The State Visit Part II
The late night conversation with the President left Trent in a sombre mood, which did not go unnoticed by Rory that night when he got back to their room. He didn't say anything though, not until he woke up the next morning and realised that it was still there. He asked him what was wrong, and of course, Trent could not tell him the truth. He could only say that his job was safe, and that there was no looming global crisis that was threatening their very existence at this precise moment; the relief on Rory's face at that was plain to see. Trent decided that he need to turn his mind to happier thoughts, and to that end he took Cormac with him that morning to work, allowing Rory to take his nana and Sister Mary-Agnes sightseeing alone, heading for the Tower of London and St Paul's Cathedral. The President had no issue with Trent bringing his son into their temporary office, and seeing the little boy helped to lighten his mood too.
There was very little for Trent to do that day in any case; he made a final check of the speech he had written for the President to deliver to the assembled politicians at Westminster, and then the man himself was off to deliver it. Alone apart from his boy, Trent started work on his sadder task, gathering notes on the life of the Duke, and then having gained a feel for the man, he knew how to start. He wrote for once straight onto his encrypted tablet; his usual preference for paper first was too risky in the circumstances, as all it would take would be one person seeing a carelessly discarded sheet of paper, and the world would know. It took him about an hour in the end, Cormac sleeping peacefully beside him, but he was satisfied enough with his first attempt. It was heartfelt, sincere, sympathetic; setting just the right tone for the most awful of moments.
He realised that he had never considered that he might have to write these sort of speeches when he had accepted the job; with a little horror he realised that it might fall to him to write a grim one about World War Three, God forbid. He shuddered at the concept, knowing that he would refuse to head for safety without Rory and his children; without all of his friends. Thankfully, the world was once again pulling away from the abyss; the need for peace and global co-operation was seen as vital. The event for which he had just been writing would show just how far that return to a global understanding had gone.
Trent had a late lunch, and was there with the rest of the President's team to welcome him back. The speech he had made at Westminster had been well received by the audience and by the media, which was a good start to the daily briefing. It still took place at the usual Washington time, a review of the events happening at home and abroad; the Vice President was there by video link. Tasks were then delegated; Trent found that he needed to write a speech about an incident in Colorado for the President to make to journalists at the usual press call, and made notes about an event in Minnesota that they would need to make enquiries into. The Oval Office might have been thousands of miles away, but its business never ceased.
With his tasks done, Trent headed upstairs to change for the evening's event. He found that Rory was back, and in his best suit. He handed their son over, and went to shower before getting dressed himself, as his husband prepared Cormac for an evening with his great grandmother at her hotel. The fact that they had to drop him off meant that they were the first to leave the residence, and did so in a black cab instead of a limo. The driver was only too happy to wait outside the hotel as Rory did the handover in the lobby, and then they were off to the Palace.
As they approached, Rory began to grow as nervous as Trent had been the day before. "Don't be too worried; we will not be sitting with the great and the good, but at a table to the side of the main one. You will see the Queen, and her family, but just in passing," he said as he took his husband's hand.
"I know, but tomorrow it will be face to face, and that will be so much worse," came his reply.
"Nick and Jeff will be with us tomorrow, and they both assure me that they are not as intimidating as they look."
"I guess, but still… I never imagined anything like this would ever happen to me growing up, and it is all because my brother decided to fill in that form for the exchange trip. Séamus has a lot to answer for."
"Including the two of us meeting each other, so don't be too hard on him," observed Trent.
"Okay, I will grant him that, but still - little Rory Flanagan meeting Presidents and royalty… Back in the day, my teachers and the rest of Clane would have laughed themselves silly at the very notion…"
The State Dinner was not as long as they had anticipated in the end. Trent's speech for the President was as well received by the gathered dignitaries as the one he had given that morning, and the royal party seemed particularly gratified. If the speech Her Majesty then gave contained a number of thinly veiled references to how much better a President he was compared to his predecessor it was to no-one's surprise. It was also heartfelt, which made all those in the grand room smile.
As they were about to leave, the dinner over, the Duchess of Cambridge spotted them and headed across, this time with her husband at her side. For Trent, it was on with the drill that had been instilled in him for such occasions at once. Rory had a slight rabbit in the headlights moment before the protocol kicked in for him, fortunately just as they arrived. They had come across to compliment Trent on his speech, and to meet Rory. It was the briefest of encounters, but afterwards Rory did feel much more content, and ready to face the events of the following day. They were, he had to admit, very good at putting you at your ease, and had even made him forget all about his nana's outspoken nature, at least for a moment or two…
They stopped off at the hotel again to collect Cormac, but this time they allowed the cab to go. As they were about to step inside, they found their names being called, and they turned to see Sister Mary-Agnes approach, with a man at her side. They were thus finally introduced to her nephew, who was pleased to meet them, having heard all about them from his aunt. He could not stay long, and soon they were heading up to the room to collect their son. Once there, Agnes insisted they stay for a cup of tea. As she was making it, the good Sister beckoned Trent, and whilst no-one was observing, showed him what Agnes would be wearing the next day. To his delight it was a sober, well tailored twin set. He had been concerned as to what she might wear he had to admit, but not as much as his husband, who at one point had been seriously considering asking Sister to bring a spare habit. Trent looked at Sister Mary-Agnes, and smiled; she did too, which made him realise that she had obviously helped with the choice of garments. He knew that all the gratitude she would accept would be his smile…
Then it was the morning of the reception, the last full day that the President would spend in London. Trent was up early as always, as he wanted to assess what the media at home and in London had made of the speeches last night, and what else was taking place in the news. He was quite prepared to sit and rewrite the speeches that had been prepared for that day if necessary; luckily no redrafts were required, as the speeches of the night before had gone down very well on both sides of the Atlantic…
"You did well again, Nixon," came a voice, startling him a little, as he had not even heard the President walk in. "Is there anything that I need to be aware of, and have you made any alterations to my address for today?"
"No sir, all is as it was yesterday. However, if you do have a moment, I have a rough draft of a speech for that other matter that you raised yesterday, and I would appreciate your feedback on the very rough version."
The President nodded, and Trent opened up his address, and handed his tablet over to him. He watched Kennedy as he read, his eyes darting along the lines at the kind of speed that only years of discipline and training could achieve. "That is all pretty perfect so far. It has the right tone, and avoids the mawkish and sentimental; affords him the respect and honour that his position demands."
"I thought that, given her relationship to the family on a personal level, the Vice President would possibly wish to write her own words, or even defer to her husband to make the statement on their behalf."
Kennedy looked at Trent, then nodded. "You are probably right; it will not just be a global story to them, but a personal blow… Okay, so I will think about what needs to change in the address you have written for me over the next few days, and once we are back in Washington, we can get together, one on one, and work on it." Trent nodded, and then watched as the President headed on to review the order of events for the day with the ambassador. He would be ensuring that given who the guest of honour was, everything was going to be perfect…
She was due to arrive at noon, which meant that the invited guests started to arrive at Winfield House at around 10am. Almost the first through the door were Nick and Jeff, the former on the guest list for his role with the UN naturally, although the fact that they knew the family had helped bump them up the priority list. There were hugs all round the moment that they saw Trent and Rory, the former now free of duty and able to talk with his friends. Jeff went on to repeat his mantra that they were just people to them both, as Nick entertained Cormac, and tried not to laugh as he recalled how scared Jeff had been on the first day they had met the whole family…
"Actually," said Trent when Jeff stopped for breath, "we did meet the Cambridges last night, thanks to a certain blond mentioning us to her highness a lot, and they seemed really normal."
"However, I think that it will be another story with Her Majesty," added Rory. "She is such a global icon, even back home where monarchy isn't respected that much. When she came to Dublin and talked in word perfect, well accented Gaelic, it was just a wow moment for so many of us… Not my parents, as it happens, but they are just clueless idiots…"
"I take it that your nana has no problem with the monarchy though," asked Nick, fearing an adverse reaction that could ruin everything.
"She doesn't, and not just to annoy my mother, although that helps. She will go back to Clane, showing off any possible photographic image that she can get of herself meeting the Queen and the President. For that reason, we have to ensure that they exist, or my life will become an absolute hell…"
"Don't worry, I have all of that arranged," said Trent. "The plan is that the President will come out first to do a meet and greet of his own, and then once the royals have met the main dignitaries, there will be a kind of receiving line, like at weddings and funerals, in which we will all get a chance to meet them. They will probably wonder why you two are here again, but that cannot be helped…"
"They already know that I am one of the top people in the United States, and of course, a friend of the Duchess," said Jeff without shame, which earned him an eye roll from his husband and a belly laugh from Rory….
It was about half an hour later when the little group of Rory, Nick and Jeff heard the familiar tones of the former's grandmother as she walked into the room with Sister Mary-Agnes at her side. Trent had been summoned by the President for some reason or another just a minute or so before, and Rory could not help but think that his husband was the lucky one here. She saw them, and walked straight over.
"Now I heard from Rory that the two of you were living here, albeit on a temporary basis. It is good to see the pair of you again, especially you Nick; without you, that brother of mine would still be lost to me. He has finally agreed to coming over to Ireland in April, and let me tell you, there will be a few old faces in Clane that will get quite a shock when he does. Now I don't see that little one of yours; is he in a creche somewhere here?"
"No, we took him to kindergarten as usual this morning," replied Nick. "He is in good hands there. Now we actually wanted to invite you both to join us for tea tonight, unless of course you have made other plans?"
"We haven't, and we accept naturally," replied Agnes. "From what I have been told, you have a reputation as a good baker. We will be happy to come and judge just how good you actually are."
"I would expect nothing else," said Nick, trying to ignore how red Rory was blushing behind his nana.
"Good. Now, where is the ladies room? I do not want to be caught short whilst I am meeting the President and Her Majesty." Rory offered to show her, and they headed off, leaving Sister Mary-Agnes to stand with Nick and Jeff.
"Well, she doesn't change," said Jeff, with a smile.
"No, but I have tried my best over the last few weeks to instil into her all of the correct protocol. Let us just pray that when it comes down to it, she sticks to them rigidly…"
As the grandfather clock in the corner struck for 11am, Rory and his nana returned to the room; just in time as it happened, as it was only a moment later that the main door to the room swung open to admit the ambassador and his wife. They stood there for a moment as several of those in the room shared silent greetings, including Nick, who nodded as the ambassador caught his eye. He returned it, both of them representatives of a state or organisation in the city after all, and of course, they had met for informal lunches a few times in the last six months. Both of them were fully aware of just how important the day was
As those in the room began to form almost automatically into a line, Trent returned to make his way into his spot between Jeff and Rory, taking the latter's hand as he took a deep breath, knowing what was coming. It was the critical moment, the first chance of a disaster… With very little in the way of fanfare, the President and Mrs Kennedy walked in, and began to walk down the line of guests as the ambassador made the introductions, coming ever closer. Rory felt his heart speed up as they came to within just a few people…
When they reached Nick, it was Trent that made the introductions… "Sir, may I introduce Mr Nick Sterling-Duval, currently seconded here by the UN from his normal position in New York, and his husband Jeff, who is an artist of some renown…"
"And due at some point in the near future to draw my portrait for the Oval Office," said the President with a smile. "I am looking forward to that immensely, although I believe that will not be until the late summer, given that your husband is based here until the end of June…"
"Yes sir," replied Jeff. "I will be happy to come whenever it would suit you best for me to be in Washington DC."
"I have been thinking about this, and I believe that Camp David would be a better venue. You could come for a weekend, and bring your family. It would also give me a chance to ask Nick a few more questions about the UN, if he doesn't mind?"
"No, that would be fine, sir," replied Nick, who had of course met the man a few times in his first year in office. "A weekend away would be the perfect solution to the issue, and I am sure that our son Wes would enjoy the scenery too." The President nodded, then beckoned his secretary, asking them to make a point of liasing with Nick and Jeff over dates.
The President then moved on, greeting Rory warmly with no need for an introduction, then he started to laugh. "Your husband informs me that you were very nervous about this next bit, but he didn't tell me exactly how much; I can see it written on your face… So, maybe it would be best for you to do the honours?"
"Yes, sir… This is my grandmother, Agnes O'Carroll, and her travelling companion, and friend of the family, Sister Mary-Agnes." Rory closed his eyes then, and prayed that the next few seconds would not put paid to Trent's career.
"It is such an honour and a privilege to meet you, sir. When I asked Rory if it would be possible, I intended it as a joke in all honesty, but here I am; a simple woman that grew up in a normal working class Irish home, and could never have anticipated meeting one of the most powerful men in the world one day. I would just like to thank you, and your country, for taking care of my Rory, and before him, my little baby brother Sean. Then again, it's what all of us that have a drop of good Irish blood in us do…"
As she finished, Rory was left standing beside her, just a little gob smacked; Trent was wondering if the body snatchers had been, to be honest. Meanwhile, the President was smiling, and said, "Oh I agree, it most certainly is. I take it that your brother Sean was one of the many young Irish people that came to seek a better life in our nation. I hope that he found it."
"He might not have made his fortune, but he did find the freedom to be himself when home was all about religion and oppression - no offence meant, Sister," said Agnes.
Rory rolled his eyes, secretly glad that his grandmother was back on form, as her being totally respectful had been weird. For her part, Sister Mary-Agnes just nodded, and replied, "None taken; the Church made many mistakes in those years, and has only just begun to atone for its sins. Ireland is changing, and for the better in my viewpoint. God created all of us, and if we condemn a man for what he feels and who he is, then we are condemning the Lord's creation. That contradiction should have been noted so much sooner."
President Kennedy looked at the elderly nun in front of him, just a little bit surprised at what she had just said. "A case then of a new Church for a new Ireland, Sister, which is just as it should be. I firmly believe that there will always be a place for women of faith and charity in our society, and I believe that you should be a model for them all; a example of how to embrace the new."
"Oh, I certainly have embraced the new world, Mr President, but if Mother Superior knew just how much, she would be appalled, so we try to keep all of this a secret and say nothing in front of her…" The frankness of the good Sister made Mrs Kennedy burst out laughing, and moments later, her husband and those around them joined in…
Trent and Rory were able to breathe a little more easily as the President moved on, but not before he had asked the name of Sister Mary-Agnes' convent; he suggested that if he had the time whilst he was in Dublin, and it could be arranged and was not an inconvenience, he might just come and pay a visit. She told him it would be an honour to have such a visit, but as he walked on, she was the one that looked like she was about to curse; she knew that Reverend Mother would not be best pleased, particularly if he was to turn up unannounced, even if she did claim some sort of distant relationship to the family…
Trent grasped this fact at once, and with a nod to the others, he took her gently by the arm and steered her to an ante-room, and a telephone. "Call the convent; tell her what he has just suggested, and see how she reacts. She might well surprise you…"
"It is far more likely that she will scream at me in a rage, but I still must tell her…"
Five minutes later, the two of them returned to the reception; as Sister Mary-Agnes went off to mingle, Rory quizzed his husband. "Her Mother Superior was very surprised, shocked, but had no complaint about anything, other than the amount of notice. I am afraid that the President will have to go there now, or he will have a phalanx of angry nuns to deal with. I had best go and tell his secretary, so that we can insert the visit into his timetable…"
As it happened, Trent's return to the room was perfectly timed; the first cars conveying the royal party were arriving. It was the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that arrived first, all the more appropriate given her heritage, and the fact that their wedding had firmly united the two nations in a common bond. The Cambridges were not that far behind, joining the ambassador and his wife, with the other couple on the opposite side. Kate looked up and spotted Jeff on the other side of the room; she smiled, then seeing that attention was elsewhere at the moment for the majority of guests, she gave him a quick wave, which Jeff instantly returned.
"Did you just wave in reply to the Duchess of Cambridge?" said Agnes in a low voice, her face a picture of awe.
"We have met quite a few times now, so we would regard each other as acquaintances. Nick and I have been for afternoon tea with them and the children; that was fun for little Wes too, as he thoroughly enjoyed playing with the three of them in the gardens at Kensington Palace…" replied Jeff.
"Well that is a first," said Rory a half minute or so later. "My nana, gobsmacked into silence." Agnes was indeed just staring at Jeff and Nick open mouthed; they were friends of her grandson and his husband, and they were on reasonably intimate terms with the future King and Queen of the UK…
Eventually her attention was drawn outside, where the Prince of Wales and his wife had just arrived. When they entered, the President and his wife also returned, and they greeted each other, cameras taking an official photograph of the moment that the young President met the future King of the nation they were standing in. Meanwhile, the last car was drawing up outside; a word in the President's ear saw him and his wife head out to greet the final arrival, the most honoured guest of all. At that, Rory closed his eyes, and once again began to pray that his nana would continue to behave as well as she had done up to now….
Her Majesty entered the room to the strains of a small band playing the National Anthem; everyone in the room bowed their heads instinctively as she walked in, all in awe of the fashionably attired woman that did not look act any of her 96 years. The process of formal introductions began once again, and Rory knew that the moment that he dreaded was fast approaching. He turned to his grandmother, trying to think of some polite way to implore her to behave herself; to chasten her without causing offence.
Before he could speak, his nana did. "She is so well turned out - and small. You see her on the television, in the papers, but it isn't until you are actually in her presence that you realise just how special she is. If I am able to look and act like her when I am that age, then I will be very content. I was brought up by my father to think that the United Kingdom, with its monarchy and its imperial past was wrong and wicked. My da was a staunch republican, but me, I can see why the system here works. After all, who could wish for a better person to be the nation's official figurehead than her? She is reliable, intelligent and selfless. How she just didn't punch that Donald Trump in the face when she was forced to meet him, or trip him up when he tried to push his way to the front I do not know!"
Trent had been listening, and in a whisper he said, "Of course, she is not the only bad person she has been forced to meet; she has been trained to, if you like, grin and bear it. She had also met some that have become close, personal friends, like the Obamas. From what I have been told, Nelson Mandela also had a special relationship with her; he was allowed to call her Elizabeth, rather than Her Majesty, when they met…"
As Agnes nodded, Rory blurted out, "Please, for all of our sakes, remember that you are not him; call her Your Majesty, and only speak when you are spoken to…"
Agnes stared at him, then gave him a mock salute, which action did absolutely nothing to soothe her grandson's anxiety. He couldn't help but wonder if he had just inadvertently made things worse. He turned to his husband, and was horrified to see that he and indeed Nick on his other side looked a little panicked…
When Her Majesty reached Jeff and Nick, no introduction was required; they bowed, and she smiled. "How lovely to see both of you again. I trust that you had an enjoyable Christmas?"
"Yes, your majesty, our parents came to stay and we all enjoyed a very traditional British Christmas," replied Nick.
"As for myself, your majesty, I was most surprised and indeed flattered to see myself very briefly appear during your address to the nation that afternoon, as indeed was Mr Smythe," Jeff added.
"They do ask me about the editing of the film to accompany the speech, and I tend to request that those whose company I have enjoyed the most be shown. Would you give my regards to Sebastian when you next talk to him…"
As Nick and Jeff nodded, Her Majesty moved on, to stand in front of Trent, who bowed gracefully. The President, who had been making the introductions prior to her recognition of Niff, said, "Your majesty, this is Mr Trent Nixon, the man who makes me appear far better than I am by writing the majority of my speeches."
"It is a pleasure to meet a young man of such talent with words; your speeches are inspirational and unifying. It is such a pleasant change to hear them coming from the Oval Office after the undiluted bile that came from the previous incumbent," said the Queen, a twinkle in her eye.
"Thank you, your majesty," replied Trent. "I have always tried to be the person that brought peace to troubled times."
"As you did, from what I have been told, at Dalton Academy, where you also met and became firm friends with the Sterling-Duvals and Mr Smythe," replied the Queen, much to Trent's surprise. She continued, "I have to say that I am impressed with the way that the school turns out young men with the old fashioned values of decency, tolerance and honesty, not to mention a very dapper attitude. You may inform your head teacher that I said as much…"
"I will pass that on to the man that was Principal in our day; Aaron Carmichael will be absolutely delighted to know of your thoughts," responded Trent. The President nodded to him, and Trent turned to Rory. "Your majesty, may I introduce my husband, Rory. I met this young Irishman whilst he was on an exchange trip to the United States in our school days, and he stole my heart…."
Rory blushed, but bowed formally. "From what I hear, you are another young man that is assisting in changing American politics for the better. You are playing an invaluable role in helping Mr Hummel bring through great change in the Houses of Congress. You are a credit to both your nation, and your family."
Rory tried his best not to look quite as startled as he felt at that moment. Nick had warned him that the royals did their homework about all of the people that they were about to meet, but the fact that she knew what he did for a living, and who for, was still a shock. Then it hit him; if she knew that about him, then what did she know about his nana? He realised that he had not responded, and quickly said, "I play a very small part in all of that, your majesty. It is I think the least that I can do to repay the debt that I owe to my adopted homeland and the Hummels for all that they have done for me."
"I often think that it is those people that do the little things that have allowed me to be the success that people say I have been in my role, Mr Nixon. Never underestimate that fact. I do keep an eye on events across the Atlantic, and Mr Hummel's name and his actions in the House of Congress came to my attention early on. Tolerance and understanding are, in my opinion, a key part of our humanity, and those that stand up and promote it are to be praised, particularly when they do so in the face of a great personal tragedy."
"Burt is a strong man, and Carole is a fantastic wife and mother. I count myself so lucky that they were prepared to welcome me into their home, their hearts and their family when my own parents rejected me."
"Something that your brother and grandmother did not do," replied the Queen, turning to the woman at his side. "We do try our best to raise our children as we would wish them to be, but sometimes they disappoint us with the way that they behave…"
"They do, your majesty," replied Agnes, in the humblest tone that Rory had ever heard her use. "My daughter I am afraid was greatly influenced by a group of people that claim that they are Christians, but rather than preach his gospel of love, they preach one of intolerance. It is her loss however; I have two of the finest grandsons that anyone could wish for, and great-grandchildren, even though they are, alas, thousands of miles away from me. Thanks to them I have enjoyed a very good few years now, was reunited with my long lost brother, thanks in part to Mr Sterling-Duval there, and have now been granted the great honour of meeting President Kennedy, and yourself, ma'am."
"I have to admit that I myself do not see quite as much of my great-grandchildren as I would wish to. They seem to grow up so quickly."
"That they do, your majesty…"
The Queen moved on, and Trent introduced her to Sister Mary-Agnes; the latter bowed, then said, "It is a great honour to meet you, your majesty."
"It is always a pleasure to meet a woman that has a strong belief and faith, and also from what I have been told, a rebellious streak."
Sister Mary-Agnes blushed at that just a little, then replied, "I believe, ma'am, that the good Lord saw fit to create us all, therefore, as we are all told that he is infallible, he must have created those that so many people rail against for a purpose. Love is love, and it should be celebrated in all its forms. Times are changing, and minds are opening to a new possibilities. I believe that God wants us to adopt a new approach to the world."
"He did indeed command us to love one and other, and he said that such love should not come with all the qualifications that some now demand. We none of us should act as judge against another; that is his role, assisted by his angels," replied the Queen.
"I could not have put that better myself, ma'am," said the good Sister.
Then with a smile, the Queen moved on again. There was the audible sound of Rory breathing out, glad that none of his fears had been realised, which made Jeff chuckle.
"Well, she is really just an ordinary woman; if we were back in Clane, I would ask her to pop round for a cup of tea and a gossip…"
"Nana!" exclaimed Rory, conscious that his grandmother had just said those words loudly enough for them to have carried round the room, and probably to the ears of the monarch. Jeff however smiled, thinking that if such an invite had just been issued, her Majesty might just well take her up on the offer…