Chapter 8 #2
With some trepidation, Meredith knocked lightly on Kat’s closed door.
With no answer, she rapt a bit harder. Still nothing.
Suddenly worried that headstrong girl could’ve slipped out after Meredith had fallen asleep—but why would she?
—Meredith cracked open the door. “Kat?” she said quietly.
“Are you up?” She went into the room, where to her relief, Kat was in bed.
Okay, she’d have felt more relief if the girl had been up.
She went over and gently shook Kat’s shoulder. “Hey, sleepyhead, time to get up.”
Kat groaned and rolled over. “I’m tired.”
Meredith considered this. Hadn’t there been times when she’d longed to sleep in? Especially in adolescence. Sure, Kat wasn’t a teenager yet, but she acted like one. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to let her sleep a bit longer.
“Okay,” she whispered in Kat’s ear. “You can sleep in until nine, but then I’m getting you up.
I’ll save some breakfast for you. Because you’re going to need it today if you want to beat me in a tennis match.
” She chuckled and, as she stood, she thought she saw one of those pale eyebrows arch, ever so slightly.
Pleased that she’d baited the trap, Meredith went down for breakfast.
A small but elegant buffet was all set up in the dining room.
It seemed a bit much for three diners, but remembering the children were royalty, she figured it was typical.
As she loaded her plate with eggs, crepes, sausage, and fruit, she felt quite indulgent.
“Do you always have breakfast like this?” she quietly asked Mishka as she sat across from him.
“No.” He shook his head. “When we eat in the kitchen, Mrs. Warner sometimes gives us mush and soft-boiled eggs and juice.”
Meredith filled her coffee cup, pausing to inhale the fragrant aroma of what had to be good coffee, not the instant she’d gotten used to over the years.
Delightful. And the view from this room, looking out onto the lush green grounds and the pond…
once again, she felt like she’d won a free trip to an Austrian vacation destination resort.
“Do you and Kat come here every summer?” she asked. “For your holiday?”
“Uh-huh,” he answered as he chewed.
Instead of reminding him about talking with a full mouth, she asked if they always came without parents. “Just you and Kat and the Warners?”
“And the nanny. I mean, the governess.”
“Did you have the same governess here that you had back in your homeland?” She was trying to remember the name of their tiny country, wishing she’d written it down. Maybe on her hand!
“We had Nanny Bosko for a long time. But she got too old. She was Mama’s nanny when she was a little girl. After her we had some other ones. Papa wanted British nannies so we could work on our English.”
“I’m guessing you don’t speak English in your, uh, your country.”
“Rotslavia,” he offered.
“Yes. Rotslavia.” She nodded. “Thanks. So, you had British nannies. And I heard that wasn’t so good.”
“They were mean. And Kat hated them.”
“Right. Kat doesn’t want a nanny.”
He forked into his sausage with a gloomy expression. “Or a governess.” His eyes lit. “But I do. I like you, Miss Meri.”
“Thank you, Mishka. I like you too. And I’ll do my best to convince Kat that you both can use a bit of help. Maybe she won’t be so against it.” She got an idea. “Hey, Mishka. You can help this go better.”
“I can? How?”
“You could try being nicer to your sister. Don’t tease her. And do not call her ugly. Maybe you could even listen to her—or pretend to listen—when she bosses you around.”
His nose wrinkled. “I have to do all that?”
“If you want me to stay, it may help. Or maybe you want another British nanny?”
He shook his head.
“If you can be kinder to Kat, not get her so riled up, maybe I can win her over too. We know she loves sports. And I’m fairly athletic. If I can play some sports with her, maybe she will change her thoughts about having a nanny.”
“I guess that might work.” He looked puzzled. “Are you actually good at sports?”
She shrugged. “I’m okay.”
“Do you think…I mean, would you…could you help me? Because when I go to school with the other boys and it’s time to go outside…well, it’s not much fun.”
“Do they pick on you because you’re not good at sports?” she asked gently.
He barely nodded.
“If I stay here, I promise you, Mishka, before I go you will be better at sports.”
Before he could respond, Kat came into the dining room. Instead of acting surprised that the girl hadn’t slept in until nine, Meredith commented on how delicious the crepes were. Kat put a couple things on her plate, filled a glass with orange juice, and sat down.
“It’s a beautiful day out there,” Meredith said cheerfully. “This morning would be perfect for a little tennis match.”
“Can I watch?” Mishka asked.
“You hate tennis.” Kat narrowed her eyes. “Why would you want to watch?”
“Maybe he’s getting old enough to appreciate the sport,” Meredith suggested.
Kat let out a snicker. “That’d be a laugh.”
“You don’t know—”
“Mishka,” Meredith interrupted Mishka. “Food in your mouth?” She locked eyes with him, hoping he was getting her message.
“Oh.” He put his napkin to his lips, dramatically wiping them as if he understood then mumbled an apology.
“It looks like you’re done, Mishka.” Meredith pointed in front of him. “Can you take your empty plate to the kitchen?”
“That’s not our job,” Mishka protested.
Meredith remembered they were royalty. “Well, I know that. I thought it would be kind to do…for Mrs. Warner. I plan to take mine in and thank her for a delicious breakfast. But you don’t have to if it’s too much to ask.
” Would reverse psychology work on that overly smart boy?
He picked up his plate and struggled with his silverware but eventually carried everything to the kitchen.
“That’s just weird,” Kat said.
“Weird? Taking our plates to the kitchen?”
“Grandmama would not approve.”
“Does she not approve of kindness? Helpfulness? Appreciation?” Meredith was gathering her own place setting as Kat pondered this.
“Grandmama expects us to behave like royalty.” Kat’s tone was firmer than her expression.
“I understand.” Meredith studied the girl. “But I always thought a ruler was supposed to serve the people. Am I wrong about that?”
Kat’s brow furrowed. “I guess not.”
“So how do you do that? How does a royal serve the people?”
Kat shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“If I were you, I’d want to find out.” Meredith picked up the coffee carafe with her free hand. “Should we plan on tennis at, say, ten o’clock?”
Kat’s eyes lit up. “Sure.”
As Meredith went into the kitchen, where Mrs. Warner was expressing shock that Mishka had carried his own plate to the kitchen, she considered the challenge she’d just tossed down before Princess Katerina.
Not the tennis match, although that would probably be interesting.
But the part about royals serving the people.
She wondered if Kat might really consider that…
or if she’d dismiss this preposterous idea.
Meredith had been tempted to turn her challenge into a sermon.
Hadn’t the King of the Universe left His throne on high to come down and serve His people?
Maybe Meredith was being idealistic, but shouldn’t an earthly ruler be willing to serve too?