Ruled by Love by Barbara Cartland Read Free Book Online

would wish to pour out the tea,” suggested the Lord Chamberlain rather severely.
    â€œBut, of course, and I am quite sure that your Chef has prepared some delicious cakes and scones for us to eat after rather a dull luncheon.”
    There was a pause and somewhat uncomfortably the Lord Chamberlain responded,
    â€œI am afraid that I did not think of sending any food from the Palace with Anton Bauer, when he went to meet you.”
    â€œIt is just what my father would always do,” replied Zoleka. “And of course some champagne too, which most people find refreshing after a long journey.”
    â€œI can only promise that you will have it tonight,” the Lord Chamberlain muttered.
    Zoleka smiled at him and then asked,
    â€œMay I have an audience with His Royal Highness now or shall I wait until dinner?”
    There was a silence after she had spoken.
    She realised, as indeed she had expected, that it had never crossed the Lord Chamberlain’s mind that she would have dinner with Prince Majmir.
    After another awkward moment had passed he said,
    â€œUsually Princess Udele has supper alone.”
    â€œSupper!” exclaimed Zoleka. “But surely now that Princess Udele has grown up and is old enough to take on a Lady-in Waiting, she will have dinner with her father and any guests staying at the Palace?”
    She paused before she continued,
    â€œI should be glad to arrange some dinner parties as soon as you help me with the names of the available young people. I shall also need the names of local musicians as I know we would all enjoy dancing afterwards.”
    If she had dropped a bomb, the Lord Chamberlain could not have been more astonished.
    Before he could speak, Zoleka carried on,
    â€œI can see you are surprised. But you must realise that now Princess Udele has grown up she must take her place in the Palace, and play her part as heiress to the throne in a way as she has not yet done.”
    The Lord Chamberlain still could not speak.
    â€œThe first step forward is for Her Royal Highness to meet young people of her own age. Then I am sure that the Prime Minister will arrange a number of important public engagements for her.”
    She smiled confidently at Udele, who spoke up as if she had been prompted,
    â€œIt all sounds so exciting. It has been so dull these last months, staying upstairs with nothing to do when I was not taken out riding.”
    â€œFor the future,” asserted Zoleka, “it will not be a question of people taking you out. You will be giving your orders as to where and when you want to go, and as I love riding we will ride as much as we can and on your father’s best horses.”
    She paused for a moment before she added,
    â€œYou will find that Count Franz von Hofmannstall is such an outstanding rider. He will be only too willing to accompany us.”
    As if the Lord Chamberlain felt the conversation was going too far, he addressed Udele,
    â€œI feel sure Your Royal Highness will understand we must have approval for all this from your father. I do not think he realised, when the Prime Minister suggested that you should have a Lady-in-Waiting, that so much change would be involved with the appointment.”
    â€œOf course, if you don’t want me here,” interposed Zoleka, “I can easily go home. I can assure you I have left a great many duties behind and my father is missing me very much.”
    â€œThere is no question of that,” the Prime Minister intervened. “We are absolutely delighted to have you here. I think you are right, it is important that Princess Udele meets the people in the country, who have never seen her before, let alone met her.”
    â€œThat is certainly something we can put right, and as I have already said to Princess Udele, the first thing we are going to do is to go shopping.”
    â€œShopping!” cried out the Lord Chamberlain. “But why?”
    â€œBecause every debutante is