their load of thoroughbred humans.
'It is exciting being royal,' Ola thought, 'even though I'm supposed to be pretending not to be. Still, I'm sure it has some disadvantages. If I were really a Princess I would be heavily chaperoned and, and couldn't enjoy a ride like this, alone with him."
"Why are you not working today?" she asked the Duke.
"I'm playing truant," he answered with a smile. "I was supposed to take some of the royal visitors to see the British Museum, but as I've seen it a dozen times myself I managed to get one of the equerries to take my place."
"That was kind of him," Ola said.
"I had to promise to ask him to shoot with me when the shooting season begins," the Duke said. "As he enjoys coming to stay at my house in the country he agreed at once."
"Tell me some more about your house," Ola begged. "What it is called?"
"Camborne Park. It's been in my family for over five hundred years, and has been owned by twelve generations of my family. It looks a bit like a castle."
"You mean it has towers and turrets?"
"Yes, that's exactly what it has. And an armoury with walls covered with swords and pistols arranged in geometric patterns. There are suits of armour standing in corners.
"My two younger brothers and I used to enjoy playing hide and seek when we were children. We would dart behind the suits of armour and one day we knocked one over. It made a crash that could be heard at the far end of the castle. My father was furious."
"Two younger brothers," she said enviously. "And two sisters, I think you said. How wonderful. It's so sad being an only child."
She was thinking of herself, and was taken aback when he said,
"So Oltenitza has no other Princesses, or Princes?"
"No," she said. "I've had no companionship all my life. It's been very lonely. I envy you, always having someone to play with."
"We fought each other as often as we played," he remembered with a grin. "I used to prefer playing with children from the estate. They always knew the best mischief."
"Oh yes, I'm sure that's true," she said.
As they talked they were making their way along Rotten Row, and the Duke was nodding to acquaintances passing by. Every one of them cast interested eyes over Ola, and several young ladies hailed him in a way that made it impossible for him not to stop.
Mere politeness demanded this, but Ola felt that it was more than politeness that made him flirt with them.
It was, of course, perfectly proper, since it was done under the eyes of the ladies' brothers and fathers, but the Duke enjoyed himself more than Ola liked to see.
On one of the rare occasions that they were alone, she murmured,
"Hmm!"
"I beg your pardon, ma'am."
"I said Hmm! It was intended cynically. You almost made me weep last night with the account of your trials and tribulations in the marriage mart.
"This poor soul, I thought. How he suffers from all these ladies after him! I tell you, sir, what would really make you suffer would be if no woman took the slightest notice of you. And serve you right."
He shouted with laughter.
"You wrong me, ma'am, I'll swear you do."
"I most certainly do not. You're a hardened flirt, drawing moths to your flame, and enjoying every moment of it."
"It's a method of survival, no more. While there are so many, I'm safe, for no woman can accuse me of having paid her particular attention. I developed the idea years ago, when I was little more than a boy and my parents were already pressing 'suitable' brides on me.
"I wasn't in the least interested in filling the nursery. I didn't even want to fall in love. I saw only the disadvantages."
"Which are?"
"Being hung, drawn and quartered," the Duke answered. "Once you're married you can never run away and enjoy yourself. If you do, you know that someone will be hurt and upset simply because you are not there."
"In other words," Ola said, "you don't want to be tied down and you don't want to marry."
"Not until I am so much in love that nothing else matters,"
'It is exciting being royal,' Ola thought, 'even though I'm supposed to be pretending not to be. Still, I'm sure it has some disadvantages. If I were really a Princess I would be heavily chaperoned and, and couldn't enjoy a ride like this, alone with him."
"Why are you not working today?" she asked the Duke.
"I'm playing truant," he answered with a smile. "I was supposed to take some of the royal visitors to see the British Museum, but as I've seen it a dozen times myself I managed to get one of the equerries to take my place."
"That was kind of him," Ola said.
"I had to promise to ask him to shoot with me when the shooting season begins," the Duke said. "As he enjoys coming to stay at my house in the country he agreed at once."
"Tell me some more about your house," Ola begged. "What it is called?"
"Camborne Park. It's been in my family for over five hundred years, and has been owned by twelve generations of my family. It looks a bit like a castle."
"You mean it has towers and turrets?"
"Yes, that's exactly what it has. And an armoury with walls covered with swords and pistols arranged in geometric patterns. There are suits of armour standing in corners.
"My two younger brothers and I used to enjoy playing hide and seek when we were children. We would dart behind the suits of armour and one day we knocked one over. It made a crash that could be heard at the far end of the castle. My father was furious."
"Two younger brothers," she said enviously. "And two sisters, I think you said. How wonderful. It's so sad being an only child."
She was thinking of herself, and was taken aback when he said,
"So Oltenitza has no other Princesses, or Princes?"
"No," she said. "I've had no companionship all my life. It's been very lonely. I envy you, always having someone to play with."
"We fought each other as often as we played," he remembered with a grin. "I used to prefer playing with children from the estate. They always knew the best mischief."
"Oh yes, I'm sure that's true," she said.
As they talked they were making their way along Rotten Row, and the Duke was nodding to acquaintances passing by. Every one of them cast interested eyes over Ola, and several young ladies hailed him in a way that made it impossible for him not to stop.
Mere politeness demanded this, but Ola felt that it was more than politeness that made him flirt with them.
It was, of course, perfectly proper, since it was done under the eyes of the ladies' brothers and fathers, but the Duke enjoyed himself more than Ola liked to see.
On one of the rare occasions that they were alone, she murmured,
"Hmm!"
"I beg your pardon, ma'am."
"I said Hmm! It was intended cynically. You almost made me weep last night with the account of your trials and tribulations in the marriage mart.
"This poor soul, I thought. How he suffers from all these ladies after him! I tell you, sir, what would really make you suffer would be if no woman took the slightest notice of you. And serve you right."
He shouted with laughter.
"You wrong me, ma'am, I'll swear you do."
"I most certainly do not. You're a hardened flirt, drawing moths to your flame, and enjoying every moment of it."
"It's a method of survival, no more. While there are so many, I'm safe, for no woman can accuse me of having paid her particular attention. I developed the idea years ago, when I was little more than a boy and my parents were already pressing 'suitable' brides on me.
"I wasn't in the least interested in filling the nursery. I didn't even want to fall in love. I saw only the disadvantages."
"Which are?"
"Being hung, drawn and quartered," the Duke answered. "Once you're married you can never run away and enjoy yourself. If you do, you know that someone will be hurt and upset simply because you are not there."
"In other words," Ola said, "you don't want to be tied down and you don't want to marry."
"Not until I am so much in love that nothing else matters,"
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