“Darling, I am sorry,” Aria said. “As soon as the vanadium is sold and we once again have some capital in the treasuries, I shall send him packing.”
“I do not think I can bear him until then. He is an uneducated, boorish lout. He is stupider than most of the peasants.”
“Not all of them are stupid,” she said. “In America I met some who were quite intelligent.”
“How did you get away from your protectors to meet American peasants? Is that how you got into ‘trouble,’ as this idiot American so eloquently puts it?” He was looking at her speculatively.
“Well, no, I…I mean I…”
“Lookee here,
” J.T. shouted. “Hey, Count, I found your horse for you.” Like a knight’s lackey, he ran up the path holding the reins to the stallion. “Black brute,” J.T. said fearfully. “I’m glad I don’t have to ride him. Here you go, Count.” He handed the smaller man the reins. “Hey! I brought some whiskey with me. You two wanna share it?”
“Share whiskey?” Julian asked, sneering. “Aria, we must return so that I may send a telegram. No, I will radio that American—what is his name? Roosevelt. I will radio him and protest this intolerable position he has put us in.”
“You can radio President Roosevelt?” J.T. asked, eyes wide in wonder. “You must be a real powerful man. That oughtta help make up for your size.”
Aria stepped between the men just as Julian raised his riding crop. “Julian, please. It would be like striking the American government. Let me speak to him. Please?” She asked the last very sweetly.
Julian turned on his heel and went back to the spring.
“You are making a fool of yourself,” she spat at J.T. when they were alone. “And where did you learn to ride so well?”
He smiled at her. “In Colorado on the back of the meanest broncos my Taggert cousins could find.”
“Your country bumpkin act is bad enough but your jealousy is intolerable.”
He lost his smile instantly. “Jealousy, hell! How do you know it isn’t your little count who wants you dead? Maybe he arranged the kidnapping in Key West. Maybe he wants you out of the way so he can marry that featherbrained little sister of yours.”
“You leave my sister out of this!” She stopped. “And by the way, just what did the two of you do when you were at my grandfather’s? All she could talk about was you when she returned last night.”
“Yeah?” J.T. grinned. “Luscious little piece, that.”
“How dare you,” she said, doubling up her fists.
“Better not get too familiar, Princess, here comes your little stud. You better warn him that if he hits me with his little whip, I may wrap it around his throat. Probably go around about four times,” he added, smiling.
“Leave us alone,” she hissed as Julian approached. “Just leave us alone.”
“Not until I know he can be trusted. Howdy, Count,” he said loudly. “The princess here has given me a talkin’ to set my ears ringin’. I’m sorry if I don’t know how to treat royalty. We Americans ain’t used to kings and dukes and counts and such. You two go on ahead. I’ll be as quiet as a mouse and stay way back here.”
Count Julian had been surrounded by servants all his life—servants who were respectful and knew their place in life. He imagined that this American had at last recognized his place. He turned back to Aria. “Shall we walk, darling? Perhaps we should discuss our wedding preparations. I think we should be married within three months at the most. It will be autumn then and we shall honeymoon in that mountain retreat of the king’s.”
“I don’t know, there is a world war going on.”
“And there are many marriages being performed. People need a little happiness now.”
“I agree, Princess,” J.T. said from behind them as he moved forward. “You two make a fine-lookin’ couple and you ought to share your future with the world. The princess could wear a long white dress, symbol of her purity, and one of those diamond crowns—but not too tall ’cause of his royal countship here. I can see it now.”
Count Julian raised his riding crop.
“Of course,” J.T. continued, “America will pay for the wedding—sort of an appreciation gift for selling us the vanadium.”
The crop lowered.
“We will return to the palace,” Julian said, taking Aria’s arm and leading her away.
She was angry herself, and as they returned to the horses, she vowed she was going to elude Lieutenant Montgomery and spend some time alone with Julian.