Kumari laughed. She liked Ophelia’s directness and acidity. She knew already, from spending an afternoon with her, that Ophelia was a force of nature. She managed to always be breezy and outspoken, but moderate what she said so that people got the impression that she was being completely straight with them, even when, really, she hadn’t told them anything.
‘You mean you weren’t enjoying my company?’ Kumari said. ‘I’m wounded, I am.’
Ophelia grinned. Not the polite princess smile, but the full-on charisma blast. ‘I must admit it wasn’t as much of a chore as I feared. I always take Benedict’s girlfriends, at least the ones he introduces to us, to the flotation tank the first time I hang out with them because if they’re truly dull, I get an hour’s break in the middle. Although only one of them has been dull, really.’ She nodded towards the tea. ‘Milk, please, no sugar.’
Kumari put a bit of milk into the empty cup, ready for when the tea was brewed enough to be poured.
‘I have to admit,’ said Ophelia. ‘I’m pleased with what we’ve achieved today.’
Kumari touched her face. She wasn’t wearing make-up, but her skin had been steamed, scrubbed, massaged and smeared to submission until it glowed with good health. Her eyebrows had been shaped into delicate arches, still thick, but much better behaved. The ‘hair technician’ had somehow taken her thick black hair, that she normally wore in a ponytail because it was too long, and made it a glossy, bouncy affair that skimmed her shoulders. Everything about her had been polished and somehow elevated to a different level of elegance.
‘Your face, when I told you about the tank. Priceless,’ said Ophelia. ‘You were wrong though. It was relaxing, right?’
‘OK. Well, I may have been hasty in my judgement. Although, I’m still not convinced by all that guff about removing toxins.’
‘Oh, you science people take all the fun out of things.’ They were still sipping tea and laughing when Ben came home. He kissed his sister’s cheek in greeting and went over to stand next to Kumari.
‘Wow,’ he said. He stood back to admire her.
Feeling a little giddy, she did a twirl for him. ‘What do you reckon?’
‘Very . . . glossy,’ he said. He kissed her cheek and put his arm around her waist. ‘I think you’re beautiful with or without the gloss.’ He turned to look at his sister, who was looking pleased. ‘I take it this is the “Ophelia checking out the new girlfriend” session. Judging by the fact that you’re both still talking to each other, I’m guessing it went well.’
The women looked at each other. Kumari saw the laughter dancing in Ophelia’s eyes. She genuinely liked Ben’s sister. ‘I think it did.’
Ophelia placed her teacup delicately on its saucer. ‘I had better get going. I know it’s my day off from duties, but there’s just so much to do.’
‘Oh. Stay for dinner,’ said Ben.
‘I’d love to, darling, but I must away. I have some friends coming round for drinks. I have to go and get changed into something less suitable.’ She hopped off the stool, bestowed kisses on cheeks and whooshed out of the kitchen.
‘I’ll call you later in the week, Kumari.’ Ophelia’s voice drifted behind her as she disappeared into the hall. The door clicked shut.
In the silence left behind, Ben and Kumari looked at each other.
‘I like her,’ Kumari said. ‘She’s very . . . direct.’
Ben laughed. ‘She certainly speaks her mind.’
‘So, one sister down. One to go.’ Kumari got out another cup and poured him a tea.
‘Helena will be fine. Don’t worry. She’s not nearly as severe as she makes out.’ He perched on the stool his sister had vacated, towing Kumari along to join him.
They sat so close their knees interweaved and chatted, catching up on each other’s days. Eventually, they got round to discussing the day’s press coverage.
‘I had a briefing from Anton,’ said Ben. He rubbed his hands over his face. ‘It’s been . . . worse than normal to be honest.’ He looked at her sadly. ‘I hate that you have to face this.’
Kumari shrugged. ‘I’ve taken Twitter and Facebook off my phone,’ she said. ‘Some of it was nice, but some of it was horrible. I figured, I didn’t need to know.’
He nodded. ‘That’s wise.’
‘But social media’s a huge part of how I communicate with my friends. Especially the ones that I don’t see very often.’
He hugged her. ‘I know. It must be very difficult.’
‘You’ve never been on social media?’ She didn’t know why she was asking. She could clearly see how impossible that would be to manage.
‘A luxury I’m not allowed to have,’ he said. ‘Too risky.’ He thought for a moment. ‘And frankly, seeing the bile that seems to pour out of people on it, too upsetting.’
‘It’s fun on a social level,’ she said. ‘Provided you know everyone you’re talking to.’
‘Exactly. You’re famous now. The rules have changed.’
‘Um . . . speaking of rules. I need to talk to you about something.’
He put his cup down and turned to her. ‘Go ahead.’ He had his formal listening face on.
She closed her eyes and opened them. ‘If I were to leave my job . . . what would I be able to do?’
‘In the first instance, we could arrange for you to do some work with charities. Not necessarily at the sharp end, like you’re used to, but in the background. You could do some of the formal visits with me. If we were married, you could take on formal engagements – with me and by yourself. Does that answer your question?’
‘Sort of.’ She had worked most of that out for herself, but confirmation from him helped. Benedict did a lot of work with charities for wounded soldiers and war-bereaved families. She wanted to do a lot for health-related charities, childhood mental health and showing the importance of educating women so that it improved the lives of children. Already, she could see the areas of overlap.
‘Kumari?’
Ben had been speaking to her and she hadn’t been listening. ‘Sorry. I was miles away.’
‘I said, what’s this all about? What are you thinking?’ He looked worried.
She paused a moment to get her thoughts in line. ‘I’m thinking . . . I thought you were asking me to give up my career and stop helping people if I wanted to be with you, but you’re not, are you?’
He said nothing, but she could see the worry giving way to hope. The ‘listening face’ had dropped away. This was her Ben now, when he wasn’t being perfectly schooled Benedict. She could read him with no effort at all.
She said, ‘You’re asking me to learn to do things differently.’
‘I wouldn’t ask you to give up your principles. I fell in love with you because you felt so strongly about your project. You were clearly petrified, but you cared so much that you got on and gave an impassioned speech. I don’t want you to change from that to a clone-princess, but yes, you can’t operate in exactly the same way as before either. It wouldn’t be practical.’
The phrase ‘fell in love’ snagged her attention. It made her so happy. She smiled at him and pushed a lock of hair off his forehead.
He smiled and did a half-shrug. ‘You know I’m in love with you, right? I might have mentioned it?’
She dropped her hand to his shoulder. ‘You might have. And I might have mentioned how I love you too.’ She ran her thumb along the line of his clavicle.
He grinned. ‘I think you’re just perfect.’ He dropped his hands to her waist, his palms warm through the cotton blouse, and pulled her closer, so that she was standing between his thighs. ‘I love the way your eyes light up when you talk. I love the way you argue with me. I love that you can ignore a plate of salad in favour of steak.’ He kissed the side of her neck, causing a thrill to run through her. ‘I love the way you laugh, the way you fit so perfectly into my arms when we’re on the sofa.’ His mouth was so close to her skin that his words were punctuated by his lips mov
ing against her neck, sending a rush of sparks through her body. It was exquisite.
Kumari closed her eyes. His lips made it up to her ear, and he paused for a second, so that the world hung in stasis, his warm breath tickling her newly styled hair. Her pulse galloped. She didn’t want to move, to disturb this moment of exquisite tension, but, at the same time, she was desperate for his touch. She dropped her free hand to rest on his thigh. He took her ear lobe gently between his teeth and gave the tiniest of tugs. Kumari moaned.
She drew back and her mouth found his. She couldn’t think straight for wanting him. All she knew was that she never wanted to let him go.
Chapter 15
AuntyEm’s Etiquette.com
Top tips for taking tea like a royal
Pinch the handle of the teacup with forefinger and thumb. Always crook your pinky finger.
Always use a saucer and replace the cup on the saucer in between sips.
Stir tea delicately from side to side. Do not clink against the side of the cup.
Add milk after adding tea.
Don’t blow on your tea to cool it down. Do not dunk your biscuit!
They stood outside the closed double doors leading to the room where the queen had requested their presence. Benedict had to present her to the monarch formally. Kumari had dressed smartly, in a fitted dress and a jacket that Ophelia had lent her. She hoped it gave the right impression.
‘Ready?’ Ben asked.
Kumari checked her dress and nodded. ‘As I’ll ever be.’ Ben nodded to the – what was he? Butler? Man-at-arms? Whatever – the man knocked, opened the doors and announced them.
The old lady was standing by the tall window, looking out at the garden. Sunlight poured in, illuminating the polished floor. In the middle of the room, there were two sofas, facing each other, with tea laid on the small table between them. As with most rooms, there were connecting doors, but the doors had been shut, making the space feel more intimate. There was a faint smell of honeysuckle, from the enormous flower arrangement by the door.
The queen turned. She was dressed in a peach dress and low-heeled pumps. ‘Ah,’ she said. ‘Benedict.’
He bowed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Kumari curtsied. She was getting the hang of the curtsy now and could manage it in high heels. The queen acknowledged her with a nod. ‘Kumari Senavaka,’ she said. ‘Let me look at you.’ The old lady gave Kumari a once-over.
Kumari was suddenly reminded of her own grandmother, her mother’s mother, sitting in a wicker chair in a garden in Sri Lanka, looking at the ten-year-old Kumari with the same assessing glare. She held her head up high, just as she had done then.
Two little dogs, who had been sitting at the queen’s feet, came over and sniffed Kumari’s hands. She wondered if she should ignore them. One of the dogs licked her hand. Without looking down, Kumari stroked its head. The queen clicked her tongue and the dogs went back to her.
‘Hmm.’ She went over to one of the sofas and sat down, effortlessly adopting a graceful pose, feet crossed at the ankle.
‘Come,’ she said. ‘Sit.’
She indicated that Kumari should sit on the sofa opposite. Ben sat beside her. The queen raised an eyebrow at him. He grinned at her. She shook her head with the ghost of a smile.
Kumari realised that Benedict’s grandmother adored him. Judging by the conspiratorial look they shared, he adored her right back. She allowed herself to relax a fraction.
A lady-in-waiting appeared and poured tea. This was a more formal occasion than tea in the garden with the princesses. It was an audience.
‘So, you work, is that correct?’ the queen asked her.
‘Yes, ma’am. I’m a doctor.’
‘Commendable profession. You will miss your work, when you take on duties with Benedict.’ It wasn’t a question. It was a statement of fact.
‘Yes, ma’am. I will.’
‘Benedict tells me you want to heal the world.’
‘Or at least a significant proportion of it, yes.’
The queen picked up her tea and said, ‘It’s good to care. The world needs people who care, right now.’
‘Kumari spent some time in Africa, running a vaccination programme,’ Benedict chimed in.
‘Indeed? Did it make a lot of difference to the area?’ It was asked with genuine interest.
She would have liked to have said it solved everything, but that was not true. ‘We made a significant impact. But there’s a lot of work still left to do. We were curing patients and sending them back to the same conditions, so they were likely to fall ill again with something else straightaway.’
Shrewd blue eyes studied her. ‘And if you had the power to influence those who made the decisions, what would you have them do?’
Kumari was momentarily taken aback. She looked at Ben, who gave her an encouraging smile. She had thought about this, argued with Ben about it, many an evening.
‘If I had sufficient power and funds I would improve sanitation and get the food moving again so that people had enough to eat. With sanitation and food, the children might have a chance of surviving to adulthood. Then I’d invest in educating girls, with projects like the Boost Her! proposal. Well-informed girls grow up to become well-informed mothers. It only takes a generation or two to raise welfare levels.’
‘That would be a good use of influence, yes.’ The old lady nodded. ‘And one has heard of your involvement with charity work. Also commendable.’
Kumari didn’t know what to say. ‘Thank you, ma’am.’
The queen drew a deep breath and released it. ‘Well,’ she said. ‘The dogs like you.’ She looked fondly down at her pets. ‘And Benedict likes you.’ She glanced at her grandson, as though seeking confirmation.
‘Very much so,’ Benedict said.
‘In that case, you must be all right.’ The queen smiled. There was mischief in that smile, the same sparkle that was in Ben’s.
‘You will have a lot of work ahead of you while you learn to fit in. The very best of luck, my dear. Not least because you will have to keep my grandson under control.’ She put down her teacup. ‘Now, Benedict. Tell me what you’ve been up to.’
Ben launched into a discussion about one of his charities and how he was hoping to help them increase literacy in deprived areas. Was that it? she wondered. Was the ordeal of ‘being seen’ by the queen over?
Ben made a lame joke and his grandmother laughed. She put her cup down and smiled fondly at Ben.
‘It’s good that you are embracing your duties, Benedict. We were worried about you.’ She smiled at Kumari too. ‘And it has been a delight to meet you, Kumari.’ She rose. Their audience was at an end.
Ben and Kumari rose with her. As they took their leave, the queen looked at Kumari and said, ‘Rebels are a product of their time. Benedict’s mother was a woman ahead of her time. Perhaps you are more in tune with yours.’
Kumari didn’t know what to say to that. She glanced at Ben, who looked pleased. So she said, ‘Thank you, ma’am,’ and hoped that was the appropriate response.
Afterwards, they left the sitting room and walked side by side down the corridor.
‘That went well?’ Kumari said, not entirely sure it had.
‘It did. The dogs liked you, which is always a good sign,’ said Ben. He put his arm around her and pulled her close. ‘Grandma is a big softie at heart, really.’
‘That’s not what you said yesterday.’
‘That was before I knew she liked you.’
Chapter 16
The Daily Watch
Letters – have your say: When political correctness affects the royal family, it’s time to start worrying.
The royal family has often been accused of being out of touch with the British public. They’ve been working hard on their image, but making Prince Benedict step out with an immigrant northerner is taking things a bit too far. Of course, it makes great headlines. They found a girl with charity-work credentials and a Twitter account, no less. A clear
bid to gain sympathy from the modern hipsters who value a social conscience over tradition. Harnessing her following – the Internet-savvy young generation to whom the royals appear irrelevant – may well boost the popularity of the young royal. It would certainly do no harm to the young lady in question.
In an age where fake news and fake celebrity liaisons are commonplace, we could have expected at least the royal family to have some integrity, but it appears even they have succumbed.
Thankfully, the prince is sufficiently far enough away from the throne to pose any real threat to the royal bloodline. In any case, I fully expect this ‘relationship’ to blow over in a matter of months after which the heartbroken royal will find solace in a more suitable match.
Sceptical from Kent
‘I spoke to the hospital today,’ Kumari said. ‘The press intrusion seems to have died down now. I was wondering if I could go back to work.’ They were in the kitchen of Ben’s apartment, cooking. Or rather, Benedict was cooking, she was grinding garlic, salt and pepper in a stone pestle and mortar to help. Though Ben had mentioned marriage and she’d agreed to give up work if they got engaged, in the meantime she could go back to the hospital.
Ben paused in his chopping. ‘What did they say?’
‘McGregor wanted to check with the security office before he committed to anything.’ She ground stone against stone. ‘I think he’s torn, to be honest. They need the staff. They might manage to pull in some locums after a few weeks, but, generally speaking, they can’t just lose a doctor and carry on like normal.’ She stabbed at a big piece of garlic that had escaped and dragged it into the mush.
‘Do you want to go back?’ He had put the knife down now and was wiping his hands on a cloth. Like everything else in this place, the tea towels were laundered and replaced while they were out. Kumari was at a loss as to how the housekeeper knew when to jump in and do things. Kumari herself had only been out for a couple of hours when she went for a run and back to her rooms for a shower. She had come back to find the place spotless.
Christmas at the Palace Page 15