Chapter 3 – Parliament and a play
Arthur, Viscount Mabrey, talked to his peers while waiting for the Queen to arrive in the House of Parliament.
It would be the first time he'd see her after their London encounter and he expected nothing less than that she would turn out to be a cold, icy... iron... cold and unattractive bitch, without charm and with as much wit as a rabbit in a stew-pan.
When Her Majesty entered, the MPs rose.
Did she just give him a nod? Mabrey pretended not to have noticed it and he turned to his neighbour and party-member Lord Martin, whom he didn't like, to wish him luck on proposing a motion.
The Minister of Infrastructure who had to face Lord Martin had a full fortnight's experience on the job, whereas Martin held his seat in Parliament for over eight years, six of which he'd spent as the spokesman for infrastructure. Martin skilfully made his point about toll free highways and it seemed that the liberals were going to support him.
The transpiring Minister was handed a note by a servant. After reading it he sighed with relief and turned to his right to incline his head. The Members of Parliament turned their gaze left.
Her Majesty found it cute: a settled Minister would not have thanked her this openly. She wondered how long it would take before Mr Capet would change.
With the remark the Minister read from the Queen's note, it was now Lord Martin who had to defend his point. But the Minister let his advantage slip and it didn't take long before another note found its way to the grateful beginner. Knowing he couldn't refute what was voiced by the Minister Lord Martin retreated. Custom demanded that he'd greet his opponent before returning to his seat but instead of addressing Mr Capet he turned towards the Queen.
'Your Majesty.'
It made many of his party-members think that he had won the game. Wasn't it capital how Martin made a fool of that upstart?
Mabrey watched the Queen. She ignored the suppressed laughter Martin's remark caused and gave Mr Capet a brief reassuring smile. The Minister sat straight.
OoOoOoO
In the gentlemen's club frequented by several noble born politicians Lord Martin complained about being sent back empty handed by a thirty-five year old who had been a mere university research-worker a month ago.
'You were sent back empty handed by a politician with forty-one years of experience,' Lord Picard replied.
Mabrey found himself nodding. It took Martin a little longer to understand Picard.
'Haha, Louis, you old fox,' Martin finally said. 'You're right, you know? You're right. Bloody good remark.'
He raised his third glass of brandy. ´To Her Majesty, who looked positively lovely today!´
´She still defeated you Michel, whether you call her lovely or not,´ Picard laughed, raising his glass. Martin chose not to hear him.
Mabrey found himself smirking.
OoOoOoO
Being on the Royal Genovian Playhouse's board of recommendation Viscount Mabrey was always invited for RGP's opening nights. RGP was the nation's leading theatre group but Mabrey wouldn't recommend seeing their performance of Coward's The vortex to his friends. When the polite applause faded away, Mabrey headed for the foyer. He exchanged greetings with his acquaintances, none of whom seemed inclined to review the play. The 1 -1 result of the soccer match Genovia – Austria, that had been played while the Lancasters held the stage, was discussed by the gathered elite.
Around the guest of honour a circle had formed including the theatre's director and the principal actors, RGP's director and the costume designer. Mabrey smirked. That woman will prove a hypocrite of course. No doubt she enjoyed the play tremendously. And if she really did, it means she's an idiot. Let's find out.
He took a drink from a passing servant's tray and slowly walked towards a picture that hung near the Queen. It showed the final scene from RGP's renowned performance of Hamlet. Mabrey had a lot to look at.
´You have played Lady Capulet, Miss Cadalso,´ Her Majesty said to the leading actress. ´Tell me, does playing in beautiful 1920's dresses,´ (the Queen smiled at the costume designer who inclined his head and blushed with pleasure), ´enable you to do more for a character than when you have to wear monumental medieval gowns?´
The actress, a very confident woman, found that standing eye to eye with the Queen was more impressive than she had told everyone it would be. She answered Her Majesty though without her usual flourish.
The Queen had a question to ask to all surrounding her. Her enthusiasm for the costumes was genuine. She knew a lot about the subject and everyone relished her remarks. She asked the director about his approach to The vortex compared with Relative values, another Coward he had directed. The actor playing Nicky was confronted with the question whether his character would have behaved differently had his father been the unfaithful spouse with a lover half his age. With Miss Cadalso commenting her young colleague's opinion, Mabrey turned around and greeted the Queen and those surrounding her.
´How did you like the play ma'am?´ he asked Her Majesty.
The Queen smiled and expressed her delight for the gay music that had accompanied the play. Before Mabrey could again ask her how she had liked the play, she said (and Mabrey felt that her voice now sounded just as it had in the elevator though between you and me it hadn't changed at all): ´You must have recognised the jazzy tones Viscount.´
The Playhouse's director almost nodded his head off, pleased to hear that the Queen had noticed what he felt to be an important contribution to his play. The object of conversation then changed from music to musicals to travelling. Part of Mabrey admired the way Her Majesty prevented having to talk about the play and he didn't repeat his question.
OoOoOoO
The next morning many newspapers had a picture of the Queen on the front page, as she was welcomed at the theatre by the mayor of Pyrus. Mabrey unwillingly admitted to himself that the woman did look lovely. But then, who wouldn't next to mayor Pimple Head?
