was probably going to want some sort of chaperone, especially when she found out that a Jew was going come along. So he wondered . . . Well, if he could get his brother-in-law Márton as a chaperone, he would also be one of the guys he was supposed to round up.
Eisenberg House, Vienna
Márton wasn’t thrilled with the idea but Amadeus called in a favor. And besides, Márton had several deals going with the Jewish banker. So while Amadeus talked to Julian von Meklau and Rudolf von Kesmark, Márton talked with Moses. As it happened, they discussed it with Archduke Leo, the emperor’s younger brother, in the room.
“You’re going on a picnic? Where are you going?” Leo asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe the water park out at Race Track City,” Moses said.
“And why were you invited?”
“I think the idea is that Hayley Fortney wanted company to keep Amadeus from pressing his suit too vigorously, and Moses is there as extra company,” said Márton.
“Well then, a bit more extra company will not be amiss. I’ll borrow the steamboat and we can steam up the river to the family hunting lodge.” The Habsburg family had several properties near the vicinity of Vienna. Race Track City was located on one a few miles downriver from Vienna. The one Leo was talking about was not a lot farther, but upriver, on the north side. It was a hunting lodge in the sense that the up-time Taj Mahal was a tomb, but it did have plants and animals and outdoors.
Márton didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t at all sure that the young ladies were going to be pleased to have the duke along. But then, how did you tell the brother of the emperor of Austria-Hungary that he wasn’t invited?
* * *
Julian von Meklau wanted to know, “Which one do I get?”
“You don’t get any, Julian. You ass. You’ll be lucky if you don’t get stepped on. Have you noticed that they have their own money?”
“I’ve seen it, but I haven’t taken any,” Julian said. “Father says it’s worthless.”
“That’s because your father is an idiot,” Rudolf von Kesmark told him. “The Abrabanels are taking it at face value. That means they think it’s worth more than the reich money.”
“The reich—” Julian started.
“Never mind. Take it or don’t, as you like. I know my father is taking it at face value and so is Márton.” Amadeus’ brother-in-law was a count because he had enough money to buy a county, and had. Ferdinand II, and now Ferdinand III, depended on Márton for financial acumen as well as cash. He held no official post in the government, but he was listened to.
Julian looked stubborn, but dropped the matter. Julian was not stupid but he was influenced by his parents, who were very much of a conservative nature.
“I think Judith Wendell is the prettiest,” Rudolph said, laying his claim.
Amadeus just shook his head. He was pretty sure his friends were in line for a rude awakening and he just hoped they didn’t embarrass him too much.
Fortney House, Race Track City
“This is turning into a circus,” Trudi complained. “All I wanted was a little company to keep things cool while Jack and I got to know each other.”
“It’s your own fault,” Susan said, with not much in the way of sympathy. Susan was uncomfortable about the whole thing. She had no idea what she and Moses would talk about in a social situation.