They Were Divided - Miklos Banffy [171]
The vault was locked, but Balint had had no intention of going in. He only wanted to go as far as the door so as, symbolically, to tell Countess Roza that the Christmas Eve ceremony had been held and that he had done it, and always would do it, exactly as she had. He remained there only for a minute or two. Then he said a silent prayer and walked back up to the castle.
Time went slowly by. Adrienne came back from Lausanne rather later than she had planned because little Clemmie had had some recurrent bouts of fever and Adrienne had not wanted to leave until the girl had been thoroughly checked by the doctors. Finally they declared that there was no cause for anxiety, that this sort of thing often occurred with growing girls and soon would disappear of itself. Nothing to worry about, they said.
So Adrienne came home reassured.
There was a great deal to do as soon as she was back. She and Balint had many plans to make. With their architect they worked on the detailed plans of that part of the castle in which they were going to live. Discussions were held with contractors for installing running water and electric light, hitherto unknown at Denestornya despite the family’s great means. Decisions had to be made about whether the necessary power should come from motor generators or from turbines driven by the mill. All sorts of new projects occupied them every day.
In the great world outside there was a lull, even in the Balkans. Only the Albanians were still in turmoil. Oddly enough they did not seem at all to appreciate the new Prussian guards officer king that the great powers had so carefully chosen for them. It was true that the excellent Prince of Wied was hardly known to his new subjects for in the last two months, ever since he had become King, he had barely set foot in his new country but had preferred to make a round of the courts of Europe, great and small, to offer thanks for his elevation to royal status. Wherever he went he was greatly admired. He was tall and slim and powerfully built and boasted a full set of white, if somewhat equine, teeth. Such a tour was an excellent opportunity to show off these physical advantages and make himself admired, for as a ruling monarch he was able always to stand in the middle of the room, thereby making sure that he was the centre of attention and that everyone would be able to see what a fine upstanding lad he was; and, as all the parties were given for him, all he had to do was to smile continuously with a benevolent, if not very intelligent, expression on his face.
And how was he repaid by those vile Albanians? Only two months out of the country and revolution broke out. Not only that but in January those ungrateful rebels announced that the Prince of Wied had been deposed and replaced by a man of their own choice – one Izzet Pasha. The great powers declared that this was beyond endurance and sent a fleet to demonstrate off Valona. At the same time they bade the Prince of Wied to hurry up and take possession of his throne. ‘At once!’ the new King cried; but then found that his country’s new coat of arms was not ready.
He had ordered it to be prepared by some of the world’s leading experts on heraldry, and naturally could not present himself to his new subjects without it, for how could a man be a real king if he had no proper heraldic insignia? Not only that but he had to form a royal guard, and although he had issued a tempting invitation to the adventure-hungry young aristocrats of Europe, no one had yet come forward; and how could he set foot in his kingdom without a guard? So he continued on his travels, always smiling, and went to Rome, Berlin and London.
While the ‘pacification’ of Albania found no smooth path, the solutions proposed in the Aegean proceeded without a hitch. The islands of Imbros and Tenedos were given back to Turkey while the rest were handed over to Greece. It was true that these