Princess Thief: Stealing Your Heart (18 page)

She
stayed like that, floating on her back, doing a gentle backstroke with her
arms, until she reached the first bend in the river and a cluster of trees
blocked her view.  She sighed, then rinsed off the regulator and tested it. 
Satisfied that the oxygen was flowing properly, she bit down on the mouthpiece
and dove deep beneath the cold, blue water.

Juliette
emerged from the water half an hour later, panting and tired.  She swam up to
the shoreline, crawled the last couple of feet up the slope, then collapsed
face down onto the grass, her legs still dangling in the water.  She was
exhausted; the water was cold, the current was steady, and she had only slept
three hours over the past two days.

Come
on girl.  Just two more feet.

She
pulled herself up to her hands and knees.  With a grunt, she shrugged out of
the oxygen tank and laid it beside her, then pulled off her scuba mask and
tossed it aside.  She then collapsed onto her back and lay there, staring up at
the bluish white stars, catching her breath.

It
always amazed her how quiet the San Morrando countryside was at night; whenever
she visited another country, she immediately noticed the chirping of insects or
the croaking of frogs; but here, there was only a beautiful, still, peaceful
silence.  As she lay there now, the only sound she could hear was the water
gently lapping against the shore.

She
tried to guess the time by looking at the horizon but it was too early; all she
could see were stars without the faintest hint of sunlight.  Still, she
estimated that it must be approaching 5:00 AM.

I
should get going.

She
sat up and pulled off her flippers, setting them to one side, then removed the
scuba hood and shook out her hair, running her fingers through it quickly.  She
stood, picked up the oxygen tank by one of its straps, and slogged up the
slope.

As
soon as she crested the hill, she smelled the familiar odors of the circus:
popcorn, straw, animal manure, sawdust.  She breathed in the scent and smiled, knowing
that she was finally home.

But
for how long?

She
padded through the tall grass, being cautious not to make a sound; wake an
animal or an exotic bird and half the circus would be outside to investigate. 
She veered right, past the animal cages, towards an RV parked next to the
utility tent.  As she approached, she spied a tiny yellow light in the window
of the side door.  She relaxed; yellow meant
“good to go.”

She
jogged the last few steps up to the RV door and knocked softly.  The door swung
open almost immediately. 
“Ma
ch
ère
!
” Uncle François whispered, beaming proudly. 
“Welcome back.”

Juliette
climbed the steps and threw herself into her uncle
’s arms.  “Oh,
you don’t know how I’ve missed you,” she breathed, tears forming in her eyes.

“I’ve
missed you, too,” François replied warmly.  “Well, you’re home now.  Do you
need anything to eat?”

Juliette
broke the embrace and shook her head. 
“No, I’m fine.”

Fran
çois reached
behind Juliette and closed the RV door.  “How did you get out?” he asked,
speaking at a more normal volume.

“I
literally shimmied down the drainpipe,” she smiled.

 Fran
çois laughed. 
“I told you those things were sturdy!”

Juliette
set the oxygen tank down and looked around for a place to sit. 
“Here,” François
grabbed a folded towel from one of the cabinets.  “Use this.”  Juliette laid
out the towel then slumped onto the couch; François squeezed into one of the
two plastic dining table chairs facing her.

“You
look exhausted,” François said, concern in his voice.

“I
am,” Juliette sighed.  “You wouldn’t believe what the last two days have been
like.”

Fran
çois folded his
hands and leaned forward, his expression serious.  He pointed at the oxygen
tank.  “Is it in there?”

She
nodded,
“Yeah.”

Fran
çois grinned. 
“Congratulations, ma
ch
ère
— you did it!
”

Juliette
smirked,
“Yeah,
I guess I did.  It was-”  She sniffed the air.  “Is that coffee?”

“Yes
it is,” François replied.  “I put on a pot about an hour ago.  Would you like a
cup?”

“Please. 
That water was freezing.”

Fran
çois walked to
the miniature kitchen and rummaged through the cabinets, pulling out a red mug,
creamer, sugar, and a spoon.  He talked as he poured, “I asked Pierre to stand
by just in case you were able to get the jewels.  Pierre’s a good man; I’ve
used him before.  He’s young, but I trust him.  He’ll be ready to go at a
moment’s notice.”

Fran
çois carried the
full coffee mug to the couch and carefully handed it to Juliette.  He
continued, “Here’s what we’ll do: we’ll split up and go three ways.  Pierre
will take the jewels to Amsterdam; I will take the RV south to Spain; and you
will take one of the horses and cross the border into France.  I will have
Madame Tourangeau meet you at that little park across the border — you remember
the one?”

Juliette
nodded.

“Good. 
Then I’ll leave the RV at Señor Vega’s farm, then double back on horse and meet
you in France.  From there, we’ll make our way to South America-”

“South
America?!” Juliette blurted out.

Fran
çois regarded
her sympathetically, “I’m afraid so, ma
ch
ère
.  Things are much more complicated
now.  You don
’t
seem to realize how famous you are.  Why, your face was on every TV screen in
the nation just a few days ago.  It would be impossible to return to your
flower shop.”

“I
suppose you’re right,” she mumbled, gazing down into the coffee cup in her lap.

Fran
çois checked his
watch.  “It’s already 10 minutes after five.  We don’t have much time.  I want
you in France before dawn.”

Juliette
’s arms felt
like lead.  She handed the coffee mug to her uncle, then picked up the oxygen
tank and laid it in her lap.  She gripped the tank with her left hand and
unscrewed the base with her right.  She set the base down on the couch next to
her, did the same with her cell phone, then gently poured the emerald necklace
into her hand.  She held the necklace out in front of her for her uncle to see.

“It’s
magnificent,” he breathed, holding out his hand.

Juliette
made no move to hand it to him; instead, she slowly rotated it between her
hands, marveling at the reflections the gemstones cast around the dingy cabin
of the RV. 
“What
will happen to it?” she wondered softly.

“It
will have to be dismantled, of course,” François answered.  “It’s of no use to
us in its current form.  The gems will be pried from their setting; there’s not
enough gold there to be of much value, but I suppose it will have to be melted
down anyway.”  François examined his niece, “If you’re worried about its value,
don’t be: Pierre has already lined up a buyer who’s agreed to pay 55,000
American dollars for the gems.  It’s a good price.”  He extended his hand
again.

Juliette
gazed at her uncle
’s
weathered, calloused palm, his rough skin cracked just beneath his ring finger,
before her eyes returned to the necklace.  “Did you know that Guillermo’s
mother wore this to her wedding?” she asked in a small voice.

Fran
çois studied his
niece carefully, then sighed, dropped his hand to his side, and sat down
heavily in the chair facing her.  “Yes, it seems like yesterday.  Oh, she was a
beautiful woman, simply beautiful.  Dignified and proper.”

“Guillermo’s
sister, Sofia, was going to wear this for her coronation,” she continued, her
voice trembling.  She folded the necklace into her lap, bowed her head, and
began weeping silently.

Fran
çois’ tone was
gentle, “You don’t really want to do this, do you, precious?”

Juliette
shook her head and sniffed. 
“Two weeks ago, all I could see was a bunch of
emeralds.  But now, all I can see is a precious family heirloom.  Guillermo’s
family heirloom.”  She looked up, tears streaming down her face.  “Oh, uncle,
what’s wrong with me?”

Fran
çois chuckled. 
“What’s wrong with you?  Why, nothing, ma
ch
ère
.  You
’re just in love!”

“I
can’t be in love,” Juliette insisted, pounding her fist against her leg.  “I
can’t be that selfish.”

Fran
çois laughed. 
“You can be.  And you are.”  He leaned forward.  “I take it this Guillermo
feels the same way you do?”

She
gave a small nod,
“He
proposed to me again last night — this time, for real.”

Fran
çois smiled
warmly, “Then little lamb, listen to your wise old uncle.  Go legit.  Do it, ma
ch
ère
.  This
necklace,
”
he gestured with the back of his hand, “this is a one-time payoff.  Everyone is
happy — for a little while.  But then, the funds dry up.

“But
if you go legit, if you follow your heart, you can open the faucet and keep the
funds flowing to the charities forever.  The orphans don’t eat for a week; they
eat for a year — and another year after that, and another year after that! 
Don’t you see?  If you’re part of the monarchy, you can actually
do
something —
something substantial, something long-lasting, something true.  More
importantly, my little girl won
’t have to slink around rooftops in the middle of
the night or shimmy down drainpipes or hide in shame like some common
criminal.  No more!  You can do what’s right and hold your head up high and be
with the one you love.”

Juliette
gazed in wonder at her uncle.  He roughly wiped his eyes with the back of his
hand. 
“All
right?  Good?  Then it’s decided!  If you take the rowboat, you can be back at
the castle before dawn.  Agreed?”

“Oh,
yes.  Yes.  Yes!”  Juliette threw her arms around her uncle’s neck and wept
openly.  “Thank you, uncle.  Thank you.  I’m so glad I have you in my life.”

Fran
çois sniffed. 
“And I wouldn’t want anyone else as my little girl.  Now, hurry — get out of that
wetsuit.  We need to get you cleaned up and down to the pier.  The clock is
ticking!”

*  *  *

Guillermo
pointed at a printout laying on the conference table in the King
’s Study.  “I’d
like to incorporate as many themes as possible from my father’s coronation. 
Baron Amsel has stirred up a hornet’s nest with his accusations so I want my
coronation to be as close to my father’s as possible — really highlight the
traditions.”

“Very
good, sir,” Armand responded.

“Now,
as for the music-”

Guillermo
was interrupted by a knock on the door.

“One
moment, sir,” Armand opened the door, then leaned down as a maid whispered in
his ear.  Armand whispered his response; she nodded and he closed the door. 
“I’m sorry, sir.  Please continue.”

“These
are the music selections I would like at the coronation,” Guillermo said.  “If
these aren’t suitable, tell the music director that he can substitute another
piece, but I want nothing written after 1850.  I want the most staid,
traditional coronation possible.”

“Very
good, sir.”  There was a light tapping on the door.  “One moment, sir.”

Armand
opened the door; this time, a different maid whispered in Armand
’s ear.  He
nodded and closed the door.

“Is
there a problem, Armand?” Guillermo asked.

“Possibly,
sir,” Armand replied.  “It seems that no one can locate Miss Juliette this
morning.  She’s not in her room, she didn’t come down for breakfast.  She
doesn’t appear to be on the castle grounds anywhere.”

“She’s
missing?” Guillermo asked, then his expression changed to panic as a thought
occurred to him.  “You don’t think-?  Did she-?”

Guillermo
stomped towards the door; Armand grabbed his arm forcefully. 
“Sir, I believe
I know where you are going but, please, consider your body language.  This may
be a simple misunderstanding.”

Guillermo
glared at his valet for a few seconds, then abruptly relaxed. 
“You’re right,
of course, Armand.”  Guillermo smiled thinly.  “Yes, of course.  How would it
look if every time I can’t find Juliette, I run to the gem room and inspect the
jewelry?”

“Exactly,
sir,” Armand said.

Guillermo
stood up and straightened his shirt. 
“Let’s try this again.”

“Very
good, sir.”  Armand opened the door and Guillermo led him to the gem room.  The
royal guardsman standing there snapped to attention as the two men approached.

“At
ease, soldier,” Guillermo ordered.  “My valet and I need to check something for
the coronation.  We’ll only be a minute.”

“Yes,
sir!” the eager private barked, then stood aside.