by Jenny Frame
Captain Cameron emerged from the bedroom door. “Your Majesty? I have your clothes laid out if you are ready to dress.”
“Thank you. Yes, I’m ready.”
The Queen entered the bedroom first and Cammy followed behind. George began to slowly undress down to her underwear.
Cammy handed her a dressing gown and said, “The shower is running, Ma’am.”
George nodded. “What time are we leaving?”
“Major Fairfax gives us two hours, Ma’am.”
With another audible sigh the Queen picked up her towel from the bed.
“May I speak freely, Ma’am?”
“Of course. You know you can always speak freely with me.”
Cammy stood with her arms crossed and a questioning look upon her face. “What’s wrong with you, man? You’ve been moping about looking like a wet weekend for days now.”
“It’s nothing. I’m fine.”
“Is it something to do with that wee lassie?”
George’s head shot up and she looked at Cammy. “What wee lassie?”
“The charity lassie, Beatrice Elliot.”
George felt her cheeks go a shade of red. “Why would it have anything to do with her? I’m fine anyway.”
Cammy put her hands on the Queen’s shoulders and said, “George, we’ve been through a lot together, we’ve fought side by side as comrades. You’ll find no criticism or judgement from me.”
George’s thoughts had been filled with Miss Elliot. It was hard to admit though. She wondered how she could miss seeing someone she had only known for a few weeks. Feeling slightly awkward, George stood and walked over to look out of the bedroom window. With her back to Cammy, she could now admit the truth.
“I will say I have missed her company. I like to talk to her, she speaks to me like no one else, and I had hoped she might become a friend.”
“Are you sure of this woman’s intentions? It could be dangerous to allow a familiarity to breed between you.”
George whipped round to face Cammy, feeling displeased with her friend. “Miss Elliot has already had the power to ruin my reputation. That morning at the hospital, she saw me in a distressed manner but did nothing but help me, and there has been no stories in the press about it. She is a very caring and sensitive woman, Cammy.”
“That is true. I worry though about her lack of reverence for your position and family, Ma’am.”
“It does us good to keep us on our toes. My grandmother challenged me to convince her that a constitutional monarchy is a good thing, and I intend to do so. I have never had a friend of my own choosing, Cammy, apart from you. All through my childhood, friends were provided for me from other aristocratic families. I understand why—it was for my own protection and security. Miss Elliot is the first person I’ve socialized with outside my family’s sphere of influence, and I like her. To her I am Georgie, someone who she met through work, not the Queen.”
“If you’re happy, then that’s grand. Would you like me to get her contact details so you could give her a phone call?”
George was taken aback. “What, speak to her, you mean?”
“Aye. Have a bit of a chinwag with Miss Elliot. That will cheer you up.”
“But…” George stammered, her heart speeding out of control. “But what if she’s busy? What would I talk about?”
Cammy walked up to George and patted her on the shoulder. “Anything. Start by talking about your plans with the charity and see where it takes you. Now you get in the shower, Your Majesty, and I’ll speak to your protection command. Superintendent Lang will I’m sure have ways to get contact numbers.”
Captain Cameron had exited the room before the Queen could reply. Why did I have to open my big mouth?
*
George sat in full white tie dinner suit, staring at the computer screen on her desk. True to her word, Cammy had gotten Bea’s contact details and left her to her call, after making sure the line was secured.
George felt her palms grow sweaty with nerves. Why was she even doing this to herself? She stood and began to pace up and down the sitting room area of her suite.
I’ll just leave it. Yes, I have no need to speak to her, and she’s probably busy anyway.
George sat back down and said, “Display Timmy’s website.”
The computer screen displayed the home page that she had looked at countless times over her trip. A video of herself and Bea touring around the school project they had visited in Edinburgh was one of the main items posted. It captured the moment that George had been invited to play football with the children. She had noticed a small boy who wasn’t getting involved, looking nervous around the older children, so she whisked him onto her shoulders and the pair dribbled their way down the playing area to score a goal. The staff and children were delighted and cheered for her and the little boy, but George’s favourite part of the short video was when the camera panned to Bea and captured her in an unguarded moment, laughing warmly and looking on with what she could only describe as pride.
“Go back five seconds and pause action.” The projected screen instantly obeyed her commands and paused on the close-up image of Bea. You are truly beautiful, Beatrice Elliot. She reached out as if she could touch Bea’s face, but her fingers just went straight through the image.
“Take still picture and save to my private folder, password Regina one.”
I want to talk to her. Come on, George. You meet kings, queens, emperors, presidents, and prime ministers and never get tongue-tied or nervous.
“Private call. Beatrice Elliot.”
*
Bea had retreated to her bedroom after dinner to go through some work from the office. It had seemed a strange week so far. She had become accustomed to being out and about with the Queen over the last few weeks, and being back stuck in the office had made for a very long week.
As she looked over her plans for the next two royal visits, Bea found her mind wandering to George. She had made a point to watch the news every night with her mum, to see what the Queen was getting up to on her state visit. She saw George visit all sorts of places, give speeches, inspect the troops, and even take part in a sailing event. Through the entire trip, the Queen was full of smiles and warm words, and the media declared the trip a huge success as hundreds of thousands turned out to see her. Bea saw something different: she saw Georgie doing her duty, but very alone. This was encapsulated in the carriage procession to her official welcome. Crowds lined the route, waving hands and flags at Queen Georgina, who cut a lonely figure sitting on her own in the carriage. As Bea had watched, she ached inside.
Georgie you do need a consort. I hope you find someone to share the burden with, and someone to give you the care and support you need.
Bea’s thoughts were interrupted by ringing coming from her tablet. Caller withheld. Who could that be? “Answer call.” The screen suddenly filled with the image of Queen Georgina, looking extremely dapper in white tie. Bea’s mouth hung open in surprise and shock.
“Bea? I hope that this is a convenient time, and you have no objections to my calling you.”
“Well…no…yes?”
George quirked an eyebrow, confused at Bea’s response. “It isn’t a convenient moment or it is?”
There were a few seconds of silence as Bea tried to calm herself. “Yes, it is a convenient time. I’m sorry—you just surprised me, that’s all. It’s not every day the Queen calls me.”
George smiled warmly. “Oh, good. I didn’t want to interrupt anything.”
“No. I’m just looking over our schedule for next week actually.”
There was a knock at the bedroom door and Sarah shouted, “Would you like a cup of tea, love?”
Bea felt her cheeks go bright red. “Would you excuse me one moment, Georgie?”
“Of course.”
After explaining to her mother that she was on the phone with the Queen—and following her mother’s excited squeal and a lot of shushing—Bea returned. “Sorry, my m
other got a little excited there.”
“You live at home with your parents?”
“Yes. I like to be around for mum for various reasons, and since I’m not in a relationship, it suits me too. I apologize for the squealing. My mum is very much a monarchist.”
“Really?”
“Oh yes. She and Dad are great fans. They’ve been to tour Buckingham Palace many times, and she has a collection of memorabilia they bought there and at Windsor Castle.”
George gave her a big smile. “Well, I’m glad I’m popular with one of the Elliots.”
“Mum’s not the only one. I told you I respect how you go about the job you’ve been given. We just differ on how the country should be run—which reminds me, I haven’t forgotten you promised me a debate on the monarchy.”
George held up her hands in a defensive gesture. “I promise the next time we have some time between visits, you and I will slug it out.”
This made Bea laugh. “You are funny. How’s the tour? I’ve been following you on the news.”
“It went well, I believe. I’m in New York at the moment, to give a speech to the UN on climate change.”
“Oh? What’s your opinion on it?” Bea asked.
“As you well know, I leave the policy decisions and opinion to my Government.”
Bea chuckled. “I’m sorry Georgie, I just like to keep you on your toes. You look very nice—are you going somewhere?”
“Oh, just a reception for the heads of state and dignitaries in for the UN meeting.” She thinks I look nice. Her heart did a happy dance.
“You say that as if it’s an everyday occurrence. I’m not keeping you back, am I?”
George said, “Well, it is an everyday occurrence to me. It’s just part of my job, and no, you’re not keeping me back. I have forty minutes before I leave.”
“Was there something in particular you called for?”
George searched around in her brain for a reason, apart from the real one, that she had just wanted to hear her friend’s voice. “Well, I was thinking about…” Then suddenly she had it. “I was thinking about ways we could raise more money for Timmy’s, and make something very special for my coronation build up. How about we organize a concert to take place on the Mall outside Buckingham Palace, and you can use the palace forecourt if need be too.”
George seemed to stun Bea into silence again, and she felt she had to fill the silence. “We could call it the Coronation Concert or something similar. The palace has been used like that many times in its past. What do you think?”
“Wow—that would be utterly fantastic. Think of how much money we would make, and how much we would raise the profile of Timmy’s. Oh, wait a minute. Don’t you have to ask if it’s okay?”
George laughed a little. “I am the Queen, remember? I’ll get my private staff to seek the necessary clearance from the local council and any other relevant authorities, and liaise with you on it. I’m afraid the planning will have to be up to you—I have no idea about modern bands and singers. That’s more my brother’s department. I’m rather old-fashioned in my musical tastes.”
“I’ll do it. Thank you so much, Georgie. This is going to do so much good, you have no idea. Thank you.”
Bea beamed with joy.
Goodness. This was all it took to make her happy? George felt such pride in being able to have this effect on Bea. She looked stunningly beautiful, light and full of joy. George decided then and there that she had to have this woman’s friendship in her life, one way or another.
“No trouble at all. I’ll have my deputy private secretary, Bastian, contact you to begin the preliminaries. I wonder, may I…”
“What is it, Georgie?”
Just ask you fool. She won’t bite. George gulped hard. “Well, I think you’ve probably gathered that I enjoy our discussions. It’s the only time someone will speak to me as if I’m an ordinary human being, and when I’m overseas or on visits, I can get isolated. Would it be acceptable to give you a call from time to time? I don’t have many friends because of my position.”
Bea responded immediately. “You have a friend now, Georgie, and of course you may call me. I’d be delighted to chat with you.”
George let out a breath she had been unconsciously holding and felt immensely lighter. “Thank you, Bea. You are very kind. Well, I suppose the UN reception beckons me.”
“Do try and have fun, won’t you?”
George nervously fiddled with her bow tie. “UN receptions are not fun, I assure you. They are a duty.”
“What is fun to you? What makes you happy Georgie?”
Bea’s question took George by surprise. No one had ever asked the Queen what made her happy. “Lots of little things, I suppose. Spending time with my family, sailing—I love my boats. I feel such a sense of peace out on a loch somewhere, among the mountains and valleys. I make model ships to relax when I have a moment to myself too. I like working on my estates at Sandringham and Balmoral, whether it’s just walking my dogs, helping to dig out the ditches, put up fencing, or tending to my horses at the stables. I love my horses.”
“My sister liked horses,” Bea said wistfully.
“I didn’t know you had a sister.”
Bea suddenly looked uncomfortable. “I did have a sister. She died when I was little, but that’s another story.”
George recognized that Bea had brought the conversation to an end. “I’m very sorry to hear that. If you ever want to talk about her, I can lend a broad shoulder.”
Bea replied, “Yes, I’ve noticed you have two very broad and muscular shoulders.”
George saw a blush tinge Bea’s cheeks, and she sat a little taller in the chair.
“Oh, I do apologize, Ma’am. Sometimes we talk so easily together that I forget who I am talking to.”
Hmm. You’ve noticed me then, Bea. “Yes, we do seem to talk very easily, and please don’t worry yourself. As I said before, I enjoy feeling like a normal human being for once. Now I really must go Bea, or Cammy may have me shot. I’ll see you at our first visit next week.”
“Yes, and thank you for calling. The concert is a wonderful idea.”
“My pleasure. Goodbye.”
As the screen disappeared, George felt almost giddy. “Cammy, I want you to arrange something for me.”
Chapter Nine
Felix Brown knocked on the door of the prime minister’s private office.
“Come.”
“Bo, can I have a quick word?”
“Shoot.”
Felix always found his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Bo, sitting at her substantial oak desk. She had an aura of power without even trying.
“I’ve had a report from MI5 that you need to be aware of, Prime Minister.”
Bo, who had been working away on her computer, shut down the screen immediately. “Talk to me.”
“They have been monitoring Internet chatter from various subversive groups. There has been a consistent theme emerging from the surveillance, and it centres on the Queen.”
“And?”
Felix took a seat in front of the desk. “It seems that at least three different groups believe that it will be detrimental to this country to have the first openly gay monarch. They have threatened to do something about it.”
Bo sat forward in her seat. “Get me the heads of the security services and the head of the Queen’s protection unit here this afternoon. I want to know what we’re dealing with, and how we can assure the Queen’s safety.”
Felix watched the prime minister’s face take on a hard expression.
“You have seen the polls—my popularity is riding the coat-tails of our new, popular monarch. My legacy is intertwined with our good Queen’s, and you know how important my legacy is to me. In a hundred years’ time, they will still be talking about Queen Georgina and Boadicea Dixon, leading Britain into a new age of modernity. That would not be the case if her brother was king, or anyone else for that matter. I will make sure that woman is cro
wned at Westminster Abbey even if I have to mobilize every police officer and every soldier in the land. Make it clear to everyone that the Queen’s safety is my top priority.”
“Yes, Prime Minister.”
*
Over the next three weeks, February turned to March, and a lot had changed for George. Her friendship with Bea had blossomed, and on days when they were not scheduled for a Timmy’s visit, George always tried to call her. They would talk about everything and anything, from the coronation concert plans, to family and friends. George enjoyed hearing about Bea’s eclectic university friends and all they had got up to, and Bea seemed to enjoy listening to George’s tales about the many varied places she had been and the people she had met.
George hungrily took any time Bea gave her; she felt a happiness and peace around Bea, which she hadn’t felt in a long time, and her panic attacks lessened greatly. On the downside, her protection had been beefed up following a briefing with the prime minister. George refused to curtail her public appearances but reluctantly accepted that security had to be increased.
The royal court had now moved to Windsor Castle, where it would stay until after Easter. After an extremely busy schedule, George finally had a day to spend with her family and was out on a ride with Theo around the grounds of Windsor Great Park. The siblings trotted slowly through the leafy park, enjoying the quiet and trying to ignore the protection presence secreted in numbers around them in a perimeter.
“They’re not very good at looking discreet are they?” Theo indicated the officers standing by the trees, trying to look inconspicuous.
George sighed. “I know. I hate the increased protection. As if my life wasn’t restrictive enough. I protested, but the prime minister insisted.”
When the Queen had been informed of the threat, she was sceptical. She didn’t believe any one of her subjects would go through with such a threat. The prime minister had pointed out that if she didn’t accept the security, she was putting innocent bystanders around her at risk. George was horrified at the thought of anyone being hurt because of her and so reluctantly agreed, but she refused to curtail any of her engagements. The royal protection squad was doubled, and Captain Cameron was armed with a standard issue MI5 weapon.
