'You deserve it.' His fingers touched her cheek gently. 'And you don't have to have a particularly aristocratic mentality to be a princess.' He made a face. 'Remind me to introduce you to Kira sometime. What's important is that it gives you pleasure.'
'Oh, it does.' Impulsively she stood on tiptoe to press a kiss on his cheek. 'I can't wait to see the rest of it.'
'I'll give you the Cook's tour tomorrow.' Clancy took her elbow and propelled her across the courtyard. 'Right now, I want to introduce you to Marna and give you a chance to freshen up before dinner.'
'Who's Marna?'
'She's the housekeeper of the castle. She used to be Kira's old nurse, and when things got a bit difficult in Tamrovia, Kira whisked her here to Sedikhan.'
'Difficult?'
'Just a spot of diplomatic bother involving Kira. Considering that it did involve Kira, it's a wonder itwasn't worse. Marna would probably commit murder to protect her.'
Lisa was becoming increasingly intrigued by the casual remarks Clancy dropped regarding Kira Rubinoff. She was clearly a colorful character.
When she was introduced to Marna Debuk a few minutes later, Lisa's curiosity was even more aroused. She couldn't picture anyone 'whisking' this woman anywhere. She must have stood six feet tall in her stocking feet, with the deep chest and powerful shoulders of a lady wrestler; the neat, dark dress she wore looked wildly inappropriate. Her face was heavy-jawed, both impassive and ageless, and framed in a helmet of dark hair clipped in a short Dutch bob.
Her large hand completely enveloped Lisa's as they shook hands. The woman murmured a polite acknowledgment in slightly accented English. She turned to Clancy, and for a moment there was a flicker of warmth in her eyes. 'Everything's prepared as you instructed, Mr. Donahue. Will you be ready to dine in an hour?'
'That will be fine, Marna. I appreciate your going to all this trouble on such short notice.'
'It's no trouble.' The housekeeper shrugged. 'It gave the servants something to do. No guests have visited here since Kira left a few months ago. They grow lazy.'
'I doubt that, with you in charge.' Clancy said dryly. 'They're all terrified of you.'
'Yes.' Her dark eyes glinted. 'Which is as it should be, as we both know, Mr. Donahue.' She turned to Lisa. 'If you'll follow me, I'll take you toyour room. I hope you will find it suitable. It's the tower room, as Mr. Donahue ordered.'
Lisa smothered a smile. Trust Clancy to go all the way. 'I'm sure I will.' As Mama padded ahead of her down the hall, Lisa cast a quick glance at Clancy. 'Aren't you coming?'
He shook his head. 'I'll come to your room in an hour and take you down to dinner. I have a few phone calls to make.' A shadow crossed her face. 'Martin?' 'Not all my business has to do with Baldwin,' Clancy said. 'Don't worry, it's too soon for him to surface again. And even if he does, I'll keep you safe.'
But would he be able to keep himself safe? Martin had been so chillingly malignant that day in the market. Lisa gave herself an admonishing shake. She wouldn't think about unhappy things tonight. Tonight was very special. 'I know you will.' She smiled at him. 'And you can bet I'll1 wait for you to come and get me. This place is absolutely huge. I might get lost and never be heard of again. How many rooms does this castle have, for goodness' sake?' 'Thirty-two, excluding the servants' quarters.' 'Oh, my, when you furnish a lady with a castle, you do it right, Clancy. I'd better get moving or I may lose my guide.' She waved and hurried after Marna.
He watched her as she climbed the wide stone steps of the staircase in the foyer. She moved quickly, her carriage light and graceful, her delicate coloring contrasting sharply with the harsh gray of the stone wall.
He felt a swift rush of possessiveness that was as powerful as it was sudden. Tonight she was going to belong to him. If he was lucky, that one night might possibly turn into forever. When she disappeared from view, he turned and walked across the hall to the library. It took him only a few minutes to get through to Galbraith in Marasef. 'Is there any word yet?'
'Not even a whisper. I called Berthold and told him to keep an eye out in case Baldwin returned to the island, and also contacted our operatives in the U.S. and alerted them.' Galbraith paused. 'But you don't really think he'll return to either place, do you?'
'No. I think he'll go to Said Ababa and join his terrorist friends. He knows he'll be safe there.' Clancy's tone roughened. 'And with their contacts in Sedikhan, he won't find it difficult to discover where Lisa can be found. It's a combination he'll find hard to resist.'
'Then hadn't you better return to Marasef? You're pretty isolated out there in the desert.'
'On the contrary, in the starkness of the desert you notice anything unusual at once. I can't say the same about a crowded city like Marasef. I want you to send a few of our best men out here tomorrow. Tell them they'll pose as servants. I don't want Lisa worrying about all this.' 'You'll be staying out there indefinitely?' 'Until we get Baldwin.' There was a slightly sardonic note in Clancy's voice as he added, 'It would be nice if you made the effort to capture him before we have to confront him here. If it's not too much bother.'
'Testy, aren't we?' Galbraith asked lightly. 'I'll do everything short of crossing the Said Ababa border. Okay?'
'Okay, and for God's sake keep in touch.'
Clancy hung up the receiver and stared at it abstractedly for a moment. He had been a little testy. He knew Galbraith would do everything possible to capture Baldwin if he crossed the border. It was just that he was so damned scared for Lisa.
He checked his watch and then moved swiftly to the door. Fifteen minutes had already passed, and he wanted to shower and change before he joined her. An elegant tuxedo wouldn't turn him into the kind of glamorous knight a princess deserved, but by God, he could try.
Seven
To Lisa's relief, dinner was served in a small oval dining room instead of the high-ceilinged hall she had glimpsed from the foyer. The walls were hung with rich tapestries faded with age and lit with flickering candles in a silver candelabra. The oak table was also oval and gleamed in the candlelight with an age-silkened patina. The entire castle had an air of dignity and grace, reminiscent of a bygone time, she mused. Though the modern comforts of electricity and efficient plumbing had been added, they hadn't been allowed to interfere with the ambience of the place.
The maid who served them was quick and deft and appeared a little nervous as she moved around the table serving the delicious duck a l'orange. When a tiny drop of sauce dropped on Lisa's placemat,.she gasped with horror, her gaze flyingto the figure of Marna Debuk standing unobtrusively just to the left of the doorway. Marna frowned. The girl gasped again and hurried from the room.
'What was that all about?' Lisa asked.
'It was nothing,' Marna said with a shrug. 'I'm sorry the foolish girl was so clumsy. I will send in another maid from the kitchen.' She left the room, moving with surprising grace for a woman of her bulk.
Lisa met Clancy's eyes across the table, and she grinned in amusement. 'And I thought the head-waiter at the cafe was intimidating. I don't believe I ever saw any of the waiters blanch and run from the room when Monty frowned.'
'But Monty wasn't a gypsy believed to be able to cast spells and hexes,' Clancy said dryly. 'His subordinates only have to worry about their jobs.'
'She's a gypsy?'
'A genuine, card-carrying gypsy,' Clancy said with a grin. 'There are several tribes in Tamrovia that travel in caravans around the countryside. She belongs to one of the more powerful ones.'
'But how did a gypsy become nursemaid to a royal princess?'
'Tradition. In olden times it was believed that gypsies had great magical powers, and to have one in attendance on their children was a social coup. It became a custom in Mama's tribe to send a chosen one to serve in the royal household in every generation. Unfortunately, Their Majesties made the mistake of assigning Marna to Kira when she was born.'
