Page 1 of A Whiskey River Princess

Chapter 1

Gabriella

November 1870

New York, New York

“Next?” a gruff man asked Gabriella Grimaldi as she stepped up to the ticket window at the train station in New York. Gabriella looked at him for a moment, not sure what to do. “Where to?”

She quickly recovered herself as she raised her chin, clutching a large carpet bag with a few dresses and personal belongings inside. It wasn’t much, but it would have to be enough to sustain her until she could make other arrangements. Knowing that she would have to leave at a moment’s notice, she had prepared the bag and stashed it out of the way until the time was right.

“I’d like a ticket, please.” Gabriella winced, realizing how different she sounded, how much her French accent set her apart from the Americans. This was her first trip to the United States. Back home, she had heard stories about the Wild West, the unsettled land. For Gabriella, there was no better place to hide.

The man rolled his eyes. “Where to?”

“Umm… somewhere out west.”

He let out an exaggerated breath, shaking his head. “Let’s see… we have Laramie, Wyoming; Austin, Texas….”

The people behind her started to grumble as the man continued to rattle off cities.

“Laramie,” she cut him off. Then she cleared her throat and squared her shoulders. “I’d like a ticket to Laramie, Wyoming.”

“Class?” the man asked, bored.

Gabriella was stunned at the question. Was she supposed to reveal her status? Why would it matter? Unless Manfred was already searching for her. Her heart stopped at the thought.

He looked up impatiently. “Miss, what class?”

“Er… I….”

He sighed, rudely scanning her person. “You got money?”

“I beg your pardon!” Gabriella stepped back, indignant. “That’s none—”

“Listen lady, do you want a sleeper cabin, or a ticket in a shared car?” The man looked at her over his spectacles, frowning, the lines around his mouth prominent.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Gabriella bit her lower lip. He was asking what class ticket she wanted. “I’d like a private cabin, please.”

Concern filled his eyes as he looked her over, and then shrugged. “That’ll be $136.00.”

“I… uh….” Gabriella stammered as she held out the American money and waited, trying to stay calm, hoping that she wasn’t discovered. It was more money than she had intended to spend, but it didn’t touch the savings she had accumulated for this moment. Although she had brought quite a lot of money along with her, she knew it had to sustain her until her return. Then again, she didn’t know that she ever would return. But the thought of never seeing her uncle again tugged at her heart. She shoved the thought aside, determined not to think of that now.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” The man rose from his perch to peer down at the bills she was holding. He took what he needed forher trip and huffed when he shoved the ticket and her change back. Then he turned his attention back to the papers in front of him in dismissal. “The train leaves in fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you.” Gabriella smiled as she headed over to the platform, hoping not to be noticed.

Being sixteenth in line for the throne, she was used to being in the limelight. But now, she was trying hard not to attract attention. She looked up, knowing that her caretaker and guardian, Manfred Carlo, was sure to look for her here when he discovered that she was gone. He was a bulldog. And if he caught her, she would never be let out of his sight again.

Gabriella looked over her shoulder once more, her heart beating wildly, and then down at her train ticket. It was the first time that she had been on her own, away from home, away from the monarchy… ever. As a princess and an heir of Monaco, she had never been left unguarded. And she wouldn’t have been unguarded now, if not for the fact that she had run away.

After her ship docked in New York days ago, she’d found herself unable to take any more people catering to her every whim, being nice to her just because of her elevated status and money, and telling her where to go and what to do. So, she planned her escape.

Gabriella had secretly watched everything the maids did for her so she could care for herself, like brushing and fixing her own hair; buttoning her own dress; lacing her shoes; and so much more. When she’d asked them to show her, the maids had looked at each other, obviously thinking she had lost her mind, but she didn’t care. She had to learn these things for herself, for when she left. Then she’d waited for her chance. Feeling so stifled that she could scream, she’d made her escape on the rare occasion when Manfred wasn’t looking.

She shook her head involuntarily. Just once, she wanted to be a commoner, to be treated as anyone else.

“Ticket, please?” a young, attractive man asked, looking at her with interest, standing beside the train.

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