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'Now,' said the Princess, 'can I do something to help you?' Her dark eyes smiled. 'I suspect your visit was not entirely altruistic'
Marie flushed. 'I would have come anyway, but it's true that I need your help. A friend of mine is in the hospital…'
'Mr Grey,' the Princess nodded.
Marie looked at her in surprise. 'You've heard about it?'
'My brother had a report immediately after it happened.' The Princess smiled at her. 'Dear Miss Brinton, Lhalli is not London. Nothing happens here that is not observed. My brother likes to keep his fingers on the pulses of the country. The arrival of a very rich and famous man causes interest wherever it happens, and when he is mauled by a tiger that is serious. My brother heard about it at once.' The Princess glanced at her, her dark eyes amused. 'He also gathered that Mr Grey's visit was apparently in connection with you, Miss Brinton. Mr Grey's first action on arrival was to find out where you were living and set out for the bungalow. Then he apparently followed you into the jungle. So my brother deduced that his visit here was therefore a personal one.'
Marie flushed and looked down. 'Yes, but…'
'Otherwise my brother would have gone to the hospital himself to see if there was anything he could do,' the Princess went on, nibbling at a sweetmeat. 'However, he felt he might be intruding if he went there today.'
Marie hesitated. It was difficult to phrase her next remark. How could she ask the King to visit Stonor without betraying Stonor's reason for being in Jedhpur? His real reason ?
'My brother was afraid Mr Grey might be annoyed if he knew how much interest his arrival had caused,' the Princess added. She smiled at Marie. 'Even the very rich have a right to privacy where matters of the heart are concerned.'
Marie felt her face glowing. 'I… I'm sure Stonor would be very glad to see the King,' she said nervously. 'I have my job to do, your Highness. I must be at the bungalow with the little boy. Stonor is alone all day.'
The Princess paused to stare at her. 'Were you hoping I could find someone to take your place looking after Mrs Cunningham's son? I am sure Lispa would be very happy…'
'No,' Marie said quickly, 'thank you. It isn't that. But… Mr Grey does not have a telephone in his room, you see. He needs to make telephone calls overseas rather urgently. I wondered if one could be installed… he has so many business matters to look after, you know…'
The Princess considered. 'I am sure something could be arranged. Indeed, I don't see why Mr Grey should not be transferred from the hospital to a room in the palace. He could have daily visits from his doctor here, and a nurse could accompany him. Do you think that would suit him?'
Marie was certain it would, but she said courteously, 'Oh, I don't think we could put you to so much trouble…'
'It would be no trouble,' the Princess shrugged. 'Mr Grey is a very wealthy and influential man, Miss Brinton, and we need the help and support of men like him. My brother would be delighted to have him to stay with us. We thought of it at once. We only hesitated because we were not sure of his wishes.'
'I think he would be most grateful for your kindness,' Marie said quietly.
The Princess smiled at her. 'And you could visit him as often as you wished. Lispa will look after the little boy. I would be very pleased to see you here. I have so few friends, and I miss the life I led in Europe. Now that I am back home I am so constricted. I think Aziz told you how we feel…'
'Your cousin did mention something of the kind,' Marie admitted.
Aissa's small face lit up. 'Aziz is always so thoughtful!'
Marie remembered what Rahaib had said about him, and she wondered how well the Princess knew her charming but irresponsible cousin. She listened as Aissa poured out her longings for Europe, her fear of an arranged marriage to someone she could not love.
'Love has another meaning here. It stands for duty and family affection. Romantic love is suspect.'
'I'm sure your brother would not force you to marry someone you didn't like,' Marie soothed.
Aissa sighed. 'My brother is not a free agent. His Council is divided. My uncle and his friends wish to halt our movement towards progress. They want to stop the clock. They fear our new ideas.'
'And Prince Aziz? He is on your side?'
Aissa smiled, her dark eyes eloquent. 'Yes, Aziz is with us.'
Watching her, Marie suddenly guessed that the Princess was in love with her cousin. Was he, perhaps, also in love with her? He had shown much concern for her, yet she had felt at the time that Aziz was not acting solely out of cousinly affection, and she was sure that Rahaib had suspected something behind his desire to help Aissa find freedom.
She left the palace, much relieved to have had her task made so much easier. Now Stonor would have plenty of time in which to talk to the King. She determined that she would not visit him. He had played his last trick on her.
She spent that evening with Peter, who arrived unannounced at the bungalow, and invited himself to supper. Jess, amused, left them alone after the meal.
Peter moved to sit beside Marie on the sofa, his arm stealing along behind her shoulder. 'You're awfully pretty,' he told her awkwardly.
She smiled at him. 'Thank you.' But she felt no interest in him whatever. The shadow of Stonor Grey cast every other man into the shade. Even now, sitting here beside Peter, her only thought was somehow connected with Stonor, wondering what he was doing, what he was thinking.
