“I’ve heard there are still a few wolves in parts of eastern Europe,” Meredith said. “Do you have any around here?”
Kat shrugged. “Probably.”
“Right. But you’re not worried about going out there all alone? When it’s getting dusky?”
“Oh, yes, I shiver and shake to think the big bad wolf may get me.” She rolled her eyes.
Meredith inhaled a slow breath. “You’re a brave young woman, Kat. And I admire you for that.” She studied the girl closely. “I imagine you will make a good queen someday. Courage in a ruler seems to be a good trait…combined with wisdom. But I’m sure you must know all about all that sort of thing.” She leaned forward. “You know, I cannot imagine what it must be like, at your age, to know that you will someday rule a country. Is it a lot to wrap your head around? Or do you take it in stride?”
Kat looked curiously at Meredith then rolled her eyes upward again. Apparently eye-rolling was a cross-cultural preteen habit.
“I mean if I were in your shoes, at your age…well, I’d be totally overwhelmed.”
Kat shrugged, picking at a stripe on her sneakers.
“Well, anyway, I just wanted to talk to you before you went to bed. I know you don’t think you need a nanny. I understand that. But I’d still like to be your friend. I mean, if that’s possible.” She walked toward the bed then placed a light hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Even the bravest girls can use trustworthy friends. And I could be wrong, but being a royal must get lonely at times.”
Kat looked up with shining eyes and, to Meredith’s surprise, barely nodded.
“I hope we can make a fresh start tomorrow.” Meredith studied Kat more closely. “I really do want to hear more about who you are. And if you’re willing, we could kick around the soccer ball.”
“Soccerball?” Kat sounded derisive.
“Right. Brain blip. I forgot you Brits call it football. And the Aussies call it footy.”
“Right. But you Yanks like to sock each other, so you call it sock-her.” Kat punched Meredith in the arm—and not too gently either.
“Right.” Meredith attempted to smile and hoped this was a one-time punch. “I noticed the tennis courts too. You’d probably clean my clock, but I wouldn’t mind having a go at it. I mean, if you’re game.”
Kat brightened considerably now, even smiling. “Okay.”
Meredith returned it. “Great. Sleep well. I’m so exhausted, I know I will.” She paused with a hand on the doorknob. “By the way, I forgot to ask Mrs. Warner if there’s a time we should go down for breakfast.”
“Eight.”
“Thanks.” Meredith smiled again as she stepped into the hall. “And sometime, if you’d be willing, I’d love to see some of the woods up on the hill behind your house. It really does look intriguing. Just as long as it’s well before dusk, okay? I’m not that brave.”
“Right.”
As Meredith closed the bedroom door she felt like maybe, just maybe, she’d made a wee bit of progress with the princess. But she knew kids well enough to understand it could all evaporate by morning. But perhaps, after a good night’s sleep, she’d haveenough energy to rely on her wits better, her only hope for tiptoeing her way through the Princess Katerina minefield.
Despite her exhaustion, Meredith was too wired to go to sleep. But she was determined to enjoy getting ready for it. She started with a long, luxurious soak in the big tub. The room was equipped with jasmine-scented bath salts and thick white towels, and she made use of them, feeling a bit like a princess herself. After two years of living in a sparse flat shared with three other women, this felt like a stay at the Ritz. And besides, her fairy-tale accommodations could go up in a poof of smoke by tomorrow, especially if she lost another one of the children.
After she bathed and dressed in her sleep shirt, she wanted to set the alarm on her cell phone but remembered it was AWOL. Instead, she set the alarm clock on the nightstand, got into bed, and turned off the elegant crystal-based table lamp. From here she could see the outline of the leaded glass window with the dark blue sky, probably illuminated by stars, in the background. Very pretty.
She stretched out in the smooth cotton sheets and sighed. She’d never, in her whole life, been in a bed as comfortable as this one. And it was big too. Not huge—probably a queen. But at home and in college and even in Papua New Guinea, she’d always slept in a firm single bed. This bed felt so heavenly she considered pinching herself. Was this real? Or was she hallucinating? Despite that she wanted to stay awake a bit longer to ponder her highly unusual circumstances, she pleasantly drifted to sleep.
The next morning, Meredith jumped to the sound of something jangling. Not her phone. She sat up in bed, blinkinginto the morning light, and realized an old-fashioned alarm clock was ringing. She stopped it and looked around. She was still a princess! Okay, she wasn’t a princess. But she was the nanny for one. As well as for a young prince.
Energized by this thought and a good night’s sleep, she jumped out of bed and walked to the window overlooking the estate grounds. Her hands lifted as she thanked God for her good fortune. Might as well enjoy it while it lasted. If Princess Katerina had her way, Meredith wouldn’t be here much longer. For that reason, she decided to savor the moment. By tomorrow she could be in debtors’ prison. If there was such a thing in these parts of Europe. Perhaps she’d asked Mishka. Or not. No need to get the children’s suspicions running amuck.
Instead of going down to breakfast, she decided she should check on the children. Wasn’t that her responsibility? Not that anyone had really told her what was expected. But didn’t a governess or nanny see that children were up and at ’em in the morning? Hoping for less resistance, she visited Mishka’s room first, pleased to discover he was already awake, dressed, and combing his hair. Seeing her in the mirror, he turned around and grinned.
“Good morning, Mishka.” She smiled. “How are you?”
“Very well. Thank you.”
“Did you dream about lions last night? Or pachyderms perhaps?”
