“There may be trouble ahead, but while there’s music and moonlight and love and romance, let’s face the music and dance.”

The orchestra stopped playing. The dancing stopped. I let go of her, she stepped back from me and we applauded. I smiled. “It’s a beautiful night, why don’t we take some air?”

She smiled back and led the way stepping through the tall doors that gave onto the terrace. The long train of her white dress scattered the few leaves that had blown there with the start of autumn. Her long white gloves and the silk stole that she wore gave her no protection from the weather but it was still warm. The boned bodice of her dress gave her body a stunning, almost Edwardian, silhouette.

We were the only ones there. We stood staring at the moon’s reflection in the great lake that stretched away from the house. I could not say which sparkled more, the floodlit fountain in the courtyard before us or the diamonds and sapphires on her tiara, choker and bracelet. “It’s such a beautiful night,” I said, “It seems so great a shame to have to spoil it.”

“Oh, don’t say you have to leave. How can you abandon a princess? You know that the palace guard will come after you if I so much as shed one tear?” She laughed.

I smiled in response. She was a princess, of course, even if only from a tiny, landlocked, mountain whose main role was as a tax haven. But these days there was no palace guard. It was just as well.

“No, I’m not going to leave. In fact, we’re going to be together for quite a while; much more than this evening.” She looked puzzled. I pulled her close to me and kissed her firmly.

She giggled. “Oh, kind sir,” she laughed. “And at the risk of a cliché, is that a gun in your pocket or are you having a good time?”

I gave an embarrassed cough. “Well, actually it is a gun in my pocket.” I pulled it out and pressed it against her belly. “Now, please keep quiet and come with me.” I hustled her from the balcony towards my waiting car.

One of my henchmen, a violin player with the band, was sitting in the front seat as I pushed my captive princess into the back. Clouds closed over the moon as we pulled out of the gates of the castle. By now she was already helpless, her evening gloves wadded up into her mouth as a gag and taped in place, handcuffs on her wrists, her white, silk stole providing an excellent blindfold.