down the street. He’s dressed in sports shirt and slacks, though.”
“Then it couldn’t be Mr. Baum,” Nancy replied. “He’d be wearing dinner clothes.”
“All the same, it looks like him. He has a suitcase and a German shepherd dog!”
“A dog!” Nancy’s face darkened. “I can’t believe he brought that animal! I told him that his grandmother is afraid of large dogs.”
Darting to the window, she saw that the young man approaching was indeed Francis Baum.
“Guess I’m a little late,” he remarked, stepping into the hall.
“Why did you bring the dog?” Nancy asked.
“Can’t I take him along?”
“I don’t think your grandmother would want Rudy at her dinner party.”
“Well, then I’ll have to leave him here.”
“Here?” Hannah Gruen asked sharply.
“Just overnight. He’s harmless.”
“I won’t be here to look after him,” the housekeeper said coldly. “I’m going to a movie.”
“Oh, he can stay outside,” Francis Baum said carelessly. “I’ll tie him by the garage.”
He seemed unaware that he had caused the slightest inconvenience.
“I suppose you’re eager to see your grandmother,” Mr. Drew remarked.
“Oh, sure,” he replied, but his tone lacked warmth. “What’s she like?”
“Decidedly formal,” Nancy warned him.
“Maybe she won’t let me eat with you in these clothes.” He grinned. “But she’ll soon like me.”
Nancy avoided looking at her father and Katherine. They all felt sick at heart, knowing that Mrs. Alexandra could not fail to be disappointed upon meeting her grandson.
Mr. Drew parked in front of the house, which glowed with lights, and followed the others to the door. It was opened by Anna.
Upon entering, Mr. Drew’s gaze wandered to an unusual card tray on the hall table. Constructed of copper, it was decorated with colored bits of enamel in a flower-and-leaf design.
“That’s a sample of wonderful old enamel work,” he said to Nancy.
“You’ll see many other treasures, unless they have been put away,” she said.
In the living room Mrs. Alexandra, gowned in rich maroon velvet trimmed with real lace, greeted her guests. Her eyes were moist as she kissed Francis Baum on either cheek. If his appearance startled her, she did not show it.
“Michael,” she said tenderly, leading him to a sofa, “I have prayed we would be reunited.”
“I’m glad to know you,” he replied. “But I thought my name was Francis. Guess Mom was afraid to call me Michael.”
Nancy thought she detected a slight start on the part of her hostess. It seemed strange that his nurse would have had a royal child call her “Mom.”
“Michael Alexandra is your true name,” the former queen explained. “Do you recall anything of life at the palace?”
Francis squirmed uncomfortably. “I remember seeing some parades. That’s all.”
An awkward pause followed. It was broken by Anna announcing dinner. As the double doors of the dining room were opened, Nancy drew in her breath at the beautiful table setting. Orchids formed the centerpiece, the cloth was made of rare lace, and at each place was a name card.
Francis Baum found his chair at once and sat down without waiting for the others. To cover his mistake, Mrs. Alexandra quickly seated herself. It was evident to all that she meant to spare her grandson embarrassment.
The first course was a compote of rare fruits served in fragile hand-blown glass cups. The service plates were of rich dark blue and gold, with hand-painted bouquets. The handles of the knives and forks were inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Nancy and Katherine were so impressed by all the splendor that they felt as if they were dining in fairyland. A glance at Francis Baum, however, brought them to earth quickly. The young man made one mistake after another, both in his table manners and in his attempts at conversation.
“He certainly has forgotten everything he ever was taught,” thought Nancy.
Dessert was served on dainty
“Then it couldn’t be Mr. Baum,” Nancy replied. “He’d be wearing dinner clothes.”
“All the same, it looks like him. He has a suitcase and a German shepherd dog!”
“A dog!” Nancy’s face darkened. “I can’t believe he brought that animal! I told him that his grandmother is afraid of large dogs.”
Darting to the window, she saw that the young man approaching was indeed Francis Baum.
“Guess I’m a little late,” he remarked, stepping into the hall.
“Why did you bring the dog?” Nancy asked.
“Can’t I take him along?”
“I don’t think your grandmother would want Rudy at her dinner party.”
“Well, then I’ll have to leave him here.”
“Here?” Hannah Gruen asked sharply.
“Just overnight. He’s harmless.”
“I won’t be here to look after him,” the housekeeper said coldly. “I’m going to a movie.”
“Oh, he can stay outside,” Francis Baum said carelessly. “I’ll tie him by the garage.”
He seemed unaware that he had caused the slightest inconvenience.
“I suppose you’re eager to see your grandmother,” Mr. Drew remarked.
“Oh, sure,” he replied, but his tone lacked warmth. “What’s she like?”
“Decidedly formal,” Nancy warned him.
“Maybe she won’t let me eat with you in these clothes.” He grinned. “But she’ll soon like me.”
Nancy avoided looking at her father and Katherine. They all felt sick at heart, knowing that Mrs. Alexandra could not fail to be disappointed upon meeting her grandson.
Mr. Drew parked in front of the house, which glowed with lights, and followed the others to the door. It was opened by Anna.
Upon entering, Mr. Drew’s gaze wandered to an unusual card tray on the hall table. Constructed of copper, it was decorated with colored bits of enamel in a flower-and-leaf design.
“That’s a sample of wonderful old enamel work,” he said to Nancy.
“You’ll see many other treasures, unless they have been put away,” she said.
In the living room Mrs. Alexandra, gowned in rich maroon velvet trimmed with real lace, greeted her guests. Her eyes were moist as she kissed Francis Baum on either cheek. If his appearance startled her, she did not show it.
“Michael,” she said tenderly, leading him to a sofa, “I have prayed we would be reunited.”
“I’m glad to know you,” he replied. “But I thought my name was Francis. Guess Mom was afraid to call me Michael.”
Nancy thought she detected a slight start on the part of her hostess. It seemed strange that his nurse would have had a royal child call her “Mom.”
“Michael Alexandra is your true name,” the former queen explained. “Do you recall anything of life at the palace?”
Francis squirmed uncomfortably. “I remember seeing some parades. That’s all.”
An awkward pause followed. It was broken by Anna announcing dinner. As the double doors of the dining room were opened, Nancy drew in her breath at the beautiful table setting. Orchids formed the centerpiece, the cloth was made of rare lace, and at each place was a name card.
Francis Baum found his chair at once and sat down without waiting for the others. To cover his mistake, Mrs. Alexandra quickly seated herself. It was evident to all that she meant to spare her grandson embarrassment.
The first course was a compote of rare fruits served in fragile hand-blown glass cups. The service plates were of rich dark blue and gold, with hand-painted bouquets. The handles of the knives and forks were inlaid with mother-of-pearl.
Nancy and Katherine were so impressed by all the splendor that they felt as if they were dining in fairyland. A glance at Francis Baum, however, brought them to earth quickly. The young man made one mistake after another, both in his table manners and in his attempts at conversation.
“He certainly has forgotten everything he ever was taught,” thought Nancy.
Dessert was served on dainty
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