remarkably foolish," he continued, "willing to judge by outward appearances. But I guess I can't blame you for that. You've been judged the same way your whole life. You've probably been so busy getting your hair fixed or going for a dress fitting you never had time to develop your mind or character. I doubt there's anything of substance behind all that powder and those ridiculous clothes."
Ordinarily Valeria would have been angry at such a brutal appraisal of her character, but how could an illbred American be expected to understand royalty? However, she took exception to his remark about her clothes.
"This dress is from Paris," she said, unable to believe even an American would call clothes designed by Worth of Paris ridiculous.
"Then you should have saved it for Paris. You'll ruin it in a single day out here. You should also have left your carloads of belongings behind."
"It's impossible to leave everything behind. How could I live?" She knew she'd brought too much, but as long as she was surrounded by reminders of home, she felt a little less frightened, a little less lost.
"You'll soon find that living well has to do with a person's character, not a trainload of belongings." "Leave my room this instant," Valeria said with all the regal outrage she could summon. When he didn't move, she practically shouted, "I'd walk through the desert by myself before I'd go so much as one foot with you. Did you hear me?"
"I imagine half of Bonner heard you," he said, finally rising to his feet. "The rest of them will know by dinnertime."
Then he turned and walked out. He didn't bow, nod his head, doff his hat, or take verbal leave of her. He just walked out as if she, Otto, and her maid didn't exist.
She whirled on Otto. "Who hired that man?"
"Hans."
"He couldn't have met him, or he wouldn't have hired him."
"I imagine it was done through an agent."
"Make certain we never use their services again. Now I'd better change for dinner. I hope you've informed the hotel that I have my own chef and my own food. The kitchen must be put at his disposal."
"I instructed Hans to attend to that." "Good. I'll dine at half past eight." "Very good."
Otto didn't move.
"Is there something else?" she asked.
"Did you really mean that man wasn't to serve as our guide?"
"I most certainly did."
"We can't possibly find Duke Rudolf's ranch without him."
"Find another guide. There must be dozens like him."
Chapter Two
Luke leaned back in his chair and allowed his eyelids to droop, but he watched Hans closely to gauge the extent of his sincerity.
"You can't quit," Hans was saying. "The princess is in great danger."
"You keep telling me that, but you can't give me any proof," Luke said.
Otto had followed Luke from Valeria's room, confirmed that he really had been fired, but said he could keep the money he'd already been paid. Less than twenty minutes later Hans tracked Luke down and begged him to stay.
"I'm certain they're only waiting until we leave Bonner. Once we're in your wilderness, there won't be anyone to stop them," Hans said.
"Who are you afraid of?" Luke asked.
Hans looked around with the nervous glance of a man fearful he would be attacked from behind at any moment. Luke could have told him the Crystal Palace was the safest and most orderly saloon in town. It was patronized primarily by the solid citizens of the town, along with some mine- and land-owners; the conversation was muted, the alcohol of good quality. Several years earlier the town fathers had hired Luke to clean out a gang of rustlers and gold thieves. People still remembered burying the gang one by one in the local boot hill. Luke's liking for a quiet place to drink his brandy ensured that the boisterous miners would seek their beer and whiskey elsewhere while he was in town.
"I can't be entirely sure who's behind it," Hans admitted. "Otherwise Prince Matthais would have caught the unprincipled cowards. He was not easily persuaded to let the princess
Ordinarily Valeria would have been angry at such a brutal appraisal of her character, but how could an illbred American be expected to understand royalty? However, she took exception to his remark about her clothes.
"This dress is from Paris," she said, unable to believe even an American would call clothes designed by Worth of Paris ridiculous.
"Then you should have saved it for Paris. You'll ruin it in a single day out here. You should also have left your carloads of belongings behind."
"It's impossible to leave everything behind. How could I live?" She knew she'd brought too much, but as long as she was surrounded by reminders of home, she felt a little less frightened, a little less lost.
"You'll soon find that living well has to do with a person's character, not a trainload of belongings." "Leave my room this instant," Valeria said with all the regal outrage she could summon. When he didn't move, she practically shouted, "I'd walk through the desert by myself before I'd go so much as one foot with you. Did you hear me?"
"I imagine half of Bonner heard you," he said, finally rising to his feet. "The rest of them will know by dinnertime."
Then he turned and walked out. He didn't bow, nod his head, doff his hat, or take verbal leave of her. He just walked out as if she, Otto, and her maid didn't exist.
She whirled on Otto. "Who hired that man?"
"Hans."
"He couldn't have met him, or he wouldn't have hired him."
"I imagine it was done through an agent."
"Make certain we never use their services again. Now I'd better change for dinner. I hope you've informed the hotel that I have my own chef and my own food. The kitchen must be put at his disposal."
"I instructed Hans to attend to that." "Good. I'll dine at half past eight." "Very good."
Otto didn't move.
"Is there something else?" she asked.
"Did you really mean that man wasn't to serve as our guide?"
"I most certainly did."
"We can't possibly find Duke Rudolf's ranch without him."
"Find another guide. There must be dozens like him."
Chapter Two
Luke leaned back in his chair and allowed his eyelids to droop, but he watched Hans closely to gauge the extent of his sincerity.
"You can't quit," Hans was saying. "The princess is in great danger."
"You keep telling me that, but you can't give me any proof," Luke said.
Otto had followed Luke from Valeria's room, confirmed that he really had been fired, but said he could keep the money he'd already been paid. Less than twenty minutes later Hans tracked Luke down and begged him to stay.
"I'm certain they're only waiting until we leave Bonner. Once we're in your wilderness, there won't be anyone to stop them," Hans said.
"Who are you afraid of?" Luke asked.
Hans looked around with the nervous glance of a man fearful he would be attacked from behind at any moment. Luke could have told him the Crystal Palace was the safest and most orderly saloon in town. It was patronized primarily by the solid citizens of the town, along with some mine- and land-owners; the conversation was muted, the alcohol of good quality. Several years earlier the town fathers had hired Luke to clean out a gang of rustlers and gold thieves. People still remembered burying the gang one by one in the local boot hill. Luke's liking for a quiet place to drink his brandy ensured that the boisterous miners would seek their beer and whiskey elsewhere while he was in town.
"I can't be entirely sure who's behind it," Hans admitted. "Otherwise Prince Matthais would have caught the unprincipled cowards. He was not easily persuaded to let the princess
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