Ruled by Love by Barbara Cartland Read Free Book Online Page A

entitled to a trousseau. I have a suspicion, and I am sure I am right, that the poor Princess is still wearing the same clothes she wore in the schoolroom! But now she is eighteen and is ‘coming out’.”
    â€œOf course you are right,” the Prime Minister came in. “And I can see by your own style that you know exactly the sort of clothes our Princess should be wearing.”
    â€œAnd what I want to wear,” added Princess Udele. “It will be very very wonderful to have new clothes.”
    â€œYou shall have the very best that can be provided here,” insisted Zoleka, “and if they are not good enough, we will send off to Vienna. I brought some lovely gowns from Vienna only last year.”
    If she had not been concentrating on playing her part, she could not have helped laughing at the expression on the Lord Chamberlain’s face.
    It had never struck him for a single minute that this sort of situation would arise from the Princess taking on a Lady-in-Waiting.
    He had supposed she would be some mousey little woman who would feel very honoured to be in the Palace. Someone who would just carry out her duties obediently without having an idea or thought of her own.
    Zoleka poured out another cup of tea for the Prime Minister, aware that he was quietly amused by the Lord Chamberlain’s consternation.
    Almost as if he had been prompted, the latter rose to his feet.
    â€œI think if Your Royal Highness will excuse me,” he said to Zoleka, “I will go and see His Royal Highness and inform him of your arrival.”
    â€œTell him I am anxious to make his acquaintance. I quite understand that he was too busy to greet us when we arrived, but I feel that when he has the time we will have a great deal to discuss.”
    The Lord Chamberlain left the room.
    The Prime Minister looked at Zoleka and sighed,
    â€œMight I congratulate Your Royal Highness? You have started to blow away the cobwebs even quicker than I hoped. In fact I can only thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming to Krnov.”
    â€œThank you, Prime Minister, but I shall need your help.”
    â€œYou have only to ask,” he answered, “and I will support you in every way I can.”
    Before Zoleka could say any more the door opened and the Count and Pieter Seitz entered.
    â€œWe were told Your Royal Highness was in here,” Pieter said to Zoleka, “and I have come to assure you that the horses are all comfortably bedded down and their riders are now looking forward to finding out what are the gayest places to visit in the City.”
    â€œThen you have done your work splendidly. Let me pour you a cup of tea.”
    Both men accepted and the Prime Minister said to the Count,
    â€œTell me how your father is. I am a great admirer of his and perhaps one day I can persuade him to pay us a visit here in Krnov.”
    â€œIf you were to invite him, I think he would enjoy it. In the meantime I would like to meet as many of your citizens as I possibly can. I always enjoy meeting people and visiting a new country where I have not been before.”
    â€œThat is a tall order,” responded the Prime Minister, “but I will do my very best to fulfil it. There are a number of people I think would interest you. But please remember I myself have only just recently been appointed, so I have to tread very carefully.”
    â€œTo miss the old people’s corns,” smiled the Count. “They are always getting in the way of new ideas and new interests. We too have had exactly the same trouble on my father’s estate, but I have managed to introduce quite a number of new methods.”
    â€œThen I congratulate you. The most difficult thing in the world is to pour new wine into an old bottle!”
    They all laughed at this remark and then the Count asked Zoleta,
    â€œWhat is the programme, Your Royal Highness, for tonight?”
    â€œThat is just what I am waiting to hear.