learned to climb them. In my own country I am – what is the word? – athletisch."
"Athletic," the Duke replied.
"Ah yes. Thank you. There I am an athletic lady, but not here, because it is not good for ladies."
"English ladies are certainly not expected to be athletic," he agreed. "So, you climb mountains?"
"Oh yes. It is nice to be up so high, where there is wind, and you can get away from people."
"But do you never go into the city?"
"Sometimes, for formal occasions. Sometimes my father goes to see his ministers, sometimes they come to him. Sometimes there are balls and dancing, but too often it is just the same people."
"Do you enjoy dancing?"
"Oh very much. But not when it is so formal. Once I was driving home through the village, and people were dancing in the streets. I forget what they were celebrating, but there was a man playing the violin, and everyone was dancing around him. So I stopped and joined in."
This was all true. Papa had been most displeased.
Suddenly she gasped.
"What is that big, beautiful building?"
"That is Westminster Abbey, where in a few days the Queen will attend a service of thanksgiving for the fifty years of her reign."
The Duke grinned suddenly.
"I'll tell you a secret. There's a huge argument going on in the Palace. Her advisers want her to wear robes of state and a crown. Her Majesty insists on wearing a bonnet. They're all very upset, but she won't budge."
Ola laughed.
"I think she is right to do what she feels is best. She should not let the great men bully her."
The Duke grinned.
"Nobody bullies the Queen. She's a tiny little woman, about five foot one, but everyone is terrified of her."
"Are you terrified of her?"
"Shaking in my shoes," he said immediately. "Ah, we have arrived."
The cab had swung round Westminster Abbey, and reached the River Thames. The Duke handed her down and paid off the driver.
"Let us walk along the river," he said.
It might have been an accident, but as they strolled along the embankment he contrived to take her hand in his. Ola's heart sang. Whatever might happen in the time ahead, she would always have this moment.
She loved him. She could no longer deny the truth to herself. They had only just met, yet she loved him and she dared to hope that he loved her.
She looked out over the broad expanse of water, enthralled by the way the sunlight sparkled on the ripples. She had never seen such a huge river, such great boats.
The Duke took her to lunch at a small open air restaurant, where they could sit and watch the life of the river. For a while Ola sat watching the great ships and the little boats moving up and down.
"Like the rest of London, the Thames has more visitors than usual just now," said the Duke.
"I have never seen anything like this," Ola said. "So many vessels from so many countries. I did not know that ships could be so big."
"Isn't there a port in your country?"
"Oh no. Oltenitza is land-locked," Ola said quickly, for fear of having to invent a port.
"There's a French ship over there," said the Duke, "and the one coming up the centre of the river is Russian."
Ola looked at the ship and thought it was large but not particularly attractive.
"Do you see many Russians at your court?" the Duke asked.
She gave an eloquent little shudder.
"Please, do not let us speak of them."
She thought that if she was who she was pretending to be, she would dislike the Russians.
But, as she had never met one, she thought it was best to avoid a conversation in which she might show her ignorance.
"As you please," he said. "I'm tired of all that kind of thing, court life, titles, power, bowing and scraping. Sometimes I'd just like to be a plain man at home with my horses."
Ola laughed.
"Why do you laugh?" he challenged her. "Don't you believe me?"
"Of course I don't. I will wager that if you had the choice of being plain mister or a Duke, you would still choose to be a Duke. Am I wrong?"
He looked at her wryly.
"I don't want to
"Athletic," the Duke replied.
"Ah yes. Thank you. There I am an athletic lady, but not here, because it is not good for ladies."
"English ladies are certainly not expected to be athletic," he agreed. "So, you climb mountains?"
"Oh yes. It is nice to be up so high, where there is wind, and you can get away from people."
"But do you never go into the city?"
"Sometimes, for formal occasions. Sometimes my father goes to see his ministers, sometimes they come to him. Sometimes there are balls and dancing, but too often it is just the same people."
"Do you enjoy dancing?"
"Oh very much. But not when it is so formal. Once I was driving home through the village, and people were dancing in the streets. I forget what they were celebrating, but there was a man playing the violin, and everyone was dancing around him. So I stopped and joined in."
This was all true. Papa had been most displeased.
Suddenly she gasped.
"What is that big, beautiful building?"
"That is Westminster Abbey, where in a few days the Queen will attend a service of thanksgiving for the fifty years of her reign."
The Duke grinned suddenly.
"I'll tell you a secret. There's a huge argument going on in the Palace. Her advisers want her to wear robes of state and a crown. Her Majesty insists on wearing a bonnet. They're all very upset, but she won't budge."
Ola laughed.
"I think she is right to do what she feels is best. She should not let the great men bully her."
The Duke grinned.
"Nobody bullies the Queen. She's a tiny little woman, about five foot one, but everyone is terrified of her."
"Are you terrified of her?"
"Shaking in my shoes," he said immediately. "Ah, we have arrived."
The cab had swung round Westminster Abbey, and reached the River Thames. The Duke handed her down and paid off the driver.
"Let us walk along the river," he said.
It might have been an accident, but as they strolled along the embankment he contrived to take her hand in his. Ola's heart sang. Whatever might happen in the time ahead, she would always have this moment.
She loved him. She could no longer deny the truth to herself. They had only just met, yet she loved him and she dared to hope that he loved her.
She looked out over the broad expanse of water, enthralled by the way the sunlight sparkled on the ripples. She had never seen such a huge river, such great boats.
The Duke took her to lunch at a small open air restaurant, where they could sit and watch the life of the river. For a while Ola sat watching the great ships and the little boats moving up and down.
"Like the rest of London, the Thames has more visitors than usual just now," said the Duke.
"I have never seen anything like this," Ola said. "So many vessels from so many countries. I did not know that ships could be so big."
"Isn't there a port in your country?"
"Oh no. Oltenitza is land-locked," Ola said quickly, for fear of having to invent a port.
"There's a French ship over there," said the Duke, "and the one coming up the centre of the river is Russian."
Ola looked at the ship and thought it was large but not particularly attractive.
"Do you see many Russians at your court?" the Duke asked.
She gave an eloquent little shudder.
"Please, do not let us speak of them."
She thought that if she was who she was pretending to be, she would dislike the Russians.
But, as she had never met one, she thought it was best to avoid a conversation in which she might show her ignorance.
"As you please," he said. "I'm tired of all that kind of thing, court life, titles, power, bowing and scraping. Sometimes I'd just like to be a plain man at home with my horses."
Ola laughed.
"Why do you laugh?" he challenged her. "Don't you believe me?"
"Of course I don't. I will wager that if you had the choice of being plain mister or a Duke, you would still choose to be a Duke. Am I wrong?"
He looked at her wryly.
"I don't want to
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