Crowned: The Palace Nanny

by Marion Lennox

  ‘He’s come, he’s come.’ Zoe was squealing with excitement. ‘And he’s brought crazy socks. Elsa, he’s here. Stefanos is here. Come and see.’

  There wasn’t a choice. She should have at least brushed her hair, she thought desperately, as she tried to organise her smile to be cool and welcoming. She walked cautiously around the tree, and there he was. He’d hauled a mattress downstairs, and a mound of bedding. He was lying back, smiling up at them, his blankets pulled only to his waist. Bare-chested.

  Breathtakingly gorgeous.

  Buster was on his stomach already, kneading his blankets with her soft paws and purring so hard you’d swear she’d recognised him. Zoe was snuggling down beside him, a little girl with everything she wanted in life.

  ‘You’ve messed with our Christmas decorations,’ she muttered before she could stop herself, and his grin widened.

  ‘I threaded popcorn all the way from New York to Athens, and I made half my fellow passengers help me. The rest were on lantern duty. And then it still looked a bit empty so Santa had to resort to socks. And a happy Christmas to you too, Mrs Murdoch. Dr Langham. My love.’

  There was a bit too much in that statement for Elsa to think about. She opened her mouth to reply and gave up and closed it again.

  ‘No Happy Christmas?’ he said, smiling at her evident confusion.

  ‘Happy Christmas,’ she managed, sounding winded. ‘Why…why aren’t you in your own bed?’

  ‘I might have missed present opening. Have you opened your stocking yet?’ He rolled out of bed. He’d gone to bed wearing boxer shorts. Only boxer shorts. What more could a girl want for Christmas? she thought as she watched him stretch and yawn; as she thought all sorts of things that surely a nicely brought up girl-a mature widow!-had no business thinking.

  Had she opened her stocking? ‘N…no,’ she managed, annoyed that her voice squeaked. ‘It’s bad form to open gifts until the family’s together.’

  ‘Is the family together now?’ he asked gently and he looked at Zoe cradling Buster and then he looked to her with such an expression that her heart did a double backflip. Landed on its back. Refused to start operating again in any mode she considered normal.

  ‘I…I guess,’ she muttered.

  ‘No guessing,’ he said, suddenly stern. ‘You need to be sure. Zoe, I’m assuming you’ve guessed this very fine trampoline came squeezing down the chimney in the wee small hours especially for you. Would you like to try it out for size?’

  ‘Ooh, yes,’ Zoe said and flew with Buster to the trampoline, only to be hauled back by her big cousin.

  ‘Buster,’ Stefanos said firmly, removing the long-suffering kitten from her arms, ‘stays on the ground.’

  Only he didn’t. Stefanos handed Buster to Elsa and then, when her hands were safely occupied and she couldn’t fend him off, he kissed her. Just the once, but the look in his eyes said there were more where that came from. Just the once, but it was enough to light her world.

  ‘It appears I’m needing to send out a royal decree for mistletoe,’ he growled, his lovely crooked smile warming parts of her she hadn’t known were cold. ‘Honestly. Can’t you people be depended on to organise anything?’

  She managed a chuckle but it was a pretty wavery chuckle. She was too…thrown.

  ‘Happy Christmas,’ he said again, and then obviously decided mistletoe was not absolutely essential and he kissed her again, deeply this time, long and hard and so wonderfully that finally Zoe ceased bouncing, put her hands on her hips and issued a royal decree of her own.

  ‘Yuck,’ she said. ‘And you’re squashing Buster. Stop kissing and open presents.’

  ‘Yes, ma’am,’ Stefanos said and swept Elsa-and the slightly squished Buster-into his arms and deposited them both on the settee by the tree. Then he lifted the rolled document out of the top of her stocking and handed it to her, with such gravitas it was as if he was handing over royal title to his land and his kingdom for ever.

  She looked up at him, wondering, but he was looking grave and expectant, waiting for her to discover for herself what it was. Slowly she unfastened the ribbon holding the roll of documents together. Buster pounced on the ribbon; she set both ribbon and Buster on the floor and then looked up at Stefanos again, half afraid to go further.

  ‘Well, go on, then,’ he said, in the same tone of impatience Zoe had just used. ‘Read it.’

  She read.

  …Transfer of title of Diamond Mine Number Two on the Isle of Argyros, the income from which to be used in perpetuity for the health of all the citizens of the Diamond Isles…

  She stared up at him, confused. He smiled back at her, and he didn’t look confused in the least.

  ‘I’m changing my direction,’ he said softly. ‘So I’m hoping…if I head in the same direction as you, can we walk together?’

  ‘I…I don’t know what you mean.’

  He sat down beside her, took the documents back and set them aside. His face was suddenly grave. ‘Elsa, on the plane on the way to New York I met a man who knew you. He told me about your research, and you know what else he said about you? He said…She sees the big picture. And he spoke in awe. He meant you don’t just look at the turtles on the beach that need saving. You broaden your work; you look at their survival internationally. And I finally figured it out. It was like I’d needed a swipe to the side of the head to wake me up, and I finally got it. That’s what I’ve been guilty of. Seeing only what’s before my eyes. Not thinking big. Seeing only my work in Manhattan and how much it means.’

  ‘But your work is important,’ she said, confused, struggling to understand.

  ‘It is,’ he agreed, still grave, laughter put aside as he tried to make her see. ‘Elsa, without conceit, I can say my work changes lives. So when I knew I had to work here I was gutted. I knew I had no choice-the islanders are my people. And then there was a new imperative. You’re my people. You’re my family, Elsa. You and Zoe. I want you so much-and it was such a shock to realise I ached for a family. I ached for you. I was so committed to what I was feeling for you, and to the needs of the islanders as well, that I’d stopped thinking big. It took one stray remark about how wonderful you were to make me rethink.’

  ‘I don’t think I’m following your logic,’ she managed cautiously, trying to focus on his words rather than the joy and love she was seeing in his eyes. The joy and love that was building inside her. She didn’t know yet what he was talking about but the smile behind his eyes said it was good.

  ‘We’re too small.’ He had her hands now, holding her tight. ‘But now I’m thinking big. Elsa, this document is a plan.’

  ‘Something about a diamond mine?’ she ventured. Good one, Elsa. Intelligence wasn’t on the agenda this morning-nor was speed reading. All she was seeing was Stefanos.

  ‘Absolutely it’s about a diamond mine, my love,’ he said and tugged her into his arms and kissed her again. Long and lingering and lovely. But then he set her back from him. There were still things that needed to be said.

  There were things she didn’t understand, and he had to make her see.

  ‘There are six diamond mines on Argyros,’ he said softly while she listened in wonder. ‘Argyros is therefore the wealthiest of the Diamond Isles but it has no hospital. Nikos has been talking to me about setting up decent medical facilities there. It’s the same on Sappheiros-Alexandros is already making plans for a hospital. And then, on the plane, I made myself see the big picture. Separately we’re small islands. We each need good medical facilities but we don’t each have the population to set up a major base. But together…’

  ‘Together?’

  ‘It’s too big,’ he said ruefully. ‘To land this on you on Christmas morning. But I can’t wait any longer. Elsa, I love you, I want you more than life itself, but I’ve already asked you to marry me. What I need now is for you to know I’ve changed. Everything’s changed. Except my love for you. So…can I tell you what we’ve decided? The rulers of the other two islands and
me?’

  How was a girl to react to that? Her heart was starting to sing. Bubbles of happiness were floating to the surface and filling the room with joy. ‘I’m…I’m listening,’ she whispered, and suddenly so was Zoe, sitting cross-legged on her trampoline, watching with big, serious eyes. She really was much older than her eight years, Elsa thought, and then she thought that, whatever was coming-and already joy was starting to overwhelm her-it was appropriate that Zoe was here. To bear witness, she thought, and then she thought that was a dumb thing to think but she thought it anyway.

  ‘Earth to Elsa,’ Stefanos said, laughing softly and tightening his grip on her hands and she thought, okay, thoughts could come at some other time. Now was the time for listening.

  ‘It’s a medical scheme,’ he told her, and in his eyes was jubilation, excitement, a man about to embark on a Boy’s Own adventure. ‘A medical centre second to none will be built, here on Khryseis, with satellite hospitals on the other two islands. Fast and easy transfer facilities. Every specialist we need. Together we’ll care for the people of the Diamond Isles as they deserve to be cared for. It’s what I dreamed of as a kid, as did Alexandros on Sappheiros, and Nikos on Argyros. Three Crowns, Elsa. Three Crowns finally come together to provide care for all.’

  ‘One…one big medical centre?’ She was struggling to take it in.

  ‘State-of-the-art. And, with the islands being as lovely as they are, and the salaries we’re prepared to pay, we don’t expect any trouble staffing them as they should be staffed. We don’t see islanders needing to go to Athens for treatment any more. We see mainlanders coming to us.’ His hands moved to her shoulders, holding her, desperate for her to share his joy.

  ‘Alex and Nikos flew to New York to work this through with me. For such a project, for something so wonderful for all of us, the diamonds on Argyros will be needed, but none of us can see a better use for them. We envisage offering our medical facilities worldwide. And more. There’ll be resorts on each island that are half hotel, half hospital. Come here and be pampered and made well, and support our economy while you do.’

  He was so exultant now his excitement was practically blazing. ‘We’ve done the preliminary figures and the guys in suits agree with us,’ he told her. ‘It will work. And here’s the tail, Elsa. Here’s my huge joy. With the money raised we believe we can still bring people here from Third World countries. I’ll be able to operate as I’ve been doing and I’ll be able to teach. So…so what do you think?’

  He paused then. He was still holding her by the shoulders, his eyes not leaving hers. But now…his excitement faded a little, giving way to anxiety.

  He was asking what she thought? He was anxious about what she’d think?

  ‘You’d be here,’ she whispered. ‘You’d be doing the work you love.’

  ‘I’d be doing all the work I love,’ he said, excitement giving way to gravity. ‘I’ll be ruling this island in Zoe’s stead, caring for it as it must be cared for. I’ll be doing the medicine I love-I’ll be making a difference. And I’ll be sharing my life with you.’

  ‘With me.’

  ‘And with Zoe,’ he said, his eyes lighting with laughter again. This much joy couldn’t be contained for more than a moment. ‘And our cats.’

  ‘Cats,’ she said cautiously, for she was starting to see a theme here. There were pictures of cats all over the Christmas tree. ‘Cats, plural?’

  ‘I made a few calls to Australia,’ he said. ‘I figured…well, I hoped you might be staying here long term, and the guy feeding your cats now has twenty-three on his list.’

  ‘Twenty-three…’ she gasped.

  ‘It seems he’s Waratah Cove’s answer to the Pied Piper of Hamelin. He’s taken them on as his mission in life.’

  ‘Don’t tell me you’re bringing them here,’ she managed.

  Zoe said, ‘Ooh!’

  ‘That’s not an ooh,’ Elsa said, torn between laughter and horror. ‘It’s an Are You Out Of Your Mind?’

  ‘I hoped you might say that,’ Stefanos said, smiling into her eyes with such a look that she might, just might, be forced to forgive him twenty-three cats-or anything at all. ‘So what I’ve done is give the guy a job in perpetuity, caring for them all. With one exception.’

  ‘One…’

  ‘A skinny little black one,’ he said apologetically. ‘I met him that first day when you guys were on the beach and I had to find you. It seems he’s been pining for you-he’s hardly eaten since you left and, to tell you the truth, I sort of fell for him. So he’s on his way here as we speak. My love.’

  My love. There was enough in those two words to be perfectly adequate, thank you very much-she hardly wanted more.

  Only Zoe was made of sterner stuff. She darted across to the mantelpiece and was flying back, tipping the contents of Elsa’s stocking at her feet.

  ‘You have another present and I have six. Maybe I ought to open some of mine first.’

  ‘If you don’t mind, Zoe,’ Stefanos said and lifted the tiny crimson box from where it had fallen. ‘So far Elsa’s just had paper. You have a trampoline and this is important.’

  ‘Elsa has a cat,’ Zoe said.

  ‘Yes, but he’s not here yet. So, as yet, she’s giftless.’

  ‘Okay,’ Zoe said obligingly, grabbing the long-suffering Buster and squatting beside Elsa. ‘But it’s really small. Open it fast, Elsa.’

  ‘Open it slow, Elsa,’ Stefanos said, and watched as Elsa forgot to breathe and tried to make fumbling fingers operate the catch of the tiny box.

  ‘Let me,’ Stefanos said at last, and flicked the clasp. And there, resting on a bed of black velvet, was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. It was gnarled and twisted gold, burnished with age and history, with three magnificent diamonds set in its depths-diamonds to take a girl’s breath away.

  ‘It’s the ancient ring of this island, worn by the ruling Princess of Khryseis for generations,’ Stefanos said softly. ‘On her marriage. If…if you’d like to be married, that is. If you’d like to be my princess.’ He took a deep breath. ‘If you’d like to be married to me.’

  ‘It’s beeyootiful,’ Zoe breathed, but Elsa said nothing at all. She couldn’t.

  She was so proud of him. She was so in love with him.

  He was giving her another chance.

  ‘You can always change it if you don’t like it,’ Stefanos said, anxious again. ‘If you fancy emeralds, or something modern? When Zoe marries she’ll inherit it anyway so it’d be good to have a backup. Anything you like, my darling, just say the word. I believe the only thing non-negotiable in this whole deal is who you get to marry.’ And he dropped to one knee. ‘If it’s okay, that is. If you say yes. Elsa, will you marry me?’

  She looked up from the ring. He was kneeling before her. Her prince.

  ‘You’re proposing in boxer shorts?’ Elsa managed.

  ‘I believe I was wearing a suit and tie last time I proposed. Look where that got me. Now I’m trying a different tack.’

  ‘Zoe, if you run and get my camera, I wouldn’t mind this moment being documented,’ Elsa murmured-weakly-and Stefanos grinned but he didn’t shift from where he was kneeling.

  Zoe stared at them both as if they were crazy. ‘He’s asking you to marry him?’

  ‘I believe…I believe he is. I…can you get the camera?’

  ‘Yes,’ she yelled and whooped in excitement and headed for the stairs. ‘I want to be a bridesmaid,’ she called over her shoulder, and continued whooping all the way up the stairs.

  ‘So now,’ Stefanos said, starting to look long-suffering. ‘Elsa…My love…’ But then he had to pause as the butler’s long face appeared around the door.

  ‘Good morning, sir,’ he said. ‘Happy Christmas. Welcome home. Will you be wanting breakfast?’

  ‘Josef,’ Stefanos said, in a goaded voice.

  ‘Yes, sir?’

  ‘You’re a servant to the royal family, right?’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Josef sa
id, taking in the tableau in front of him and grinning.

  ‘Then you no doubt know about summary beheadings, boiling in oil and the rest.’

  ‘I have read my history.’

  ‘Excellent,’ Stefanos said. ‘Then I command you to close that door and lean against it and let no one else in, for fear of blood-curdling retribution, for the next ten minutes. At least.’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ Josef said, and chuckled and closed the doors.

  ‘Servants,’ Stefanos said. ‘You can’t do anything with them these days. Now, where were we?’

  ‘Exactly where we were two minutes ago, I believe,’ she said cautiously. ‘You want me to come down on the floor with you?’

  ‘I want you to hush,’ he said. ‘Elsa.’

  ‘Stefanos.’

  ‘Will you marry me?’ he said again, and again the laughter was gone. Only love remained. Only the gravity of a promise to be made for ever.

  And what was a girl to say to that? Well, the obvious one for a start.

  ‘Yes.’

  He blinked. ‘Pardon?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘I haven’t used all of my very cogent arguments yet.’

  ‘I’m marrying you anyway.’

  ‘And…why would that be?’

  ‘I believe I love you. Are you sure I can’t come down there with you?’

  ‘If you must,’ he said and tugged her down so they were kneeling face to face under the Christmas tree. ‘Elsa, I love you with all my heart.’

  ‘That’s exceedingly fortunate because I love you too.’

  ‘Really?’

  ‘Absolutely. Of course I love you more in tassels and with your dress sword and boots, but I’m so far gone I’ll even love you in boxer shorts. Are you going to kiss me yet?’

  ‘You don’t want to know how much I love you?’

  ‘You can start telling me,’ she said, and smiled as an imperious little voice sounded from the other side of the door.

  ‘They want me in there. I’ve got the camera. They really, truly want me.’

  ‘Well, I guess you can’t tell me how much you love me anyway,’ she said, smiling and smiling, and maybe even crying a little as well as he tugged her into his arms and held her close. ‘Because I don’t think we’ll know how much we love each other until the end of eternity.’