The Princess is Pregnant! by Laurie Paige

Author:Laurie Paige
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2002-08-15T00:00:00+00:00

Jean-Paul spoke to Arnie Stanhope that evening. His friend was delighted with the burial chamber they’d found.

“Not one, but five chambers,” Arnie exulted, “perhaps covering several hundred years, all with artifacts of daily life, plus—” here Arnie paused for dramatic effect “—totems and other evidence of a rich spiritual heritage.”

“Sounds great,” Jean-Paul said.

“It is. I thought of you every time we opened another section. You could feel the excitement with the first one, then the surprise when we found another chamber behind it. After that, it was just too awesome for words, and we worked in almost total silence on the last.”

“Are you sure you’ve found them all?”

“Pretty much. The site appears to have been abandoned after the fifth chamber was sealed.”

“Any trace of a village?”

“Not a bit. I suspect they brought their dead up to the mountains in a funeral ritual, but lived closer to shore.”

“They were fishermen?”

“Yes. We’ve found hooks made from bones with every adult male and some of the females, even some of the older children, so it was a major occupation.”

“What about farming?”

“We’ve found grains, but no instruments associated with farming, such as we know it.”

“They may have simply used sticks the way the American Indians did.”

“Yes. Uh, speaking of children—”

Jean-Paul sighed in resignation as his friend hesitated. “Yes? What have you heard?”

“This morning’s tabloid said Princess Megan fainted yesterday and that she is, uh, expecting.”

“Did it mention a possible father?” Jean-Paul asked dryly.

“Well, it said you caught her before she fell to her certain death on the ballroom floor below.” Arnie paused again and cleared his throat. “The reporter seemed pretty sure that you were involved.”

The slight question in Arnie’s voice spoke volumes. If the article was definite enough to cause Arnie to question him, the report had been very convincing.

“Well, I suppose I’ll have to confess all. Yes, the royal princess is expecting, and yes, I am the father.”

A choking sound came from the other end of the line.

Jean-Paul had to chuckle at his friend’s shock. As he’d often observed: Arnie was not of this world.

“I’d better call the parents as soon as we hang up,” he continued, “else both will storm the palace here until they find out the truth.”

“Your mother will be delighted at the prospect of a grandchild,” Arnie said in his factual manner. “She has often said so over the past five years.”

“I know. Keep me informed of the progress at the dig and on the artifacts. And the carbon dating.”

“Will do,” Arnie told him, then added, “And, uh, congratulations on the…uh…are you getting married?”

“I’ll let you know as soon as I do,” Jean-Paul promised. After hanging up, he sat in his chamber, deep in thought, then changed into hiking clothes. He needed to get away from the palace so he could think.

Crossing the family garden a couple of minutes later, he heard his name called. The queen was seated on a bench under a bower of roses. Dressed in white slacks and a silk shirt, with her dark hair and blue eyes, she was strikingly beautiful.

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