The Gates of Paradise Read online

  It was quite obvious to Narina that Prince Hans had eyes only for her and he had no intention of wasting his conversation or his wit on anyone else.

  It was hopeless to make him do anything he did not wish to do, and he talked to her all through dinner making her laugh and occasionally blush at his compliments.

  The rest of the guests were merely an audience for his performance – just occasionally he looked at them as if he expected them to applaud!

  Then he would turn to Narina to dazzle her with his descriptions of the parties he had attended in all parts of Europe.

  He made scandalous allegations about practically everyone of any importance and there was no doubt that all the things he said were unkind and most of them untrue.

  But the way he spoke and the quick turn of his wit was, she thought, so amusing that it was impossible to rebuke him, even though he pilloried Queen Victoria and was sarcastic about the British Government.

  In fact dinner passed remarkably quickly.

  Narina could hardly believe the time when the Prime Minister said he was too old to stay up late and bade everyone goodnight. The other couple, who had hardly opened their mouths all night, quickly followed his example.

  As the equerry showed them to the door, the Lord Chamberlain turned to Prince Hans,

  “I expect, Your Royal Highness, after quite a long day, you are prepared to retire to bed.”

  “Yes, indeed, and as I am in the same room that I occupied the last time I came here, there is no need for you to escort me up the stairs. If I am not mistaken, Her Royal Highness is on the same floor.”

  There was nothing the Lord Chamberlain could do but to bid him goodnight.

  Narina and Prince Hans walked up the stairs side by side.

  “Now at last,” he whispered, “I can talk to you as I wish and to tell you how, as soon as we met, my heart turned a somersault. I have the distinct feeling I have fallen in love.”

  “That would be a very silly thing to do!”

  “How could I possibly help it? Love is irresistible, and who can resist it when it comes into our lives?”

  “You are right about that, it is just what I feel about Rudolf. It is so sad that he is not well enough for you to meet him.”

  “I am content to see you, but, my lovely one, you must now console me for not having the pleasure of seeing my old friend, Rudolf, and make me happy as only you can do at this very moment.”

  “I can only hope that you will sleep well,” Narina answered, “and be ready in the morning to visit the many points of interest the Lord Chamberlain has organised for you.”

  “I am not concerned about the morning, but about tonight.”

  They had by now reached the top of the stairs and were walking along the corridor to the Royal Apartments.

  It was with a sense of relief, as she was afraid of what he might say or do next, that Narina saw Paks.

  He was standing like a sentinel outside the door of Prince Rudolf’s bedroom.

  Prince Hans’s room, as she had already ascertained, was several doors away.

  The door was open and she could see there was a valet inside waiting for the Prince.

  Narina stopped and turned to Prince Hans,

  “Good night, Your Royal Highness. I am hoping you will sleep comfortably and not be disturbed.”

  His eyes were twinkling as they looked into hers.

  He was holding her hand and crushing her fingers as he did so.

  “Au revoir, my beautiful Goddess – and it really is just au revoir.”

  He turned round and walked into his room without looking back.

  As he closed the door, Narina sighed.

  ‘I have won that battle,’ she thought to herself and walked towards Paks.

  “Is His Royal Highness asleep?” she asked.

  “Yes, but I thinks he might wake up later. So I left him some lemonade and biscuits. If you hears him moving around it might be that one of his wounds is a-hurting him. If you ring the bell, it’ll wake me at once.”

  “I hope it will not be necessary, Paks, but naturally I will go to him if I think he needs me.”

  Paks looked down the corridor to the room Prince Hans was occupying.

  “I shouldn’t come outside, if I be you, Your Royal Highness, there be a communicating-door, as I expects you knows, in your bedroom.”

  Narina gave a start.

  “Oh, yes, Maria did tell me something about it, but I have not used it yet.”

  “Well, if I were you,” said Paks, “I’d lock your door afore you goes to bed and, if you wants to see His Royal Highness, then go in through the communicating-door.”

  “I will do that, Paks, and thank you for telling me.”

  She smiled at him and then went to her room where Maria was waiting for her.

  “You looked so lovely tonight, Lady,” cried Maria. “Everyone downstairs was a-talking about you and saying they’ve never seen Her Royal Highness look better. They was ever so certain it must be because you was expecting a child!”

  “Oh, Maria, I do so hope that’s true, obviously not for me, but for Princess Louise.”

  “I’ve a feeling in me bones that everything’ll be all right and it’s not often the Lord God ignores my prayers.”

  “I am praying too and it will be wonderful when they tell us you are right and all is as it ought to be.”

  “That’s exactly what I’m a-hoping too.”

  Narina hung her pretty dress up in the wardrobe and put the jewellery away in its velvet box.

  When she had washed and was ready to climb into bed, Maria said,

  “I’ll be calling you at eight o’clock tomorrow as I expects you’ll be breakfasting with His Royal Highness once he wakes.”

  For a moment Narina thought she was talking about Prince Hans and then she realised Maria meant Michael.

  “Yes, indeed, I would love to have breakfast with him. I only hope he is awake by then.”

  “If not, you can always go downstairs and have it with Prince Hans. From what I hears he’s over the moon about you!”

  “I do hope he will be leaving tomorrow.”

  She thought as she was speaking that it would be a good thing if he did, but equally if she was honest she had found him most amusing and interesting when he was not paying her exaggerated compliments.

  She went to the window as she did on most nights.

  She pulled back both the curtains to gaze out at the moonlight flooding over the garden.

  Once again the view was like a fairy story and she stood for some time thinking how lovely it all was.

  Then she turned back into the room.

  Maria had blown out all the candles except for the little gold candelabrum by her bed.

  As she reached it, she remembered she must lock her door and walked towards it.

  Then she saw to her astonishment that the key was not there as it had been every night previously.

  Although she thought it unnecessary, she had locked the door in case anyone should look in and realise that she was sleeping in the Blue Room and not with Prince Rudolf.

  Now a frightening thought suddenly struck her.

  It was most unlikely that Maria had taken away the key and there was only one other person who might have done so.

  She remembered the way that Prince Hans had said au revoir to her and not goodnight.

  She turned back and ran to the communicating door that was near the window.

  On it was hung an elaborate mirror, making it unnoticeable to anyone unaware of it.

  She opened the door.

  Then, as she came rushing into the Royal bedroom, she realised that Michael was awake.

  “You come to say goodnight to me?” he asked.

  She ran to the side of his bed.

  “I have come to say that I must stay here tonight,” she said in a frightened little voice. “Because the key is not in my door.”

  He looked at her in surprise.

  “I will sleep on
the sofa. I am not afraid of one of the Palace servants spying on us, but of Prince Hans.”

  “Are you telling me that he is staying here?”

  “Yes, he arrived this morning and although I cannot believe it, he said au revoir to me just now in a meaningful way instead of goodnight.”

  “I can well believe it. He pursues every attractive woman and as, you have undoubtedly found, he hypnotises them into believing that he is really in love with them.”

  “I don’t believe anything of the sort. He has been extremely complimentary to me, but the Lord Chamberlain insisted that I was to please him and that it would be a mistake to quarrel with him.”

  “He is speaking good sense indeed.”

  Narina looked back at the door through which she had just come.

  “Shall I go back,” she asked, “and bring a blanket or can you spare one of yours?”

  Michael smiled.

  “This bed is very large and if you are going to act a part, you should act it properly.”

  Narina stared at him.

  “I don’t – understand,” she stammered hesitatingly.

  “I will promise not to upset you or ever make you embarrassed, but if, as we suspect, Prince Hans is looking for you and is determined to find out what our relationship really is, then the only way out is for you to trust me.”

  “I am – afraid that I will make you uncomfortable.”

  “I promise you will not do so and if you think that someone might be creeping into our room at any moment, I suggest we stop arguing about it and you get into bed now and blow out the candles.”

  As he spoke, he lunged as far away as he could to the far side of the bed, which was indeed a very large one.

  As Narina gingerly crept in and lay on her side, she was aware there was a large gap between her and Michael.

  At the same time she thought that nothing could be more embarrassing – she was sharing a bed with a man she had only just met!

  “Blow out the candles now,” he whispered. “I think I hear a movement next door.”

  Narina did as she was told.

  As she lay back against the pillows, she thought he must have very acute hearing, as there was no sound as far as she could ascertain.

  Then as they both lay stiff and listening, very very slowly the door into Prince Rudolf’s room began to open.

  She had not blown out the candles by her bed in the other room and although it was very faint because the room was so large, there was a perceptible streak of light coming in through the communicating-door.

  She lay absolutely still in the bed and then Michael turned to Narina and said in a low voice which was only just audible,

  “My darling, my sweet, how could I have neglected you by sleeping all day? You know I want you with me and there is so much we have to do together.”

  Narina did not understand what was happening.

  Then she felt Michael’s hand pressing on her bare arm and it told her without words that she had to reply.

  “I did not want to wake you,” she murmured, “but I have missed you so much all day.”

  “Now I will tell you how much I have missed you, my sweetest – ”

  They both noticed that for a split second the streak of light from the communicating-door clouded over.

  It was as if someone had peeped into the room.

  Then just as softly as it had opened, the door closed again and the light was no longer there.

  Michael and Narina did not speak or move.

  Then Michael said with a distinct hint of laughter in his voice,

  “Once again we have defeated the enemy and rather cleverly!”

  CHAPTER SIX

  For a moment there was silence.

  Then Narina asked in a rather frightened tone,

  “Shall I go back to my own room now?”

  “No, of course not,” replied Michael. “If the key is missing, there is every chance he will return later to make quite sure he was not imagining all he heard just now.”

  “But I cannot stay here and be a nuisance to you – ”

  “I don’t think ‘nuisance’ is the right word, although I think I would find it very uncomfortable sleeping on the sofa, but if you insist you cannot share this bed with me, that is what I will have to do.”

  “But – you cannot – want me in your bed – ”

  It was a moment before Michael replied and then with laughter in his voice he said,

  “That is a question I must not answer, but I suggest we make the best of this comfortable bed. And if you are worried that I will embarrass you, I will place one of these pillows between us.”

  He took a pillow from behind his head and placed it down the middle of the bed.

  Then he suggested very quietly,

  “Go to sleep. You have been putting up with that tiresome Prince Hans all day and you can now forget about him and hope that nothing else happens until morning.”

  “You are so kind and understanding – ”

  Michael did not answer.

  He merely turned his back on Narina.

  Because she thought it was embarrassing to go on discussing it, Narina too turned away and closed her eyes.

  She did not expect to sleep, but it had been a long day with so much anxiety in it.

  *

  She was sleeping peacefully when to her surprise Michael woke her up.

  “It is half-past six,” he whispered, “and I think you should now go back to your own room in case Maria and Paks start asking us any questions.”

  “Yes, of course,” agreed Narina. “I hope that you slept well and I did not disturb you.”

  “Shall I say I slept as well as could be expected? Now hurry in case Paks appears early.”

  Narina slipped out of the bed.

  It seemed to her extraordinary that she had slept all night beside a man she really did not know and yet had not been afraid or embarrassed.

  Then, as she reached the foot of the bed, she stopped.

  “Thank you very very much for being so kind,” she breathed. “I only wish that I did not have to see that Prince Hans again today.”

  “Behave as if nothing has happened, just remember that he is the one who is frustrated and has had the Gates of Paradise closed abruptly on him!”

  Because it was such an unexpected thing for him to have said, Narina gave a little laugh.

  Then she opened the communicating-door and went into her own room.

  Maria called her at eight o’clock.

  Narina anticipated that she would be bringing in her breakfast and sat up in bed.

  But Maria muttered,

  “Paks has just received an urgent message from the Lord Chamberlain to say that he wishes to see you as soon as you are dressed and ready to receive him.”

  Narina wondered what had happened, but there was nothing she could do but dress as quickly as possible.

  At half-past eight she walked into her sitting room where her breakfast was waiting for her.

  She helped herself to fish that she guessed must have come out of the sea that very morning.

  The door opened and the Lord Chamberlain came into the room.

  “Good morning, Your Royal Highness.”

  Narina smiled at him.

  “What has happened?” she asked him nervously.

  “Something rather serious and I want your advice before talking to our invalid next door.”

  Narina’s eyes widened.

  She put down her knife and fork and was ready to listen attentively to the Lord Chamberlain.

  “Prince Hans sent me a message early this morning, saying he would like to inspect a Parade of our troops.”

  “He has asked for a Parade!” cried Narina. “You know that whatever he sees will be reported straight back to your enemies.”

  “To refuse him, however, would not only appear to be rude, but would convince him that things are worse than they really are.”

  “Then what are you going to do?”

/>   “I want, if at all possible, for Michael Ward to take the salute and play the part of Prince Rudolf!”

  Narina stared at the Lord Chamberlain.

  “You really want that?” she cried. “But surely the people will recognise immediately that he is an imposter.”

  “That is why I am consulting you, although I know that you have only seen Prince Rudolf for a moment or so. Do you think that if he wears glasses and a bandage round his head, the people would realise that the man in uniform and a feathered hat, as is traditional here, is not the Prince to whom they owe their allegiance?”

  Narina drew in her breath.

  She could understand that it was a difficult problem and a very worrying one for the Lord Chamberlain.

  But equally she realised that there was indeed a resemblance between the two of them and it might easily deceive those intent on observing the Alexanderburg soldiers.

  To begin with they were the same height.

  They both had an English look about them.

  The only important difference apart from their eyes, which could be covered, was the colour of their hair.

  She realised the Lord Chamberlain was waiting.

  “I rather think,” she began, “although I am terrified of getting it wrong, that if Michael’s hair was darkened and he wears dark glasses and Prince Rudolf’s uniform, no one could suspect that the real Prince was not him.”

  “That is just what I wanted you to say,” the Lord Chamberlain enthused. “Now let’s go and talk to the man who I know is an experienced and brilliant actor.”

  Remembering how Michael had related that he had been disguised as an Indian Holy Man and a native horse dealer, she was sure that the Lord Chamberlain was right.

  She then followed him into Michael’s room where he was sitting up in bed enjoying his breakfast.

  “Good morning,” he called out to them cheerfully. “I was not expecting such early visitors.”

  “I have a job for you to do,” the Lord Chamberlain answered, “and I feel that only you can carry it off.”

  “Since you are obviously flattering me, I am quite sure it is going to be a difficult one!”

  The Lord Chamberlain told him all he had just told Narina and he listened intently.

  Then the Lord Chamberlain continued,

  “Prince Hans has said that he will leave us after the Parade and since the sooner we are rid of him the better, I have ordered it to take place at half-past one.