The Lovelight of Apollo. Barbara Cartland

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      Prince Alexander of Battenberg had refused to act as a Russian puppet.

      Finally the Russians kidnapped the Prince and had then forced him to abdicate at pistol-point.

      Queen Victoria had been furious.

      “Russia behaves and has behaved shamefully and disgracefully!” she raged.

      It was because of what had happened in Bulgaria that finally she became more amenable to the idea of Princess Marigold marrying Prince Holden.

      However Bulgaria was a large country while Allenberg was a very small one.

      Over and over again she told Princess Marigold how advantageous it would be for her to marry a man who could make her a Queen.

      To Queen Victoria’s surprise, however, for almost the first time since the death of the Prince Consort, she found that she could not have her own way.

      “I intend, Cousin Victoria,” Princess Marigold insisted firmly, “to marry Prince Holden even if I have to elope with him and am never allowed to set foot on English soil again!”

      Finally and reluctantly, because nothing she could say would move Princess Marigold, Queen Victoria conceded.

      The engagement between Prince Holden of Allenberg and the Princess Maigold was to be announced the following week.

      Unfortunately the day before the engagement should have appeared in the newspapers, an elderly relative of the Queen and the Princess had died unexpectedly.

      This meant that Royalty were now to be dressed in black for six months and there was no question of even a minor Royal Wedding taking place until the time of mourning was past.

      The Queen therefore decided that their engagement was to be kept secret from everyone except those living in Windsor Castle and the public announcement would be made when the actual date of the Wedding was decided.

      Now in a voice that was almost hysterical Princess Marigold pointed out,

      “Do you not understand, Holden, that Her Majesty will use the death of Prince Eumenus as an excuse to keep us in mourning.”

      She paused a moment to clear her throat before continuing,

      “She is just hoping and praying that we will become bored with waiting and then she can marry me off to some doddering old King whose Throne is crumbling from under him!”

      Prince Holden put his hand over the Princess’s.

      “We have a little more than two months to go,” he said, “and I cannot believe that Prince Eumenus who was of little consequence, could expect us to mourn for any longer than that.”

      “But I will not leave you and go to Greece,” Princess Marigold retorted. “I know exactly how Her Majesty’s mind works. She is thinking that because Papa was Greek, I might find someone there of more importance than you.”

      Prince Holden was well aware that this was true.

      But, as there was nothing more he could say, he raised the Princess’s hand to his lips.

      “Also,” the Princess went on, “you promised that you would take me away in your yacht. I have not yet told the Queen, but I have decided who we would take with us as a chaperone, old Lady Milne.”

      She smiled at him and then carried on,

      “If we give her enough to drink, she will sleep all through the afternoon and evening and not interfere with us at all.”

      “No one shall ever do that,” the Prince asserted firmly.

      “But that is exactly what the Queen is trying to do,” the Princess said.

      Now the anger was back in her voice.

      “Surely there is someone else who would be able to go to Greece?” Prince Holden said turning to Colonel Bassett.

      He was still standing somewhat uncomfortably by the door.

      He was used to Princess Marigold’s tantrums. Yet he could never make up his mind if it was best to leave the room without permission or to stay and witness her performance.

      If he did stay, he would have to listen to her raging endlessly at him or anyone else who might have antagonised her.

      “Even if there was, Your Royal Highness,” he replied in answer to the Prince, “I doubt if Her Majesty would change her mind and send someone else in place of Her Royal Highness.”

      “Nevertheless you had better find someone,” Princess Marigold said sharply. “For I am not going, even if I have to stay in bed and claim I am too ill to travel.”

      “I do so want you to be with me,” Prince Holden said in a low caressing tone. “I was so looking forward to taking you across the North Sea to Denmark or anywhere else you would prefer.”

      “And I want to be with you too,” the Princess sighed.

      She was looking up into his eyes and for a moment they forgot that Colonel Bassett was in the room.

      “I want to stand on deck at night and gaze at the stars,” the Princess said, “and I want to keep counting the days until we can be married.”

      “That is what I am doing,” the Prince replied and his fingers tightened on hers.

      “Then let’s defy the Queen,” Princess Marigold suggested, “and send someone else in my place. As long as there is someone in dismal black with a Union Jack hanging over their heads, no one will care whether I am there or not.”

      “I agree,” the Prince smiled, “but I would really doubt if anyone would be brave enough to impersonate you and risk the terrible wrath of Her Majesty.”

      “There must be someone if we could only find her,” Princess Marigold persisted. “Surely you know someone, Colonel Bassett?”

      “I am afraid not, Your Royal Highness,” the Colonel answered swiftly.

      “Oh, how can you be so unhelpful?” the Princess turned on him. “I thought you were on my side.”

      “Your Highness is well aware,” the Colonel said, “that if I encouraged you to intrigue against Her Majesty’s orders, I would be dismissed instantly, if I was not taken to the Tower of London as a traitor!”

      He spoke lightly,

      At the same time both the Prince and Princess knew that there was a great deal of truth in what he was saying.

      As if he thought that it was a mistake to continue with this line of conversation, Colonel Bassett asked,

      “If Your Royal Highness will now excuse me, I have a great many letters that need my attention.”

      “Yes, yes, of course,” the Princess responded.

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