Chapter 5: Twelve Eggs and a Hunt

The Emperor's Autumn Hunt was scene five, and the book was very specific about it.

The Grand Duchess rode a grey mare called Daisy.

The mare bolted.

The Duke, who was riding beside the Empress, did not turn around.

Nine pages later the Duchess lay in the grass with a broken wrist.

The Duke carried the Empress home with a scratch on her cheek.

That was the whole scene.

I had a plan, and it was a wagon.

"You are not riding," said Ansel at the stable door.

"I am not."

"Daisy was saddled for you this morning."

"Daisy is a lovely horse and I wish her well."

I put my foot on the step of a hay wagon.

"I'm going in the hay."

"The hunt follows the stag through the forest. A wagon cannot follow a stag."

"Good."

Greta climbed in behind me with a hamper. Bertram handed up a second hamper, a blanket and an umbrella.

"What is in the baskets?" the Duke said, frowning.

"Twelve hard-boiled eggs, bread, salt and a ham."

"For a hunt?"

"Nobody has ever eaten at a hunt, Your Grace. Everyone is hungry by noon and everyone is too proud to say so."

He had slept badly since the fern. I could see it in his face.

In nine days he had said the Empress's name at table only once.

He had paid the fine before Bertram could ask.

He studied the wagon, then me.

"Then I will ride beside the wagon," he said. "I'll keep it in sight."

It was the nicest thing he had said to me.

I did not know where to put it, so I wrote it on my list.

The first hour of the hunt was mud and trumpets.

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