“Every morning. And I expect he’ll entertain us at dinner too, now he’s back.”

“Oh, my God.” Babe put her hand to her head. “Where are my headache powders, Earl? And I need an ice pack.”

“An ice pack?” I asked. “It’s summer. You won’t find any ice.”

“Is there no ice in the whole of Scotland?” Earl demanded.

“Pretty much.”

“Earl, I don’t know how much longer I can take this,” Babe said. “I mean, Wallis knows I’d do anything for her, but this is beyond human endurance.”

“I agree,” the countess said. “You could all come and stay with me at Castle Adlerstein. It’s on a lake in Austria; it really is much more agreeable.”

“It really does sound like a better idea,” Babe agreed. “What do you think, Poopsie?” I tiptoed away and went back to bed. The plan seemed to be working splendidly!

Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Castle Rannoch and a mountainside
August 19, 1932
Morning.

When I next awoke it was to Maggie bringing in the tea tray. “A glorious morning, your ladyship,” she said. “I hope you’ll be taking advantage of it.”

Oh, golly, I thought. I had been coerced into taking the two princes climbing. Another wicked thought went through my head. The munro they wished to tackle could be ascended by no more than what we might describe as a brisk ramble. Of course there was a rather tricky ascent that involved the crag, if one went directly up from the lake. I could take them up that. They’d be terribly impressed. I just hoped I was still up to it and could remember the route.

When I appeared for breakfast, dressed for climbing in trews, shirt and Windbreaker, I met Siegfried, looking as if he was about to tackle Mount Everest.

“So we attempt the climb today, Lady Georgiana?” he asked, somewhat nervously. “We go for the summit?”

“Absolutely.”

“I have all prepared. Ropes. Pitons.”

“Ice axes?” I suggested with a grin.

He shook his head seriously. “I do not believe one needs ice axes in summer. I saw no ice yesterday.”

Honestly the man had no sense of humor. I was tempted to say that we could easily manage without any equipment, but then, it rather amused me to think of Siegfried and Prince George going up our little crag, roped together.

“So we set off after breakfast, then?” I said.

“Unfortunately His Highness will not be joining us,” Siegfried said. “He was summoned to Balmoral.”

“Nothing’s wrong, I hope?”

“His father wished to speak to him. Something about gambling debts, I believe.”

So Prince George’s sins were gradually coming to light, were they? Did I really want to be stuck alone on a mountain with Siegfried? “Should we not postpone our climb until he is able to join us?” I asked.