"John Moore - Heroics for Beginners" - читать интересную книгу автора (Moore John)

Left tohimself in the ballroom, Bigelow smiled. "Working the crowd," he murmured."Working the crowd.
You know," he told a waiter, "I believe I'll have a mug of that cider myself."

***

Winslow hurriedly followed Kevin into the garden. The Prince of Rassendas was already surrounded,
almost lost to sight in the press of people. Winslow noted with appreciation that they had cleaned up and
were wearing their best clothes—apparently entering theRoyalGardens counted as a special occasion.
Kevin was wading through the crowd, slapping the backs of the men, squeezing the hands of the women,
patting the heads of the children. Thankfully, no one actually gave him a baby to kiss, although Winslow
was sure the Prince would kiss one if he had to.

It was something he had learned from his father. Winslow had been there to hear it once. The King of
Rassendas had been in his dressing room. "No monarch can rule effectively without the respect of the
people," he told the young prince. "Nor can the Lords. You can't lead them against their will. Get support
from thebottom, and the Lords will go with the crowd."

Kevin nodded. King Eric had gone back to trying on black turtleneck sweaters. "How do you think
these look with my shades?"

It was clear that the Prince was following this strategy now, garnering support from the bottom up. And
it seemed to be working. Everyone the Prince touched left with a smile. "He seems a right good sort,"
one florid-faced man told Winslow. "I think he'd make a fine husband for our princess."

"Yes, I think so, too," the valet replied. He pushed his way toward the Prince, finally getting close
enough to hear Kevin speak with a man in a rough leather jacket.

"Came all this way to see a prince," the man was saying. "I told her not to expect too much, but she
insisted. I thought you'd be up on the balcony. I told her we'd just be waving to you from a distance.
Now here you are, and she won't say a word." He looked over his shoulder. "Come on now, Emma
darling. Don't be rude. Come out and say hello to His Highness."

Hiding behind the man's leg was a small girl. For a moment she peeped out from under his coat, offering
a tentative smile, wide dark eyes, and hair tied back with a new ribbon. Then she ducked behind her
father again. The Prince got down on one knee, so his face was almost levelwith her own .

"She gets shy, sometimes," said the man, stroking her hair. "Then once she gets to know you, she's a
regular little chatterbox, she is." He gently pushed the girl out in front of him. "Emma, show His Highness
what you brought."

Reluctantly, the girl came forward, and Kevin could see she was holding a small, earthenware crock in
her tiny hands. The top was covered with a piece of clean cloth, tied around the rim with string. Suddenly
she thrust it at the Prince, and as soon as he took it, she turned back to her father and buried her face in
his jacket.

"It'smint jelly," said the man. "She made it herself. With a little help from her mum, isn't that right,
Emma?" The girl hugged him tighter and made no reply. "We thought we'd be leaving it for you.Didn't
think we'd actually be talking to you."