"Too damn rich for my blood," he said, leaving just me and the captain who produced two gold sovereigns from his waistcoat pocket to keep the game goi...g. It took me the better part of another hour to separate those from him."Lucy," the man yelled, well into his cups after a day of beer drinking. The girl came to our table and stood quietly. "Siddown," the man said, pulling her arm. She sat, hands in her lap, looking out at nothing. "How much time's left?" he asked."Thirteen months," she said.. The sound of her gentle movements did not pierce the man's consciousness, as he seemed lost in the heartrending lyrics of his song. His heavenly voice a husky whisper.She stared at the bent back of the man. She ran her eyes over him and admired his lean, muscular body. He wore only black trousers and a loose white poet's shirt. An involuntary tear rolled from the corner of her eye as she took in the sadness of his song."Erik..."She spoke softly so not to startle him, but he seemed not to notice. Quickly, she reached under her dress and pulled them down over her stocking clad legs and deposited them in the pile of clothes beside the dressing table.A soft knock pulled Stephanie out of her reverie and she moved. No princesses glide, she said to herself as she reached the door.Darren was there. He was gorgeous in his black tux with the red sash. The costume was perfect. He was the very image of a prince in her girlhood dreams.Darren stood there with his mouth open as he took her in.. “On a day like today I pass the time away, and walk a quiet mile with you... “ she sang.Tommy grinned. “That sounded just like Plant!”“Yeah right, I wish.”“So Quiet Mile?” I asked. “It’s a bit, well ... quiet? But as good as anything else, I guess. We can change it later if we want.”“I like it,” Muireann offered.Tommy grunted his approval, so I headed for the table again.“Where’s Colin anyway?” I yelled.“Getting his stuff!” Muireann called back.Once I was faced with the ever-smiling girls.