Putting his hand lightly on her shoulder Bryce asked, “Tell methe truth, London. Do you really want to spend the rest of our time in Bambergwaiting for some unlucky brewer to get dunked in a huge vat of cheap beer?”
London felt her whole body grow warm as she looked into hissmiling gray eyes. Bryce was suggesting that they get away from the crowd, andright now that sounded good to her.
“I’d just as soon miss it, if that’s all right with you,” shesaid, smiling as well.
She was sure she must be blushing now, but it didn’t matteranymore.
“What do you say we take a little walk, then?” he said.
“I’d like that.”
London had a destination in mind as they left the square andbegan wending through the quaint streets of Bamberg. She looked down at SirReggie and wanted to say to him, “It looks like this is turning out to be adate after all.”
After the din of the festival, the relative quiet was a welcomechange. London and Bryce said very little as they walked along, but Londonrealized she was feeling a little giddy—and probably not just from the beer she’dbeen drinking.
When he took her hand it felt perfectly comfortable, just as shehad felt when they’d danced together days ago back in Vienna.
It was getting dark when the two of them arrived at Schönleinsplatz,a picturesque square that was now all but vacant due to the revels over at the Maximiliensplatz.London and Bryce made their way to a circular fountain partly surrounded byhedges and park benches, where they sat down together. Sir Reggie lay down atLondon’s feet, making himself inconspicuous for once.
It was only when Bryce began to put his arm around her thatLondon’s reservations kicked in and she drew back a little.
“I don’t know about this, Bryce,” she said.
“I know how you feel, but …”
He paused for a moment.
“What’s there to know?” he asked.
London smiled and said, “Good question.”
Their lips were about to meet when London’s phone buzzed.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
When the phone buzzed, London and Bryce leaned their foreheadstogether instead of their lips.
“You’re going to answer that, aren’t you?” he said with a note ofwry disappointment.
“Of course I am,” London replied with a sigh.
They both laughed and drew apart. Their anticipated first kisswasn’t going to happen. At least, not right then.
When she took the call, London wasn’t surprised that it was Amywho had interrupted her romantic moment.
The concierge spoke briskly. “I take it you’re rounding up thepassengers by now.”
London glanced at her watch.
“It might be a little early for that,” she said.
“I wouldn’t be too sure,” Amy said firmly. “You know we have tobe absolutely certain that everybody is back on the boat before we can leave.”
London stifled a sigh. Of course Amy was being fussy. But maybeshe had a point.
Things are pretty crazy over at the Maximiliensplatz,London reminded herself. Maybe she should start encouraging passengers and crewto head back to the boat.
Amy was still talking. “I’m hard at work here checking people in.I can’t come out there and get them back myself.”
“I’ll get on it,” London said.
“I don’t hear a lot of noise,” Amy said. “Are you all right?”
“Of course I am,” London said.
“Aren’t the festivities in full swing?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Then why are things so quiet? Where are you exactly?”
London felt a twinge of annoyance.
Why don’t you just mind your business? she wanted to say.
But she resisted the temptation.
“I’m at the Schönleinsplatz,” she said instead.
“The Schönleinsplatz? What’s going on there?”
“Nothing, really.” London had to suppress a laugh.
At least nothing’s going on now, she thought.
“Who are you there with?”
London cringed at Amy’s meddlesome tone. Was it possible that shehad some idea of what might be happening between her and Bryce? Was that whyAmy was calling her before she really needed to?
London decided to just ignore the question.
“I’ll head back over to the Maximiliensplatz,” she said. “I’llcheck on our passengers.”
She ended the call.
“I take it that was Amy,” Bryce said.
“It was.”
“And I take it that it’s time to get back to work.”
“That’s right.”
“Well, when duty calls …”
They got up from the bench and left the quiet plaza, with SirReggie trotting along beside them. As they walked through the streets ofBamberg back to the main festivities, they held hands again.
London felt warm and happy with this new stage of theirrelationship. True, things hadn’t quite ended the way both she and Bryce hadexpected. But something had definitely changed between them.
Maybe it’s best not to rush things, she thought.
As they neared their destination, they wordlessly stopped holdinghands. London didn’t feel ready to go public with whatever was developingbetween them, and she was relieved that Bryce apparently didn’t either.
When they got back to the Maximiliensplatz, London pickedup Sir Reggie again to keep him safe from the swarm of human feet. The squarewas more crowded and boisterous than before.
The people were all gathering in the vicinity of the stage.London realized that the dunking of Katers Murr must be coming up soon.Surely everybody would return to the ship soon after that happened. She wouldjust have to make sure there were no stragglers that could delay theirdeparture.
London and Bryce and Reggie squeezed among the throng, remindingany of the Nachtmusik’s passengers and crew they met to return to theship soon, and to spread the word to anybody else they saw. There didn’t seemto be many of them still out, and the ones they spoke with were agreeable.
When they reached the far side of the plaza, London paused in hersteps with surprise at the music playing there. As before, they heard anaccordion, a familiar female singer, and a chorus of tipsy voices. But the songwas not at all what she’d expected—although the words were certainly familiar.
Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam,
Where the deer and the antelope play …
“They’re singing ‘Home on the Range,’” she said to Bryce.
“I thought I recognized it,” her Australian companion said.
They pushed the rest of the way to where Letitia and theaccordionist were still performing. Instead of dancing, Gus and
