Prince put his arms round the Princess and pulled her close against him.
“I love you,” he breathed, “and it is an agony to think that you have to go away from me. I suppose I could make the excuse that I too wish to go to Greece to attend Prince Eumenus’s funeral.”
“The Queen will not believe that,” the Princess said, “because the other night, when she mentioned to you that he was feeling ill, you said quite positively that you had never ever heard of him.”
The Prince sighed.
“I remember that now and I cannot think why I did not keep my mouth shut!”
“It is the sort of thing Her Majesty would remember,” Princess Marigold said. “Anyway, I am sure that she would not allow you to travel with me, I suppose in a Battleship, unless they are being measly and sending me by train.”
“If you are representing Her Majesty, then you will go by sea.”
Being of German origin he was extremely knowledgeable on protocol.
And the Princess was sure that he was right.
“But I want to be with you, darling Holden,” she insisted. “In your yacht and away from everyone including all these ghastly old fuddy-duddies, who keep on saying that I should not marry you.”
“I am terrified in case you ever agree with them,” the Prince commented.
“You know I would never, never do so!” the Princess answered. “I love you, Holden, and I had never loved anyone until I met you.”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her passionately until they were both breathless.
If the Queen had found out that the Princess received Prince Holden in her apartments without being chaperoned by a Lady-in-Waiting, she would have been outraged.
They were both aware that it was lucky that Prince Holden had come to find her when she was with her Comptroller.
It was Colonel Bassett who had suggested in the first place that it would be best for him to see the Princess alone in the mornings. Otherwise she would have her two aged and very garrulous Ladies-in-Waiting with her.
Now they could discuss privately plans on which they had not yet made a final decision without it being talked about all over Windsor Castle.
It had therefore been a golden opportunity for Prince Holden to be alone with Princess Marigold.
This was something with great difficulty that they were continually trying to find in The Castle.
Because the Queen disapproved of the engagement, she deliberately put every obstacle in their way.
Now, as the Prince raised his head, he said in a voice that was slightly unsteady,
“I love you, my dearest! I love you and I know that once we are married, we will be very happy. But I find this waiting just intolerable.”
“So do I,” the Princess said, “and it will be worse still when I have to go away. I suppose it will take a fortnight or even three weeks to go to Greece, attend the funeral, make myself agreeable to a whole collection of boring people and then come slowly home.”
She gave an exclamation of anger as she addrd,
“I am sure that ghastly old woman will tell the ship’s Captain to move at one knot per hour, just so that I cannot be with you!”
“You are not to upset yourself, darling. I swear that we will be married the very day the six months of mourning ends.”
“If she will let us,” the Princess murmured.
She gave a sudden cry.
“Suppose, just suppose, Holden, while I am away, she somehow gets rid of you? I would not trust her not to have you kidnapped or sent to Outer Mongolia or darkest Africa or some such place!”
Prince Holden laughed.
“Now you are just imagining things. I promise I will keep very quiet and out of sight, so as not to annoy Her Majesty, until you return.”
“I will not go! I swear I will not go!” Princess Marigold cried. “There must be someone who can go in my place! Think, Holden, think! Who do we know who looks like me?”
As this was something that they had not thought of before, the Prince stared at her.
Then he remarked,
“It is rather funny that you should say that! I saw a girl last week who was in fact very like you.”
“Was she a relative of mine?” Princess Marigold asked.
“I was staying with the Duke of Ilchester,” the Prince went on, “and I went to Church on Sunday because the Duchess asked me rather pointedly, I thought, to escort her.”
“Yes, yes, go on!” the Princess urged him.
“It was a pleasant village Service. But I was surprised to see in the Church in the front pew, sitting beside an attractive lady, a girl who might actually have been your sister.”
“I don’t believe it!” Princess Marigold exclaimed. “Who is she?”
“I asked the Duchess afterwards and she told me that the lady was the Vicar’s wife and she was Greek.”
“Greek?” the Princess exclaimed. “And the girl who looked like me?”
“Her daughter, named Avila, I was informed. I meant to tell you all about it, but I forgot until just now.”
He smiled before he added,
“How can I think of anyone except for you?”
“If she looks like me,” Princess Marigold said, “and, if she has some Greek blood in her, then let us offer to pay her, although, of course, we can put it more politely as a gift, to go to Greece in my place.”
The Prince laughed.
“Now you are Fairy tailing again! I cannot believe for a moment she would be allowed to go or that she could take your place without anyone being aware of it.”
“Then if she takes my place just before I am supposed to step aboard the ship, draped of course in black and her face obscured by a crêpe veil, who is to know?”
“Are you really serious?” Prince Holden asked. “You must be aware that the whole idea is crazy! The Queen would be absolutely furious if she learns of it.”
“If she learns of it!” the Princess emphasised. “Now, Holden, we have to be clever about this. I know how brilliant you are at organisation. Surely you can organise this for me?”
She paused for a moment before she went on firmly,
“I love you! I love you! To be away from you even for a day is agony. To be gone from you for weeks I think would kill me!”
“My
