Crowned: The Palace Nanny

‘But your work is important,’ she said, confused, struggling to understand.

‘It is,’ he agreed, still grave, laughter put aside as he tried to make her see. ‘Elsa, without conceit, I can say my work changes lives. So when I knew I had to work here I was gutted. I knew I had no choice-the islanders are my people. And then there was a new imperative. You’re my people. You’re my family, Elsa. You and Zoe. I want you so much-and it was such a shock to realise I ached for a family. I ached for you. I was so committed to what I was feeling for you, and to the needs of the islanders as well, that I’d stopped thinking big. It took one stray remark about how wonderful you were to make me rethink.’

‘I don’t think I’m following your logic,’ she managed cautiously, trying to focus on his words rather than the joy and love she was seeing in his eyes. The joy and love that was building inside her. She didn’t know yet what he was talking about but the smile behind his eyes said it was good.

‘We’re too small.’ He had her hands now, holding her tight. ‘But now I’m thinking big. Elsa, this document is a plan.’

‘Something about a diamond mine?’ she ventured. Good one, Elsa. Intelligence wasn’t on the agenda this morning-nor was speed reading. All she was seeing was Stefanos.

‘Absolutely it’s about a diamond mine, my love,’ he said and tugged her into his arms and kissed her again. Long and lingering and lovely. But then he set her back from him. There were still things that needed to be said.

There were things she didn’t understand, and he had to make her see.

‘There are six diamond mines on Argyros,’ he said softly while she listened in wonder. ‘Argyros is therefore the wealthiest of the Diamond Isles but it has no hospital. Nikos has been talking to me about setting up decent medical facilities there. It’s the same on Sappheiros-Alexandros is already making plans for a hospital. And then, on the plane, I made myself see the big picture. Separately we’re small islands. We each need good medical facilities but we don’t each have the population to set up a major base. But together…’

‘Together?’

‘It’s too big,’ he said ruefully. ‘To land this on you on Christmas morning. But I can’t wait any longer. Elsa, I love you, I want you more than life itself, but I’ve already asked you to marry me. What I need now is for you to know I’ve changed. Everything’s changed. Except my love for you. So…can I tell you what we’ve decided? The rulers of the other two islands and me?’

How was a girl to react to that? Her heart was starting to sing. Bubbles of happiness were floating to the surface and filling the room with joy. ‘I’m…I’m listening,’ she whispered, and suddenly so was Zoe, sitting cross- legged on her trampoline, watching with big, serious eyes. She really was much older than her eight years, Elsa thought, and then she thought that, whatever was coming-and already joy was starting to overwhelm her-it was appropriate that Zoe was here. To bear witness, she thought, and then she thought that was a dumb thing to think but she thought it anyway.

‘Earth to Elsa,’ Stefanos said, laughing softly and tightening his grip on her hands and she thought, okay, thoughts could come at some other time. Now was the time for listening.

‘It’s a medical scheme,’ he told her, and in his eyes was jubilation, excitement, a man about to embark on a Boy’s Own adventure. ‘A medical centre second to none will be built, here on Khryseis, with satellite hospitals on the other two islands. Fast and easy transfer facilities. Every specialist we need. Together we’ll care for the people of the Diamond Isles as they deserve to be cared for. It’s what I dreamed of as a kid, as did Alexandros on Sappheiros, and Nikos on Argyros. Three Crowns, Elsa. Three Crowns finally come together to provide care for all.’

‘One…one big medical centre?’ She was struggling to take it in.

‘State-of-the-art. And, with the islands being as lovely as they are, and the salaries we’re prepared to pay, we don’t expect any trouble staffing them as they should be staffed. We don’t see islanders needing to go to Athens for treatment any more. We see mainlanders coming to us.’ His hands moved to her shoulders, holding her, desperate for her to share his joy.

‘Alex and Nikos flew to New York to work this through with me. For such a project, for something so wonderful for all of us, the diamonds on Argyros will be needed, but none of us can see a better use for them. We envisage offering our medical facilities worldwide. And more. There’ll be resorts on each island that are half hotel, half hospital. Come here and be pampered and made well, and support our economy while you do.’

He was so exultant now his excitement was practically blazing. ‘We’ve done the preliminary figures and the guys in suits agree with us,’ he told her. ‘It will work. And here’s the tail, Elsa. Here’s my huge joy. With the money raised we believe we can still bring people here from Third World countries. I’ll be able to operate as I’ve been doing and I’ll be able to teach. So…so what do you think?’

He paused then. He was still holding her by the shoulders, his eyes not leaving hers. But now…his excitement faded a little, giving way to anxiety.

He was asking what she thought? He was anxious about what she’d think?

‘You’d be here,’ she whispered. ‘You’d be doing the work you love.’

‘I’d be doing all the work I love,’ he said, excitement giving way to gravity. ‘I’ll be ruling this island in Zoe’s stead, caring for it as it must be cared for. I’ll be doing the medicine I love-I’ll be making a difference. And I’ll be sharing my life with you.’

‘With me.’

‘And with Zoe,’ he said, his eyes lighting with laughter again. This much joy couldn’t be contained for more than a moment. ‘And our cats.’

‘Cats,’ she said cautiously, for she was starting to see a theme here. There were pictures of cats all over the Christmas tree. ‘Cats, plural?’

‘I made a few calls to Australia,’ he said. ‘I figured…well, I hoped you might be staying here long term, and the guy feeding your cats now has twenty-three on his list.’

‘Twenty-three…’ she gasped.

‘It seems he’s Waratah Cove’s answer to the Pied Piper of Hamelin. He’s taken them on as his mission in life.’

‘Don’t tell me you’re bringing them here,’ she managed.

Zoe said, ‘Ooh!’

‘That’s not an ooh,’ Elsa said, torn between laughter and horror. ‘It’s an Are You Out Of Your Mind?’

‘I hoped you might say that,’ Stefanos said, smiling into her eyes with such a look that she might, just might, be forced to forgive him twenty-three cats-or anything at all. ‘So what I’ve done is give the guy a job in perpetuity, caring for them all. With one exception.’

‘One…’

‘A skinny little black one,’ he said apologetically. ‘I met him that first day when you guys were on the beach and I had to find you. It seems he’s been pining for you-he’s hardly eaten since you left and, to tell you the truth, I sort of fell for him. So he’s on his way here as we speak. My love.’

My love. There was enough in those two words to be perfectly adequate, thank you very much-she hardly wanted more.

Only Zoe was made of sterner stuff. She darted across to the mantelpiece and was flying back, tipping the contents of Elsa’s stocking at her feet.

‘You have another present and I have six. Maybe I ought to open some of mine first.’

‘If you don’t mind, Zoe,’ Stefanos said and lifted the tiny crimson box from where it had fallen. ‘So far Elsa’s just had paper. You have a trampoline and this is important.’

‘Elsa has a cat,’ Zoe said.

‘Yes, but he’s not here yet. So, as yet, she’s giftless.’

‘Okay,’ Zoe said obligingly, grabbing the long-suffering Buster and squatting beside Elsa. ‘But it’s really small. Open it fast, Elsa.’

‘Open it slow, Elsa,’ Stefanos said, and watched as Elsa forgot to breathe and tried to make fumbling fingers operate the catch of the tiny box.

‘Let me,’ Stefanos said at last, and flicked the clasp. And there, resting on a bed of black velvet, was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. It was gnarled and twisted gold, burnished with age and history, with three magnificent diamonds set in its depths-diamonds to take a girl’s breath away.

‘It’s the ancient ring of this island, worn by the ruling Princess of Khryseis for generations,’ Stefanos said softly.