the Duke replied.
"And since you avoid being in love, you are condemned to bachelorhood," she said lightly. "I won't say 'a lonely bachelorhood' because it clearly won't be lonely at all. But it will be loveless."
He considered this for a while.
"There have been women in my life, of course there have," he said at last, "but they haven't really meant anything to me. When I said goodbye I found it was easy to forget them."
Ola drew in her breath.
She knew that was what would happen to her.
As he would never see her again, he would soon forget her.
Then he said,
"I am speaking of myself as I was then. Will you believe that - ?"
"Ahoy there! Camborne."
The Duke muttered something impolite beneath his breath as a middle-aged man in military uniform waylaid them. Ola, too, would have wished that this introduction had happened at any other time.
"Introduce me, you dog," the man bawled cheerfully, doffing his hat and bowing at Ola. She inclined her head graciously in return.
"Fraulein, allow me to present General Redbridge. Sir, Fraulein Klara Schmidt."
Ola extended one gloved hand to the General, who bowed low over it. Inexperienced though she was, she had no difficulty in estimating him as a roué.
The Duke seemed to think so too, because he grew increasingly restive at the other man's outrageous compliments. Ola sat there laughing with pleasure, taking none of it seriously.
"If you'll excuse us, General," said the Duke finally. "Fraulein Schmidt has an appointment."
"You're wicked," she teased as they rode on. "I don't have an appointment."
"Yes you do. With me. But not here, because it's too public. Let us complete our ride, and then I'll return you to the hotel to change for our outing this afternoon."
"Where are we going?" she asked eagerly.
"First I'll take you to lunch, and this afternoon we'll do whatever you wish. A shopping trip? Frills and furbelows."
"Oh no! I can shop any time. What I'd really like – " she took a deep breath, unaware that she looked like a bright eyed child, and that the sight filled him with unaccustomed tenderness.
"Tell me," he said. "Anything you want."
"I want to go on the underground."
"What?" For a moment he was completely taken aback. "You've never – ?"
"Oltenitza is a backward little country compared to this one," she said hastily. "Over there we hear of the wonders to be found in England, and when I return they will expect to be told all about everything."
"Very well. That's where we'll go."
They were in high spirits as he delivered her to the Imperial, and left, promising to be back in an hour. During that hour she and Greta squabbled amiably about the rival merits of a walking dress in deep blue bombazine and one in green velvet.
Ola got her way, and finally sauntered down the stairs in blue, wearing a tiny hat with a small black feather over one eye, and dainty black kid shoes.
His eyes spoke of his admiration. He smiled and took her hand, drawing her quickly out to the waiting vehicle.
This time it wasn't his carriage but a hansom cab that he had hired in the street. This was the kind of detail that Ola was enjoying as much as the major novelties. There were no cabs in Ben Torrach.
"It must be wonderful to be able simply to summon something like this," she said.
"You don't have them in Oltenitza?"
"Not near my home," she said, improvising quickly. "The castle is out in the country, with only a small village nearby, and if I wish to travel I go in the carriage."
"With footmen and outriders?"
"Of course," she said, sounding slightly shocked.
"But it's so cumbersome. This is more convenient."
"It must be difficult not being in the city."
"The country is wild and bleak," she agreed. "But very beautiful." She was describing Ben Torrach now. She had heard somewhere that the countryside in the Balkans was savage and lonely, so her home would do very well as a model.
"There are mountains all around," she went on, warming to her theme. "I have
"And since you avoid being in love, you are condemned to bachelorhood," she said lightly. "I won't say 'a lonely bachelorhood' because it clearly won't be lonely at all. But it will be loveless."
He considered this for a while.
"There have been women in my life, of course there have," he said at last, "but they haven't really meant anything to me. When I said goodbye I found it was easy to forget them."
Ola drew in her breath.
She knew that was what would happen to her.
As he would never see her again, he would soon forget her.
Then he said,
"I am speaking of myself as I was then. Will you believe that - ?"
"Ahoy there! Camborne."
The Duke muttered something impolite beneath his breath as a middle-aged man in military uniform waylaid them. Ola, too, would have wished that this introduction had happened at any other time.
"Introduce me, you dog," the man bawled cheerfully, doffing his hat and bowing at Ola. She inclined her head graciously in return.
"Fraulein, allow me to present General Redbridge. Sir, Fraulein Klara Schmidt."
Ola extended one gloved hand to the General, who bowed low over it. Inexperienced though she was, she had no difficulty in estimating him as a roué.
The Duke seemed to think so too, because he grew increasingly restive at the other man's outrageous compliments. Ola sat there laughing with pleasure, taking none of it seriously.
"If you'll excuse us, General," said the Duke finally. "Fraulein Schmidt has an appointment."
"You're wicked," she teased as they rode on. "I don't have an appointment."
"Yes you do. With me. But not here, because it's too public. Let us complete our ride, and then I'll return you to the hotel to change for our outing this afternoon."
"Where are we going?" she asked eagerly.
"First I'll take you to lunch, and this afternoon we'll do whatever you wish. A shopping trip? Frills and furbelows."
"Oh no! I can shop any time. What I'd really like – " she took a deep breath, unaware that she looked like a bright eyed child, and that the sight filled him with unaccustomed tenderness.
"Tell me," he said. "Anything you want."
"I want to go on the underground."
"What?" For a moment he was completely taken aback. "You've never – ?"
"Oltenitza is a backward little country compared to this one," she said hastily. "Over there we hear of the wonders to be found in England, and when I return they will expect to be told all about everything."
"Very well. That's where we'll go."
They were in high spirits as he delivered her to the Imperial, and left, promising to be back in an hour. During that hour she and Greta squabbled amiably about the rival merits of a walking dress in deep blue bombazine and one in green velvet.
Ola got her way, and finally sauntered down the stairs in blue, wearing a tiny hat with a small black feather over one eye, and dainty black kid shoes.
His eyes spoke of his admiration. He smiled and took her hand, drawing her quickly out to the waiting vehicle.
This time it wasn't his carriage but a hansom cab that he had hired in the street. This was the kind of detail that Ola was enjoying as much as the major novelties. There were no cabs in Ben Torrach.
"It must be wonderful to be able simply to summon something like this," she said.
"You don't have them in Oltenitza?"
"Not near my home," she said, improvising quickly. "The castle is out in the country, with only a small village nearby, and if I wish to travel I go in the carriage."
"With footmen and outriders?"
"Of course," she said, sounding slightly shocked.
"But it's so cumbersome. This is more convenient."
"It must be difficult not being in the city."
"The country is wild and bleak," she agreed. "But very beautiful." She was describing Ben Torrach now. She had heard somewhere that the countryside in the Balkans was savage and lonely, so her home would do very well as a model.
"There are mountains all around," she went on, warming to her theme. "I have
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