The Princess's Bodyguard

by Beverly Barton

  "No, I'm all right. Just surprised. Mind telling me how Theo Constantine is involved?"

  "He's married to Adele's best friend, Dia, and since the guy is loaded, he's happy to pick up the tab."

  "Theo is married?" Ellen asked.

  "Do you know him?"

  "Yes. . .I met him. I was a guest at a party in his home years ago. At the time Theo was quite a playboy. Some­how I can't picture him married."

  "Not only married, but a father."

  "He has children?"

  "One. A daughter. Adele is the child's godmother."

  "He's very fortunate." Ellen cleared her throat. "So, tell me, when did you get on a first-name basis with the princess?"

  "What?"

  "You've been referring to Her Highness as Adele. That's sort of chummy, isn't it, for a princess's body­guard?"

  "Sorry, I guess with all that's happened, I've sort of lost track of my manners."

  "I don't mind, if the princess doesn't," Ellen said. "Now, when do you want these agents sent to Orlantha? And do you have a preference about which agents should go?"

  "I want them there yesterday," Matt replied. "And if they're free, I'd like you to send Lucie Evans and Jed Tyree."

  "Lucie's available. But Jed's tied up until next week. Domingo Shea just got back from Vegas yesterday."

  "Dom's free? Hell, yes, send him."

  "Lucie and Dom will be on the next flight out of At­lanta. And the code phrase will be 'warm for this time of year' and the response should be T prefer the warmth. I don't like cold weather.' So, is there anything else I can do for you?"

  "Yeah, how about calling King Leopold and feeding him some cock-and-bull story about why the princess and I won't be back in Orlantha right away."

  "I think perhaps the princess isn't able to travel for at least forty-eight hours, maybe longer, because she's come down with a stomach virus. How does that sound?"

  "Perfect."

  "Matt?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Are you becoming personally involved with the prin­cess?"

  "What makes you. . . I've known the woman twenty-four hours. And most of that time she has been an A-number-one royal pain. I'm doing my job. I'll protect her until I feel that it's safe to turn her over to her father."

  "Be careful, Matt. Personally and professionally. There's something about Golnar that tends to affect people in odd ways. People can become personally involved very quickly there, in that island paradise."

  "Speaking from personal experience?" The minute the question came out of his mouth, Matt regretted having asked. "Don't answer. None of my business."

  "You're right. It is none of your business."

  "I'll keep in touch. Let me know how the king takes the news that there's been an unavoidable delay in return­ing the princess to the palace."

  Just as Matt said goodbye and hung up the receiver, Adele waved at him. He looked up from where he was perched on the edge of Theo's desk and smiled across the room at the princess.

  She held her hand over the phone's mouthpiece. "Is everything set?" she asked.

  "Two of our best agents, Lucie Evans and Domingo Shea, both experts at investigation, will be on the next flight to Orlantha. Tell Pippin to send one of his people to pick them up at the airport and use the code phrase, 'warm for this time of year,' with I prefer the warmth. I don't like cold weather.' as the response."

  Adele relaid the message, assured her friend that she was safe and in good hands, then said goodbye and turned to Matt with a smile.

  "How can I ever thank you for your help?"

  She was looking at him with those soulful brown eyes, her lips slightly parted and her body leaning toward his. Didn't she realize what her expression and body language were saying to him? Maybe she had no idea she was send­ing him some pretty powerful signals.

  "I'm just doing my job," he told her.

  When she shook her head, her dark curls bounced. "Your job was to return me to my father."

  "Yeah, I know. And that's what I intend to do—return you to your father safe and sound, with the proof of the duke's treachery in your hand."

  His instincts told him that the princess was about to propel herself directly at him, into another hug of gratitude. Damn, if she wrapped herself around him, he couldn't be held responsible for what he'd do. In an effort to protect himself from embarrassment, he grabbed her arm and prac­tically dragged her out of the library.

  "Where are we going?" she asked, scurrying to keep pace with Matt's long-legged stride.

  "I thought you'd want to freshen up before dinner, and I certainly could use a breath of fresh air. I'll probably wander around the grounds and see just what sort of se­curity Theo needs."

  "I'll go with you."

  "No! I mean, you don't have a wrap, and the sun has already set. It's probably chilly outside."

  "I'll grab a wrap from the entry closet," Adele told him. "Dia keeps all sorts of sweaters, coats and jackets there."

  "Are you sure you—"

  Before he could finish his sentence, Adele rushed ahead of him into the grand entrance hall and went straight to one of several doors that opened up to storage spaces. By the time he caught up with her, she had put on a cashmere cardigan.

  When he approached, she slipped her arm through his and said, "I want to show you the view from the balconies. The sea is magnificent. I often wish Orlantha bordered the Mediterranean."

  As they walked together out of the villa and down the path to the tiered balconies, Matt felt a bit like the con­demned man being led to his own hanging. The princess was being too damn sweet to suit him. His suspicious na­ture warned him that she was up to something—something that would probably mean big trouble for Velma O'Brien's nephew Matt.

  Ellen stepped into the shower, turned the water on full blast and let the warm spray drench her from head to toe. The two brief phone conversations with Matt O'Brien late last night and early this morning had shaken her badly. And it took a great deal to unnerve Ellen Denby. She prided herself on being tough, shrewd, perceptive and un­emotional. But she'd come damn near close to exposing her innermost feelings to an employee. Those who knew her thought of Ellen as a woman without weaknesses. And for the most part they were right. Purposefully she kept others at arm's length, never forming lasting attachments beyond the normal comradery with the men and women at Dundee's.

  But just the mention of Golnar flooded her mind with memories she had buried deep within her long ago. She didn't want to remember. Remembering was far too pain­ful. Even now. After nearly fifteen years. But once the dam burst and the memories engulfed her, she couldn't turn back the flood.

  She'd been twenty-one, fresh out of college, traveling with a group of girlfriends through Europe for the summer. They'd gone to Golnar to participate in one of the many festivals for which the small island country was known. In the midst of the Mardi Gras-type atmosphere that perme­ated the celebrations, she'd gotten separated from her friends. That's when she met him. Nikos. Odd that she never knew his last name. Not until nearly a year later. And even then, she hadn't been sure it was his real name.

  No! Don't think about it. Don't do this to yourself. It happened a long time ago. You've built a good life for yourself. You're strong and in control, and the nightmares seldom bother you anymore. If you can't stop thinking about him, about those two brief weeks you spent with him, and about the ungodly price you eventually paid for four­teen days of ecstasy, you will be pulled back into that deep, dark abyss from which you barely escaped. Life as you had known it ceased to exist after that.

  Ellen scrubbed her body as if the thorough cleansing could wash away the memories—and the unbearable pain.

  She could feel him in her arms, the warmth of his body against hers. Could smell his sweet scent. Could hear his cries.

  Oh, God, the cries. The sheer terror. And then the si­lence. After all these years she could still hear his final cry only seconds before he died. And the agony ripped through her as if
it had happened only moments ago.

  As she fell to her knees on the tile floor, Ellen wept uncontrollably, and the shower's warm spray combined with her salty tears.

  Chapter 7

  I don't like all these guards at the villa." Dia Constan­tine looked out the window and sighed. "Theo says it's only a precaution, just in case. And it's only temporary. But their presence here makes me edgy."

  "It's not as if Theo hired a small army. There are only two guards posted outside and one inside the villa."

  Dia shrugged. "Yes, I know, but even Phila has noticed them. I dismissed her concerns by telling her that those men are here to guard you because you're a princess."

  "Quick thinking. After all, I've told her that I grew up with guards surrounding me," Adele said. "I pay them little attention and so should you. Just pretend they aren't there."

  "Mmm. I'll try." Dia moved away from the window and turned to Adele, who was busy putting the clothes she'd purchased in Dareh onto hangers and placing them in the large, ornately carved wooden armoire. "Tell me truthfully, Adele, can you ignore Mr. O'Brien the way you do other guards?''

  Adele placed another garment in the armoire, then turned to face her friend. Dia always had been a bit too perceptive about Adele's actions and reactions, but she supposed that was because Dia had known her for such a long time and they had shared so many confidences over the years.

  "Matt O'Brien is not the type of man who can be easily ignored," Adele admitted.

  "He's very good-looking, isn't he? I mean, honestly, who could help but notice those incredible blue eyes and that—"

  "You're a married woman!"

  "I may be married, but I'm hardly blind, am I?"

  Adele laughed. "What would Theo say if he heard you drooling over Matt?"

  "I'm not the one doing the drooling. I'm merely stating facts. You, my dear Princess, are the one who was drooling when you and Matt came in from your walk last night. Do tell me what happened between the two of you out there on the balcony?"

  "Nothing happened." And that's the truth, Adele thought. Nothing worth mentioning. She had been on her best behavior around Matt, showing him how cordial and accommodating she could be. After all, they'd certainly gotten off on the wrong foot, hadn't they? In order to per­suade Matt to do her an enormous favor, she needed him to at least like her.

  "Dia, I'm going to tell you something, but I must swear you to secrecy first."

  Dia rushed to Adele, grabbed her hands and looked her in the eyes. "I swear that whatever it is, I'll not tell a soul."

  "Not even Theo."

  Dia nodded. "Not even Theo."

  "I'm going to get married."

  Dia stared at Adele, puzzlement etched on her features. "The whole world knows you're engaged to Dedrick."

  "I'm not going to marry Dedrick. I plan to marry some­one else before I return to Orlantha."

  "What?" Dia shrieked the question.

  "It was Matt's idea. He said that if I married someone else my father couldn't force me to marry Dedrick."

  "Who are you going to marry?"

  Before Adele could respond, a knock on the door inter­rupted them, and one of the maids opened the door and walked in, then said, "Mrs. Constantine, there's a tele­phone call for the princess."

  "If it's my father again—"

  "I've given instructions to relay the same message to King Leopold whenever he telephones." Dia looked point­edly at the maid. "Didn't you tell the king that Her High­ness isn't well enough to speak to him?"

  "Yes, madam, I've told the king exactly that the four times he has called," the maid replied. "But this call is not from the king. It's from the vice chancellor."

  "Pippin?" Adele rushed to the bedside table, reached out and grasped the extension phone.

  "You may go now." Dia dismissed the maid with flut­tering hand movements.

  Adele lifted the receiver, "Pippin?"

  "Your Highness, how are you?"

  "I'm fine. But tell me, what's going on there? Have you been able to find any proof against Dedrick?''

  Pippin sighed. "No, Your Highness. And I have some bad news to relay."

  Adele's heartbeat accelerated. "Tell me."

  "Word has reached me that the Royalists have hired a trained mercenary and given him orders to either return you to Orlantha within the week or—'' Pippin cleared his throat ''—or to eliminate you and make your death appear to be accidental. We feel certain that yesterday's mishap at the Odyssea Cafe was an attempt to either frighten you into returning home or abduct you. . .or kill you."

  "This doesn't come as a huge surprise to us, does it?"

  "I'm deeply concerned," Pippin said. "Even in Golnar, you aren't safe. Perhaps you should come home and pre­tend you're going to follow through with the wedding plans. It might be safer for you here in Erembourg. I feel relatively certain that we can trust your father's palace guards."

  "You're right. I'm not safe even here in Golnar. I'll come home soon. And, Pippin?"

  "Yes?"

  "I plan to bring a surprise with me." "What sort of surprise?"

  "A husband."

  "Your Highness, we must have a bad connection. I thought you said your surprise was a husband."

  "That's exactly what I said. I'm going to get mar­ried. . . in name only, of course. There is no way my father can force me to marry Dedrick if I'm already married."

  "God help us. I'm not sure how the Royalists will react to such news. And what if King Leopold refuses to rec­ognize the marriage? What if he disinherits you? That would be playing right into Dedrick's hands."

  "I know my father," Adele said. "He will not disown me, he will only threaten to. I'll tell him that I fell madly in love and couldn't help myself. He won't be pleased, but he'll eventually understand. His marriage to my mother was a love match, you know. But in the meantime Father will rant and rave and swear he will disinherit me. And Dedrick will think perhaps the throne can be his without marrying me. It's an almost foolproof plan."

  "Who is he? Who is this man willing to be your tem­porary husband? Is it Yves Jurgen? Your Highness, the man is highly unsuitable. And no one would believe that it's a love match."

  "It's not Yves. And I'd rather not say who it is. Not yet. You see, I haven't proposed to him, and there's a possibility that he'll refuse and I'll be forced to find an­other candidate."

  "Who would dare refuse you?"

  "Oh, I know one man who might."

  "Please, Princess, be careful. Remember that you cannot trust everyone."

  "I'm well aware of that fact." Adele glanced at Dia, who sat on the edge of the bed and listened attentively to Adele's conversation. "By the way, have the Dundee agents arrived?"

  "I'm expecting them this afternoon," Pippin replied. "Let's hope they can help us. Time is running out. The Royalists are becoming more bold in their actions, and once Dedrick finds out that you're planning to marry someone else, there is no way to predict what they will do next."

  "Don't worry about me. I have a twenty-four-hour-a-day guardian."

  The moment Adele hung up the phone, Dia said, "I know who you're going to marry."

  Adele smiled. "Do you really? So, tell me, do you ap­prove of my plan?"

  "If he marries you, a man like that will expect a wed­ding night."

  A shiver of apprehension shot up Adele's spine. The thought flashed through her mind of lying naked in his arms. "There will be no wedding night. If he agrees to marry me, it will be with the understanding that the mar­riage is in name only and a temporary arrangement. Just until we get the evidence we need against Dedrick."

  "What if he turns you down?"

  "Then you and Theo will have to find someone for me. But my feminine instincts tell me that my first choice is the right choice."

  "When do you plan to ask him?''

  "This evening. And if he says yes, we'll get married as soon as possible."

  Matt paced the floor in Theo Constantine's home office. With the late
st report from Pippin Ritter confirming that Adele was the target of yesterday's mishap at the Odyssea Cafe, he realized that the princess wouldn't be safe any­where. And since it was his job to return her safely to Orlantha, his number-one priority had become simply to keep her alive. But as long as Dedrick Vardan and the Royalists posed a threat, Her Highness would still be in danger once he returned her to her father.

  "You are wearing a hole in the floor," Theo said. "There are ways to solve every problem. It's all a matter of finding the right solution."

  Matt halted and glared at Theo. "If Pippin Ritter's in­formation is correct, the Royalists have hired a mercenary, which means we're now dealing with a professional." Matt raked his fingers through his hair. "Damn! I've sent two of Dundee's best agents to assist in digging up the dirt on old mule face, but it would help a great deal if I knew someone who had a pipeline directly into the Roy­alists' territory. Somebody who knows all the inner work­ings of the group."

  "I know such a man," Theo said.

  Matt stared at Theo. "You know someone with ties to the Royalists?"

  Theo shook his head. "I know a man who has ties to every militant group in existence worldwide."

  "You're kidding?"

  "I would not joke about something this important. About Adele's life."

  "Who is this guy?"

  "A mystery man," Theo said. "He prefers to remain in the shadows. It is much safer for him that way. After all, he has ties to and knowledge of every dissident faction in Europe, Asia and the Middle East."

  "How can we contact this man?"

  "This gentleman will be attending the private party that Dia and I are hosting this coming Saturday night. My wife and I agreed that we will not cancel our plans out of fear. I will arrange for more private security, of course. So, if you wish, I will set up a private meeting between you and my friend."

  "Saturday night," Matt said. "Two days from now." Matt nodded. "Set up the meeting."

  "Before I make these arrangements, I must caution you—you must never tell anyone other than the people directly involved in this case of yours of your meeting with him or reveal anything about your conversation with him. If you do, your life will be in danger."