“The boat is from Rogandal but I am its owner, and I am British,” replied Astrid.
“Mille grazi! A thousand thank yous. You have my gratitude for rushing to our aid, I dread to think what would have happened.”
“You’re welcome. Now we just have to get out of this storm. Won’t you take off those wet things?” Astrid said.
“Thank you.” The cabin boy helped to collect their rain gear, in the process revealing a small, bedraggled dog that the woman snuggled close to her.
Astrid handed the woman and her companion some blankets as more crew members slowly came down the steps. There was a man with a gash in his head, and another man had a broken wrist, but other than those injuries the crew were in surprising good health. Soon the salon and galley were full of wet people wrapped in blankets and towels.
“Captain,” the woman asked a gray-haired man standing in the galley, “is that everyone? Are we all here?”
“Yes, Contessa, we are all present and accounted for.”
“Then we should celebrate our good fortune,” the older lady said as she held her dog close to her ample bosom, showering the trembling animal with kisses.
Astrid asked, “Contessa? Are you a countess?”
“That is one of my titles. I am known formally as Contessa Bianca Maria Giuseppe de Medici Palano.”
“Contessa, it is an honor to have you aboard. I am Lady Astrid Willoughby. Please call me Astrid.”
“Call me Bianca; all my friends do. Astrid, do see if your man has any good vino on board; I believe my crew could use a glass to celebrate our rescue.”
“I will see what I can do the moment we are no longer in rough seas. We have bottled water crackers, crisps.”
“It has become a party! It would appear that we were rescued by the right sort of people, don’t you agree, Adolfo?”
The handsome man nodded and pulled his blanket around his shoulders, shivering. Of her crew, Bianca seemed to be the only person who managed to not look like she had just been rescued from a briny death.
After the harrowing rescue, the remaining hours of the night passed without major incident. As the seas calmed and the skies lightened, the cabin boy, Astrid, and a member of the rescued crew all worked in the galley, making fresh coffee, tea, and sandwiches.
Astrid peeked her head out into the cockpit. Eric was still steadily manning a manual bilge pump. She handed the exhausted captain a sandwich, and made her way carefully past him to join Eric, giving him a ham sandwich from her pocket. He wolfed it down in three bites, and she saw the dark marks of exhaustion under his eyes.
“Eric, I can send the cabin boy up here to help the crew pump out the water. You need a break before you drop from exhaustion.”
“Don’t worry about me; I was just about to take over the wheel from the captain. I’ve never seen such skill handling a boat before last night. If he doesn’t run away the moment we drop anchor at Lawrence Island, we should give him and the crew raises.”
“I couldn’t agree more,” she said as she kissed his cheek, the taste of salt on his skin.
Stretching with her own fatigue, Astrid looked around. The sky was lighter now, but still overcast. The seas were rough, but half the height they had been. Compared to the storm, this was smooth sailing.
“Eric, I want to say I am so sorry I chose to drag us into the storm. It was foolish; I realize that now. We could have been killed.”
He paused in his efforts and wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. “Well, in one way it turned out to be the right decision. If we’d chosen to run for an anchorage, we would never have been out here to save that crew. They didn’t have much longer when we found them – the water in their boat was waist high. She was sinking and they were all going down with her.”
“I’m just thankful we’re safe. When you’re ready to rest, you should come meet the people. You and the crew of Freja managed to save an Italian countess last night! She’s really something. You will adore her; she’s fearless.”
“Sounds like another aristocratic woman I know,” Eric said.
“Or the insane prince from Rogandal,” she answered, leaving Eric to his work.
Chapter 16
Freja docked at the marina on Lawrence Island, where an army of servants and staff stood at attention along the dock. They were smartly dressed in white shorts and polo shirts, and all waited to assist the disembarking royalty and other guests onboard the Freja.
Eric escorted the contessa down the gangplank, followed by Astrid and the contessa’s companion.
“Welcome to Lawrence Island; we have your bungalows ready. Are there members of your crews who need medical attention?” asked a man in tan jacket, tie, and white pants. He reminded Astrid of a referee at a cricket match, but she chose not to tell anyone about her observation. After the storm and the crowded quarters on board Freja, she also wanted to kiss the ground and scream “Land!” but she resisted.
“As we stated on the radio, the crew of the contessa’s boat will need accommodations and medical attention,” said Astrid.
“It has already been arranged. May I say how pleased I am that the guests of His Highness were not harmed in the storm.”
“Thank you,” Eric said.
They were escorted from the marina into a tropical paradise. Palm trees swayed in the warm breeze, tropical plants bloomed in fragrances so magical Astrid was convinced she was in heaven. The bungalow was enormous with a private pool, a secluded garden, and a private beach. It was open to the elements, so mosquito netting hung romantically around the king-sized bed and tropical breezes drifted in from the ocean.
She was greeted by the staff who would be responsible for all their needs while they were staying on the island. The staff, she soon discovered, were trained to be silent as they prepared meals and made drinks for the guests. They moved unseen so as not to disturb the rest and relaxation of the aristocrats in their charge.
Astrid threw herself on the bed and closed her eyes. The relaxing sound of the waves on the white sand beach made the perfect backdrop for sleep. Eric slid into bed beside her, sighing with exhaustion. Neither had slept in over twenty-four hours. Drifting into sleep, she thought it was funny that their first moments in bed in a tropical paradise were spent sleeping.
When she woke, Astrid was not sure how long she had been asleep. She rose from the bed and walked to the balcony. The beach was only a few steps below, and the sun was still in the sky. Stretching and yawning, she slowly became aware of the quiet presence of a young man. When she looked at him, he put a letter in her hand and bowed.
Astrid opened the letter, smiling as she read it.
Lady Willoughby,
I am throwing a party in Freja’s honor this evening, I will not take no for an answer. Drinks are at sunset.
Bianca
Handing the letter to the servant, Astrid said, “Please reply to the contessa that we will be in attendance.”
The servant bowed once more and left the bungalow, running down the steps.
Eric dozed peacefully in the bed as Astrid climbed into the shower. The warm water running through her hair and down her body felt heavenly. The lather from the shampoo smelled like the fragrant blooms in the garden. She inhaled their delicious scent as she felt all the tension of the last two days leaving her body.
Walking out of the shower wrapped in a towel Astrid was relaxed and content, a feeling she was all too aware was temporary. Watching Eric sleep, she knew that every hour they shared on this tropical island was precious. Once they returned to the real world, there would be consequences and repercussions to face.
Sliding into a simple floral sundress, she decided to take a quick peek at her cell phone. It had been over four days since she’d seen any news of the outside world and she knew that she and Eric would face some tough decisions when they resurfaced in civilization. Reaching into her purse, she pulled the phone out and powered it on. The battery was low but the signal was surprisingly strong.
&n
bsp; “Don’t, not yet,” she heard Eric’s voice from the bed.
Turning the phone off, she sat in the bed beside him. “Not yet?” she asked.
“No, not yet. I don’t care what the headlines say right now, I just want to be with you away from all of that.”
“I know. I feel the same way, but sooner or later we’re going to have to face the truth. We’ll have to face your father.”
“Why? I don’t care if I ever go back.”
“What about money? I have some, but not enough to support your lifestyle.”
“My lifestyle? You mean the parties, the limousines, all of that? I’ve been doing some thinking about that. I just want to live on my boat with you. My investments should cover that when my allowance is gone.”
She thought about the people of Rogandal, but that looming responsibility wasn’t something she wanted to bring up right now.
Eric stretched a long arm across the sheets and pulled her close to him. Astrid enjoyed the feeling of his arms wrapped around her, his soft breath against her neck. She wanted to lay in his arms forever, but the contessa could not be kept waiting.
* * *
“Astrid, my dear friend, so glad you could come. And Your Highness, what a handsome fellow you are,” said the contessa, greeting them with kisses on their cheeks.
“This is lovely, thank you,” said Astrid as a servant approached with a tray of drinks.
“I have invited our crews to have drinks with us, since they were so brave. I hope you don’t mind mixing with the common sailors.”
“Contessa, these men saved all our lives. It would be an honor,” said Eric.
Astrid selected a drink from the tray, a sweet concoction that contained a potent combination of alcohol that she could feel from the first sip. Torches lit the white sand beach, bonfires burned and Astrid was surprised to see beautiful women dressed in bikinis intermingling with the sailors.
“Contessa, I don’t remember women being aboard out boats,” she said warily.
“No. I invited these young ladies. I thought our brave young men would enjoy a few drinks in the company of beautiful women, more than one another.”
“How thoughtful,” said Eric.
“Won’t you join Adolfo and I for drinks?” the contessa asked with a warm smile.
“Of course, we would be delighted,” Astrid answered as she and Eric followed the cheerful woman dressed in brightly colored dress through the laughter and conversation of sailors and women.
Adolfo looked less green on the beach of Lawrence Island than he had on Freja. In his blue polo shirt and khaki shorts, he looked handsome, even dashing. He was holding the Contessa’s dog on his lap and sipping a drink as they approached.
“Adolfo, look who has arrived,” the contessa said to her companion.
“Ciao!” he greeted them in a familiar tone.
“Adolfo does not speak much English,” the contessa remarked. “I found him in a Tuscan village selling coffee; isn’t he handsome?”
Astrid and Eric looked at each other, but luckily, the contessa hadn’t been expecting a reply.
“The cook has made us something special this evening. I regret that Adolfo and I will be leaving tomorrow, but you have made this evening even better for me, my heroes!”
The Lawrence Island staff went to great pains to ensure the contessa’s party was a success. The drinks never ended, the food was worthy of a gourmet chef and music played in the background. The sun was setting, slipping behind the waves, and the stars made the perfect backdrop for romance.
“Astrid,” Eric whispered as they sat in the sand after dinner, “come dance with me.” He stood and held out his hand. Astrid accepted and joined him near a bonfire beside the sailors and their companions, slow dancing to the music.
“There are no reporters or men in tuxedos,” said Astrid as she looked into Eric’s eyes, his face illuminated by the light of the bonfire. “I don’t know if I can dance with you without being in formal wear,” she teased.
“I want to spend my life dancing with you whenever we have the chance, on Freja, in seedy bars in Thailand, on beaches. I don’t want to dance with anyone but you for the rest of our lives. I don’t care how corny that sounds – it’s true,” he said as he held her close.
The waves crashed softly on the shore. Eric and Astrid held each other, sharing a dance that would not be photographed and the images sold to a newspaper. It was a dream come true for Astrid and she wished she could stay with Eric on the beach forever.
Eric leaned close to her and said, “Let’s never go back to the real world. Let’s stay here until the money runs out.”
“You know we can’t do that. We’re living on borrowed time.”
“I don’t care what happens, I know one thing: I want to be with you. I want to marry you.”
Astrid’s heart fluttered with excitement. “Eric, do you mean it?”
“I do. I want to marry you, and then we will disappear together.” His smile was crooked in the semi-darkness.
Astrid smiled wistfully. “But what of your people? They need you.”
He made a reluctant sound, and clutched her close, burying his nose in her neck while she squirmed. “They’re tough. They’ve survived worse than my sister.”
“Eric, I want to marry you more than anything I’ve ever wanted in my life, but you can’t run away from Rogandal, not this time.”
Eric sighed, and set her back on her bare feet. “I know I can’t. There’s too much at stake, but I don’t have to think about that right now, and neither do you. All I want to do is find a secluded beach and make love to you under the stars,” he whispered, and kissed her. Astrid’s heart raced as Eric led her by the hand down the beach, the sound of the voices and music fading into the distance.
* * *
For three days, Astrid and Eric enjoyed every hour they spent together on the tropical paradise of Lawrence Island. They slept late every morning, swam in the warm waters and enjoyed the miles of tropical gardens. Astrid compared their time together to a honeymoon, an experience she was afraid she would never have the opportunity to enjoy with Eric once they returned to civilization.
On the afternoon of the third day, Eric and Astrid returned to Freja to speak with the captain. Astrid was glad Captain Jorlsen was still on board and had not abandoned Freja and them. His report was good – the crew had repaired the damage to the bilge pumps and the rest of the storm damage was minor. Freja was ready to sail whenever Astrid gave the word.
Astrid and Eric returned to the bungalow, where Astrid unpacked her laptop. Plugging it in, she looked at Eric. He frowned but nodded.
“It’s time. We have to make some decisions but first we need to see what kind of damage this trip has caused,” said Astrid.
Scrolling through the headlines, she saw several stories about Eric’s sudden disappearance from the world stage, and speculation on his whereabouts. But as she continued reading, she was not prepared for what she saw, not at all.
“Eric,” she said over he shoulder, “I hope you’re sitting down because you are never going to believe this,”
“Believe what?” he asked. “And I prefer to take my bad news standing up.”
Eric walked behind Astrid and leaned over her shoulder as her eyes darted across the screen. From his reaction, she knew he was reading the same headlines that captured her attention.
“What? I don’t believe it! Hans?”
“I am afraid so.” Eirinia had eloped with Eric’s old friend Hans, a prince from Saxony. According to the reports, the princess claimed that she was always in love with him, but had not been free to marry him while Ben threatened to blackmail her family. Now that Ben was out of the picture, she had married the man she loved.
“What rubbish is this? Married Hans? In love with him? You must be joking. He couldn’t care less about her and she never gave him the time of day. She needed a prince, and he needed her money.”
“The marriage was announced yesterday, to
the delight of the king and queen of Rogandal. Eric, with this publicity move she stands a very good chance of becoming the next ruler of Rogandal, unless we do something about it.”
“Do something about it? Why would I want to?” he asked.
“Are you content to let her win? To leave your people in her greedy, manipulative hands? And what of Hans, can he be trusted to have your people’s best intentions at heart?”
“Why can’t you let me be content forgetting about them and my responsibilities?” he asked in huff.
“I can’t do that Eric, because that’s not who you are. If you search deep inside yourself, you’ll know that. You do care about the people that come racing to greet you and wave at you every time your car drives by – you know deep in your heart that you do. It is easy to run away and live your life for yourself; what’s difficult is to live the life you were born to – to live for others.”
“I need some time to think,” he said as he walked out of the bungalow and down to the beach. Astrid fought the urge to run after him, to apologize for throwing the truth in his face like a glass of cold water. As she watched him walk away, she knew that he needed to find it within himself to do what was right, she could not do it for him.
It was nearly sunset when Eric returned to the bungalow. Astrid greeted him from the balcony, glad to see him after their conversation from earlier. She invited him to join her for dinner, an invitation he quickly accepted.
The servants quietly served dinner and opened a bottle of wine for Astrid and Eric as they sat at table, the sky rapidly changing from the bright blue of daylight to the warm oranges and cool purples of sunset. Astrid was transfixed by the view, sunset being her favorite time of day.
“You are beautiful; do you know that?” asked Eric.
Astrid turned to face the man she loved, reaching out for his hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you by what I said earlier, but it is true.”
“I know it is. You’re right, I’ve spent my life running away, and when I did come home again, I did what I was told to do. I’ve never made one decision freely, that was not manipulated by others or forced on me. Until now. I have made a decision, once and for all.”
Taming the Rebel Prince: The Royals of Rogandal Page 20
