H.R.H.

by Danielle Steel

  She had completed her plan for the AIDS education program by then, and had started small classes for the local women, with her translator at her side, a sweet girl who spoke adequate English, taught to her by missionaries. And often her translations made Christianna and her students laugh. They tittered and giggled at the funny things Christianna said, and seemed to take her seriously about the rest. Mary thought she was doing a fine job and said that to Geoff often, and also to Christianna, although she thought Mary was only being kind.

  She was still teaching with Ushi every afternoon, and the children adored her. She had brought Laure in several times to help, and she loved it. With a friend to confide in, and take walks with in the afternoon, the previously dour French girl had begun to flourish. When the others commented on the miraculous transformation that had occurred, Christianna insisted that it had only been a matter of timing. Laure had been ready to open up, and Christianna had just been there at the right time, like an accident of friendship. The others didn't buy it. They could see what had happened, better than she could perhaps, and how gently Christianna had drawn her out of her shell. The angry, taciturn girl she had been for months had vanished. Now she talked, laughed, and made jokes like the others. She even played cards with the men at night, and was delighted when she came back to the women's tent with a handful of nakfa, the local money.

  And even more than Laure, the girl they all called Cricky was thriving. Even Geoff forgot now that she was a Serene Highness, which made it easier to keep the secret. She had become one of them in barely more than a month. They could no longer imagine life without her, nor could she. She felt as though she had truly found herself in East Africa, and wished she could stay forever. She couldn't bear thinking of leaving, and wanted to hang on to every moment and savor its delights to the fullest.

  The morning the Doctors Without Borders came, Christianna was doing rounds with Mary, before teaching her AIDS prevention class, and when the head of the visiting team walked in with Geoff, he introduced him to Christianna. As always now, he just called her Cricky. The head of the visiting team was Dutch, and spoke to her in German. He was an interesting-looking man who had worked for Doctors Without Borders for years. In the Sudan at one time, then Sierra Leone, Zaire, Tanzania, and finally Eritrea. During the border war with Ethiopia, he had treated a great many casualties on both sides, and was relieved that it was over, as were the locals. Many of those who had fled at the time and migrated elsewhere, had come home to Eritrea now.

  He and Geoff were old friends and always happy to see each other, and he was substantially older than Geoff. He always claimed to be too old for this work now, but no one believed him. He was a youthfullooking, vital man, and enjoyed flying the plane himself. He had flown for the British at the very end of World War II, after fleeing Holland. He was a very interesting man, and Christianna was delighted to meet him. She had been hearing about him since she arrived.

  They had a lively dinner in the dining tent that night, combining both groups, as the doctor in charge regaled them with funny stories, and the various younger members of the group mingled, and enjoyed getting to know each other or renewing old friendships. It was always nice to have new faces in camp, just as it had been when Cricky and her two men arrived. The young American had sat next to Mary at dinner, and they were talking intently about the new protocols for AIDS being tested at Harvard. He was young but extremely knowledgeable in his field, and Mary thoroughly enjoyed hearing all the latest developments and picking his brain about her current caseload. He had examined all of her patients with her that afternoon, and had made some excellent suggestions. For Christianna, listening to them all around her was like being at a medical convention, but she found it fascinating. And there were lots of times at dinner when they all talked about other things. There seemed to be endless laughter peppered among the more serious topics.

  Christianna was also pleased to see that Laure was enjoying talking to one of the young French doctors. They seemed to be having a serious conversation through most of dinner, and after dessert Laure started a lively game of poker. She had turned into the camp's hottest and most successful gambler, and tonight was no exception. She glanced over at Christianna several times, and when no one was looking, Christianna gave her a thumbs-up over the young French doctor, and Laure laughed. She looked happier than she had in a long time, and Christianna was glad.

  It was the end of the evening, with the poker game still in full swing, when Christianna was introduced to the American doctor who would be staying with them. His name was Parker Williams, and she had heard him say to someone that he was from San Francisco. While they were chatting over coffee, she told him that she had gone to Berkeley. He very politely said it was a great school, although she knew he had gone to Harvard.

  “How did you wind up out here?” he asked with interest. She told him about the siege at the Russian school, meeting Marque, and realizing that she wanted to spend a year of her life doing something like this before settling into her family business. And in response to her questions, he said that he wasn't really part of Doctors Without Borders, he was just following them as part of his research project on AIDS for Harvard, but he said that he was thoroughly enjoying it, and looked forward to the time he would spend in Senafe.

  “I love it here,” she said quietly, and from the look in her eyes he could see that she did. Laure had already commented earlier on how attractive he was and how much he looked like Christianna. He was equally blond, had the same deep blue eyes, although he was tall, and she was tiny. But there was nothing small about her spirit, as her coworkers there had already discovered.

  She and Parker chatted for a little while, about the camp, the people in Senafe, the work they were doing there. She told him about the AIDS prevention program she had developed with Mary's help. And after listening to her describe the ground she was covering, he said he liked it and was impressed with the progress she had obviously made in a short time.

  He joined Laure's poker game after that, and most of the men stayed in the dining tent, while Christianna and the other women went back to their tent.

  “He's a cutie,” Fiona cackled to Christianna as they walked back to the Ritz.

  “Who?” Christianna said innocently, momentarily distracted. She was thinking that she hadn't called her father for several days, and should probably go into Senafe to do so the next day. He got upset when she didn't call him.

  “Don't give me that,” Fiona snorted at her. “I saw you talking to him. You know who I mean. The young doctor from Harvard. Hell, if you don't want him, I'll have a go at him myself.” Fiona always had an eye out for new men, although she was more talk than action. None of them had many opportunities for such liaisons. And other than Maggie and Geoff, most of them steered clear of romances in the camp. It got too complicated later, and they lived together like sisters and brothers. But the arrival of Doctors Without Borders always caught everyone's attention.

  “You can have him,” Christianna said, laughing at her, although Fiona was still flirting with Max, but so far it had gone nowhere. It was just talk, and something they both played at.

  “Don't you like him?” Fiona asked, referring to Parker Williams again.

  “He seems fine. I just haven't been thinking about things like that here. There's too much work to do, to worry about all that.” Christianna was engaged in other pursuits here, and finding a man was the last thing on her mind. She was well aware that it would only complicate her life. It had been different in Berkeley when she was a student. But not here, at the far end of the world, particularly given the burdens of her real life. If she got involved with someone here, it would just have to end when she went back. And this time it might hurt. Last time it hadn't.

  All of the women got undressed and went to bed, and an hour later Laure joined them. She'd had a good time, and everyone teased her in the morning about how much money she'd made. She'd cleaned them all out.

  “You'll be the only pers
on I know to leave Senafe a rich woman,” Geoff said, as Laure grinned. She'd had fun, and the French doctor was nice.

  As always, they were all hard at work at their various jobs by seven. Parker Williams was doing rounds with Mary, the head of the team was seeing patients with Geoff, and the other doctors who'd flown in were helping them see patients and restock their supplies. Christianna was in the tiny office she used for her AIDS prevention class, when Mary came by to ask her if she'd like to join them, and she looked surprised. She wasn't part of the medical team after all, and it was a compliment to be included in medical discussions, even when they were over her head. She always learned something from them, and in the short time she'd been there, she'd learned a lot.

  By now she knew all of their AIDS patients fairly well, especially the children. She visited everyone on the ward every day, and brought them little treats, fruit for the women, games for the children. She put fresh flowers in the ward for them, always nicely arranged. She had a way of making everyone's life better, as Mary constantly observed. But she was quiet when she joined them. She didn't want to interfere with Parker's dialogue with Mary. And she only asked him a question once, about a certain medication she had heard about from the others but didn't understand. He explained it to her carefully, and then spoke to the patients. On two occasions, Christianna translated for him, when the patients only spoke French. They had two women from Mozambique on the ward.

  “Thanks for the help,” he said casually when she left to teach her class.

  “Anytime.” She smiled and went to do her own work. She skipped lunch entirely that day, and went straight to the schoolroom to help Ushi, and when she finished, she dropped by to see Laure in her office. The young French doctor happened to be there, chatting with her. Cricky smiled at her, and rapidly disappeared. And then she went outside to take a walk on her own. Fiona had been gone all day, so she had no one to talk to or walk with. The others had already gone back to the tent to relax.

  “Thanks again for your help this morning,” she heard a voice call out to her, and she turned to see who it was. It was Parker. He had worked hard all day, and they had finished at the same time.

  “That wasn't a big thing.” She smiled pleasantly, and then to be polite, because she didn't want to just stand around, she asked him if he'd like to take a walk, and he said he would. He thought the area was beautiful, and it was totally unfamiliar to him. He said he had only been in Africa for a month.

  “Me too, or just a little longer,” she said pleasantly, as they headed in the same direction she usually went with Laure.

  “Where are you from?” he asked with interest. He had thought she was French, but Mary said she wasn't.

  “A tiny country in Europe,” she smiled at him. “Liechtenstein.”

  “Where exactly is that? I've always heard about it, but to be honest, I wouldn't know where to place it on a map.” He had a nice easy way about him and a warm smile.

  “Most people wouldn't. It's landlocked between Austria and Switzerland. It's only a hundred and sixty square kilometers. Very tiny, which is why you didn't know where it is.” She smiled back. They weren't flirting, far from it, they were just making idle conversation as they walked. She thought he looked a little bit like her brother Freddy, but it seemed safe to assume that he was much better behaved. Most people were.

  “What do they speak there?” He seemed to soak up information like a sponge. “German?”

  “Mostly, and a dialect that derives from it but is very hard to understand.”

  “And French?” Hers had seemed perfect to him that morning, and now he was impressed, if it wasn't her native tongue. It had sounded like it to him.

  “Some people do. Though most speak German. I just always spoke French at home. My mother was French.”

  “Was?” he asked, looking sympathetic.

  “She died when I was five.”

  “Mine died when I was fifteen.” It was something they had in common, although she didn't pursue the subject. She didn't want to be rude or intrusive and ask painful questions. “My brother and I grew up alone with my dad.”

  “My brother and I did, too.” She smiled.

  “What does your brother do now, assuming he's old enough to be doing something?” He laughed, she looked very young to him, mostly because she was so small. She was barely taller than a child, although if she was working for the Red Cross in Africa, he knew she had to be a reasonable age, at the very least over twenty-one.

  “He's old enough,” Cricky said ruefully. “He's thirtythree. Actually, most of the time, he travels, chases women, and drives fast cars.”

  “Nice work if you can find it,” he teased. “Mine is a doctor, and so is my dad. My father is a surgeon in San Francisco, and my brother is a pediatrician in New York. And I live in Boston.” He supplied all the relevant information, as some Americans did, far more so than Europeans, who gave much less personal information away. But Christianna didn't mind it. She liked the open, friendly American ways. She had missed that since she left Berkeley in June.

  “I know you live in Boston.” She smiled pleasantly at him, he seemed nice. “You do research at Harvard.” He seemed pleased that she knew.

  “What do you do in Liechtenstein … what's your hometown called, by the way?”

  “I live in the capital, Vaduz. And I'm going to work for my father when I go home. But I'm hoping to stay here all year first. If he lets me. He gets a bit nervous when I'm away. But my brother will be home from China soon … that will distract him, I hope. Or drive him insane, depending on what my brother does.” They both laughed.

  “Is he a race car driver? You mentioned fast cars.”

  “No.” She laughed harder this time, as they walked down a path bordered by bushes, flowers, and trees. The smell of the flowers was heavy and sweet, and one that she would always associate with Africa now. “He's just a very bad boy.”

  “Doesn't he work at all?” He looked surprised. That concept was new to him, though not to her. Most princes didn't, especially crown princes like her brother, although most were far more respectable than he was, and found tamer ways to fill their time.

  “Actually, he works for my father sometimes, too, but he doesn't like it much. He prefers to travel. He's been traveling in Asia now for several months. He was in Japan before, and now China. He's planning to stop in Burma on his way home.” They sounded like an in teresting family to him.

  “And your father?”

  “He's in politics and PR.” She had it down pat now, and had said it often enough. She had almost convinced herself. “I'll work for him in PR when I go home.”

  “That sounds like fun,” he said generously, and she groaned.

  “I can't think of anything worse. I'd much rather be here.”

  “And what does he think of that?” he asked, looking at her cautiously. She was beginning to intrigue him. She was a very bright girl.

  “He's not too pleased. But he let me come. He agreed to six months, but I'm going to push for a year.” He realized that she was still young enough to be ruled by her father, and somewhat dependent on him. He had no idea to what extent she was bound by her father's rules, and the duties imposed on her as a princess. He would have been stunned had he known.

  “I have to be back at Harvard in June, but I love it here, too. It's the most interesting place I've ever been. Africa, I mean. I did some research in Central America a few years ago. My specialty is AIDS in developing countries. This has been a terrific opportunity for me.”

  “Doctors Without Borders is a wonderful group. Everyone respects them a great deal.”

  “It will be interesting for me in Senafe, too, and nice to stay for a while. What I've been doing for the past month was a little more hit and run, although I've been very grateful that they let me tag along.” She nodded as they slowly turned back. It had been a very pleasant walk with him. He asked her about Berkeley then and if she liked it, and she said she did, very much.

 
; “I was very sorry to go home in June.”

  “It doesn't sound like you or your brother like being home a lot,” he said with a mischievous grin.

  “You're right. Liechtenstein is a very small place. There's not much to do. There's far more for me to do here.” She was enjoying her AIDS work, and the children she was teaching in the afternoon. She felt useful here, which meant a lot to her.

  “I'll have to visit there sometime,” he said politely. “I've been to Vienna, and Lausanne and Zurich, but I've never been to Liechtenstein.”

  “It's very pretty,” she said loyally, not sounding convinced herself.

  “And very dull,” he added for her.

  “Yes, very dull,” she admitted with a smile.

  “So why go back?” He looked puzzled. In the States, if people didn't like where they lived, they moved, just as he and his brother had. He liked San Francisco, but it was too quiet for him, too.

  “I don't have any choice,” she said sadly, but there was no way she could explain. He assumed from what she'd said that her father was pressing her into the family business, particularly if she had an irresponsible brother. It didn't sound fair to him. And the truth of her situation was the farthest thing from his mind. He couldn't have imagined it in a million years. “That's just the way it is. Now I have this year off, and then I have to go back for good.”

  “Maybe you can rethink that while you're here.” She laughed out loud at that, and shook her head.