“When I am visiting a country,” the King answered, “I make it my business to find out everything I can about its history and about its people. In fact I was told before I arrived how very beautiful Princess Laetitia was!”
He seemed somehow to accentuate her name and, because she was frightened, Laetitia missed her step.
“I-I am – sorry,” she mumbled quickly.
“I forgive you,” the King replied, “but I want you to tell me a great deal more about yourself. What do you do when you are not dancing at a ball like this? And of course receiving a great number of compliments.”
Laetitia laughed and, because she was now quite convinced that the King did not recognise her, it was a spontaneous sound before she replied,
“Perhaps you will be surprised, sir, when I tell you that this is the first bal
