by Jenny Frame
“I would like that, Georgie. I would like that very much.”
*
The arrangements were made, and two days later an all-terrain vehicle arrived to pick Bea up. As it turned out, the unremarkable vehicle was a state-of-the-art bullet- and bomb-proof car. In front sat Cammy in plain clothes, and in the driver’s seat was a police protection officer. The car was self-drive, but the officer would need to take control in case of any security scare.
Following at a discreet distance was another car of police protection officers, all fully armed.
Bea entered the vehicle and looked surprised to find George decked out in a washed-out scruffy army camouflage jacket, jeans, and baseball cap. George explained, “Do excuse my somewhat shabby appearance, but it helps me to go unnoticed.”
Bea held a bag containing flowers, a ceramic teddy bear, and her little gift for George. “I think you look great.”
“Don’t tell Cammy that—she hates when we have to dress down.” Cammy sighed from the front seat and they shared a laugh together.
“Thank you for doing this. It’s very kind, Your Majesty.”
George appreciated that Bea always made sure she was respectful of the Queen’s position when outside ears were listening. Her instinct was to reach out and touch Bea, but she pulled her hand back in time before Bea noticed.
“Don’t mention it. I’m happy to be your friend and offer any support to you that I can, just as you have done with me. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of bringing some flowers to lay at Abigail’s grave.” George picked up a tasteful bunch of white lilies.
“Of course not, Ma’am. That was very thoughtful.”
“Did you tell your parents where you were going?”
“I just said I was going with a friend, otherwise Mum would have made such a big fuss of you that the whole street would have been likely to hear.”
George smiled and joked, “If only I had that effect on all the Elliot women.”
It was a dry but dull day at the Sunny Hill graveyard. Inspector Lang of the Queen’s protection unit had chosen the time—midmorning on a workday—to limit the number of people who would be there. He had come a few days before to work out the best positions for his team, so they would have a good view of the Queen, but not draw too much attention to her. George and Bea stood at the graveside, and Cammy strategically sat on a bench, a few graves up from them.
Bea set her flowers down and placed the small bear statue on the gravestone. “I hope you like him Abby. I’m taking good care of Rupert for you.”
When she stood back, George laid down the flowers she had brought and bowed her head before coming back to stand next to Bea. Bea’s gaze was glued to the moving image of her sister that was on the stone.
The sisters looked very similar, although Abigail’s hair seemed to be a lighter shade of blond.
“She was a beautiful girl,” George said.
Bea wiped away tears. “She was, and so talented. She loved to ride horses and was quite good for her age. We never got to go into the country, only ever rode the horses at the city farm, but she dreamed of going to one of those horse gymkhanas in the country. I tried it a few times, but didn’t have the confidence to enjoy it.”
“I must introduce you to my horses. They are my pride and joy, and you wouldn’t be nervous of them. I have some that are very good with beginners.”
Bea smiled, but kept staring forward to Abigail’s picture. “Abby would have liked you. I remember when I was about ten, Mum and Dad took us to Buckingham Palace—it was a special birthday, I think, for your grandmother. The people had lined the streets for a parade and then swarmed up to the palace gates on the Mall, waiting for a balcony appearance. It was a big deal at the time, I remember, there were going to be gun salutes and a fly-past by the Royal Air Force.”
“I remember, I think it was Granny’s sixtieth birthday,” George said.
“It was a magical day, surrounded by all those people. You felt part of something, part of history, something greater than yourself. Then the noise, when your family came out onto the balcony to wave, was louder than anything I’ve ever heard. Were you scared, looking down at everyone screaming and shouting?”
“No, it was normal to me because I was brought up with it. I do remember always feeling happy and proud that the people liked my family enough to come and cheer for us. Every time we would stand there, looking down upon the crowds, Papa would say to me, George it is your duty to always put these people first. We are here only by the will of every man, woman, and child here, never forget that, and never let them down. I never did forget.”
Bea smiled and said, “My dad said to us, Never forget this moment, we are witnessing history. We each took turns at sitting on his shoulders. Abigail liked it most when she saw you because she’d read all about you in her horse and pony magazines. She would have loved to have met you.” Fresh tears came to her eyes.
George couldn’t stop herself from touching Bea any longer and reached out to hold her hand. Neither said anything, but George knew Bea was grateful for the offered support by the squeeze she got in return. “I’ve met her now, Bea. I know she is looking down on us and, I hope, happy that you and I are friends.”
“Oh, she would be. I’m certain. Could we sit down?” She gestured to the bench behind them.
“Of course.” George didn’t let go of her hand.
After a few minutes Bea said, “Sometimes I feel so guilty that I survived, that I get to experience everything in life that she didn’t get the chance to.”
“On the contrary, I’m sure she is so proud of her sister and everything she has achieved.” George was silent for a minute. “I understand the feeling though. Do you know about my Uncle George?”
Bea gripped her hand tighter. “Of course, he was to be the first openly gay monarch. The country was very excited until…”
“He died.” George finished the sentence for her. “I wasn’t born yet and didn’t know him, but I know my father adored him and made sure I knew everything about him.”
George looked away from Bea and stared off into the distance. “I was named after him so his name would inherit the throne as he should have done, and when I told my parents I was gay, well, Papa was even more convinced that I was destined to be everything that Uncle George would have been. My father didn’t mean it to exert pressure, but I’ve always felt a heavy weight of destiny placed upon me to be what he would have been, and I know I’ll never achieve that.”
Bea looked confused. “Why would you not?”
George turned to Bea. “You must have seen footage of him—he was brilliant in anything he tried. He was an excellent horseman and sportsman, and so charismatic. The people loved him for good reason. He lit up any room he walked into and made people laugh with ease. I’m not like that. I’ve had to work hard to learn the art of talking in public, and I’m sure he never had a panic attack in his life.”
“Is that how you really see yourself, because it’s not what the world sees.”
“What do you mean?”
“Georgie, people adore you. You know how sceptical I was at the start, but even I couldn’t fail to miss the way the public reacts to you. You work your way through a crowd as if it was the most natural thing in the world, and each person you meet feels that you have really listened and appreciated the time you’ve spent with them. All the kids you’ve met have loved you too—remember the football match at the school? And you put the little kid on your shoulders? He’ll remember that forever.”
George knew she was blushing. “Well, that’s just my job, and I like playing with children, that’s not hard.”
“It’s not only children. Every person we’ve met touring the hospice sites so far has been brighter and happier for meeting you. Although you live a privileged and sheltered life, you manage to find common ground with everyone you meet, whether it’s a young boy or an old soldier.”
George laughed softly out of embarrassment. “You do w
onders for your sovereign’s ego.”
“I think even Queens need encouragement from time to time. Oh! I nearly forgot.” Bea rummaged around in her bag and took out a gift-wrapped box. “I got you a gift. I wanted to thank you for what you’ve done for Timmy’s and for sending my mum and dad the hamper from your estate.”
George took the gift. As Queen, she received gifts from every country she visited, and from every visiting head of state and politician. But they weren’t personal gifts like this, and she usually saw them for all of five minutes before they were whisked off to sit in government vaults or become part of the royal collection.
“You didn’t have to do that, Bea. I didn’t expect anything in return.”
“I know you didn’t, and that’s exactly why I wanted to get you something. This is for Georgie, not the Queen.”
The fact that Bea knew the difference between those two things made her even more perfect in her eyes.
George began to rip the paper off carefully.
“I hope you don’t already have this one. My dad helped me pick it out.”
When she saw what the gift was, she was both shocked and overwhelmed at Bea’s kindness.
“I wasn’t sure what to get, I mean, what do you buy for a Queen who has everyth—”
George threw her arms around Bea and gave her a hug. “Thank you, Bea. I have never been given a nicer gift.” She felt Bea’s arms circle her back and held on tight.
“It’s just a silly little thing really,” Bea replied.
George pulled back slightly so she could make eye contact, but didn’t let go. “It’s not silly. No one but you would have thought of this. You listened to the things I said and knew what I liked. You see me, Beatrice Elliot, and not the crown.”
At that moment George was overwhelmed with the urge to kiss Bea. The shock of her rising passion forced her to let go and make some space between them. She hoped Bea hadn’t noticed the passion in her eyes.
“You don’t have that boat already, do you?” It was a model of the HMS King George. “Dad helped me choose it. I thought since it was named George, it would be a good choice.”
“No, I don’t. It’s an extremely thoughtful gift. Thank you, I shall take great pleasure in building it.”
“I’m so glad. I hoped it was one of the boats you didn’t have.”
George started to laugh. “It’s a ship, Bea, not a boat. I really need to teach you the difference.”
Bea gave her a miffed look and said, “Oh, I suppose you’ve got five boats and six ships that cost the tax payer millions in upkeep.”
George decided to play along. “More like twenty boats and one royal yacht, and technically all the ships and frigates in the Royal Navy are mine. They are called Her Majesty’s ships after all.”
“You’re having me on, aren’t you?”
“Well, just a bit. I do have quite a few boats—I sail a lot up at Balmoral, our Scottish summer residence, and I do have a royal yacht we take holidays on—but I pay for that out of my own private money. So you don’t need to get your republican knickers in a twist,” George teased.
Bea gave her a seductive look and said, “Oh, Georgie, it takes a good deal more than that to get my knickers in a twist.”
Bea’s tone and comment hit right to George’s core. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat and refused to meet Bea’s eyes.
“So? Do I get to see this boat…ship thing when it’s finished?”
Grateful for the change of subject, George smiled warmly and said, “Of course. I was going to ask…” George hesitated, unsure of the response she would get.
“What? Tell me.”
“The dine-and-sleep that’s coming up at Windsor?”
“Yes, I was really surprised to be asked, Georgie. Are you sure it’s right for me to be there? I mean, if government officials and politicians are going, maybe I shouldn’t be there. I’m just a charity worker.”
George almost lost her temper. “You are not just a charity worker, Beatrice Elliot. This banquet is to thank all who have supported my family since the King died, and none of the others deserves to be thanked more than you.”
“I’ve been a pain in the bum, more like,” Bea retorted.
“Not at all. You have opened up a new world to me. I was terribly isolated and lonely, but these past few months with you have brought light to my darkness, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings.” George reached out to touch her cheek, but stopped a few inches away, realizing she had maybe said too much.
George turned away quickly, suddenly feeling exposed. “What was it you wanted to ask me?” Bea asked after a few seconds.
“What? Oh yes. Well, every guest leaves first thing the next morning. I wondered if you would stay for the day and spend some time with me. I could show you the stables and some of the sights.”
“I would be delighted.”
George simply nodded, and for the next few minutes they listened to the sounds of the graveyard, the birds chirping, the wind blowing gently through the leaves. And George tried to come to terms with the feelings churning inside her.
“Thank you for coming with me today, Georgie. It means a lot. It would have meant a lot to Abby too.”
“It’s an honour to share this with you Bea. Thank you.”
Chapter Twelve
Lali Ramesh sighed dramatically at her best friend. “Bea, would you stop looking in that box. It’s perfect.”
The two friends had spent the day searching some designer shops in London for a dress. Bea had wanted something special for the banquet at Windsor Castle. After hours of searching, Lali had persuaded her to buy a long midnight-blue dress that had showed off her petite figure wonderfully. They had stopped at a smart cafe for a well-earned bite of lunch.
“I don’t think it suits me, Lali. It’s very…grand. I’ll be paying my credit card off for a year.”
“It’s supposed to be grand, Bea—you’re going to a banquet at a castle.”
Bea closed up the box and fidgeted nervously. “I really don’t think I can carry it off.”
Lali shook her head. “You can carry off any style. You’ve been a nervous wreck about this event ever since you got the invite, and I don’t know why. Bea, you’re a regional director of a charity and a very accomplished woman. You’ve been to lots of big charity events.”
Bea took a sip of her coffee and said, “This is a very different thing. The prime minister and some big name politicians will be there, not to mention the Queen’s family. I mean, I got a protocol book and timetable for the whole day.”
“I’m sure that’s just to make things easier for you.”
“Oh, it is, but it makes me feel really nervous. I don’t want to let Georgie down.”
Lali reached for her friend’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “I know you never could. From what you’ve told me, she’s a very kind and considerate person. She’ll be delighted to have you there.”
Bea sat silently.
“There’s something else bothering you, isn’t there?” Lali asked.
There was one thing she had been unable to stop thinking about, ever since she saw it in the press. Princess Eleanor was going to be there. It had even been suggested that they would soon be an official couple. Despite George’s protestations to the contrary, Bea was very aware that George would have to marry someday. The princess was a renowned beauty, and if she was determined to pursue the Queen, she might get her wish. After all, the princess was royal and an ideal candidate. The thought of Eleanor with George made Bea’s stomach ill.
“You like her, don’t you?”
Bea looked up sharply. “Of course I like her. After our rocky start, you know she’s become my friend.”
“No, I mean you really like her. I think you care about her.”
“I do care about her. She needs a friend. She has a heavy burden to carry and I want to be there for her,” Bea said defiantly.
“Is this my friend the anti-monarchist talking?”
Lali smiled quizzically at her.
“Do you know how hard she works, Lali? I’ve been exhausted trying to keep up with our engagements around the country, but I get to go home and relax every evening. Georgie doesn’t get that luxury, and she’s quite isolated. I want to support her all I can, because no matter what I think about the monarchy in general, she has a heart of gold and always thinks of others first.”
“You’re falling for her, aren’t you?”
Bea opened her mouth, but no sound came out. “I…don’t be ridiculous. Queens don’t have serious relationships with working-class women, unless they take a mistress, and you know I would never be anyone’s mistress. So can we just drop it?”
*
George relaxed as the ancient turrets of Windsor Castle came into view, and she saw the Union Flag that always flew when the monarch wasn’t in residence begin to descend. As soon as her car arrived inside the castle walls, the royal standard would be raised. The family liked to spend most weekends here. If Buckingham Palace was headquarters of the Buckingham dynasty, then Windsor was their home.
Her morning engagement had gone very smoothly, and now she was looking forward to seeing Bea tonight. Cammy had not accompanied George for this engagement as she had to go ahead and arrange the Queen’s personal belongings and take the dogs down to Windsor. George didn’t like to be away from her pets for long. Instead of Captain Cameron, George had taken her old school friend and senior lady-in-waiting, Olivia Henley, Duchess of Monkford, Mistress of the Robes.
“It’s good to be home.” George sighed.
“Indeed, Your Majesty. I wish all your engagements were as straightforward as this morning,” Olivia replied.
George leaned back against the headrest. “It’s going to be an extremely busy year. What am I talking about? It’s going to be a busy life. After the coronation, I’m going on a six-month world tour.”
She and Olivia had been friends since they attended the same boarding school in the Scottish Highlands. The tough outdoors-oriented school had been tough on the very feminine and beautiful Olivia, who panicked if she broke a nail. George had looked out for her and helped her navigate the perils of a school whose ethos of hard and often manual tasks, such as sailing, rock climbing or orienteering, were extremely demanding. After school they remained friends. George even introduced Olivia to her husband, the Duke of Monkford.