Free A Princess Prays by Barbara Cartland Page B

broad-shouldered and could have been quite good-looking.
    But there was something mean about his eyes and she felt instinctively he was not to be trusted.
    â€œThere is no man here,” she replied firmly.
    Then pointing towards the way they had just come, she told him,
    â€œThere are a number of pilgrims going to the Shrine of St. Janos.”
    â€œI am not interested in pilgrims,” he snapped, “only a man on horseback.”
    As he was speaking, two more rough-looking men joined him while the third stayed by the wood.
    They were looking to the right and left searching for the man Attila had just hidden.
    â€œI was sure he would come through this way,” said the leader. “Are those your horses by the stream?”
    â€œYes, they are ours,” responded Attila.
    â€œThere are five and only three of you!”
    He was looking towards Lamos and Kilkos.
    Attila knew the answer.
    â€œFather Jozsef is not well,” she said. “He is asleep in the carriage.”
    He dismounted.
    â€œI want to look at him,” he said aggressively.
    For a moment Attila felt her heart stop beating and then she replied,
    â€œHe is asleep. He has been very ill and the reason we visited the Shrine was to pray for his recovery.”
    â€œAll the same I wish to take a look at him,” the man insisted in a truculent voice.
    â€œVery well then, but as he is asleep you are not to disturb him.”
    He was already walking towards the carriage and there was nothing Attila could do but to go with him.
    At the same time she was praying fervently that the man who had come to her for help would not be killed in front of her eyes.
    She was hoping by this time he would have covered himself.
    Fortunately the man with her was leading his horse and he could not move as quickly as he wished.
    â€œWhy do you want the man you have lost?” Attila asked him.
    â€œThat is my business,” he replied sharply. “I have to make sure you are not hiding him.”
    Attila managed to laugh.
    â€œWhy should I do so?” she asked. “As I have just told you, I am a pupil of Father Jozsef’s, who is suffering from a strange illness that the doctors cannot diagnose. That is why we have come to the Shrine and I am sure our prayers will be more effective than their medicine.”
    â€œIt would not surprise me,” the man muttered.
    By this time they had reached the carriage.
    The sun was sinking and the shadows from the trees made it difficult to see clearly.
    Attila pushed herself in front of the man.
    She put her right hand on the handle of the door and a finger of her left hand against her lips.
    Very quietly she whispered,
    â€œHe has been very ill and I cannot allow him to be disturbed.”
    The man made a grunting noise, but did not speak.
    Slowly and softly, so as not to make a noise, Attila opened the door.
    As she had hoped it was almost dark inside and it was just possible to see that there was a man in a cassock with a hood over his head lying on the floor of the carriage.
    It was impossible to make out his face and the man lent forward and tried to look under the hood.
    He could just see a little of his chin and his upper lip.
    With a feeling of huge relief Attila realised that he had done as she had told him and removed his moustache.
    The leader drew back.
    He did not speak and Attila closed the door of the carriage and then, as he realised that she had been right, he mounted his horse.
    He rode back to where the other men were waiting for him a little way from the fire.
    â€œHe is not here,” he said to them. “He must have doubled back into the wood.”
    One of the men shrugged his shoulders.
    â€œThen it is like looking for a needle in a haystack. If you had not been such a damned fool as to arouse his suspicions, we would have got what we wanted.”
    He rode off and the others followed him.
    They went a short way down the grassland before turning into the