Danielle Steel - H.R.H.

“She died when I was five.”

“Mine died when I was fifteen.” It was something they had in common, although she didn't pursue the subject. She didn't want to be rude or intrusive and ask painful questions. “My brother and I grew up alone with my dad.”

“My brother and I did, too.” She smiled.

“What does your brother do now, assuming he's old enough to be doing something?” He laughed, she looked very young to him, mostly because she was so small. She was barely taller than a child, although if she was working for the Red Cross in Africa, he knew she had to be a reasonable age, at the very least over twenty-one.

“He's old enough,” Cricky said ruefully. “He's thirtythree. Actually, most of the time, he travels, chases women, and drives fast cars.”

“Nice work if you can find it,” he teased. “Mine is a doctor, and so is my dad. My father is a surgeon in San Francisco, and my brother is a pediatrician in New York. And I live in Boston.” He supplied all the relevant information, as some Americans did, far more so than Europeans, who gave much less personal information away. But Christianna didn't mind it. She liked the open, friendly American ways. She had missed that since she left Berkeley in June.

“I know you live in Boston.” She smiled pleasantly at him, he seemed nice. “You do research at Harvard.” He seemed pleased that she knew.

“What do you do in Liechtenstein … what's your hometown called, by the way?”

“I live in the capital, Vaduz. And I'm going to work for my father when I go home. But I'm hoping to stay here all year first. If he lets me. He gets a bit nervous when I'm away. But my brother will be home from China soon … that will distract him, I hope. Or drive him insane, depending on what my brother does.” They both laughed.

“Is he a race car driver? You mentioned fast cars.”

“No.” She laughed harder this time, as they walked down a path bordered by bushes, flowers, and trees. The smell of the flowers was heavy and sweet, and one that she would always associate with Africa now. “He's just a very bad boy.”

“Doesn't he work at all?” He looked surprised. That concept was new to him, though not to her. Most princes didn't, especially crown princes like her brother, although most were far more respectable than he was, and found tamer ways to fill their time.

“Actually, he works for my father sometimes, too, but he doesn't like it much. He prefers to travel. He's been traveling in Asia now for several months. He was in Japan before, and now China. He's planning to stop in Burma on his way home.” They sounded like an in teresting family to him.

“And your father?”

“He's in politics and PR.” She had it down pat now, and had said it often enough. She had almost convinced herself. “I'll work for him in PR when I go home.”

“That sounds like fun,” he said generously, and she groaned.

“I can't think of anything worse. I'd much rather be here.”

“And what does he think of that?” he asked, looking at her cautiously. She was beginning to intrigue him. She was a very bright girl.

“He's not too pleased. But he let me come. He agreed to six months, but I'm going to push for a year.” He realized that she was still young enough to be ruled by her father, and somewhat dependent on him. He had no idea to what extent she was bound by her father's rules, and the duties imposed on her as a princess. He would have been stunned had he known.

“I have to be back at Harvard in June, but I love it here, too. It's the most interesting place I've ever been. Africa, I mean. I did some research in Central America a few years ago. My specialty is AIDS in developing countries. This has been a terrific opportunity for me.”

“Doctors Without Borders is a wonderful group. Everyone respects them a great deal.”

“It will be interesting for me in Senafe, too, and nice to stay for a while. What I've been doing for the past month was a little more hit and run, although I've been very grateful that they let me tag along.” She nodded as they slowly turned back. It had been a very pleasant walk with him. He asked her about Berkeley then and if she liked it, and she said she did, very much.

“I was very sorry to go home in June.”

“It doesn't sound like you or your brother like being home a lot,” he said with a mischievous grin.

“You're right. Liechtenstein is a very small place. There's not much to do. There's far more for me to do here.” She was enjoying her AIDS work, and the children she was teaching in the afternoon. She felt useful here, which meant a lot to her.

“I'll have to visit there sometime,” he said politely. “I've been to Vienna, and Lausanne and Zurich, but I've never been to Liechtenstein.”

“It's very pretty,” she said loyally, not sounding convinced herself.

“And very dull,” he added for her.

“Yes, very dull,” she admitted with a smile.

“So why go back?” He looked puzzled. In the States, if people didn't like where they lived, they moved, just as he and his brother had. He liked San Francisco, but it was too quiet for him, too.

“I don't have any choice,” she said sadly, but there was no way she could explain. He assumed from what she'd said that her father was pressing her into the family business, particularly if she had an irresponsible brother. It didn't sound fair to him. And the truth of her situation was the farthest thing from his mind. He couldn't have imagined it in a million years. “That's just the way it is. Now I have this year off, and then I have to go back for good.”

“Maybe you can rethink that while you're here.” She laughed out loud at that, and shook her head.

“I'm afraid there's no way I can do that. Sometimes you just have to accept your responsibilities and do what's expected of you, no matter how tedious it is.”

“You can do anything you want in life,” he insisted, “or not do what you don't want. I've never believed you have to play by other people's rules. My father taught me that when I was very young.”

“I wish I could say my father thought that way, but he doesn't. Very much the opposite. He believes in duty before anything. And tradition.” He sounded tough, maybe even unreasonably so, Parker thought, but he didn't say it to her. She looked so happy to be here.

They were back in the camp by then, and Parker said he was going to shower before dinner, as though he were going back to a hotel room.

“You'd better hurry before the water boys go home,” she told him, and explained the system they used to bathe. He had experienced it that morning, but hadn't realized that after a certain hour you could no longer shower, once the water boys left. He thanked her for the information and the pleasant walk, and then hurried back to the tent. And as Christianna wandered back to her own tent, she thought about how easygoing and likable he had been. She didn't know for sure, but she suspected he was about Freddy's age. She was still thinking about him when she went back to her tent, and lay down for a few minutes before dinner.

She was lying on her bed, staring into space with Parker in her mind's eye, and before she knew it, she felt so peaceful she fell asleep.

Chapter 10

The team from Doctors Without Borders stayed with them for a week. The Senafe Red Cross team worked hard with them, and their combined efforts benefited the patients they were treating, particularly in the AIDS unit, with Parker's help. And every night the combination of the two groups in the dining tent made for a festive atmosphere. They had a wonderful time together. Particularly Laure and the young French doctor. By the time the visiting medical team left, there was obviously a spark between Laure and her new friend, and when she talked to Christianna about it, she was beaming.