“Your sister has already decorated for Christmas.”
“Elsa adores this holiday and has barely begun.” Anton took a sip of his wine. “She will keep adding her special touches over the next few days.”
“Well, it’s perfectly lovely.”
For the next hour, they visited congenially over a delicious consommé and the most tender trout Adelaide had ever tasted. Their meal was followed with crème caramel and espresso. She’d never eaten food like this—delectable but not too heavy. She was also grateful that the conversation hadn’t been heavy either. Anton kept things light and cheery, not saying a word about King Max, his health, or the challenges ahead.
“Would you like to stroll through the village?” he asked her as they exited, waving goodbye to Elsa.
“I’d love it. Not just to see everything but to walk off this lunch. I can’t believe it’s just a few hours until I’ll be having dinner with the king.”
“And the queen,” he added quietly.
“Oh?”
“I didn’t want to say anything, but it’s one of the reasons I thought a good lunch might be important today.”
“Meaning dinner might be unappetizing.”
“Oh, the palace food is delightful.” He grinned at her, and she got his meaning. They strolled in amiable silence for a few minutes before Anton stopped in front of a storefront. “Here is the chocolate shop my mum loves.”
“Let’s go in.” Despite not being the least bit hungry, Adelaide was overwhelmed by the intoxicating smell in the shop. She gota few chocolates to save for later, as well as a similar selection to give to King Max.
“You might have to sneak those past the queen,” Anton warned as they left.
She nodded. “Thanks for the heads-up.”
As they continued strolling and visiting shops, Adelaide was surprised by how many people greeted Anton by name. Finally, they headed back to his SUV. “I thought you represented the Gruber province,” she said, “and yet you know so many people here.”
“I guess I get around.” He chuckled. “But bear in mind, Montovia has a very small population. Plus, some folks here, like my sister, grew up in Gruber. I guess it’s a small world after all.” He actually started to hum the old tune with the same name.
She laughed. “You know that song?”
He nodded as he put his key in the ignition. “We may seem remote here, but we do have TV. And I used to visit my grandmother’s house in Britain a lot when I was a small boy. I was always enthralled by her VHS player and collection of old movies.”
“I guess it is a small world after all. Even so, I can’t imagine living in a place where so many people know me by name. Even on campus, I feel mostly invisible.”
“You wouldn’t be invisible here.” He smiled. “You might not have noticed, but you were getting a lot of stares.”
“Because I’m a newcomer?”
“A very attractive newcomer.”
She felt her cheeks warm.
“I apologize. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“No, no, it’s okay. I’m just not used to flattery.”
“Not flattery. Simply a sincere observation.” He turned on the engine.
Wanting to switch topics, she asked about her palace tour.
Anton stole a glance at her as he pulled onto the street. “I haven’t worn you out yet?”
“Well, I still have almost two hours before dinner. I’d love to see more of the palace. Besides, I’m afraid if I go to my room, I’ll just crash onto that wonderful bed and not wake up until tomorrow. Can you imagine what the queen would think if I missed my first royal dinner?”
He shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. She might be glad.”
