Meredith laughed. “Well, that alone is good reason to go with you.” She lowered her voice. “But it’s not as simple as that. You already have—” She stopped herself from saying nanny. “A governess that you know and love.”

  Kat rolled her eyes.

  After the Spanish Riding School, they went to see the beautiful Karlskirche Cathedral, followed by a tour of the Hofburg Palace and the Belvedere Palace, two spots that had been on Meredith’s must-see list.

  “You seem to be interested in palaces,” Spencer said as they returned to the hotel.

  “I guess it’s an American thing,” she confessed. “You know we’ve never had royalty over there. It’s kind of mysterious to us.”

  “I want to go to America sometime,” Kat said as they got out of the SUV. “I want to see Hollywood and Disney World.”

  “I want to see the Grand Canyon,” Mishka said. “And the giant redwood trees.”

  “Maybe someday,” Spencer said in a tone that sounded more wishful than genuine.

  As they rode the elevator up to their floor, Spencer asked Geoff about dinner reservations, and Geoff confirmed they had some for seven thirty at a place Meredith had never heard of.

  “I don’t want to go,” Kat said. “I’m tired.”

  Meredith looked down at her just in time to see her nudging Mishka with her elbow.

  “I’m, uh, I’m tired too,” he said in a slightly stilted voice.

  “Why don’t we eat in?” Kat said to her father. “You and Meredith can go. I’m sure she would like to see the restaurant.” She looked at Meredith. “It’s very elegant.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to go?” Spencer asked them as the doors opened.

  “We’re sure,” Kat answered for both, gently shoving Mishka in front of her.

  “Is that acceptable to you?” Spencer asked Meredith as they trailed the children to the suite.

  “Is it acceptable to you?” she parroted. “After all, you’re the prince. I’m just the nanny.” She wrinkled her nose in a smirk, and he smiled.

  “I’d love to take the nanny to dinner,” he said as Geoff opened the door to the suite. “I have been wanting to hear more about your time in Papua New Guinea. Perhaps you know my relatives there.”

  “Oh, yes, I nearly forgot about that.”

  Spencer checked his phone. “Looks like we have about an hour before we need to go. Can you be ready by then?”

  She laughed. “Sure. I could be ready in less than ten minutes if necessary.”

  “It’s, uh, a rather formal restaurant.”

  “Oh?” She grimaced to think of what she’d packed. “I’m not sure I brought anything the least bit formal.”

  “Geoff?” Spencer called out. “Can you give us a hand?”

  “Sir?” Geoff snapped to attention.

  “Miss Meredith needs something appropriate to wear to dinner. Can you please assist her with that?”

  Geoff looked slightly uncomfortable but nodded. “A women’s boutique is located down by the lobby,” he said to Meredith. “I believe they have formal wear.”

  “Oh, I don’t think—”

  “Nonsense. Geoff will call ahead and tell them you’re coming,” Spencer commanded. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to return this phone call.”

  Feeling somewhat bamboozled and out of her realm, Meredith accepted Geoff’s instructions and went down to browse around the shop, mostly out of curiosity. She felt fairly sure that anything there would be too costly. Unless the boutique rented gowns, which she doubted when she saw how glitzy and exclusive it looked.

  But she was met by a pleasant saleswoman, who spoke broken English, and appeared to be expecting her.

  “I know your need.” She glanced up and down as if assessing her dress size. “We have fine gown for you.” And suddenly she was bringing out sparkling evening dresses and treating Meredith like royalty.

  After turning down a slinky strapless gown and backless number, Meredith attempted to communicate through body language that she wanted something more modest. Finally, she was shown a sleeveless midnight blue dress with glass bead embroidery across the bodice and a flowing skirt. Far more elegant than anything she’d ever worn before, it seemed appropriate and acceptable and to her relief fit perfectly. Unable to spot a price tag and realizing time was flying, she agreed it was wonderful.

  “How much?” she asked, but the woman just waved her hand. “Price? Cost?”

  “Shoe size?”

  “Uh, eight?”

  The woman frowned. “Ja, American size. I know, I know.” Then she ducked into the back room, emerging with a pair of stylish black suede shoes with narrow ankle straps, as well as a delicate looking lacy black shawl. Holding them beside the dress. “You like?”

  “Oh, yes, it’s all beautiful. But how much is—”

  “All done. You go now,” the woman gave her a gentle nudge toward the door.

  “But I need to pay for—”

  “We deliver. You go up. You wait. We bring,” she spoke slowly as if Meredith didn’t understand English. “To your suite.” Her nudge grew firmer. “You go. Preparation. Now.”

  Unused to such service, Meredith hurried back to the suite, going directly to the room she was sharing with Kat and then into the bathroom. She took a quick shower and, wanting to look equal to the lovely evening clothing, even applied a bit of makeup. There wasn’t much time for her to do her hair, so she pinned it up in a simple French twist. She was just finished when Kat called to her. “Your gown has arrived.”

  Meredith cracked open the door, sticking her hand out. “Thank you.”

  “It looks pretty,” Kat said. “Good choice.”

  Meredith began to pull it on then said to Kat, “Can you help with the zipper?”

  Kat came in, fastened the back, and stepped back to look. “Wow, Meri, I didn’t know you were this beautiful.”

  Meredith laughed. “You’re sweet. Thank you. Maybe the makeup helps.”

  “Will you show me how to use makeup?” Kat asked eagerly.

  Meredith blinked. “Well, I, uh, I don’t know. Would your father mind?”

  Kat huffed.

  “Well, there’s no time for a lesson now.” She slid her feet into the shoes, stooping to buckle the narrow ankle straps. “But if your father doesn’t mind, maybe I can show you what I know tomorrow. And trust me, I know very little.”

  Kat brightened as she handed her the shawl. “Thanks.”

  “Do I look acceptable for this fancy restaurant?” Meredith extended her arms.

  Kat grabbed her phone. “Let me grab a pic, and I’ll send it to you just to prove it.”

  Meredith giggled as she struck a pose.

  “Want me to take one with you and Papa too?”

  “That would be lovely.”

  Feeling like she was going to the prom, something she’d never done in high school, Meredith stood next to Spencer, who looked more princely than ever in his dark tuxedo. “I feel like a celebrity,” she giggled. “Or maybe it’s Cinderella.”

  Mishka suddenly burst out of his room then stopped in his tracks. “Meri, you look like a real princess.” His eyes widened. “You’re beautiful.”

  “Well, thank you very much.” She stroked his hair. “Coming from a real prince, that means something.”

  A knock on the door distracted them, and room service began setting up the children’s dinner, with Geoff directing. Spencer called out goodbyes and just like that Meredith Cardwell, the poor schoolteacher from a Podunk town in Oregon, was going out with a prince and trying not to go into total shock over the whole thing.

  19

  There was an uncomfortable silence on the ride to the restaurant, and Meredith began to worry that Spencer was regretting the evening. Finally, she decided to speak. “Do you think it’s slightly suspicious that Kat and Mishka both so eagerly agreed to send us out tonight?”

  His pale brows arched. “Now that you mention it… Do you think they’re up to something?”

  Meredith shrugged. “I don’t know what it could be. It’s not as if they can get into any mischief at the hotel. Is there?”

  He chuckled. “Not with Geoff watching them.”

  “So you’re not worried?” She studied him.

  “No.” He shook his head. “And there’s extra security at the hotel.” He glanced out a side window. “In fact, I’m sure they’re safer there than out here on the street.”

  “Are we unsafe?”

  He turned to look at her. “Are you frightened?”

  She chuckled. “Not particularly. I hardly think Vienna is any more dangerous than some of the places I visited in Papua New Guinea.”

  “Ah, I want to hear more about that, Meredith.”

  As they rode to the restaurant, she told him some interesting tales of her adventures in Papua New Guinea. And it turned out, she recognized the names of his relatives working in the country. “I’m sure I took care of their two sons at one of the children’s group homes,” she told him.

  “Small world.” He pointed out the window. “Looks like we’re here.”

  He led her into an elegant restaurant where the maître d’ welcomed them, taking them directly to a fully set, candlelit table by a fountain. But Meredith was lost as he spoke French to Spencer, probably describing something on the menu.

  “He is recommending the specialty of the house,” Spencer told her. “Unless you’d like to order from the menu.”

  She waved a hand. “I trust your discerning taste.”

  Spencer, speaking fluent French, seemed to settle the details with the man, and a bottle of French Sauvignon Blanc was produced, along with a bucket for keeping it chilled. A waiter opened and poured a sample for Spencer who, after a sniff and a swirl and a sample, gave the man an approving nod. Glasses were poured for both of them.

  “Here’s to Vienna,” Spencer said, holding up his glass, “at her best.”

  “At her best,” Meredith echoed. “I have a whole new appreciation for the city now. Thank you for giving me the opportunity.” As they sipped their wine, Meredith felt eyes upon them. For a moment it made her nervous. Perhaps they were in danger. But then she realized it was curious onlookers and decided that perhaps they did look like celebrities. Or royalty. Whatever the case, it was rather fun, and she couldn’t wait to describe this evening to her dad.

  “You mentioned going to Papua New Guinea with a male friend.” Spencer sat down his goblet. “But the way you said it suggested there’s more to the story. A romance perhaps?”

  Meredith grimaced. “It was that obvious?”

  He barely shrugged then smiled. “I suppose I’m just a curious fellow.”

  “I went with a guy named David. We were both teachers back in the States. We’d been dating for almost a year, and we were both interested in overseas missions. After attending a missions conference together, we applied to the same mission and were accepted to serve for a two-year term.”

  “A romantic adventure?”

  “It seemed to be. The plan was to experience it together and get engaged over there. Then we’d get married and travel through Europe on our way home.”

  He frowned. “What happened?”

  “David changed his mind.”

  “About you?”

  “About everything. He’d only been there a few months when he began to unravel. Some thought he was suffering from culture shock. I’m not sure. But I felt pretty blindsided when he abruptly decided to go home.”

  “But you stayed?”

  “I wanted to fulfill my commitment.”

  “Admirable.” He nodded with a thoughtful expression as he topped off her wine.

  “It hurt a lot at first,” she confessed. “But after a while, I realized I’d dodged a bullet. David wasn’t right for me.”

  “But you loved him?”

  She thought hard about this. “I think I loved who I thought he was. But it was an illusion, something I’d invented. I never met the real David until we got over there.”

  “Interesting.”

  “I never saw it before, because he was a big talker. But I suspect he was insecure all along. And I’m not mad at him. Not anymore. I really do wish him well and hope he’s found something that suits him, but I found out he was never the brave adventuresome man I had conjured up in my mind. To be honest, he was a bit of a coward.”

  “It could just be my opinion, but I think he was a bit of a fool.”

  She blinked. “A fool?”

  Spencer smiled. “To let you go.”

  Her cheeks warmed. Maybe it was the wine, but she suspected it was something more. “Thank you,” she murmured.

  “What you said about fulfilling your commitment.” He studied the glow of the candlelight through his goblet. “I can relate to that.”

  “How so?” She leaned forward with interest.

  “When I married Princess Anastasia—that’s what she went by since her mother is Queen Katerina—the truth is I was probably just out for a good time.”

  “A good time?” She frowned.

  “Oh, not like you may imagine. Anastasia wasn’t exactly a party girl.” He smiled. “In fact, she was quite serious. But I grew up in a titled family. My father is an earl. But titles are limited. Firstborn sons inherit. Sometimes second-born sons, if something goes wrong. But I was third-born.” He shook his head.

  “And you wanted to be an earl?”

  He laughed. “To be honest, not at all. But titles and wealth and property are a rather big deal in my family. And I suppose I was my mother’s favorite son. She would’ve preferred that I inherit the title, but it wasn’t to be. So through her older sister, who married a duke whose brother married Queen Katerina of Rotslavia, she introduced me to the royal family.”

  “So, it was an arranged marriage?”

  “Somewhat. We met and liked each other well enough. But it was no fairy-tale romance. Anastasia wasn’t exactly a beauty. I wasn’t a prince. But children were necessary to carry on the royal name. And I must admit that I had no real plans. To be honest, I was not a great academic success in university. I excelled more in sports and making friends than anything. I had no real career plans, so becoming a prince in a small European principality had a certain appeal.” He paused as their starter course was set down.

  “Moules Marinères,” he told her.

  “Looks like mussels,” she said quietly.

  “Quite right.” He smiled. “Are you good with that?”

  “Couldn’t be better.” She grinned as she picked up her seafood fork. “Now, back to your story. You married Princess Anastasia in order to secure a title?”

  “As egotistical and self-serving as that sounds, I must admit it was largely true.”

  “And then what?”

  “It didn’t take long to discover that being part of a royal family wasn’t all that I imagined it would be. Much more than playing polo and hobnobbing with the rich and famous. A lot was expected of me. Queen Katerina treated me more like an employee than a member of the family.”

  “Did you resent that?”

  “I suppose I did a bit, at first, but the more I got to know the country, the more I understood. It’s a necessity. Being part of the royal family is a job. One is expected to perform one’s duties.” He smiled. “I suppose it was good for me. Forced me to grow up and act like a man.”

  “And like a dad? After the children came along?”

  “Yes, my role changed slightly with the children. In fact, I used to be much more involved in their lives. It’s only the past few years that demands of my position began to distract me so much. I suppose that’s relative to Anastasia’s death. I was expected to behave more like a prince.”

  “Interesting.” Meredith twisted her fork to dislodge a mussel.

  He let out a tired sounding sigh. “Sometimes it’s a bit overwhelming.”

  “Is that what you meant by your interest in fulfilling my commitment? You feel like that with your role in the kingdom?”

  “Exactly.” He sighed again. “To be honest, numerous times I’ve wanted to grab my children and take them to some faraway place where they could just be ordinary, with no royal responsibilities to be groomed for and grow into.” A shadow passed over him.

  “Would you ever really do that?”

  He pondered this as he twirled his seafood fork between his fingers. “I’ve never told anyone these things before.” He looked into her eyes. “But I think I can trust you. I’ve felt you had my children’s best interest at heart.”

  “You can trust me. I care deeply about Kat and Mishka.”

  “I appreciate that. And the truth is…if I thought they were in any real danger, I would definitely get them to a safer place.” His mouth twisted to one side. “But the problem is Kat. She is surprisingly loyal to her grandmother and loves her country. She may put on a rebellious act at times, but underneath all that, it’s as if she was wired for royalty.”

  “I’ve noticed that too.”

  “Her mother was like that. I didn’t fully understand it at first. Or maybe I just didn’t want to.” He slowly shook his head. “I suppose I didn’t appreciate it.”

  “Standing on the outside, looking in, it seems rather complicated to me.”

  “So, I am fulfilling my commitment. I will raise the children the best I can, but it’s as if they are royal property.”

  “That must be a tough balancing act for you. Being a father and being part of a royal family.”

  “You’ve gotten a glimpse of it, Meredith. But being here in Austria is not like being in Rotslavia. Life becomes much more regimented there. The truth of the matter is that, like my daughter, I too care about the country. Maybe it’s because of my children, but the older I get the more I hope I can help to sustain it, keep the citizens safe, protect an old way of life.”

  “It’s not a bad purpose in life,” she conceded.

  The more they talked, the more she understood the complexity of his situation and the more she cared about him. Spencer, on one hand, was just a regular man who loved his kids and would’ve enjoyed taking them sailing and coaching their cricket teams, but on the other hand, he had unrealistic royal responsibilities. Her heart went out to him.