The Gates of Paradise

by Barbara Cartland

  “Your Royal Highness has certainly struck the first blow this afternoon and the City will be talking of nothing else before they go to bed.

  The Lord Chamberlain also praised Narina when she arrived back at the Palace.

  He had been told what had happened and came up to the sitting room where she was reading.

  “I hear that you burst a bombshell under the Lord Mayor this afternoon, Your Royal Highness!”

  “I hope I did not do anything wrong – ”

  “No, you were completely and absolutely right. It’s something we should have thought of before and I blame myself for not doing so.”

  He was smiling as he shook his head and went on,

  “To be honest, I have forgotten how important the women are. But you have brilliantly created a new defence against the Russians that has not entered our minds.”

  “If in a small way,” Narina answered him, “I have forged a new weapon against them, I shall be very proud.”

  “You have every right to be. I was so stupid not to realise that women have a tremendous influence over their husbands. Every husband when he goes to bed tonight will have to listen not only to how charming you are, but how you have given an important incentive to their children.”

  “I am very glad that you are not angry with me for interfering, but it seemed sad for those women, who had come long distances just to have a brief glance at who they thought was their Princess and then go home with nothing else to talk about.”

  “You were absolutely right,” the Lord Chamberlain replied. “And now they will talk incessantly for the next two months about their children and the prizes they hope they will win.”

  “There must be lots of prizes. It would be a good idea if every child took something away, even if it was not a first or second prize, when they leave the City Hall.”

  “It is certainly a great idea – ”

  “Perhaps it could be a tiny book or for the smaller children a little doll. I am sure it must be possible to give a prize to those who are really outstanding, and at the same time to give the others something to take home with them.”

  “I have always heard,” said the Lord Chamberlain, “that your father is an exceedingly clever man and I now realise that you have followed in his footsteps.”

  “I like to think I have in a small way. It is terribly sad that Papa did not have a son. It is what he would have loved above all else. But it has meant that I have spent a great deal more time with him than I would have done if I had not been an only child.”

  “The one thing I am quite certain about is that we are extremely fortunate to have you here and if you go on springing surprises on us as you have today, I think that Their Royal Highnesses when they return here will be most grateful to you.”

  “I am praying very hard that their secret departure will give them what they really want.”

  “An heir to the throne will give us the security we don’t have at the moment, but in the meantime you have erected a new wall of defence that I and all my colleagues are extremely grateful for.”

  *

  When she climbed into bed that night, Narina found herself thinking over what the Lord Chamberlain had said.

  She reflected that it was a bit of good luck that she should have to take Louise’s place because the date of the meeting had been overlooked.

  ‘There must be other ways,’ she thought to herself, ‘to make it more difficult for the Russians to intervene.’

  But for the moment her mind was blank.

  However she felt certain that she would be guided, as she had been this afternoon into saying the right words at the right moment.

  She longed to tell her father all that had happened.

  She was sure that when she did, he would believe it was due to his prayers and hers that she had been guided in how to help Louise on her first day of impersonating her.

  Because she was supposed to be with her husband, Narina had eaten dinner alone in her sitting room.

  The food was brought upstairs by footmen and Paks and Maria took it from them in the doorway.

  The Palace chefs naturally sent up dinner and every other meal for two people and as the plates had to go back empty, both Maria and Paks protested they were putting on weight!

  “What we don’t eat, Your Royal Highness, we then gives to the birds in the garden,” Paks told her. “There’s double the number waiting there now. It’s an ill wind that blows no one any good!”

  Narina laughed, but she had to admit the food was delicious and she herself was eating more than she would have done ordinarily.

  “Are the Palace staff very curious about His Royal Highness’s illness?” she asked Maria.

  “Paks has told them that his eyes be getting better, but the doctors insist his room’s kept dark and no sunshine allowed in for fear it strains his sight.

  “Paks also tells them that His Royal Highness hurt his head when he fell and he therefore has to be kept as quiet as possible.”

  Narina was aware that Paks and Maria had made it impossible for anyone to guess that there was actually no one in the Royal bedroom.

  She knew that Paks locked the door at night and it was widely reported that the doctor had said that His Royal Highness must not be disturbed by any noise.

  None of the housemaids were allowed into the three private rooms where Narina spent her time.

  *

  The next day Narina realised she had nothing to do.

  Therefore she took one of the books her father had given her out of her trunk and after locking it again, she put the key into her handbag where no one would find it.

  Then she told Maria she was going into the private garden to sit in the sunshine.

  “You’ll be safe there, Your Royal Highness, and no one’ll interrupt you as His Royal Highness decreed some time ago that he and his wife must have somewhere they could sunbathe and not be seen by prying eyes.”

  “That was indeed sensible of him.”

  “Well, you’ll find the garden nice and quiet and no one’ll come near you, but don’t you go sitting in the sun without a hat or a sunshade. It’s red hot in the afternoon.”

  “Yes, I realise that, but as I seldom wear a hat I will sit under the trees in the shade.”

  “Now you wait until I gives a order to the gardener to put a comfortable seat with a cushion under the trees and make sure no one intrudes for the rest of the afternoon.”

  Narina thanked her, but did not make any comment.

  She had thought it would be interesting to talk to one of the gardeners about the flowers of Alexanderburg.

  Equally as Louise had been here for over two years, she should know the answer by this time and it would seem stupid to make the gardener surprised at her ignorance.

  She thought that it would have been much more fun if Louise was here with her at this moment and they could laugh about everything that had happened –

  ‘I will talk to her when she returns,’ she decided.

  Then suddenly something struck her which she had not thought of before.

  If she remained after Louise returned, it would be a great mistake for the two of them to be seen together.

  There would doubtless be speculation about their looking so alike and people would wonder whether at one time or another they had been deceived into thinking that Princess Louise was actually the girl from England.

  ‘That means,’ Narina reflected, ‘I will have to leave as soon as they arrive back home.’

  It certainly seemed as if it would be impossible for her to stay on and she could only think despairingly, if that was right, that she would never have a moment alone with Louise as she longed for.

  ‘Maybe I could go away from here and then come back again,’ she pondered.

  But she was not certain that it would be as easy as it sounded.

  ‘Anyway it’s no use me getting worked up now about whether or not I will have to leave. There is undoubtedly much for me to do as ‘Princess Louise
’ before I depart.’

  She found that the small narrow staircase, which she had been unable to see in the darkness when she arrived, had a very pretty carpet.

  There were watercolour paintings of the garden on the walls and she wondered who could have painted them.

  Then she thought perhaps she would have a chance to talk about them to the Lord Chamberlain.

  She knew that he had a good sense of humour and she felt it would be interesting if they could ever be alone together for an hour or so.

  As Narina reached the private garden, she told herself that she really had no need for other people.

  The beauty of the flowers and the attractive way the garden was designed was a delight she would love to show her father.

  There were walls covered with bright clematis and a fountain playing in the middle of the lawn.

  And a small cascade flowed through the trees rising behind the Palace and continued through the garden before disappearing from sight.

  The comfortable seat, which had been arranged for her, was in the shade of trees still in blossom.

  Narina found that when she sat down, she could not be seen from the windows of the Palace.

  Indeed she was now sitting in an enchanted world of beauty that could only have sprung from the imagination of a lover of flowers.

  Because it was so beautiful and there was the soft tinkle of the cascade, Narina did not at once open her book.

  She sat enraptured, looking around her.

  Hearing the birds in the trees, the hum of the bees and seeing the butterflies moving in and out of the lilies.

  It was all so lovely she felt it could not be real.

  Equally she could not help but wish that her father or someone special could enjoy all this beauty with her.

  ‘If Louise was here,’ she mused to herself, ‘we would have so much to say. And if Papa was here, I know that he would be able to tell me a thousand things about all these flowers, the trees and even the sky.’

  Then she laughed at herself.

  She was finding fault and should not dare to do that in a place so wonderful it must be a part of Paradise.

  ‘It is all so glorious. How could there possibly be anything ugly or unpleasant in a place with such beauty?’

  She knew from the manner in which Louise and her husband had stolen so surreptitiously away from the Palace that danger threatened Alexanderburg.

  It was real and not part of anyone’s imagination.

  “This incredible beauty must never be spoilt,” she found herself exclaiming aloud.

  Then resolutely she opened the book her father had given her.

  As she might have guessed, it was exactly the sort of book she would enjoy in such a place.

  It told her stories and legends of the Balkans and of Saints and past heroes who had left their imprint upon the people and the country.

  ‘It is so like my Papa to guess what I would want to read at this particular moment,’ pondered Narina.

  Yet it was difficult to read when everything around her was so lovely to look at.

  She was afraid that, if she took her eyes off it, the garden might disappear.

  Two white doves appeared suddenly in the sky.

  Then they both fluttered down on the lawn near the fountain, which in itself, she felt, could tell a story if only it could speak.

  The carved stone bowl was obviously very old and she had noticed water lilies as she passed. A flash of gold told her there were also goldfish.

  The water flung up by the fountain into the sky was like a shimmering rainbow until it cascaded downwards in an embracing circle.

  It was so beautiful and unusual that Narina was sure there must be a story attached to the fountain in the book her father had given her.

  Once again she could not suppress the feeling that she would really like to share her thoughts and ideas with someone else.

  ‘Am I just asking too much when I have you,’ she murmured looking down at the lilies beside her and then at the trees rising high on the other side of the garden.

  Resolutely she opened her book again.

  Even as she did so, she noticed a number of birds were suddenly flying out of the trees above her and across the garden.

  She wondered what had disturbed them.

  She thought it was perhaps some large animal since no human being could possibly be there.

  Then she was suddenly aware of heavy footsteps.

  Someone was running through the trees!

  Even as she stared incredulously, a man appeared in front of her.

  One glance at him made her draw in her breath.

  A second glance made her rise to her feet.

  He was a tall man with broad shoulders and there was blood on the shirt he was wearing which was torn as if he had been roughly used.

  There was blood on his forehead and on one cheek.

  She stared at him.

  Then he called out in a deep but breathless voice,

  “Princess Louise, I am English and the Russians are just behind me!”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  As the man finished speaking, Narina knew at once what she must do.

  “Follow me!” she called out and started to run.

  As quickly as she could, she ran over the lawn, past the fountain and up to the Palace.

  The door to the private staircase was in front of her and she could hear as she reached it that the man was just behind her.

  She rushed in and almost as if she had told him to, he locked the door behind them.

  Still without speaking, she ran up the stairs and he followed her.

  She paused for a second before she stepped into the corridor where Prince Rudolf’s bedroom was situated.

  There was just a chance that one of the housemaids might be working at the end of the corridor, but to her great relief there was no one there.

  Even as she stepped out, followed by the man, Paks appeared.

  Breathless because she had been running so quickly, her voice came jerkily from between her lips.

  “Paks please – this man with me is English – and the Russians are just behind him. Hide him in His Royal Highness’s bed as he will be safe there.”

  Paks, as she might have expected, took one look at the man who had followed her and muttered,

  “Come this way, sir.”

  He opened the door of Prince Rudolf’s room and as he slipped into it, Paks suggested,

  “Your Royal Highness should now inform the Lord Chamberlain of what has happened.”

  Narina nodded.

  It was what she had intended to do anyway.

  For a second she was too overwhelmed to say or do anything.

  She stood drawing in her breath and then slowly she walked down the corridor to the main staircase.

  As she anticipated there were a number of servants in the hall below as well as two aides-de-camp.

  She deliberately forced herself to walk downstairs slowly.

  When she reached the bottom, one of the aides-de camp hurried to her side.

  “Is there anything I can do, Your Royal Highness?” he enquired.

  “I wish to speak to the Lord Chamberlain,” Narina replied. “And if he is busy, tell him it is very urgent.”

  “Yes, of course, Your Royal Highness. If you will come this way, I will take you now to his Office.”

  The aide-de-camp walked on and she followed him.

  Narina deliberately did not look round in case she might be delayed by people wanting to speak to her.

  She had been aware, although she had not thought about it until now, that Louise had been sensible enough to send her Ladies-in-Waiting away on holiday.

  Louise had told them that she would be going nowhere and doing nothing except look after her husband, and had suggested they enjoy themselves whilst they had the opportunity.

  Narina thought now how very difficult it would be if she had endless Ladies-in-Waiting in attendance as they would have expected to be wi
th her wherever she appeared.

  After walking to the far end of the Palace, the aide-de-camp stopped at a waiting room.

  It had several rather uncomfortable chairs arranged stiffly round a table in the middle of the room and Narina thought there was nothing to recommend it.

  “If Your Royal Highness would wait here for just a moment,” suggested the aide-de-camp, “I will go and see if the Lord Chamberlain is free and tell him that Your Royal Highness wishes to see him.”

  “Thank you – very much,” Narina managed to say.

  She knew that it was imagination, but she was still feeling breathless both from running so fast and from being overcome by the sudden appearance of the Englishman.

  He had said that the Russians were just behind him, but she had no idea how far or how many.

  There might be just a few, but equally an Army could now be infiltrating Alexanderburg before anyone was aware of it.

  The aide-de-camp was away for just a few minutes and he smiled as he returned.

  “The Lord Chamberlain’s visitor has just left,” he said as if that was an achievement in itself, “and now he is waiting for Your Royal Highness.”

  She followed the aide-de-camp and he opened the door of the adjoining room.

  She could see at a glance that the room was very different from the one she had just left.

  The bright sun was streaming in through two large windows opening onto the garden and the walls were hung with magnificent pictures.

  At any other time she would have stayed to admire them.

  As it was, she could only hurry across the room to where the Lord Chamberlain was waiting for her.

  As she heard the door closing behind her and knew that they were alone, she said in almost a whisper,

  “There are Russians – approaching us! I have just taken a wounded Englishman they were chasing – up into Prince Rudolf’s bedroom.”

  The Lord Chamberlain stared at her in amazement.

  Noticing how pale and agitated she was, he proposed quietly,

  “Sit down and tell me what has happened. I can see it has upset you.”

  “I am terrified for all of you, but it might be only a few Russians who were chasing him. I did not actually see anyone.”

  “Start from the beginning and tell me exactly what has happened.”