§ § § -- February 12, 2003
All four telephone lines were ringing when Christian arrived at work the next day, and Julianne, Mateo and Jonathan were all occupied, so Christian picked up the last line with a roll of the eyes. He himself rarely answered the phone and found it unusual to have the lines so busy. "Enstad Computer Services. This is Christian, may I help you?"
"Oh my goodness, my love, you're answering directly," Leslie's voice said with a laugh. "Must be busy. It just occurred to me to ask—did you check with Anna-Kristina to see if she wants to make an official announcement about breaking off her engagement to Carlono? I wasn't sure if she really meant it, or if it was the heat of the moment because of the news the doctors gave her."
"Oh, no, I didn't," Christian said, "but something tells me she does mean it. You know how long it took her to finally decide to accept, and then as soon as she heard this, she backed right out again. Why do you ask? Is she upset again?"
"She was still asleep when I left the house," Leslie said. She had gone in a little later than Christian, who'd caught a ride into town with Grady on his way to check the Hardings' post-office box and take Brianna to school. "I just figured, we're going to have to deal with it sooner or later, so I thought I'd check with you."
"I see," said Christian. "Well, I'll call her in a couple of hours or so and see if she's awake and how she's feeling. Don't worry, my darling, she'll pull through this. She's naïve, but she's very strong and stubborn. She just needs a chance to rest and pull herself together a bit, and she'll be ready to face the world again in another day or two. It's how we've always had to be, as far back as I can remember, ever since the media age began. We're too publicly visible to be able to indulge ourselves for long, and that will have its bearing on her, so she won't drown in her self-pity. And if she tries, I'll put a stop to it."
He grinned at her laugh. "I'd hate to hear the names she'll call you in that case. Well, okay. Tell everybody over there I said hi, and have a good day, okay?"
"I'll do my best," he said humorously. "You as well, my Rose. Tell Mr. Roarke good morning for me. Talk to you later." She acknowledged, and they traded goodbyes and hung up. Sighing, Christian moved behind his desk and noticed that Julianne, at least, had wound up her call and was typing fast and furious on her computer. "Problem?"
"Just trying to put in an emergency order for computer parts," Julianne said. "Drat the pineapple plantation anyway! They really ought to be more careful who they hire. They took some big brawny bruiser off the last cargo ship to come in here, some nutball who turned out to be an escapee from a prison in Kiribati, and he recognized another worker over there and tried to kill him. They got into a fight in the office and damaged three computers. Honestly, Boss Prince, sometimes I wish you had competition just so we could drop them as an account…they really drive me insane."
Christian began to laugh in spite of himself. "Having heard that story, I'd almost agree with you. They do always pay promptly, though, which is probably their only redeeming factor. Ah, herregud." He dropped heavily into his chair and raked one hand through his hair. "I wonder if I'm going to survive this week."
"How come?" asked Julianne, looking up. Mateo hung up as she asked this and registered Christian's arrival and worn-out mien.
"You look quite tired, Christian," he remarked. "Are you feeling all right?"
"I am tired," Christian admitted. "Anna-Kristina appeared on our doorstep very much out of the blue yesterday afternoon, and she was so upset that even after I found sleeping pills for her, it was almost midnight before Leslie and I were able to go to bed. We didn't get very much sleep, since at some point Anna-Kristina awoke crying and needed even more solace. She's very distraught. Just broke her engagement with Prince Carlono, but that isn't the real problem. Moreover, I doubt she's told us everything. I'm of half a mind to ask Mr. Roarke if he has a spare bungalow just so Leslie and I can get some proper sleep tonight."
Julianne tilted her head sympathetically; Jonathan finished his call and tuned in as his sister asked, "Does it have something to do with Queen Gabriella not being able to have kids? They must be really close if she's that unhappy about it."
Christian sighed gently. "It'll come out soon enough. Not only does Briella have that problem, so do Anna-Kristina and their sister Margareta. But even that isn't the entire issue, and I don't know what the rest of it is. She hasn't told us."
"So how long is she staying with you?" asked Jonathan. "I mean, if she's gonna be here for awhile, you might have a lot of sleep to catch up on when she finally leaves."
Christian eyed him. "It worries me to realize that you could be right. In any case, while I'm thinking of it, I'd better contact Gabriella and ask her if she's made a decision yet about the succession. Jonathan, Julianne is going to have to go to the pineapple plantation later to make some computer repairs, and I'd appreciate it if you'd go with her. I'd feel better if there were two of you there. Just make certain you stay by a telephone so you can call here in case something goes really wrong."
"Aw, I'll just call the cops," Jonathan said, grinning. "I heard they arrested some gorilla out there yesterday for trying to kill somebody. No problem, Boss Prince."
Christian half-smiled and pulled up his e-mail account, rapidly composing a message to Gabriella in jordiska while Julianne made a call to put in her order and Jonathan picked up a ringing phone line. Only Mateo sat in stunned silence, staring in Christian's direction but not seeing anything around him.
She's here! he thought. Anna-Kristina is right here on the island, and she's no longer engaged to that prince from Arcolos! I must see her…but how? He swallowed nervously and tried to focus his attention, but it wouldn't stop wandering. He dared not confide in anyone, not even Christian—after all, though Christian was Anna-Kristina's uncle, he was also Mateo's boss, and it just didn't feel seemly to Mateo. But he simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Anna-Kristina; there was no telling how long she'd be here.
Finally he decided to go to Roarke. He had known Roarke for many years, had worked for him for quite a few of those years, and had seen a number of other employees go to him when they had some pressing problem that seemed unsolvable. Maybe, at the very least, his former employer would have some suggestions he could avail himself of.
‡ ‡ ‡
Roarke was alone in his study, working at the desk, when there came a knock on the door. "Come in," he called absently, signing a form and folding it to slide into an envelope. He heard footsteps in the foyer and looked up in time to see Mateo Apana step down into the study. "Good afternoon, Mateo! It's been quite some time since you were here last. What may I help you with?"
"Good afternoon, Mr. Roarke, it's very good to see you again," said Mateo, coming to the desk and shaking hands with Roarke as the latter stood up. "I…thought perhaps I might speak with you, if you have some time to spare."
"Of course, Mateo, please sit down," said Roarke. "Would you like anything?"
"No, I just had lunch, but thank you all the same," Mateo replied, taking one of the chairs. Roarke resumed his own seat, and Mateo shifted nervously in his before hesitantly meeting his former employer's gaze. "This isn't easy for me to speak of, Mr. Roarke. I've never told anyone in the last two years…not a soul knows about this. And I didn't feel right speaking of it to anyone else. You see…this involves Princess Anna-Kristina."
"Ah, I see," said Roarke. "Tell me what you can, Mateo, at your own pace."
Mateo frowned a little and looked away. "You may recall that I met Anna-Kristina about two years ago. The first time I saw her was at Christian and Leslie's wedding reception. She was very bright and lively and energetic, very graceful on her feet, with a smile for everyone. I was at a table with a few of the others I used to work with when I was in your employ, and we had been talking, but when I saw Anna-Kristina I was intrigued in spite of myself. It had been a long time since I had been interested in a woman. You realize, of course, that because of my condition, I'm not exactly a woman's ideal candidate…"
Roarke smiled faintly. "Not all women would believe so, but please go on."
"Yes, well…" Mateo cleared his throat. "We never spoke that evening. It didn't take so long before I decided it was only another passing fancy, for she spent a great deal of the party dancing with Prince Carlono, from Arcolos. He had come with most of the rest of the Arcolosian royal family, I think, including Queen Michiko. They looked quite good together. I remember envying Carlono for his dancing ability. There was a time when I very much enjoyed dancing with a woman. My limp prevents that now.
"But perhaps ten days later, I suppose, Christian and Leslie dropped into the office, and they had her with them. I was very surprised to discover who she really was, that she was Christian's niece. She seemed nervous, but I did notice that she was watching me, and I was surprised at that as well. I had thought she had eyes only for that prince. It made me wonder what she wanted with me. We had lunch together and talked a bit, and then she made it very plain to me that she was attracted to me and wished I had asked her to dance that evening. If only I could have…but she hadn't seen either my limp or my narcolepsy. It was a minor miracle I didn't suffer a sleep episode while I was speaking with her.
"I knew she deserved better than a narcoleptic with a limp. Furthermore, she is a princess, and I'm merely an ordinary man with little to recommend him to anyone. She looked directly at me, and somehow I knew she was in love with me and was probably going to declare herself. As much as it hurt me to do it, I turned her away.
"Later, just before closing time, she returned, looking for Christian and Leslie. I knew that if she were ever going to be successfully diverted, that was the time…and I deliberately walked to the door while she watched me. I knew it was only right. But even now, I still remember the shock of seeing her face…she looked as if someone had slapped her. I turned away from her to let us out and lock up, and that was enough time to convince her that I was right and she must find what she wanted elsewhere. I let her walk away from me, and I told myself over and over again that it was best, but deep inside I didn't truly believe it.
"Since that day, Mr. Roarke, I've found that she touched me after all. I knew there was nothing I could do about it, but I still hungered for news of her. If Christian had heard from her and mentioned it, I hung on every word. I looked every day for news of her. Each morning I check the royal family's website to see if there's some message from her. Last week I learned that she had at last agreed to marry Prince Carlono, and I thought my world had ended. I tried to say my goodbyes to her then, but it hurt more than I could ever have thought possible. No one else knows of this, Mr. Roarke—not even Christian. How could I tell him? He's my boss—it just wouldn't be proper." He blew out his breath and sagged back in the chair, trembling. "Now I understand from Christian that she is here on the island. He mentioned that she broke her engagement with the prince, and that apparently she is…unable to bear children, but I don't understand the connection between the two. In any case, hearing she called off the engagement gave me hope. The only problem is that I wasn't sure where to turn. I don't think she'll wish to see me."
Roarke was quiet for a moment or two, absorbing the long narrative; he was a little amazed at Mateo's sudden propensity for speech, but knew full well that strong emotion was driving him. Love, especially, could make people do things they never thought themselves capable of. "I will admit that I myself don't know the entire story," he said slowly. "As a matter of fact, I learned from Leslie only this morning that Anna-Kristina appeared unexpectedly on their doorstep last evening. She didn't tell me much, but she did advise me of what you just mentioned—the broken engagement and her extreme upset over her having just learned that she cannot bear children. Leslie says that that very inability precipitated Anna-Kristina's decision not to marry Prince Carlono."
"I see," Mateo murmured. "I only wonder if…" He stopped himself, looked up and smiled faintly. "Well, perhaps something will happen. I dare not suggest seeing her myself, you understand. I'm sure she wouldn't be interested. Whatever she may have felt for me has undoubtedly long since died away. If I thought I had any chance, I would take matters into my own hands, but she's still a princess and I'm still a commoner. And I still have the same afflictions I had two years ago." He sighed and arose. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Roarke. I'm sorry to have bothered you."
"It was no bother at all, Mateo," Roarke assured him. Mateo smiled again, nodded at him and made his way out; Roarke settled back in his chair, thinking.
