‘I hoped you might say that,’ Stefanos said, smiling into her eyes with such a look that she might, just might, be forced to forgive him twenty-three cats-or anything at all. ‘So what I’ve done is give the guy a job in perpetuity, caring for them all. With one exception.’

‘One…’

‘A skinny little black one,’ he said apologetically. ‘I met him that first day when you guys were on the beach and I had to find you. It seems he’s been pining for you-he’s hardly eaten since you left and, to tell you the truth, I sort of fell for him. So he’s on his way here as we speak. My love.’

My love. There was enough in those two words to be perfectly adequate, thank you very much-she hardly wanted more.

Only Zoe was made of sterner stuff. She darted across to the mantelpiece and was flying back, tipping the contents of Elsa’s stocking at her feet.

‘You have another present and I have six. Maybe I ought to open some of mine first.’

‘If you don’t mind, Zoe,’ Stefanos said and lifted the tiny crimson box from where it had fallen. ‘So far Elsa’s just had paper. You have a trampoline and this is important.’

‘Elsa has a cat,’ Zoe said.

‘Yes, but he’s not here yet. So, as yet, she’s giftless.’

‘Okay,’ Zoe said obligingly, grabbing the long-suffering Buster and squatting beside Elsa. ‘But it’s really small. Open it fast, Elsa.’

‘Open it slow, Elsa,’ Stefanos said, and watched as Elsa forgot to breathe and tried to make fumbling fingers operate the catch of the tiny box.

‘Let me,’ Stefanos said at last, and flicked the clasp. And there, resting on a bed of black velvet, was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. It was gnarled and twisted gold, burnished with age and history, with three magnificent diamonds set in its depths-diamonds to take a girl’s breath away.

‘It’s the ancient ring of this island, worn by the ruling Princess of Khryseis for generations,’ Stefanos said softly. ‘On her marriage. If…if you’d like to be married, that is. If you’d like to be my princess.’ He took a deep breath. ‘If you’d like to be married to me.’

‘It’s beeyootiful,’ Zoe breathed, but Elsa said nothing at all. She couldn’t.

She was so proud of him. She was so in love with him.

He was giving her another chance.

‘You can always change it if you don’t like it,’ Stefanos said, anxious again. ‘If you fancy emeralds, or something modern? When Zoe marries she’ll inherit it anyway so it’d be good to have a backup. Anything you like, my darling, just say the word. I believe the only thing non-negotiable in this whole deal is who you get to marry.’ And he dropped to one knee. ‘If it’s okay, that is. If you say yes. Elsa, will you marry me?’

She looked up from the ring. He was kneeling before her. Her prince.

‘You’re proposing in boxer shorts?’ Elsa managed.

‘I believe I was wearing a suit and tie last time I proposed. Look where that got me. Now I’m trying a different tack.’

‘Zoe, if you run and get my camera, I wouldn’t mind this moment being documented,’ Elsa murmured-weakly-and Stefanos grinned but he didn’t shift from where he was kneeling.

Zoe stared at them both as if they were crazy. ‘He’s asking you to marry him?’

‘I believe…I believe he is. I…can you get the camera?’

‘Yes,’ she yelled and whooped in excitement and headed for the stairs. ‘I want to be a bridesmaid,’ she called over her shoulder, and continued whooping all the way up the stairs.

‘So now,’ Stefanos said, starting to look long-suffering. ‘Elsa…My love…’ But then he had to pause as the butler’s long face appeared around the door.

‘Good morning, sir,’ he said. ‘Happy Christmas. Welcome home. Will you be wanting breakfast?’

‘Josef,’ Stefanos said, in a goaded voice.

‘Yes, sir?’

‘You’re a servant to the royal family, right?’

‘Yes, sir,’ Josef said, taking in the tableau in front of him and grinning.

‘Then you no doubt know about summary beheadings, boiling in oil and the rest.’

‘I have read my history.’

‘Excellent,’ Stefanos said. ‘Then I command you to close that door and lean against it and let no one else in, for fear of blood-curdling retribution, for the next ten minutes. At least.’

‘Yes, sir,’ Josef said, and chuckled and closed the doors.

‘Servants,’ Stefanos said. ‘You can’t do anything with them these days. Now, where were we?’

‘Exactly where we were two minutes ago, I believe,’ she said cautiously. ‘You want me to come down on the floor with you?’

‘I want you to hush,’ he said. ‘Elsa.’

‘Stefanos.’

‘Will you marry me?’ he said again, and again the laughter was gone. Only love remained. Only the gravity of a promise to be made for ever.

And what was a girl to say to that? Well, the obvious one for a start.

‘Yes.’

He blinked. ‘Pardon?’

‘Yes.’

‘I haven’t used all of my very cogent arguments yet.’

‘I’m marrying you anyway.’

‘And…why would that be?’

‘I believe I love you. Are you sure I can’t come down there with you?’

‘If you must,’ he said and tugged her down so they were kneeling face to face under the Christmas tree. ‘Elsa, I love you with all my heart.’

‘That’s exceedingly fortunate because I love you too.’

‘Really?’

‘Absolutely. Of course I love you more in tassels and with your dress sword and boots, but I’m so far gone I’ll even love you in boxer shorts. Are you going to kiss me yet?’

‘You don’t want to know how much I love you?’

‘You can start telling me,’ she said, and smiled as an imperious little voice sounded from the other side of the door.

‘They want me in there. I’ve got the camera. They really, truly want me.’

‘Well, I guess you can’t tell me how much you love me anyway,’ she said, smiling and smiling, and maybe even crying a little as well as he tugged her into his arms and held her close. ‘Because I don’t think we’ll know how much we love each other until the end of eternity.’

‘Starting now,’ Stefanos said. He sighed and called out, ‘Okay, let her in, Josef. Let ’em all in. Bring on the world. The Prince and his affianced wife are ready to receive visitors.’

But not quite. As Josef swung the doors wide they were too busy to receive anyone. For Mrs Elsa Murdoch alias Dr Elsa Langham had changed direction yet again.

The future Princess Elsa of Khryseis was kissing her beloved prince as she intended kissing him for the rest of her life.

‘Oh, yuck,’ Zoe said in deep disapproval as she was finally admitted. She waited and waited and finally looked around for something to distract her. ‘And why is Stefanos’s stocking empty?’ she demanded of Josef. ‘Did Santa forget him?’

‘I believe His Highness has his Christmas gift,’ the butler told her, and smiled at the pair of them. ‘I believe His Royal Highness has his family.’


The christening of Christos Mathew Romanos Antoniadis was an occasion of great joy for the island of Khryseis. The celebration was huge, made more so because it coincided with the opening of the Diamond Isles Medical Base, to be celebrated the next day.

The world had come to see, to celebrate this wondrous occasion and to welcome these three islands into the twenty-first century.

For the difference in these islands in the eighteen months since the old King had died and the new generation of royalty had taken power was nigh on unbelievable. Already the islanders were prospering, the glittering Diamond Isles finally succeeding in becoming the magical place to live that they’d always promised.

This medical centre was the icing on the cake-a symbol of all they hoped to achieve. The staff it was attracting had caused its reputation to go before it, and already there were mainlanders waiting to use it. Already the islanders knew that the network of medical centres could cope with their every need. What was more, the medical centre was only the start of the new order. On every island there was employment, optimism and joy.

And now, on this day, that joy was exemplified by the royal family of Khryseis, and this, the christening of their new little son.

Father Antonio performed the ceremony, and the shaky old priest who’d loved the islanders for all his life blessed this baby with all the love in his heart.

Afterwards Elsa stood on the magnificent lawns of the palace grounds, with her husband by her side, with her baby in her arms and she thought the joy she was feeling right now could never be surpassed.

Only of course it could.

Joy is to come…

Stefanos was standing with his arm round her waist, greeting dignitary after dignitary, accepting their congratulations, smiling with a pride as deep as it was joyful.

There it was again. That word…Joy.

Zoe wasn’t with them. She and Pip had slipped away, up to the palace balcony to play with Buster and Spike. Elsa glanced up and saw them, two little girls with two cats, a Zoe who was so confident with her new family that clinging was a thing of the past.

Joy.

‘Happy, my love?’ Stefanos asked as the line of dignitaries finally came to an end.

‘How can you doubt it?’

‘So…’ he smiled into her eyes ‘…where do we go from here?’

She smiled back at her beloved husband, and she smiled again at her sleeping son. ‘Where, indeed?’

‘Another baby?’

‘Absolutely,’ she whispered, gazing down at the perfection of her little son.

‘More turtles?’

‘Oh, yes.’

Another cat or two?’

‘Two’s enough. I’m thinking of a puppy.’

‘Is there room for a puppy with two cats?’ Stefanos asked, startled, and she grinned.

‘I think there’s room for anything in our family,’ she said. ‘This is the Diamond Isles. Place of miracles. Place of wonder. Home of our hearts, and room for all.’