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on the shirt he was wearing which was torn as if he had been roughly used.
    There was blood on his forehead and on one cheek.
    She stared at him.
    Then he called out in a deep but breathless voice,
    â€œPrincess Louise, I am English and the Russians are just behind me!”

CHAPTER FOUR
    As the man finished speaking, Narina knew at once what she must do.
    â€œFollow me!” she called out and started to run.
    As quickly as she could, she ran over the lawn, past the fountain and up to the Palace.
    The door to the private staircase was in front of her and she could hear as she reached it that the man was just behind her.
    She rushed in and almost as if she had told him to, he locked the door behind them.
    Still without speaking, she ran up the stairs and he followed her.
    She paused for a second before she stepped into the corridor where Prince Rudolf’s bedroom was situated.
    There was just a chance that one of the housemaids might be working at the end of the corridor, but to her great relief there was no one there.
    Even as she stepped out, followed by the man, Paks appeared.
    Breathless because she had been running so quickly, her voice came jerkily from between her lips.
    â€œPaks please – this man with me is English – and the Russians are just behind him.  Hide him in His Royal Highness’s bed as he will be safe there.”
    Paks, as she might have expected, took one look at the man who had followed her and muttered,
    â€œCome this way, sir.”
    He opened the door of Prince Rudolf’s room and as he slipped into it, Paks suggested,
    â€œYour Royal Highness should now inform the Lord Chamberlain of what has happened.”
    Narina nodded.
    It was what she had intended to do anyway.
    For a second she was too overwhelmed to say or do anything.
    She stood drawing in her breath and then slowly she walked down the corridor to the main staircase.
    As she anticipated there were a number of servants in the hall below as well as two aides-de-camp .
    She deliberately forced herself to walk downstairs slowly.
    When she reached the bottom, one of the aides-de camp hurried to her side.
    â€œIs there anything I can do, Your Royal Highness?” he enquired.
    â€œI wish to speak to the Lord Chamberlain,” Narina replied.  “And if he is busy, tell him it is very urgent.”
    â€œYes, of course, Your Royal Highness.  If you will come this way, I will take you now to his Office.”
    The aide-de-camp walked on and she followed him.
    Narina deliberately did not look round in case she might be delayed by people wanting to speak to her.
    She had been aware, although she had not thought about it until now, that Louise had been sensible enough to send her Ladies-in-Waiting away on holiday.
    Louise had told them that she would be going nowhere and doing nothing except look after her husband, and had suggested they enjoy themselves whilst they had the opportunity.
    Narina thought now how very difficult it would be if she had endless Ladies-in-Waiting in attendance as they would have expected to be with her wherever she appeared.
    After walking to the far end of the Palace, the aide-de-camp stopped at a waiting room.
    It had several rather uncomfortable chairs arranged stiffly round a table in the middle of the room and Narina thought there was nothing to recommend it.
    â€œIf Your Royal Highness would wait here for just a moment,” suggested the aide-de-camp , “I will go and see if the Lord Chamberlain is free and tell him that Your Royal Highness wishes to see him.”
    â€œThank you – very much,” Narina managed to say.
    She knew that it was imagination, but she was still feeling breathless both from running so fast and from being overcome by the sudden appearance of the Englishman.
    He had said that the Russians were just behind him, but she had no idea how far or how many.
    There might be just a few, but equally an Army could now be infiltrating