Page 23 of Promised to the Swedish Prince
She let Freya off her leash and the dog bounded away to scamper between the headstones of the graveyard which sat to the right of the church’s entrance.
Christian reached out and took a hold of Erika’s hand and towed her toward the front gate. Her footsteps hastened and she drew alongside him. As they walked up the short set of steps which led into the church, he glanced down. Her hand was still held in his.
If only it could be this way always. You and I waking hand and hand through life.
But Count Jansson had made enough remarks about Gustav for Christian to know that Erika was destined to marry his older brother. Even she seemed resigned to that fate.
But what if?
He tripped on the second topmost step and stumbled. Erika tightened her grasp of his hand and helped to prevent him from falling.
“Mind your feet,” she said.
The church was empty of parishioners. On the left-hand side was a raised pulpit, at which a balding gentleman in a dark grey suit stood. He waved a hand in greeting to them as Christian and Erika made their way up the aisle.
“God morgon. Gud välsigne dig,” he said.
“God morgonto you,” replied Erika.
The priest hurried down the long set of wooden steps and crossed the white tiled floor to them. Erika started forward, but Christian gently pulled her back. “Could you let me do the introductions?”
He held out his hand and offered it to the priest. “I am Christian Lind. I have recently arrived from Stockholm.”
The man’s gaze went from Christian to Erika. He shook Christian’s hand, but an odd look sat on his face the whole time.
Erika turned and smiled at him. “Reverend Ferrner knows who you are, Christian.”
“Ah. I see,” he replied.There went my plans for seeing the area while incognito.
The reverend bowed low before him. “Welcome to London, Your Highness. We are honored to have a member of the royal family staying in England.”
“Thank you. Though I would prefer it if people didn’t know who I was. I am keen to get to know the Swedish community here without them feeling they have to temper their remarks in front of me,” he replied.
“Of course, Your Highness.”
Christian gritted his teeth. It was going to be harder than he had hoped to get people like Reverend Ferrner to treat him as just another Swedish émigré.
“I was going to show Christian around Wapping. He is yearning for some good old Swedish home cooking. I thought we might take our midday meal over at Mrs. Kalm’s shop down by the river,” explained Erika.
“Ja, it’s a perfect place. Hot food and lashings of it,” replied the reverend.
It was good to be standing somewhere that made him feel like he was back home in Sweden. Even conversing in Swedish with a new acquaintance had Christian smiling. The easy camaraderie of his fellow countrymen was a welcome change to the often-stilted connection he shared with the English.
Hopefully, in time, that feeling of being a complete outsider would diminish. He could understand why people coming to a foreign country would gather and live in clusters such as the Swedes had done in Wapping. There was safety and comfort among your own folk.
After bidding Reverend Ferrner a farewell, with the promise of attending a church service in the near future, Christian and Erika collected Freya before heading down to the nearby river. Along the water there were many small taverns and alehouses, quite a few filled to the gunnels with drunken sailors.
When he frowned at the sight, Erika laughed. “Welcome to the waterside. It is always busy.”
He wasn’t so much disapproving the sailors or their drink, but the fact that Erika was walking among them had Christian ill at ease. A woman of her gentle breeding and station should not be exposed to such things. He was glad they had the dog with them.
She slipped her arm in his as they stopped outside a rough, but clean-looking red-brick establishment. The sign above the door showed a picture of a fat blackbird, and under it was the single wordhemkomfort.
Home comfort—exactly what he needed.
“Are you still playing Christian Lind incognito prince?” she asked.
He nodded. Being among his own people without them bowing or scraping to him was what he wanted. He didn’t need them feeling uncomfortable.
