by Emily Forbes
Viktoria planned to take some photographs throughout the day and start tweeting some inspirational messages to get the competitors psyched for the start of the Games and to catch the public’s attention too. She looked at the outfit Brigitta had laid out for her again. A dress with a full skirt, wide straps and buttons running down the front was paired with wedge-heeled sandals. The irony that she’d wanted freedom to make her own decisions yet was still happy for Brigitta to select her clothes was not lost on her.
‘Do you think I could wear something a little more casual?’ she asked. ‘It sounds like I could be doing a lot of walking. Flat shoes maybe?’ She could tell by Brigitta’s raised eyebrows that she had confounded her. Viktoria’s mother, the Princess, never approved flat shoes but Viktoria wasn’t going to let her mother’s fashion sense dictate her wardrobe from the other side of the world. ‘I imagine I’ll be spending the day with a lot of people in uniform,’ she argued, before Brigitta could protest, ‘I do not want to look overdressed.’ Besides, she’d worn flat shoes yesterday when she and Brigitta had played tourists, but she knew that was different. She wasn’t pretending to work then.
‘What did you have in mind?’
‘I am not sure,’ she said, realising that she really had no idea but knowing that she wanted the freedom to make the decision, ‘but I am definitely thinking flat shoes. What about those trainers I wore yesterday?’
They had spent yesterday morning wandering around the historic Rocks area adjacent the hotel before heading down to the wildlife park on Darling Harbour. They’d been accompanied by Hendrik, a member of her family’s security team who doubled as a driver and had also been sent to Australia by Viktoria’s father. She wished she and Brigitta had been permitted to venture out alone, but she knew better than to suggest it. Hendrik would never allow it. Instead she’d tried to get Hendrik to blend in, to give the impression that they were three friends travelling together as opposed to a princess, her security guard and her personal assistant. She wasn’t sure how successful they’d been, but no one had seemed to recognise her so maybe Freddie was right. Maybe she would get some freedom here in Sydney.
Brigitta disappeared into the walk-in closet and emerged with a pair of Viktoria’s white jeans, white leather sneakers, a navy blazer and a selection of lightweight camisoles. ‘Something like this?’
‘Perfect,’ Viktoria said as she chose a patterned camisole and dressed quickly before sitting down to let Brigitta attend to her hair.
‘What are you going to do today?’ Viktoria asked as Brigitta brushed her thick, pale blonde hair before styling it in a loose plait that fell over one shoulder.
‘I think I’ll have to go shopping if you’re going to insist on changing up your outfits. One pair of flat shoes is not going to see you through the next two weeks,’ she said with a smile as she started applying Viktoria’s make-up. She kept it simple, applying light foundation to Viktoria’s creamy skin, highlighting her cheekbones with blush and using mascara and eyeliner to frame her blue eyes. As she finished coating Viktoria’s lips with gloss the hotel telephone rang.
‘There’s a Dr Campbell Hamilton here to escort you,’ Brigitta told Viktoria once she answered. ‘I’ll message Hendrik, tell him you’re ready,’ she said as she handed Viktoria a small bag. ‘I’ve put your phone, a credit card, a make-up purse and your sunglasses in there. Your schedule is on your phone.’
Viktoria took a deep breath to calm her nerves, suddenly realising this was it. She was doing this. Going off to work like a regular person, out into the world.
She took the lift down to Reception. She stepped out, wondering how she would know who to look for, before realising the reception staff would advise her. She looked to the front desk and her attention was caught by a man in army uniform standing near the concierge.
‘Miss von Grasburg?’ he addressed her, and she was momentarily flummoxed. She wasn’t used to being addressed so casually. There was no Your Highness or even ma’am.
No, this was what she wanted, she reminded herself. He knew all he needed to know. She smiled to herself and swallowed her surprise.
She was Miss von Grasburg.
CHAPTER TWO
‘PLEASE, CALL ME VIKTORIA,’ she said as she nodded and held out her hand to shake his.
‘Campbell Hamilton.’
He was tall, over six feet, with thick dark hair which was a little longer than she thought would meet standard army regulations. He looked lean and muscular, fit without being too bulky. He had wide blue-grey eyes and a dimpled chin. He was clean-shaven with a full mouth and she could see a small scar running through his bottom lip. He was handsome. Very handsome.
She wasn’t sure who she had been expecting but she had never imagined this.
His handshake was firm, his skin cool, but she wasn’t prepared for the heat that spread from his fingertips into her hand and up her arm. She managed to maintain her composure even while her skin tingled and flared under his touch.
She waited for him to say it was a pleasure to meet her, but he didn’t. Was that something people only said to be polite?
‘I understand you want to see the Games facilities?’ he said as he released her hand.
She nodded. The power of speech had deserted her momentarily. Dr Campbell Hamilton was tall, dark and handsome and made her feel strangely nervous.
She had an odd sensation that this man was the reason she was here. That he was what she’d come for. She had an overpowering sense that he was going to play an important role in her days here. Or was she just getting caught up in the excitement of the day ahead?
‘My car is out the front,’ he said as he turned and began walking towards the exit. He was quite abrupt, and Viktoria was a little thrown. While she had the sense that he was important, that there was some sort of connection between them, he didn’t appear to share her thoughts. She got the impression she had annoyed him. He seemed to wish he was somewhere else. Doing something else. Her bubble of enthusiasm deflated slightly but, refusing to be completely crushed, she followed him outside.
He was standing beside a white SUV, holding the door open for her.
She hesitated.
‘Is there a problem?’ he asked when she made no move to climb in.
Viktoria looked down the driveway and saw Hendrik pulling to a stop in the driveway.
‘I arranged for Hendrik to drive us,’ she said.
‘Who?’
She gestured towards the black luxury SUV that was now stationary behind Campbell’s car. ‘Hendrik. My driver.’
‘You have a driver?’
‘Oui.’
‘No one said anything about a driver. This is my car. I will be driving.’
Viktoria made a split decision. She didn’t want to irritate him further and she wanted to live like a normal person. She’d let him drive. That would be safe enough, surely? After all, he was a government employee. ‘Do you have some identification?’ she asked.
‘Identification?’ He was frowning.
‘Oui. If you can show Hendrik some identification to verify yourself, I will give him the day off and let you drive me.’ She knew Hendrik wouldn’t be happy, but she’d deal with him later.
‘You’ll let me drive you?’
His tone was frosty, but Viktoria nodded even as she wished they could begin this conversation again. They were not getting off to a great start.
Cam bit back a sigh and resisted the urge to run his hand through his hair in frustration. He should have taken the meetings. This was going to be a nightmare. They already seemed to be at cross purposes, working off different briefs. He couldn’t care less if she came with him or not, but he had gone out of his way to collect her this morning and he didn’t appreciate finding out that it hadn’t been necessary. He could have easily met her at the barracks and sorted out her credentials and visitor’s clearance then. But he
knew he had to be polite. This woman worked for the Prince. It wouldn’t do to get her offside. He suspected she was going to be demanding. She probably had every right to be, but he wished he wasn’t going to be the one who had to meet her demands.
And then she smiled at him.
The photo provided for her clearance documents hadn’t done her justice. It had been a flattering photo—she’d looked attractive—but he’d been mistaken. She wasn’t just pretty; she was absolutely stunning.
Her smile was like the sun coming out and it burnt through the fog that had surrounded his psyche for the past two years. As the fog lifted, he felt as if he could see clearly for the first time in months...and what he saw made him catch his breath.
She had blonde hair that fell past her shoulders in a long plait, and flawless skin. Her legs were long and looked slim even in a pair of white jeans. About five foot eight, she was trim but athletic. She looked fit and healthy, young and full of energy. Her blue eyes sparkled, and he lost focus as he looked into them. He was well aware that she was the first woman he’d truly noticed in a long time and for a brief moment Gemma was not first and foremost in his mind.
And then the ever-present guilt resurfaced.
Gemma was his responsibility. His burden to bear. This woman, Viktoria, was gorgeous but their relationship was purely professional. It didn’t matter what she looked like.
She was still smiling as he dug out his army identification and passed it over. He waited while she inspected it and then showed it to her driver.
He stuck it back in his pocket when she returned it to him and resisted the urge to slam the passenger door when she finally climbed into his car. He might be frustrated but he still had the manners instilled into him not only from the army but from his parents and he remembered Doug’s words. ‘Be nice.’
It shouldn’t have been a hardship to spend the day with her and it wasn’t her fault he was grumpy—that his guilt made him irritable.
He was mollified when his actions were rewarded with another smile.
‘Merci.’
Her voice was pleasant. Deep for a woman. Her words precise. Her English was scattered with French words and slightly accented.
He resisted the temptation to ask her about it. He told himself he didn’t need to know anything personal about her. That he didn’t care to. He told himself he was just surprised. Working for the Prince, he’d expected her to be English, but he knew that would say more about him than her if he expressed his surprise. There was no reason why the Prince couldn’t have anyone he liked working for him.
He’d keep the conversation generic, he decided as he started the engine. That was the safest option. ‘I understand you want a tour of the facilities and competition venues for the Games?’
‘Yes.’
‘It’s a bit of a drive to the old barracks which is where the majority of the events will be staged. Are you familiar with Sydney at all?’
‘Not really. From what I have seen, though, it is a stunning city. And I have heard you have amazing beaches. I am looking forward to seeing Bondi Beach.’
‘There are much better beaches to visit than Bondi.’
‘Oh.’
He didn’t think one tiny word could hold so much disappointment and he felt bad that he’d caused that. ‘But you should still go there,’ he said in an attempt to remedy the situation. He didn’t need another thing to feel guilty about.
‘I would really like to see the Outback and the Reef too. I want the full Australian experience.’
‘You haven’t been here before?’
‘Never. I am very much looking forward to seeing your country.’
She sounded so eager and Cam couldn’t decide if her enthusiasm was endearing or annoying. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been enthusiastic about anything. ‘How long are you here for?’
‘Fifteen days.’
‘Including the Games?’
She nodded. ‘Oui.’
‘You know it’s a long way to anywhere in Australia, right? There’s only so much you’ll be able to see.’
‘Yes.’
‘Where are you from?’
‘Berggrun.’
‘Berggrun? Is that in Europe?’ Cam had never heard of it, but he couldn’t admit that. It was one thing for people to think you were ignorant, another to speak and confirm their suspicions and he did not want to appear a fool.
‘You have heard of it?’ she asked but he couldn’t tell if she was surprised or pleased.
‘No, I haven’t,’ he had to admit.
‘It is in Europe.’
‘It’s a city?’
‘No. A principality. A small one. It is only about the same size as Sydney.’
‘Like Monaco?’
‘Oui.’
‘How did you get from there to working for Prince Alfred?’
‘I have a degree in marketing.’
‘That doesn’t answer the question.’
‘What question exactly?’
‘The Prince’s office asked me to show you around today. I just wondered what made you so important. Why you and no one else from his office?’
‘No one else has arrived in Sydney yet. The Prince and everyone else with him are flying in via New Zealand in a couple of days.’
‘Why didn’t you come with them?’
‘I do not normally work for the Prince. I am just working on this one event.’
He stopped his car at the entrance to the barracks and showed the guard their credentials before driving onto the grounds and, out of habit, parking near the medical centre.
He was going to ask her why she was working on this particular event, but she spoke again before he had a chance to.
‘The hotel said you are a doctor,’ Viktoria said, looking around as he switched off the engine. ‘Did they mean a medical doctor?’
‘Of course.’
‘Do you enjoy your job?’
He didn’t really enjoy much any more but it kept him busy. He made a conscious effort to get through one day at a time. He’d been doing that for two years now, waiting for things to get better.
‘It keeps me busy,’ he replied.
He was a general surgeon but, when he wasn’t deployed, he worked as a GP. He wouldn’t be deployed again, he would not see active service again, but she didn’t need to know any of that.
‘If you are a doctor, why are you being my tour guide?’
That was a good question.
‘A friend of mine is second-in-command for the Games and put me in charge of the medical team. I’m on the committee in addition to my day job,’ he said as he headed around the medical centre towards the gym, hoping she would stop asking questions and follow his lead. ‘This used to be an active army base but now it is a rehabilitation hospital and facility. The sports venues have been revamped and some additions have been made so that most of the events for the Legion’s Games can be held here. What exactly is your brief?’
‘I have to update the social media sites associated with the Games. I have to engage the competitors, tweet about the events and the results. I also want to promote the idea that physical and mental health have a link, but I am not sure just how I will do that yet.’
‘What do you want to see?’
‘Can I just wander around the facilities, get a feel for the space?’
‘I don’t have time to wander around the grounds with you.’
‘If you can tell me if there is anywhere that is out of bounds for me, I am happy to wander on my own.’
Maybe he could do that—give her a quick overview and leave her to get on with it. That would give him some much-needed space; he was finding it difficult to concentrate with her around. He suspected she might be demanding but he could handle that; what he was concerned about was whether he could handle
his own reaction to her. He was far too aware of her and it was making him edgy.
He was attracted to her and he didn’t want to be.
‘There’s a medical facility and rehabilitation clinic on site. We have doctors, psychologists, physiotherapists, masseurs, exercise physiologists, podiatrists and prosthetists,’ he said as he crossed the car park.
Viktoria matched his stride. She wasn’t as tall as him but she moved quickly, her gait smooth and graceful. He wasn’t as quick on his feet as he used to be, and he was concentrating hard to disguise his limp. He shouldn’t care but he did. He didn’t like to appear damaged.
He pushed open a door that led into the gym. There were basketball and volleyball courts overlooking a fifty-metre indoor pool with a traditional weights room and indoor rowing facility at the far end. It was an impressive facility.
‘The sports are weightlifting, swimming, rowing, basketball, volleyball, cycling, archery and rugby?’ She counted them off on her fingers. ‘That is only eight. What have I missed?
‘Tennis, athletics—track and field are counted separately—and sailing. Those events are not being held here, neither is the cycling, but the other seven events will be on this site. There’s a rugby pitch and archery field outside.’
He walked with her along the pool deck and into the gym. It was a hive of activity, with dozens of people in training. Some were competitors in the upcoming Games, others were taking part in rehabilitation programmes.
‘Hey, Doc, do you have a minute?’ one of the delisted vets called out as they walked past.
Cam stopped and introduced Viktoria to the soldier. ‘Viktoria, this is Lieutenant Andrews.’
‘Just Mark these days,’ he said as he shook Viktoria’s hand.
‘Are you competing in the Games?’ she asked.
He nodded. ‘Archery and swimming.’
‘Two sports?’
‘Lots of us are doing multiple.’
‘You have to get selected, yes? It is not a matter of simply turning up and putting your name on a list?’ She turned to Cam with the question.
