The soup was good, with no face-plants executed, but it was nothing like the consommé she’d enjoyed at lunch. King Max seemed extra quiet as he ate, but Adelaide noticed him watching everyone like an old hawk. Queen Johanna attempted polite but disinterested conversation with Adelaide until her son took over.
“What is your life like in America?” Georg asked.
She told him a bit about the university she attended and the demands of law school.
Georg’s brows arched. “You study law?”
“I hope to graduate next year and take my boards so I can begin my practice.”
“Back in America?” the queen queried.
“Yes, of course.”
“You could practice law here,” King Max said. “You could start next week if you like.”
“Really? Just like that?” Adelaide didn’t know much about Montovian law, but was it that simple to start a law practice?
“If I say so.” He set his spoon in the bowl with a clang.
Georg looked skeptical. “A woman attorney in Montovia?”
“Why not?” the king shot back. “We have women doctors.”
“Does she even know our laws?” Georg asked.
Adelaide tried to think of a way to segue this conversation. “How about you, Prince Georg? Tell me about your education. What are your interests?”
King Max huffed but said nothing.
“I have not pursued university education,” Georg told her.
“Prince Georg is privately tutored by Prime Minister Kovacs,” Queen Johanna said. “That is an education for leadership and far more suited to a member of the royal family.”
King Max cleared his throat. “And when were you last tutored by Albert?” He directed his question to Georg.
“You know Georg only just returned from his Swiss ski holiday two days ago,” Queen Johanna said to her husband. “Now that he’s rested, I need his help. He will supervise the Christmas decorations.”
King Max scowled but kept his peace.
Adelaide hoped to detour to a more pleasant conversation. “What sort of decorations?”
“The palace Christmas decorations are elaborate and extensive,” Queen Johanna told her as the maid picked up the empty soup bowls. “We usually start sooner, but I have had other business. There is a crew coming tomorrow.”
“The queen’s crew will deck the halls from top to bottom,” King Max told Adelaide in a tone that suggested disapproval.
“As did your mother,” the queen sharply reminded him.
“Not the same way. Not to the degree you take it.”
Adelaide didn’t like where this was headed. “If you need any help, Queen Johanna, I’d be happy to step—”
“Thank you very much,” the queen cut off her offer. “Prince Georg knows what I like and how I like it.”
“I’d like your help, but my mother isveryparticular,” Georg said with a wink.
As the maid returned with their entrées, Georg continued to tell Adelaide about his mother’s superb Christmas decorations and how everyone in the kingdom loved them. “They come fromall over to visit the palace and admire the decorations. I think we used half a million lights last year.”
“Half a million?” King Max looked aghast. “You cannot be serious.”
