Part 3
Eloise, after having had breakfast the morning after her mother had left again, announced to Nanny that she was going to do her morning rounds.
"Remember Philip will be here this afternoon," Nanny said, yawning.
Eloise made a face, which Nanny ignored. She knew Eloise's complaints, and Eloise knew it didn't matter. Philip would come, and Eloise would be here in body, if not in spirit. Then Eloise brightened. "Philip will be able to tell me all about Queen Clarisse and Genovia, and how to find more information than you have! He's good at researching, you know. I think it's absolutely DIVINE that she's going to come to your wedding! It's so exciting! I want to know how to curtsey and have new clothes, and to find out if her favourite colour is pink like mine ..."
She continued on in that strain for a few more minutes, but Nanny had tuned out. She had remembered that she had to write a thank you note to Clarisse, but she wasn't at all sure how to start it. She had never written a letter to a Queen, for Lord's sake! Absently chewing her fingernail as she thought, Nanny wondered if she dared write to Clarisse as a friend the way she had been encouraged to TALK to her. She had a hard time envisioning herself putting 'Dear Clarisse ...' on the paper. It seemed so ... familiar. Informal. Not like anything normally written to a Queen. Yet 'Dear Queen Clarisse ...' really didn't sound much better. That was too stilted. Perhaps there was some sort of protocol? Why hadn't she asked Charlotte when she was IN Genovia? She wondered if Willy would know ...
Willy ...
Nanny had missed him fiercely last night. How could a couple of nights in a man's arms have changed her so completely? She ached for his touch, for his kisses, for his warm presence beside her ... She had slept alone for over sixty-five years, but two nights with him had made her bed feel strange without him. She hadn't been able to get comfortable, rolling first one way, then the other. She finally had had to resort to placing some pillows down by her side to half-lean against in the hopes that she could trick her mind into thinking he was next to her. The few times she had drifted off, it had only been to awaken with her heart thumping and her senses tingling, having dreamt of him touching her, arousing her, loving her ...
"Nanny? NANNY? Your face is all red and you're breathing funny ... and Sir Wilkes isn't even HERE!" Eloise complained.
Snapping back to attention, Nanny picked up her cup of coffee. "Don't be rude, rude, rude! I thought you said you were going on your rounds?" Casually she drank some of the coffee, then had to fight not to spit it out. It was luke warm! She put the cup down and stood up. "Well, Eloise?"
"I'm waiting to see if Sir Wilkes is going to walk by today ... or if he's going to stop in to see us."
"Get on with you!" Nanny opened the door herself and pushed Eloise out. "I've got some letters to write. Go do your rounds."
"Okay, but if he comes ..." Eloise began.
Nanny shut the door emphatically. Shaking her head, she went to find her letter paper. Then a faint smile crossed her face, and she went back to the door and opened it, peeking out to see if Eloise was gone. There was no sign of the little girl. Stepping out into the hallway, Nanny pulled the door closed behind herself and scurried down to Wilkes' room. Just as she was about to knock, the door opened ... and Eloise was staring at her, as was Sir Wilkes, the desperation in Wilkes' eyes turning rapidly to gratitude.
"Eloise?" Nanny asked, lowering her hand quickly and tearing her gaze away from Wilkes to look at her small charge. "What are you doing here?"
"What are YOU doing here? I thought you were going to write letters!" Eloise demanded.
"I was. I am! But I ... I needed to check ... Eloise, WHAT are you doing here? Are you bothering Sir Wilkes?"
"No. Just asking him some questions. About Queen Clarisse and Genovia. You know, I think she would be absolutely THRILLED to be coming here to the Plaza to stay, and ..."
Nanny's eyes met Wilkes'. He looked as tired and dragged-out as she felt ... but he also was looking amused. Nanny wanted to cuddle him, but naturally couldn't be so bold in front of Eloise. She swallowed, then said, completely disregarding the fact that Eloise was still talking, "I'm so, so, so sorry, S... Wilkes ... I had THOUGHT she was going down to the lobby as usual ... I suppose I'll have to take her down ... maybe we can take Weenie for his walk now ..."
"I can go down myself," Eloise said, skipping out and standing poised to leave. Then she confided, "I just wanted to watch you ..."
"ELOISE ...!" Nanny put more force in the name than she had had to use in a long time.
Eloise shrugged, then skipped down the hall to the elevator. After she had disappeared, Nanny turned back to Wilkes who had not said a word. "I ..." she began, but before she could say any more, he had taken her hands, pulled her into his suite, shut the door and proceeded to kiss her until she was gasping for breath and clinging to him.
At last he released his tight grip on her and, resting his forehead on hers, apologized abjectly. "I'm so terribly, terribly sorry, Nanny, for my unrestraint! I should never have treated you like that, but I had SUCH a night! I miss you when you're not with me ... "
Tugging her hand free, Nanny stroked his cheek, then ran a finger over his lips. "I missed, missed, missed you, too, Willy ... In fact," she added suggestively, running the finger around his ear and into his hair, "I might find that I need to kiss you a few more times to be absolutely sure, sure, sure that ..."
The door buzzer sounded continuously and Nanny jumped back from him, tucking her blouse back into her skirt. "Oh, dear. Eloise."
Sir Wilkes tugged at his shirt collar, swallowed, then opened the door. Eloise was standing there, beaming up at them. "Got your letters written yet?"
"Er, no, not yet," Wilkes murmured.
"If you could just find me Clarisse's address ..." Nanny said about the same time to him. "And ... would you care to write the letter with me? I mean, you could start, and I could just add a paragraph or two when you are finished." That way she wouldn't have to worry about the salutation at all ... Willy would do it.
"Magnificent idea! Brilliant!" Wilkes said enthusiastically. "Shall we start now?"
They moved over to the table, and Nanny put her paper down. Eloise stayed in the doorway frowning at them. "Are you REALLY going to write a thank you letter?" she asked suspiciously.
"Oh, for sure, sure, sure, pet," Nanny nodded. "We spent four days in her palace ... that deserves a letter, I think! Think of your manners! We have to thank her, because, as you know ..."
"Manners matter," Eloise sighed. "Yes, I know." Then she brightened and danced over to the table. "Can I sign my name to it, too, so she knows my name? I'd like a queen to know my name. I already get letters from Leon, and he's a prince, but I don't know any queens. Is Queen Clarisse absolutely beautiful when you see her real, Sir Wilkes? She looks divine in the pictures, but you know that pictures don't do people justice as a rule. Do YOU think she's beautiful?"
"Oh, yes, yes, quite lovely, yes, indeed," Sir Wilkes nodded emphatically.
Telling herself not to be ridiculous enough to feel jealousy, after the last two days of intimacy with Willy, Nanny nonetheless found it rawther hard to ignore his enthusiasm over Clarisse's looks. Well, everyone had said they looked a lot alike. Perhaps if she, Nanny, were to exercise and diet and try really hard, perhaps she might manage to lose some of her botto and hips and, well, the extra pounds just about everywhere, and perhaps she would look enough like the Queen that Willy would be absolutely thrilled! Sitting on a chair with a thump, Nanny pushed a piece of paper over to Willy, then another to Eloise. "Here, Eloise, you can write yours on here, and maybe draw a picture of the Plaza for her. I want to write a note to Charlotte, too, to put in the letter."
"Not Joseph?" Sir Wilkes raised his eyebrows as he looked at Nanny.
Eloise looked from one to the other, her eyes narrowed. Something was going on here. "Who was Charlotte?" she demanded again. "What did SHE do? What does she look like? Is she married to Joseph? Who is HE?"
Nanny sighed and looked away from Sir Wilkes. She smiled crookedly at Eloise. "Charlotte is a wonderful woman who works for the Queen, helping her with her duties. No, she's not married to Joseph, or to anyone. Yet." She chuckled, remembering Shades' attempts to interest Charlotte.
"Joseph is Clarisse's, er, bodyguard, I suppose you could say." Sir Wilkes added.
"He guards her body?"
"With his life, for sure, sure, sure," murmured Nanny. Then she shook herself and added briskly, "and he has a number of guards to help him."
"Joseph and your Nanny were friends, a long time ago," Sir Wilkes said slowly, "Joseph seems to be the kind of man who is very attractive to, well, to all women; he is strong, self-confident, forceful ... everything I am not," he finished in a low voice.
Nanny stared at him incredulously. What, what, WHAT was he thinking now? He sounded so ... so dejected, so insecure! And yet, it had to take courage to admit his feelings aloud, even if was only to herself and Eloise! Her heart just about broke for him, and she wanted to say something, but couldn't think of anything ...
Eloise drew her picture, and, still concentrating on her paper, said casually, "Well, even if he and Nanny were friends, and he's all those great things, she chose you, didn't she, Sir Wilkes? That's why you're going to marry us, and that Joseph isn't."
For a moment there was silence, then Willy, looking a little startled but pleased, exclaimed, "Right! Brilliant! I hadn't thought of that! Thank you, Eloise." His eyes met Nanny's and held.
"For what?" Eloise asked, printing her name in big letters on the bottom of her paper. When she didn't get an answer, she looked up and saw the other two simply staring at one another, off in their own world. She looked back at her paper and remarked, "Here's what I hate. Being ignored."
O o O o O o
Nanny simply could not believe how quickly the following weeks and months passed. It was not as though her life before her engagement to Sir Wilkes had exactly been calm, of course. Eloise had certainly seen to that. It seemed, however, that preparations for their wedding were taking over Nanny's life far more than she would have liked. Prunella Stickler had assumed that SHE would be in charge of any wedding happening in the Plaza. Eloise had informed her loudly that SHE was in charge, because Nanny had said so. Conflicts between the two strong-willed characters were frequent and draining. Never mind that one was supposedly an adult while the other was only a child, Nanny was almost frantic trying to keep the peace between them and still retain a semblance of sanity.
Now that she was going to marry a knight, for Lord's sake, Nanny struggled to become the kind of person she thought Willy wanted and deserved. She tried to be elegant, sipping on wine watching a concert on the television instead of relaxing with a beer in front of a boxing match. She poured over magazines trying to decide what to do with her hair rather than continue scraping it back into a bun, spent hours in the beauty salon with Eloise sharply critical of every change, and finally ended up leaving it the way she had always worn it, not being comfortable with the changes herself. She tried to speak carefully, to rid herself of her 'rawther coarse accent', but in moments of stress it returned ... and there were many moments of stress. The only bright spot Nanny could see in her life, she thought glumly one night, was that all the muddle and confusion and sleeplessness was making her lose weight at an almost alarming speed. Then she shook herself. No, WILLY was her brightest spot, for sure, sure, sure ... now if only she could be who he wanted.
They had not had a chance to do much more than kiss a few times since Eloise had arrived home. Willy seemed to have, well, accepted the limitations and recovered from his ... obsessive urges. Nanny had a struggle with that, too. How could he have ... forgotten ... what they had had? Was it her fault? Something she had done or not done? SHE had not forgotten what it was like to be in his arms! Sometimes she wanted him so badly she cried in the night, the ache worsening as the days passed. She loved him so much, and that was another reason she was putting up with all the fuss over the huge wedding ... if that was the only way to have Willy, she would do it.
When she thought about the actual wedding that Eloise and Prunella had planned, Nanny was terrified. It was not at all something she wanted. Eloise had chosen a designer wedding dress for Nanny that had ribbons, lace, ruffles, flounces and sequins galore. Everyone to whom Eloise had shown the picture had thought it was exquisite. Nanny secretly thought it abominable, but wouldn't say anything because she was afraid it was just her low class tastes that made her dislike it so much. The seamstress at the Plaza had ordered the pattern and materials from France and was waiting for them to arrive. Nanny hoped the shipment would be lost at sea.
Queen Clarisse had written a couple of times to both Nanny and to Sir Wilkes, the letters with the royal seal on the envelope causing a great furor in the Plaza. Charlotte had also written a delightful, congratulatory letter to Nanny after hearing the news of the engagement, and Nanny had replied. They now had a regular correspondence going, which was another bright spot in these months, Nanny acknowledged. Charlotte had sent a DVD with a copy of the interview at Mertz that Nanny had done as Queen Clarisse. Eloise had pounced on it and watched it over and over, commenting on how much Nanny and Queen Clarisse DID look alike, even though all she could really see of the real queen was her profile and her back as Sir Wilkes hustled her into the limousine. She was sadly disappointed that neither the real queen NOR Nanny had been wearing a crown, however, and would playact being a queen with her crown until Nanny could have screamed.
When Charlotte had written in late May to pass on the news that Princess Mia, now twenty-one, had been given thirty days to marry or lose the crown, and then a week later written to say the Princess was engaged to be married the third week of June, Eloise had been absolutely thrilled to think that she might be able to see a royal wedding on television. "Just THINK of the ideas we can get for YOUR wedding, Nanny!" she crowed. "Oh, I absolutely LOVE weddings and planning them and ... and ... we CAN watch it, can't we?"
"Sure, sure, sure," Nanny said absently, yawning and trying to wake up after yet another restless night.
"It's just two weeks away! I'm so excited!" Eloise was bouncing around the apartment. "What time does it come on? Are you going to ask Sir Wilkes to come over and watch it with us?"
"I suppose we could," Nanny nodded. Anything to see him again! If only she could have Eloise otherwise occupied for part of the time ... "Let me see what Charlotte said about the time, pet." She got up and searched for her glasses, then the letter.
"I can't wait to meet Charlotte. I'm glad we decided she would be a bridesmaid ... but I'm gladder that you asked Queen Clarisse to be your Best Lady! I bet no one else EVER had a queen to be her best lady!"
Nanny yawned again. "It's Best MAN, and that's Joseph ..." She sat down and perused Charlotte's latest letter.
"I thought you were marrying Sir Wilkes, so HE is your best man ..." Eloise grinned cheekily.
"Right, right, right. But you know the queen asked to be my matron of honour, and I couldn't refuse, for sure, sure, sure!"
"And the Queen is coming a week before your wedding with Charlotte? And Joseph?"
"That's right, pet. And I'm hoping Shades will come, too."
"Shades?"
"Another guard." Nanny smiled inwardly, wondering whether Shades and Charlotte had furthered their romance at all. She had been hesitant to ask, and Charlotte had never mentioned him. Well, when it actually came time to send their invitations ... not until July by Eloise's ruling ... Nanny would invite Shades and see what came about.
Eloise dropped that subject, not being nearly as fascinating as queens and princesses, and got back to the wedding. "What time is it going to be? The princess' wedding."
"Eleven o'clock in the morning. That means ..." Nanny tried to calculate quickly in her head, but it was too fuzzy. "I don't know. Middle of the night sometime."
"Can I PLEASE get up to watch it? PLEASE, Nanny? PLEASE? PLEASE? PLEASE? PLEASE? PLEASE?"
"All RIGHT, Eloise!" Nanny put her hands over her ears.
Eloise beamed. "We can have a pyjama party with Sir Wilkes!"
Nanny was horrified. "No, no, no!" Then, to take her mind of wishing to do just that, but WITHOUT Eloise ... or the pyjamas ... she added quickly, "To attend a royal wedding, we must dress in our best, and wear hats and white gloves and ... even if we are merely attending by watching it on television!"
Skipping over to the door, Eloise said, "I'm going to ask Sir Wilkes if he's coming."
"Eloise ..." Nanny began, but the little girl opened the door, then squealed when she saw Sir Wilkes coming down the corridor.
"Sir Wilkes!" Eloise was out of the suite in an instant.
Nanny hastily smoothed down her hair and followed Eloise to the doorway. Her eyes met Wilkes', and she noted the faint concern she saw as his gaze moved over her face.
"Nanny," he acknowledged with a nod, before looking down at Eloise who was bouncing in his path to get his attention. "Yes, Eloise?"
"Will you come to our pyjama party?"
"Your ... will I ... what?" he looked baffled.
Nanny, in spite of her exhaustion and dismay at Eloise's actions, had to smother a grin. The poor man obviously had no idea what the child was talking about. "Eloise," she said, quietly, "you know what I said ..."
"But it's absolutely the best kind ... and if it's in the middle of the night, we WILL be in pyjamas!"
"WHAT is in the middle of the night?" Wilkes asked feebly.
"The princess' wedding in Genovia, of course!" Eloise couldn't believe anyone could be so obtuse. "It'll be on television! We're going to attend it."
"Attend it? In Genovia?" he repeated.
"NO! It'll be on television, I said. But Nanny said we could get up to watch it. And since the queen is your friend, you should watch it, too ... and if you come to our place, we can have a party ... and in the middle of the night, we'll be in pyjamas ... so it's a pyjama party for her wedding!" Eloise explained.
Wilkes looked helplessly at Nanny, then looked again. She had dark shadows beneath her eyes, and looked as if she had lost even MORE weight! Was she not well? Had she come down with a dreadful disease and not said anything to him? But then, when had they had time to just talk with only the two of them? Eloise was always around, planning details for a wedding which was becoming bigger and more frightening every day as far as he was concerned. The Nanny he had fallen in love with seemed to have replaced by someone who was more involved in details than in people. He hoped that AFTER the wedding, she would go back to being the loving, caring Nanny he had known first. He vaguely wondered why anyone would want such a large, elaborate wedding that it caused them no end of grief and stress, but if a big wedding was what Nanny wanted, then he would never dream of shirking his duty as a gentleman to see that she got it.
"Sir Wilkes?"
Becoming aware that something was tugging on his trousers, he pulled himself out of his reverie and looked down at Eloise who was staring up at him with a slight frown on her face. Oh dear. What had she asked? "Er ..."
"We have a week before we need to make any decisions, Eloise, for sure, sure, sure!" Nanny came to his rescue. He smiled at her gratefully and she continued, "The princess will be getting married whether or not we watch it. And at three o'clock in the morning, or whenever it is to be, I'm REALLY not certain I want to be up watching television wearing a hat and white gloves and sipping on champagne to celebrate!"
O o O o O o
At two-thirty in the morning the day Princess Amelia of Genovia was to marry Andrew Jacoby, Duke of Kenilworth, Nanny's fretful tossing and turning was interrupted when Eloise burst into her room. "Nanny, aren't you getting up? Come on, come on, come on! The wedding's going to start soon, for Lord's sake! We have to get READY! People are already coming to the church! Oh my Lord, I have to go wake up Sir Wilkes!"
Nanny grunted, then, realizing what Eloise had said, reached for her too late. "Eloise, no ..." Her lunge accomplished nothing except to send her off the bed to land with a thump on the floor, where, fortunately, her blankets were lying in a heap having been pushed off in her efforts to sleep. The slam of the front door signalled Eloise's departure. Groaning, Nanny crawled to her feet and turned on her light, rubbing her eyes. Why hadn't the princess decided to get married in the evening ... a lovely candlelight service? Then it would have been a DECENT time to get up! Putting on her usual navy skirt and white blouse, fretting over the fact that the new skirt was loose around her waist again, Nanny did her hair, still grumbling inwardly.
Then Eloise was bursting back into the room. "Sir Wilkes will be over as soon as he gets dressed," she announced. "I TOLD him it was a pyjama party, but he said it would not be propriate. I'M wearing my pyjamas. Why, you're dressed, too!"
"Yes, pet. It just wouldn't be proper ..." or comfortable, if Eloise was around, as she was! "for Sir Wilkes and I ..."
"But you're going to be MARRIED!"
"But we aren't, yet," Nanny sighed.
Eloise flew onto the couch, then said, "Should I phone room service for your coffee, Nanny?"
Nanny smiled. "I would appreciate that very much, although I don't think they will, at all!"
"It's 24 hour service," Eloise laughed. "They don't care. We just won't get Bill to bring it up." She dialed. "Hello, this is me, Eloise. Can we have some champagne sent up ..."
"and some orange juice!" Nanny inserted, remembering their engagement champagne breakfast.
"Orange juice, some rawther hot coffee ..."
"and tea for Sir Wilkes!" added Nanny.
"And tea for Sir Wilkes. We're going to a royal wedding! Top floor! Charge it, please! Thank you very much!" and Eloise hung up and sat primly, with her hands folded, and her feet crossed at the ankles.
"What?" Nanny asked.
"I'm waiting. And dreaming. What do you think it would be like to be a princess, waiting to walk up the middle of an absolutely divinely-decorated church?"
Nanny didn't particularly care what a princess might be thinking. She was dreaming of the day SHE would walk up the aisle to Sir Wilkes ... and they wouldn't have to be apart ever again! Perhaps they would BOTH get some sleep at night! Perhaps. She blushed at her thoughts, and concentrated on the television, seeing the reporter, Suki Sanchez, talking about the various Heads of State, other royalty, and important people from Genovia and all around the world who were being seated in the huge flower-bedecked cathedral.
"Isn't that church absolutely the most divine one you've ever seen?" sighed Eloise. "I think we need just as many flowers at YOUR wedding. Which kind of flower would be best? I think the Queen Clarisse rose, since that's what you wooed Sir Wilkes with."
"They only grow in Genovia, pet. And I didn't exactly WOO him with it ..." and Nanny wasn't at all sure she wanted only Queen Clarisse roses ... it might make Willy think more of Clarisse than HER!
"Well, we'll have to take notes. Where's my pencil and paper?"
By the time Eloise had found her writing supplies, a waiter had brought up their room service order, and Sir Wilkes had slipped into the room. Eloise, sitting cross-legged on the floor and peering at the television while scribbling on her pad, waved at him enthusiastically, then turned back to the television. He sat down on 'his' corner of the sofa, and accepted a glass of champagne and orange juice when Nanny handed it to him. Their fingers touched, and lingered for a moment. Then Nanny hurriedly pulled away and got her champagne before sitting down in 'her' corner of the sofa. Wilkes gulped his champagne unthinkingly, downing it quickly.
"There's Queen Clarisse, and she's wearing her crown!" Eloise shrieked, pointing as Clarisse appeared on the television, standing beside the Prime Minister. "Is that Joseph beside her, and Charlotte?"
"No, pet, that's Mr. Motaz, the Prime Minister of Genovia, and his wife."
"Did you meet him, Nanny?" Eloise looked around at her.
"Yes, I did. And danced with him, too." Nanny smiled. Realizing Willy had finished his drink, she got him another, and sat a little closer to him this time. He smiled beatifically and drained his glass once more.
"Is Joseph there? And Charlotte?" Eloise asked.
Nanny frowned. The bridesmaids were walking up the aisle, then the camera turned to Suki Sanchez again. "There's Charlotte!" Nanny said. "The one with the clipboard. Oh, and there's Shades – the one carrying the baby ... the ring bearer."
"Well, I think Weenie would make a perfectly good ring-bearer, if a BABY is the ring-bearer for the princess!" Eloise said decidedly.
Nanny and Willy exchanged glances. Then Nanny noticed a familiar face on the screen. "Look, there's Joey."
"Who's Joey?" Eloise demanded.
"Joseph. Head of Security for the Genovian Royal family," Sir Wilkes said.
"That's JOSEPH? He's BALD! You have more hair than HE does, Sir Wilkes, even if yours is white."
"Eloise!" Nanny scolded, "that's rude, rude, rude!"
"Sorry," Eloise stretched out on her stomach on the floor and propped up her head with her hands. "When is the princess coming?"
"Soon. It appears Charlotte has just gone to the back after speaking with Joseph," Sir Wilkes said. "I expect that means that the princess will be coming now."
Nanny put her empty glass down. They all stared in awe as the princess walked in, looking beautiful. Then the young woman paused and looked a little sick. Suki Sanchez announced that the bride was moving back up the aisle and out the door.
"Where's she going?" asked Eloise.
Wilkes put his empty glass on the table beside him and sat forward as Clarisse directed everyone to sit down, conferred with Charlotte, then went out after her grand-daughter. He looked over at Nanny who, seeing his concern for his old friend, slid closer to him and took his hand in hers. "She SAID it was just a momentary interlude, Willy."
"Yes, quite so."
"They'll be back in soon, I'm sure, sure, sure," and Nanny squeezed his hand which he had dropped into his lap.
He looked at her gratefully, then shot a glance at Eloise. The child was still staring at the television. Gingerly, he put his arm around her and drew her closer to lean on him. Eloise yawned noisily and sat up, looking back at them. "Are you getting sleepy, too, Nanny?" she asked.
"Just a little, love," Nanny nodded. "Eloise, would you like a pillow?"
"Okay." the little girl reached back and took the pillow from Nanny's side of the couch. Then yawned and wriggled around to her previous position on her stomach facing the television. She put her head down on the pillow she had taken, closing her eyes as she yawned yet again. "Wake me up when the princess gets back," she said, drowsily. "This is boring."
For a moment, neither Nanny nor Wilkes moved. Was Eloise bluffing? Her breathing became regular. Nanny leaned back into Willy, turning her face to his. "I think she really is asleep," she whispered.
"Mmmm," his lips were on hers in an instant ... until somewhere in their sensual haze, they both registered where they were. "We can't ..." they groaned together, and reluctantly slowed things down.
"Tea?" she whispered to him. He nodded reluctantly.
As she brought him his tea, she kissed him once more, then settled beside him with her coffee. Her attention returned to the television. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "What is happening?"
The Princess was standing at the pulpit, saying, "I won't be getting married today."
"What?" Wilkes blustered.
"NO WEDDING?" Eloise had heard Nanny and Wilkes and now sat up, rubbing her eyes and peering at the screen. "What's happening? I don't understand."
"Shh, pet!" Nanny said. "Listen!"
The princess said courageously, "I stand here, ready to take my place as your queen ... WITHOUT a husband!"
"NO WEDDING?" Eloise wailed again. "I got up for NOTHING?"
"Shh, love!" Nanny said again. Then, when someone near the front of the Genovian church stood up and berated the princess, she added, "Oh, dear, Willy, what will Clarisse do now? What will the COUNTRY do?"
"She'll do whatever she needs ... Wait!" Wilkes was rivetted to the television.
"Oh, my Lord!" Nanny exclaimed. "Is he going to ATTACK Clarisse?"
"No, no, Joseph is there ... see, he pushed her aside ..." Willy gripped Nanny's hand tightly.
"There's the Queen and Joseph and Charlotte all together, right?" cried Eloise.
"Right, pet," Nanny said absently, her attention all on the television and the dramatic events unfolding before their eyes. "No, not the von Tro ... oh, thank you, Mr. Motaz!"
The Princess made her motion to have the marriage law abolished ... and after a few tense moments, it was seconded, then approved by the rest of Parliament. Then they watched as the Princess spoke to the Queen through Charlotte's earpiece. Both Nanny and Sir Wilkes were as stunned as the rest of the world watching the events in Genovia that day when Clarisse and Joseph joined hands and walked up the aisle together. Charlotte had handed Clarisse the princess' flowers. When Clarisse said to the archbishop that she wished to marry Joseph, Nanny began to laugh when the reply was "Finally!"
"Oh, see Clarisse's face! She didn't expect him to say that, for sure, sure, sure! Oh, Willy, I'm SO happy for them!" and she turned and hugged him tightly.
Eloise, who had been watching the entire wedding in Genovia with her mouth open, finally shut it when the Queen and Joseph kissed. She grimaced, then turned to Nanny and Sir Wilkes. Finding them embracing as well, she made a rude noise. The two on the couch broke apart, laughing.
"I'm sorry, pet," Nanny said, getting to her feet. "I'm just so, so, so happy for my friends! And you DID get to see your royal wedding after all!"
"Well, yours is going to be better, because it's being planned by ME, Eloise! And YOU are going to be wearing the most beautiful wedding dress in the whole wide world, even if you aren't a queen and won't have a crown."
Sir Wilkes smiled. "I've said it before, but Nanny is still a queen as far as I am concerned!"
"Aoww, Willy ..." Nanny couldn't resist throwing her arms around him once again and giving him a noisy kiss. "I DO love you!"
O o O o O o To Be Continued