Thirty-seven:
First Great-grandchild

Harry did a little dance and whooped for joy. "That's amazing news!" he all but shouted into the phone. "Of course I'll let Ruth know, Your Majesty!"

Oh, it was King William calling, which meant either the baby had arrived or they were talking about the cricket again. She suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, instead staying focused on her book until Harry had finished his call.

"It's a boy," Harry announced. "William Henry George," he said cheerfully.

Ruth glanced up and smiled. "Good," she said gently.

"And they've asked us to come round and see him at hospital," he added. "Graham and Beth, Sophia, and Ben, as well."

"I should hope so, since Graham and Beth are his proper grandparents," Ruth said mildly, flipping a page. "We're just the older ones."

"Oh, come on now," Harry sighed. "You're not still cross with Wills and me for making a spook's operation out of getting George and Verity married off, are you?"

"Yes, I am," Ruth said. "I was pissed off at the wedding and I'm pissed off now, because I almost made a wreck of it, didn't I?" She frowned and lowered her gaze back to her book.

"But they're married now," Harry replied, "and quite happy, and look, a little William! I've got a photo on my phone now. He looks like… well, a frog."

"Babies sometimes do," she replied. "Yours all came out of the womb looking like people, though…"

"Oh, here's a better one," he said, lowering the phone so she could see it rather than her book. "He's –"

"He's got your pout," Ruth commented dryly. "I don't think that's going to fade from future generations, do you?"

"I don't pout," he replied, doing just that. "Are you really cross with me right now?"

"No…"

"Then will you drive us to London so we can see the little chap?" he pleaded, almost whining.

She tried very hard to keep her face neutral. "Harry, it's seven in the evening," she protested. "If we leave Ipswich now, we'll get to Kensington – I assume we're going to Kensington? – in about two hours. That makes it nine or later, and no hospital will let us in."

He pouted more. "I want to see the little fellow –"

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Oh, fine, get your coat," she muttered. "But you have to call Sophia and tell her we'll be spending the night."

He practically jumped for joy. "Oh, Ruth, I'm so happy right now –"

"Oh, behave," she scolded with a smile. "Go pack and I'll call Louisa next door and see if she can feed the pets while we're away."

"No, seriously, I'm ever so happy –"

"You should be, after conspiring with His Majesty to bring it all about in the first place," she said.

"Well, the heir's only taken four years to get here," he grumbled.

Ruth laughed. "Harry, things don't go according to a timetable," she said. "Now go pack a bag or we'll never get on the road."

He hurried off – as fast as he could hurry – and she rolled her eyes and smiled. She'd already gotten a text from their granddaughter right after the birth and had asked if they were invited past security to see the baby. She'd known Harry would be chomping at the bit. It was all arranged, including Louisa taking care of the pets for a few days so they could take their time in the city.

Of course, she wouldn't admit it to him, but she was excited to see the baby and her granddaughter and her husband as well. She'd fielded lots of calls from Verity about pregnancy the last few months and had even made a couple of trips to London under the guise of seeing a specialist about her arthritis. Harry would be worried, but not enough so to check up on her, that way.

He appeared about ten minutes later with two bags in hand. "I just packed necessities –"

"We can always get anything else we need in town," she assured him with a smile. "Let's go, then."

"Ruth…"

"Hmm?"

"Sorry I made you upset –"

"Oh, don't worry about it," she said softly. "I'll get over it eventually."

"No, Ruth, it's not just fine – I didn't mean to upset you," Harry said, quite contritely. "I just… the baby and the excitement and I forgot."

She shook her head and replied, "Harry, he's your great-grandson, however he got here. And you'll love him dearly for being here. Don't worry about me."

He shrugged his coat on and frowned. "He's your great-grandson, too."

"Harry, just leave it," Ruth sighed. She stowed their bags in the boot of the car and said, "And don't you dare think you can change the disc player on me while we're driving. I'm the one driving miles upon miles in the dark – we'll listen to what I want."

"Bloody hell, I knew I wasn't going to get off easily," Harry grunted.

He was practically bouncing with excited glee as they headed into the hospital. Harry had found, as soon as he had several, that babies weren't all that awful. Even when they were crying and pooping and the like. It was when they got older and their hormones kicked in and they thought they were so grown up and knew everything that he took an issue with children. And this was a very important baby they were coming to see. His first great-grandchild and the heir to the Prince of Wales. It was very good to be Harry Pearce today.

Ruth kept giving him dirty looks, and he wondered if his eagerness was showing too much.

They stopped at the front desk and drew out their IDs. "Duke and Duchess of Albany, Harry and Ruth Pearce," Ruth said. "You'll find we're on the list for Verity and William Windsor."

The receptionist smiled a little and said, "Yes, ma'am – there are other members of the family present at the moment: The Earl and Countess of Clarence and the Lord and Lady Pearce. I'll have one of the security officers escort you upstairs."

"Thank you," Ruth said with a smile. "My poor husband here, is about to go mad from the waiting to see the little fellow. He's been twitching since we left the house."

"I have not been twitching!" Harry exclaimed indignantly. "Well, maybe I was when you were blasting Black Sabbath to stay awake…"

Ruth rolled her eyes and said, "Harry… we're in public."

He smirked over at the receptionist. "Then we have a witness to say that we had a disagreement." When Ruth made to retort, he pulled her close and gave her a kiss. "Now, let's wait patiently for one of the MI-5 whelps to come and take us to our future leader."

"You? Patient?" she laughed, giving him another kiss. "You haven't a patient bone in your body, Harry."

The receptionist laughed and dialed the Command Center. "Yes, the Duke and Duchess of Albany are here to see the Windsors," she said. "Yes. Thank you." She smiled over and said, "They'll be sending an officer in a moment."

Harry grunted. "I remember when I used to assign such mundane duties –"

Ruth nudged him. "Shh, you. Official Secrets Act," she reminded him.

"It's called something else, now," he said with a frown. "I can't remember what. When did we get old, Ruth?"

"Speak for yourself," she replied sweetly. "I'm still young and spry."

"Yes, well… yes." Harry had the good grace to blush, feeling his ears grow as hot as his cheeks. He was remembering a couple of days before when he'd been able to perform without medicine. They'd had a lovely time, and yes, Ruth was still spry despite her arthritic hip and lower spine.

"Your Graces?" came a hesitant female voice. "I'm Nancy Gordon, and I'm your escort."

"Bloody hell, you're a child," Harry scoffed.

"Henry James Pearce!" Ruth exclaimed.

Nancy hid a smile. "Ma'am, it's all right – Dimitri warned me that Sir Harry is…"

"A crotchety old sod?" Harry snapped.

"Challenging," the young woman corrected him.

Ruth hid her snicker behind her hand but couldn't erase the mirth from her eyes. Harry scowled at the young woman and glared at her – however, he must have gone soft because she was slightly less than intimidated. "Bloody hell," he grunted. "The world's run by puppies now."

Ruth smiled and took his arm protectively in hers, holding his hand, like they'd done so many times over the years. "Yes," she agreed mildly, "but this puppy is about to take you to meet your new grandson. So please play nicely."

He growled a little, but then he decided to play nice. After all, he had a beautiful woman on his arm and a new baby to dote upon. They walked with Nancy, taking the elevator and several corridors, before arriving at the private suite.

Sophia and James were waiting outside, and James grinned brightly at them. He was the baby of Graham's kids – an accident when Sophia had been fourteen and Verity twelve. He was only thirteen now, but he was just as excited as anyone else. "Papa Harry, I've got a nephew," James announced proudly. Sophia gave her grandparents a suffering look and rolled her eyes. "Isn't it exciting?"

Ruth laughed. "It is quite so," she agreed. "Did you do your homework?"

James frowned. "Maybe…"

Harry laughed. "You should maybe do that when you get home," he advised. "Your mother is quite frightening when homework doesn't get finished."

"She is," Sophia added ominously.

James gulped, having never actually experienced his mum in a bad temper. "I will," he promised.

Nancy smiled a little and side-stepped them to announce their presence to the room's occupants.

George came out into the corridor with a smile as he moved to embrace Ruth and shake Harry's hand. "I'm glad you both could make it," he said. "Dad said he rang but that you might not be here till morning."

"Harry couldn't wait," Ruth replied sweetly.

Harry said, "And the kill joy here took her bloody sweet time on the motorway."

"Either way, I'm glad you're here and I know Vey will be, too," George said. "Do you want to come in and meet Billy? Beth's monopolizing him at the moment."

"Of course she is," Harry groused.

"You are tired and grumpy," Ruth accused, "and I have half a mind to take you home and put you to bed so you don't rub off on young Billy."

George laughed. "Harry, why don't you come in first?" he invited. "I'm sure Beth will give up my son willingly."

"Don't be so sure about that," Beth called from inside the suite.

Ruth laughed and said, "So, how does it feel to be a grandmum?"

"It's bloody terrifying," Beth admitted. "I don't know how you did it and raise your own at the same time."

Harry pulled Ruth through the door and smiled at his family. Verity was propped up in bed, looking very tired, and she was watching her mother like a hawk. Graham was sitting in the chair by his daughter's bedside, holding up a handful of cards, as they were in the middle of a game. Verity just wasn't paying much attention. And Beth was cradling a tiny bundle in a blue blanket.

George gently took Billy from Beth's embrace and Verity visibly relaxed, going back to her card game with her father. George smiled down at the baby and said, "It's time to meet your Papa Harry and Nana Ruth," he said softly. "I know you've met a lot of people today, but these two are very important people, Billy. They're heroes, and when you're older, you'll understand why."

"We're not heroes," Ruth contradicted softly. "We're just Nana and Papa to this little one." She smiled and tried to get a glimpse of the baby without moving.

Harry shook her off gently and George passed the sleeping baby into the crook of his right arm. "Well, hello," he said softly. "Your mum is going to tell you all kinds of stories about me, but you have to make up your own mind, little chap." The baby yawned and opened one eye. "Oh, there you are – hello, Billy. I'm your Papa Harry." He held the tiny boy up so Ruth could see him.

"He's not so frog-like as that first picture Wills sent over," Ruth laughed heartily. The baby opened both eyes then, and turned his head to stare at her with a furrowed brow. "He does look a bit like you, though," she teased her husband.

"I should hope so," Harry scoffed. "He looks like he'll be a fine man, a good man – a good prince." The baby had so little hair that he was bald, and what hair he did have was a white-blonde shade. He had the Pearce full lips and chubby, jowly cheeks, but he had the Windsor nose and a birthmark rising up his arm in uneven splotches. "You will, won't you?" he said softly. The baby yawned in reply. He turned to Ruth. "My love, will you take him?" He didn't want to tell her that he was afraid he might lose his grip.

"Of course," Ruth said, gently lifting Billy from Harry's grasp. "Hello," she breathed, smiling. The baby looked up at her and his confused face suddenly smoothed away and he just watched her. "All the stories about Papa Harry are true," she said, glancing up at Harry with a teasing smile. "He just doesn't want you to be overwhelmed."

Harry pouted; he knew he had done by the way her eyes lit up in that 'ahaha, you old bastard, I caught you out!' way. "Yes, well, maybe some of my exploits aren't appropriate for small ears," he pointed out. "Most of them."

Ruth smiled down at Billy and said, "Remind me sometime to tell you about how Papa Harry broke the doorframe trying to bring in a Christmas tree that was entirely too big to fit in our sitting room, all because Auntie Zoe had to have the nicest tree."

Harry bit back a laugh and said, "Ah, yes, that we can tell…"

"And how he couldn't figure out how to build Auntie Fi's bike and put the handlebar on backwards and couldn't make it right," she added. "And how he used to take your aunties sledding and wound up in hospital with a broken leg."

He laughed. "And there are plenty more disastrous stories where those came from," he agreed.

Ruth bent down and kissed Billy. He squeaked in something akin to surprise, Harry thought. She smiled down at the baby. "And there's always the story about how much Papa Harry loves me. He always has done – ever since we met, little one," she whispered. "Someone will tell you that when you're older, though, and we're both gone. Someone will tell you that you'll find your great love like we did." She glanced over at Harry with tears in her eyes and his heart turned over in his chest. "I was never cross with you earlier, Harry – I was playacting."

He leaned in and gave her a kiss. "I know," he assured her. "I was only apologizing in case you weren't and I'd read everything terribly wrong."

Beth came over and said, "Who'd have thought that we'd be holding the heir to the Throne? If you'd asked me five years ago, I'd have called you crazy."

Harry laughed. "You're many things, Beth Bailey," he said, "but crazy is not one of them."

They stayed a while longer, till Billy needed feeding, then they all retreated, save for George. Harry and Ruth went back to their house in Holland Park, following behind Sophia's car. When they pulled into the drive and alit from the cars, Sophia said, "We've been making soap the last couple of days – about 10 stone's worth – so it's a bit of a mess, and I apologize ahead of time…"

"No, it's all right," Ruth assured her. "We're here to sleep and shower and rest between outings. I hope we won't be in your way."

"No, never," Sophia assured them with a smile. "It's your house, after all."

As soon as she'd opened the door, a myriad of smells drifted out. Harry breathed deeply and smiled. "Whatever soap you're making, it's lovely," he said.

"You only think that because it's based on the soap you used to use when I was small," Sophia said with a grin. "I'll run upstairs and turn the bed down, okay? Help yourselves to some wine or whatever's in the fridge."

Ruth and Harry settled at the dinette in the kitchen and took a moment to just be silent. It was broken when Harry said, "I don't feel old today."

She smiled over at him and grabbed his hand. "Me either," she agreed.

END PART THIRTY-SEVEN