“Is there really so much hurry?” she asked.
“I doubt if by the time we arrive home Mother will be alive,” the Earl answered.
“What are your plans?” the Duke asked him, as Dolly did not speak.
“I have booked two cabins on a P. & O. Steamer which is leaving this afternoon,” the Earl said, “and it will be quicker if we disembark at Rome and go on by train.”
“I loathe trains!” Dolly said crossly.
The Duke knew that what she really loathed was having to leave him, but he could not help feeling an irrepressible relief that he was to be rid of her.
“I am sorry about all this, Robert,” he said to the Earl. “Come into the Saloon and have a drink.”
“I would like some coffee,” the Earl answered. “It’s too early for anything else.”
“I agree with you,” the Duke said.
He was just about to move from the gangway when he saw the man he had been waiting for climb out of an aged rather ramshackle car on the quay.
Despite his tropical suit he looked exactly as a doctor should and he was even carrying the traditional black bag.
The Duke turned to Dolly.
“Here is the doctor to see the Grand Duke. Look after your husband and I am sure he will want to see Nancy and George.”
He did not wait for her to reply, but greeted the doctor as he stepped aboard and took him down to the Grand Duke’s cabin.
It was half-an-hour later that Dawkins brought the doctor to the Duke’s cabin.
He had not joined the rest of his party because for one thing he was nervous in case Dolly should try to make excuses to remain on the yacht and let her husband travel home alone, and for another because he was genuinely anxious as to what verdict the doctor would give on the Grand Duke’s condition.
The Duke had thought, although he might have been mistaken, that His Royal Highness had seemed weaker in the last forty-eight hours.
Dawkins had reported that he had spasms of pain especially at night and the Duke had realised that it was imperative for him to have a medical opinion as quickly as possible.
Now as the doctor, who was English, came into the cabin, the Duke was aware that his expression was grave.
“Will you sit down, Doctor Johnson?” the Duke asked. “You will naturally understand that I am very anxious to have your verdict on my guest’s health.”
They had all decided that before they reached Cairo it would be a mistake to tell anyone of the Grand Duke’s true identity.
That he was a friend of the Duke’s would be enough introduction for him to have the best treatment in any hospital and, although they believed that they were now safe from the vengeance of the Bolsheviks, there was no point in proclaiming that an aristocrat who they had announced as being dead had, in fact, survived.
It was Prince Ivan who had suggested that he should be referred to as Count Alexis Dubenski.
“I think there were a million Counts in Russia before the war,” he said, “and Dubenski is quite a common name.”
Doctor Johnson took off his glasses and polished them reflectively before he said,
“I am afraid, Your Grace, I have no good news to give you about your friend Count Alexis.”
“I rather anticipated that,” the Duke replied.
“He has a growth in his intestines which I suspect is cancer. But even if it is not, he will require a major and serious operation.”
The Duke sighed.
Then he said,
“Is there a surgeon either in Alexandria or Cairo you could recommend?”
The doctor paused for a moment before he responded,
“If I am to answer that question frankly, then the answer is ‘no’. But there is, in fact, one man, Your Grace, who, if the Count’s condition is as serious as I think, is capable of saving his life.”
“Who is that?” the Duke enquired.
“He is called Schmidt. He is a Swiss and has a hospital in Monte Carlo. He specialises in this particular branch of surgery and is, I believe, a genius in his own field.”
“Then the best thing I can do,” the Duke said, “is to take the Count to Monte Carlo as quickly as possible.”
“I must impress upon you, Your Grace, that time is always a vital factor in conditions like this and the Count is already in an extremely weak state of health.”
Doctor Johnson told the Duke that he had given Dawkins certain medicines that would relieve the pain and prescribed others that might help him.
“Your man has already gone ashore to the chemist,” he finished.
The Duke thanked him, paid him for his services and escorted him to the gangway.
“This is a very beautiful yacht,” Doctor Johnson said looking round. “At least your friend will travel more comfortably to Monte Carlo than he might have done otherwise.”
“That is true,” the Duke agreed. “But I wish that you could have given me a happier report on his condition.”
“So do I,” the doctor replied, “but may I say, Your Grace, it has been a very great pleasure to meet you? I remember reading of your exploits during the war and how excited we used to be when you pulled off one coup after another with your armoured cars.”
The Duke smiled.
“It seems a very long time ago now.”
“All the same some of us do not forget,” the doctor replied.
He shook the Duke’s hand effusively before he drove away in his ancient car.
The Duke went to the Saloon and found to his surprise that only Nancy was there.
She jumped up when he appeared saying,
“I was waiting for you, Buck. I want to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t want you to be offended, but I feel that, if Dolly has to go home, I ought to go with her.”
The Duke raised his eyebrows and Nancy explained,
“She is going to be difficult about leaving you and both George and I feel that, as she is so impulsive, she might alienate Robert completely and break up their marriage.”
She saw the surprise in the Duke’s expression and added,
“Please don’t think that I am prying into your affairs, but I do not think that you want to marry Dolly.”
“Marry her? No, of course not!”
The Duke was so astonished that the words seemed to ejaculate from his lips.
“But I am sure that is what Dolly intends,” Nancy said. “I thought, however, although I may be mistaken, that these last few days you were not so infatuated with her as you were.”
The Duke was not surprised that Nancy was so perceptive where he was concerned.
She and her husband had been close friends of his for so long that they had seen him pass through quite a number of love affairs. Now he realised that the way he had suddenly found that Dolly no longer attracted him had been obvious to Nancy if not to her.
“She cannot really expect me to want to marry her,” he said, feeling that such an idea was incredible. “Anyway, I thought in her own way, she was quite fond of Robert.”
“Dolly wants to be a Duchess,” Nancy said simply.
“And wear the Buckminster jewels,” the Duke finished in a low voice as if he spoke to himself.
Now he understood a great many things Dolly had said which at the time had not alerted him to the fact that she was hoping to become his wife rather than remain his mistress.
“I suppose it’s my fault,” he admitted, “but Robert did not seem to mind.”
“Robert is fed up with the way Dolly treats him,” Nancy replied, “but I think if you were not available she would realise on which side her bread is buttered and make herself more pleasant.”
“I certainly hope so!” the Duke exclaimed.
“At the same time,” Nancy continued, “we both know how impulsive Dolly is and I think I should be there to safeguard not only her interests but – yours.”
The Duke understood exactly what Nancy was saying.
In a
fit of pique or anything else that upset her, Dolly might go so far as to demand a divorce and in the circumstances Robert might agree to give it to her.
The Duke knew that there was nothing he would dislike more than being married to Dolly with her moods, her insatiable greed and her very limited conversation.
It struck him for perhaps the first time that women should have something else to talk about besides love and have other interests besides dancing.
Aloud he said,
“You are a good friend, Nancy, and I am extremely grateful to you and George. I know that you will neither of you be offended if, because I brought you on this trip, you will remain my guests until you are actually back in England.”
Nancy moved nearer to him to slip her arm through his.
“Thank you, Buck,” she said. “I am not going to pretend that we don’t need the money or how hard it is to make ends meet, especially when all our friends are so much richer than we are.”
“I owe you a great deal more than mere money,” the Duke replied.
“I will go now,” Nancy said, “and I will tell George and Harry they can join you. They knew I wanted to see you alone.”
“Wait a moment,” the Duke said as she turned away. “I have to see the Princess and her father. Tell Harry that we are leaving immediately for Monte Carlo.”
“Monte Carlo?” Nancy asked questioningly.
“The Grand Duke has to have an operation urgently and the only man capable of doing it is a Doctor Schmidt.”
“I have heard of him!” Nancy exclaimed. “He is brilliant! I am sure that the Grand Duke will recover in his hands.”
“That is what I hope,” the Duke said, “but now I have to tell the Princess how ill her father is.”
“I am sorry. She will be very upset,” Nancy replied. “She adores him and if he dies what on earth will happen to her?”
“We will cross that bridge when we come to it,” the Duke answered. “The main thing at the moment is to keep him alive.”
“Yes, of course,” Nancy agreed, “but if on the other hand she is left alone in the world, I will do my best to help her.”
“Thank you, Nancy, and mind you tell her that before you leave.”
“I will,” Nancy replied.
The Duke went below aware as he walked towards the Grand Duke’s cabin that he could hear Dolly’s voice raised in hers and guessed that she was quarrelling with her husband.
He realised that he had had a very lucky escape, but he could not help being apprehensive until two hours later when the Chathams and the Radstocks had left the yacht.
The Captain was getting up steam while waiting for the last consignment of fresh food that had been ordered by Stevens to come aboard.
With most of the original guests he had started the voyage with now gone, the Duke was not surprised when he left the Grand Duke’s cabin to find Harry waiting for him.
“I want to talk to you a moment, Buck,” he said.
“I seem to have been doing nothing but talk the whole morning!” the Duke exclaimed, “and I hoped I would have a little peace this afternoon.”
“You may find that in the next world, but certainly not in this,” Harry smiled.
The Duke took out his watch.
“We will be leaving in about twenty minutes, so if you have a lot to say it had better wait until after we have sailed.”
“It will not take long,” Harry said. “I am just hoping that you will not be annoyed if I stay in Cairo for a few days and rejoin you after you have reached Monte Carlo.”
“I am not annoyed,” the Duke replied, “but I am curious.”
“I thought you would be,” Harry smiled, “but the truth is, when I knew you intended to visit Cairo, I wrote to an old flame of mine – someone who meant a great deal to me when we were here during the war and told her that I would call on her as soon as we arrived.”
“I know who you are talking about,” the Duke exclaimed, “go on!”
“She wrote back very enthusiastically and quite frankly I was looking forward to seeing her again.”
“Then, of course, neither you nor she should be disappointed,” the Duke said.
“I thought you would understand, Buck.”
“You thought nothing of the sort!” the Duke retorted, “so why not be truthful?”
Harry laughed.
“You always could detect when I was lying. Well, to be honest, I was a little apprehensive because I know you hate your plans being changed, but as you will have quite enough to do looking after the Grand Duke and, of course, Princess Militsa, I will not feel as guilty as I might otherwise have done!”
“Go and enjoy yourself,” the Duke laughed, “and don’t hurry unnecessarily to join me. I expect to be staying in Monte Carlo for some time.”
“Will you open your villa?”
“Yes, of course. I am sending a telegram today warning them of my arrival.”
“There will certainly be many of your friends in Monte Carlo to welcome you,” Harry said, “and you might be able to persuade the Princess to come out of ‘purdah’!”
“I might,” the Duke agreed.
There was a note in his voice that made Harry smile secretly to himself.
He knew the Duke too well and was too fond of him not to be aware that there was some connection between the ending of his love affair with Dolly and his interest in the Princess.
He did not think that for the moment she attracted him as a woman, but that he was intrigued by her attitude just as he had been intrigued and excited by the drama they had encountered in Constantinople when Prince Ivan had demanded his help.
The Duke had woken up, Harry thought, and was being lifted out of the boredom that had enveloped him since the end of the war.
He seemed more alert and was using his brain in a way that he had not had to do for some years.
He was well aware that the Duke was at his best when planning other people’s lives or solving the complications of his own.
He was a born leader, a man who was meant to be a campaigner in one way or another. Harry knew that he would fight to keep the Grand Duke alive and also in a more personal way to make the Princess conform to the behaviour he expected of her.
‘It’s not going to be easy for him to get his own way,’ Harry thought to himself, ‘and that is the best thing that could possibly happen where Buck is concerned.’
He knew at luncheon that the Duke’s high spirits, the way he joked with both the Earl and George, arose from the pleasure of knowing that Dolly was leaving and he could metaphorically clear the decks’ for his new preoccupation.
Because Harry was so fond of the Duke, he wished he knew Militsa well enough to tell her to go on fighting him and being difficult.
Then he thought that he was being foolish.
‘She is too young,’ he told himself, ‘but because her pride is different from anything Buck has ever come in contact with before, she will keep him guessing until they reach Monte Carlo.’
Doubtless after that, he thought, the ‘hangers on’ would be waiting to swarm over the Duke and draw him back into the fold.
He was always very cynical about those who forced themselves upon the Duke simply because he was rich, but at least, he thought, Militsa was not amongst them and he wondered how long she would keep up her attitude of refusing everything he offered because he was English.
He thought of the emeralds that Dolly had been expecting to be given in Cairo and knew that was another reason why she would make herself unpleasant to her husband.
He thought now that he had never really liked her. Although she was undoubtedly one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, there was something repulsive about her greed. She was in fact the epitome of what the Americans so aptly called ‘a gold-digger’.
‘Buck can do better than that,’ Harry told himself.
He looked at him and thought that because he was so good-looking, so rich and above all a Duke, it would be very diffic
ult for him to be loved for himself.
It struck him that what was missing in the Duke’s life, what he really wanted was the love that came from the heart and had nothing to do with the wealth and other advantages he was so well endowed with.
Harry guessed that when Dolly had managed to get the Duke alone for one moment before they left, she would make a last effort to hold on to him.
“Will you miss me, Buck?” she asked as Robert carried her jewel case down the gangplank towards the car waiting to take them to the P. & O. Steamer.
“Of course,” he replied.
“I shall be thinking about that lovely time we might have had together in Cairo.”
Dolly’s voice was very caressing.
Then as the Duke did not respond she went on,
“If Robert’s mother is not as ill as he anticipates, I will join you in Monte Carlo.”
The Duke tried to find words to say that this was something he did not want, but at that moment the Earl returned saying,
“Come on, Dolly! You know we must get aboard as quickly as possible and find some decent accommodation for Nancy and George.”
“Oh, don’t fuss!” Dolly replied. “I’m coming! Goodbye, Buck!”
She lifted her face to the Duke’s and he kissed her cheek and held out his hand to the Earl.
“Goodbye, Robert,” he said, “and I hope that, by the time you reach England, your mother will have taken a turn for the better.”
“So do I,” the Earl replied.
They had gone and the Duke went back inside.
Now Harry said with a smile,
“My trunks are nearly empty, the Princes have made a large hole in my wardrobe.”
“And in mine,” the Duke replied, “but they could hardly appear in Cairo looking as they did when we first saw them.”
Harry laughed.
“That is true and I don’t begrudge them my clothes except that I wanted to look my best for the next few days.”
“You are fishing for compliments,” the Duke said accusingly. “She is seven years older than when you last saw her and doubtless she will think you look it.”
“In which case I shall be joining you in Monte Carlo within the next twenty-four hours!”
“You know I shall be glad to see you,” the Duke smiled.
Princes and Princesses: Favourite Royal Romances Page 85