“Was Mama truly in God’s hands?”
Meredith carefully considered her answer. They’d been down this road before, but she knew it was important to him. “Well, I never knew your mother, Mishka, but I believe she was in God’s hands. And I believe she’s with God now.”
“In heaven? Like Grandmama says?”
“I sure wouldn’t argue with the queen.”
“No, you don’t want to argue with Grandmama,” he said seriously.
His grasp on her hand was looser as they walked back toward the house. To distract him from the more serious subjects, she asked him about wild animals that lived in Austria, and like a little walking encyclopedia, he began to tell her about brown bear, wild boar, red foxes, and the national bird, the black eagle.
“I wonder if we’ll see any wild animals while we’re on the river tomorrow. That would be exciting.”
“Rivers are natural habitats for wild animals,” he pointed out. “Especially birds.”
“Do you have any binoculars?”
“Papa has some in his room. Do you think he would mind if I use them?”
“I would think he’d be glad for you to have them,” she answered.
After all, Mishka was a prince. Surely he should be able to borrow some binoculars. If it turned out to be a problem, she would take the blame. Not that it seemed likely the missing father would be privy to this anyway. She tried not to feel irritated at the absent parent, but it did seem neglectful. Really, was he that busy? Or was he just off enjoying his entitled lifestyle? And why was she being so judgmental?
Meredith was a little bit uneasy about driving the children to the boat launch location. She did have an international driver’s license, but this was transporting royalty. What if they got into some sort of fender-bender or, God forbid, a real wreck? But she was being extra cautious, reminding herself that she’d safely driven under frightening conditions in Papua New Guinea. Plusshe’d gotten good practice on her day off and felt comfortable with the vehicle. Just the same, she’d asked God’s blessing for a safe trip before leaving the driveway. Kat snickered, and Mishka said, “Amen.”
All in all, it was a pleasant drive with beautiful scenic countryside you could only find in the rolling Alpine hills of Austria. It took a bit longer to arrive at the dock than she expected, but fortunately, the boat was still there when they arrived.
“This is exciting.” She led them to the boat, holding onto Mishka’s somewhat clammy hand. His brow was furrowed. “We are going to have a terrific day,” she reassured him. “You are going to love this adventure.”
His grip tightened on her hand.
Meredith had forwarded the tickets to Kat’s phone, so she could be in charge. Acting very grown up, Kat presented the image to the man in front of the gangplank, speaking in perfect German that the ticket was for all three of them.
“Danke.” He tipped his head.
“Here we go.” Meredith gave Mishka’s hand a warm squeeze.
Although the river air was cool, both children wanted to sit out on the open front deck. Before long, they were settled in with wool blankets, and the boat was slowly pulling away from the dock, gently moving down the river. They all sat there in silence for a while, soaking in the morning quietness. When Meredith noticed others with beverages, she suddenly craved a good cup of coffee. “Would you guys like a cocoa?” she asked. Both agreed that was a good idea.
“You and Mishka stay here and save our seats,” Kat suggested. “I can get our drinks.”
“Thank you.” Meredith started to open her purse.
“I can buy them,” Kat told her.
“Well, thank you very much, Kat.” Meredith smiled. It was fun seeing Kat acting so mature and responsible. She watched as the girl walked away, back straight, and shoulders squared, looking almost regal. Meredith could imagine her years from now, fulfilling her royal destiny. She slipped an arm around Mishka’s shoulders, giving him a gentle squeeze. “How are you doing, buddy?”
“Good,” he said bravely. “It’s better than I thought.”
She pointed to a large bird flying nearby. “What do you think that is?”
He raised the binoculars, taking a moment to focus, then told her it was a goose. “Looks like a Graylag goose,” he clarified.
“It’s pretty.” She noticed an older couple watching with interest as Mishka described the goose’s habits.
“Your son is bright,” the woman told Meredith.
She was tempted to tell her that she was Mishka’s governess but decided not to. “Yes, he is well read.” She smiled. “Are you Americans?”
