“Have you been with the Met Police long?”
“No, ma’am.”
“It’s been about three years for him and two years for me,” Angela adds.
“At least I won’t be your first assignment,” I joke.
“No, ma’am.” Arthur’s face remains blank.
Silence ensues before Angela again comes to the rescue, filling the awkward silence. “We’ve both worked our way up through the ranks. For the last couple of months, we’ve been assigned to the Foreign Dignitary Protection Division.”
“That’s fantastic. Angela, I know you were previously with the RAF, but what about you Arthur?”
“He’s been with the force since he finished uni.” Arthur nods curtly to confirm what Angela said.
“Which uni did you attend?”
“He studied at the University of Manchester.”
By this point, I’ve begun to wonder if he’s doing it on purpose to annoy me. His body language is closed off and he keeps checking his watch. That tells me he doesn’t want to be here.
If that’s the case, fine. Leave. He wouldn’t be missed. I’ll happily keep Bruce until the security office can find a replacement. In fact, I think I’ll talk to Papa about it later. Two can play at this game. I’ll just ignore him until this meeting is over.
“Apologies, Princess. There was an issue with the head office that needed to be ironed out.” Bruce tucks his mobile away and sits next to me. “How are you all getting on?”
“Swimmingly,” I joke. My tone borders on sarcasm.
Bruce glances at me. His eyebrows knit together in a frown for a split second before he’s back to his smiling self. He leans over the coffee table and offers his hand to Angela. “Hiya, I’m Bruce Martins.” When he sets eyes on Arthur, however, he suddenly stiffens. The corners of his eyes widen. His mouth opens and closes. Arthur frowns even deeper and doesn’t extend his hand. Bruce doesn’t move—all he can do is stare.
The room stays silent for several seconds. I tilt my head to the side, eyes darting between the two, but whatever is being exchanged between them is something that’s unreadable. All I can do is continue to be a decent hostess.
“Right, then.” I set my teacup down with a little more force than usual. It clatters against the saucer. Everyone’s attention turns to me. “How about if we turn the tables. I’m sure by now you have some questions for me you might like to ask.”
“Yes, ma’am. I do.” Angela nods. “We’ve been informed by the security office that for the summer, our daily schedules will mirror yours. Just for my reference, I’d like to get a feel for what types of activities you do on a given day.”
That’s a simple enough question. I exhale and relax against the back of the couch. “So there’s really two types of days that I might have. Days with preplanned public engagements and days without. For theremainder of June and July, I’m slated to appear at the Princess Alice Cup, Trooping the Colour, Royal Ascot, and one or two garden parties at Buckingham Palace.”
I pause, giving her a moment to take a few notes on her mobile. “The PM has asked my father to place a hold on all other public appearances for the next few weeks until after the elections. On a normal day for me, if I’m leaving the palace complex, it’s usually to go riding, play tennis, or spend time with my family.”
“Don’t forget, Princess, youdohave a part-time job,” Bruce gently reminds me.
“Oh yes. I work in the palace stables on the weekends from about six a.m. to two p.m.”
“I think you two will find Princess Alice to be an easy charge to work with,” he says. “She’s got a good head on her shoulders and has never made any trouble for me.”
My body warms at the compliment. I can feel the tips of my ears and neck heating up. I quickly reach for tea and take a long sip, hiding my face.
“Brilliant.” Angela glances up from her mobile. “I know it’s a little early to ask since you haven’t registered for classes yet, but what about once you start uni.”
I swallow slowly, frowning. “I’ll be in classes and studying during the week. If I have any spare time, I’ll probably try and fit in some riding since the stables are close to Imperial’s campus.”
“That’s not exactly what I meant.” Angela rubs the back of her neck. “I was curious... that is, um... do you see yourself embracing the full uni experience?”
“It works best with Her Highness if you ask her questions directly.” Bruce half coughs, half laughs. “Ma’am, Angela is trying to politely find out if you intend to frequent nightclubs.”
Angela is taken aback by his frankness. She nearly drops her mobile. Arthur’s left eyebrow rises a millimeter.
“No.” I wrinkle my nose. “It’snotmy thing. If I wanted to drink expensive alcohol and act stupid, I’d rather do it at home in my pajamas.”
