The Gates of Paradise by Barbara Cartland Page A

eyes on her to my knowledge, but he does know that she is English and will therefore not be suspicious that you are play-acting.  What he really wants to know is why you have not yet produced an heir to the throne, and if our Army is as small and as ineffective as it is reputed to be amongst some of the other Balkan States who are jealous of us.”
    â€œSurely, Lord Chamberlain, you can easily increase the size of your Army.”
    She was thinking of the large number of men she had seen walking in the streets not in uniform as she drove into the City.
    Now she thought about it, very few of the women she had talked to had said their husband was a soldier.
    â€œI have been advocating for some time that all the young men in the country should be encouraged to join the Army, if only for a few years so that they would learn to fight, which might in time be very necessary.”
    â€œSo who is preventing it?”
    â€œThe Prime Minister for one.  He is persuading the Cabinet and Members of Parliament that if we have a large Army we might seem to be aggressive and our neighbours might believe that we are threatening them .”
    â€œBut surely they do understand that the real threat comes from Russia?” exclaimed Narina.
    â€œThey believe all they want to believe and they are completely and absolutely certain that, as we are now ruled by an English Princess, we are perfectly safe.”
    Narina gave a deep sigh.
    â€œI appreciate all you are feeling.  It’s just what my father has told me happened in India.  For a long time they refused to believe that there was any threat from the Russians.”
    â€œExactly, and I’m told their defences are still not as complete as they should be.”
    â€œIf they were, we would not need men like Michael Ward to risk their lives in The Great Game .”
    â€œNo, of course not.  I only wish we had something like that here.  The majority of the people are complacent and convinced that we need not be afraid.”
    â€œThen that is just the sort of thing that Prince Hans must not find out.”
    The Lord Chamberlain nodded.
    â€œWhat you have to do,” he suggested, “is keep his mind on a more attractive subject, namely yourself .”
    â€œI will do my best,” smiled Narina.
    After the Lord Chamberlain had left her, she longed to go into the closed bedroom and tell Michael Ward what was happening.
    When she asked Paks, he insisted that he was still asleep and under no circumstances should he be disturbed.
    Narina changed her gown.
    She chose one of the prettiest and most fashionable belonging to Louise.  She added some attractive jewellery and put two strings of pearls round her neck.
    There were pearl earrings to match and a diamond bracelet narrow enough not to seem ostentatious in the daytime.
    Then feeling her heart was beating rather heavily in case she made a mistake, she walked down the stairs.
    She entered the reception room in which she was to meet Prince Hans before luncheon.
    She learnt from one of the aides-de-camp that the Lord Chamberlain and the General commanding the troops had been showing Prince Hans the best horses in the Royal Cavalry stables.
    Narina was certain this was an astute way to show him something of the Army itself, but she merely smiled and asked the aide-de-camp ,
    â€œWas His Royal Highness driving particularly fine horses?”
    â€œVery fine indeed, Your Royal Highness,” the aide de-camp replied with a note of envy in his voice.  “Prince Hans does everything in style, bringing extra horses with him in case any should go lame and an attendance of eight servants.”
    Narina laughed as she thought it so funny.
    She could scarcely imagine any Englishman going about with such pomp and ceremony.
    From the way the aide-de-camp spoke she was sure it all made Prince Hans, in other people’s eyes, much more impressive than he actually was.
    She had not been in the