A Scandalous Adventure Read Online Free PDF Page B

table aflame. Whatever it was, it wiped the smile from his face and left him so shaken that his coffee splashed into the saucer.
    * * *
    Susannah pulled back abruptly. What was that? Surely the mere touch of a man’s hand could not have such an effect. This was ridiculous. It was like touching that voltaic pile her brothers had made one summer. Except that it hadn’t been that kind of shock. She did not know what to think.
    Mercifully, the general sat up, looked around, and waved the remaining waiter from the room. He stood and walked over to the door, pulling it open quickly and checking to see if anyone was nearby before he returned to his seat.
    â€œOtto…” Lady Augusta began reprovingly, but she stopped when he shook his head.
    â€œYou all showed some sympathy with my country’s plight,” he said.
    Olivia and Lady Augusta nodded. Susannah simply looked at him blankly. His country’s plight? Oh yes. The missing princess. The diplomatic worries. The possibility of war. She had forgotten all about that. She focused her eyes on the general, trying to concentrate on his problems and forget the presence—the very disturbing presence—of his aide.
    â€œI assure you we will say nothing of this.” Lady Augusta smiled and patted the general’s hand. “If there is any other way we could be of assistance, you need only ask.”
    â€œThere is.” But having said that, the general fell silent again. The silence drew out uncomfortably.
    â€œIf you don’t tell us what it is, we cannot know if it is something we could do,” Susannah said, trying to be helpful. To her annoyance, that remark prompted a choked laugh from Staufer. She thought she had sounded quite reasonable and didn’t see what was funny about it.
    The general smiled slightly. “It will sound mad. It is mad. But I think it can be done. It is just possible that it can be done.” He looked at Olivia. “You, my dear lady, are the image of Princess Mila. No one in Sigmaringen could tell the two of you apart. No one anywhere could. I would swear that her own father would be unable to tell you apart.”
    â€œYes, we understand that,” said Lady Augusta. “That accounts for Captain Staufer’s confusion.”
    â€œYes, but don’t you see? If she comes with us to Nymburg as the princess, no one will know that she is not. That will give us time to find the real princess and avoid any problems with Hechingen.”
    There was a brief silence while they all looked at him dumbfounded.
    â€œThat’s preposterous,” said Susannah, putting down her cup with a clatter. “Absolutely insane.”
    â€œOh, I couldn’t possibly,” said Olivia at the same time.
    General Bergen ignored Susannah, but took Olivia’s hand in his. “Ah, but you could. It would not be difficult. You are a lady, and you have been to court in your own country, have you not?” At her hesitant nod, he beamed and continued. “It is not just the way you look, but the way you behave, the way you speak. You have the manner. No one would question it.”
    â€œThis is ridiculous,” said Susannah, putting an arm around Olivia to pull her away from the general. “How can you possibly make such a lunatic proposal? One simply doesn’t do things like that. It does not matter that Olivia resembles your missing princess. She can’t possibly lend herself to such an idiotic scheme.”
    The general concentrated on Olivia, still holding her hand. “It will not be for long. A few days only. Just to give us a chance to find the princess and bring her back to her duty. No one will ever know.”
    â€œBut I wouldn’t know what to do, what to say.”
    Olivia sounded hesitant, but not nearly hesitant enough. A chill made its way down Susannah’s spine. Olivia couldn’t possibly be considering this, could she? Not really. This was insane.
    â€œI