the far end of the Supper-Room, talking earnestly to the Prince.
‘ What are they plotting?’ Davita wondered.
S he was sure that if it was against the Marquis, he would not be affected by it because he was far stronger than they were! Then she wondered what she meant by that.
T he dance came to an end and the Prince rose to his feet.
“ I have something to say to you,” he said in his deep voice with just a slight foreign accent, which made it sound very attractive.
T he ladies all flocked towards him, looking as they moved in their full frilled skirts like the flowers that decorated the room.
“ What is it, Your Highness?” one of them asked. “Have you a surprise for us?”
“ Several, as it happens,” the Prince replied. “For one, there is a Cotillion when you will all get very attractive prizes.”
There was a cry of delight at this, and one woman said effusively:
“ Darling Boris! You are always so generous!”
“ I think we both are, Dolores, in one way or another!” the Prince replied. There was a shriek of laughter at the repartee and Dolores laughed too.
“ Before the Cotillion,” the Prince said, “as it is my birthday, we must have a little celebration.”
“ Your birthday!”
There were shrieks from everyone.
“ Why did you not tell us?” “Why did we not know?” “We would have brought you a present!”
“ All I need as a present is that you are all here,” the Prince replied. “I intend to cut my cake, then you shall drink my health in a very special wine that comes from my own vineyard in my own country.”
A s he spoke, servants came in carrying an enormous iced cake on which flared a number of candles.
T hey set it down on a small table in front of the Prince, and as they did so Davita felt her hand taken by Violet.
“ Let us get near so that we see,” she said.
S he pulled Davita through the guests until they stood at the Prince’s side.
“ I want my friend from Scotland to see this ceremony, Your Highness,” Violet said to him. “Everything’s new and exciting to her and this is something she mustn’t miss!”
“ Of course not,” the Prince answered, “and I hope, Miss Kilcraig, you will wish me happiness in the future.”
“ Of course I will!” Davita answered.
T he Prince smiled at her, and picking up a knife , w ith a jewelled handle was ready to cut the cake.
“ I must blow out the candles first,” he said, “and for as many as I extinguish, I shall have as many happy years.”
“ No cheating!” somebody shouted.
“ That is one thing I never do,” the Prince replied.
H e drew in his breath and with one terrific blow extinguished every candle on the cake.
T here were shrieks of delight, then everybody clapped.
“ Now wish!” Violet said.
“ That is what I am doing, but of course what I wish must be a secret!”
H e inserted the jewelled knife into the cake and cut it, then as the servants took it away, others brought huge trays on which there were glasses of wine.
O ne servant brought a gold tray on which there were only three glasses and presented it to the Prince.
“ Now these,” the Prince said, “are for myself and my two special guests this evening.”
H e picked up the glass on the right and, turning to the Marquis, who was at his side, said:
“ Vange, you and I have been competitors on the racecourse and at times in the race for love. I would like you to drink my health, and may we have many more years ahead of us as competitors and—friends.”
“ You may be sure of that, Your Highness,” the Marquis answered, “and I promise I shall always do my best to defeat you!”
“ And I promise I shall strive indefatigably to be victorious!”
T here was a roar of laughter at this, then the Prince lifted the left-hand glass and the middle one.
T hen to Davita’s utter surprise he turned to her and said:
“ There is an old superstition in my country that a red-haired woman presents a challenge which all men
‘ What are they plotting?’ Davita wondered.
S he was sure that if it was against the Marquis, he would not be affected by it because he was far stronger than they were! Then she wondered what she meant by that.
T he dance came to an end and the Prince rose to his feet.
“ I have something to say to you,” he said in his deep voice with just a slight foreign accent, which made it sound very attractive.
T he ladies all flocked towards him, looking as they moved in their full frilled skirts like the flowers that decorated the room.
“ What is it, Your Highness?” one of them asked. “Have you a surprise for us?”
“ Several, as it happens,” the Prince replied. “For one, there is a Cotillion when you will all get very attractive prizes.”
There was a cry of delight at this, and one woman said effusively:
“ Darling Boris! You are always so generous!”
“ I think we both are, Dolores, in one way or another!” the Prince replied. There was a shriek of laughter at the repartee and Dolores laughed too.
“ Before the Cotillion,” the Prince said, “as it is my birthday, we must have a little celebration.”
“ Your birthday!”
There were shrieks from everyone.
“ Why did you not tell us?” “Why did we not know?” “We would have brought you a present!”
“ All I need as a present is that you are all here,” the Prince replied. “I intend to cut my cake, then you shall drink my health in a very special wine that comes from my own vineyard in my own country.”
A s he spoke, servants came in carrying an enormous iced cake on which flared a number of candles.
T hey set it down on a small table in front of the Prince, and as they did so Davita felt her hand taken by Violet.
“ Let us get near so that we see,” she said.
S he pulled Davita through the guests until they stood at the Prince’s side.
“ I want my friend from Scotland to see this ceremony, Your Highness,” Violet said to him. “Everything’s new and exciting to her and this is something she mustn’t miss!”
“ Of course not,” the Prince answered, “and I hope, Miss Kilcraig, you will wish me happiness in the future.”
“ Of course I will!” Davita answered.
T he Prince smiled at her, and picking up a knife , w ith a jewelled handle was ready to cut the cake.
“ I must blow out the candles first,” he said, “and for as many as I extinguish, I shall have as many happy years.”
“ No cheating!” somebody shouted.
“ That is one thing I never do,” the Prince replied.
H e drew in his breath and with one terrific blow extinguished every candle on the cake.
T here were shrieks of delight, then everybody clapped.
“ Now wish!” Violet said.
“ That is what I am doing, but of course what I wish must be a secret!”
H e inserted the jewelled knife into the cake and cut it, then as the servants took it away, others brought huge trays on which there were glasses of wine.
O ne servant brought a gold tray on which there were only three glasses and presented it to the Prince.
“ Now these,” the Prince said, “are for myself and my two special guests this evening.”
H e picked up the glass on the right and, turning to the Marquis, who was at his side, said:
“ Vange, you and I have been competitors on the racecourse and at times in the race for love. I would like you to drink my health, and may we have many more years ahead of us as competitors and—friends.”
“ You may be sure of that, Your Highness,” the Marquis answered, “and I promise I shall always do my best to defeat you!”
“ And I promise I shall strive indefatigably to be victorious!”
T here was a roar of laughter at this, then the Prince lifted the left-hand glass and the middle one.
T hen to Davita’s utter surprise he turned to her and said:
“ There is an old superstition in my country that a red-haired woman presents a challenge which all men
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