End of an Era Part VIII.
With the interview over, Nick hastened to make drinks and collect snacks for all those that had filled his kitchen at their impromptu gathering. He checked his phone messages as he waited for the kettle to boil, and saw one that made him smile; Grace wanted to know why Jeff had been hiding, given that the majority of the viewing public would have no idea who he was. It was unlikely that the BBC would have wished to interview him, so concealing himself seemed so unnecessary. Nick knew exactly why his husband had done so though; a combination of his natural shyness about being in the limelight, and his irrational guilt over the fact that he had not contacted the new Princess of Wales since the death of her husband's grandmother. That guilt would only be made worse by the fact that it was now highly likely that he would be in Westminster Hall when she might well be in attendance along with her husband…
Looking at his other messages, he saw that he had one from Colin, who had the livestream on in his drugstore in the Hudson Valley, and he now had several customers that were looking at him in a new light since he had casually announced that he knew Adam, and that three of his former schoolfriends were also in London with the sitcom actor. There was one from Thad too, who told him that he watching at Dalton; he had attached a photo of the Senior Commons, and Nick could see that he was in the company of the Carmichaels, Skylar and Julia. He added that Dylan, Jeff's cousin and the new Deputy Principal of Dalton Academy, was also watching at home, and had asked Nick to pass on his greetings to the blond…
It took a moment for Nick to understand what Thad had just communicated to him; that Dylan was no longer the acting Deputy Principal, but had the job. There had been much discussion over who the Warbler alumni favoured for the role when it had become vacant, and there had been many of them that felt it should go to Thad. Nick had not been amongst them, knowing that the Head Warbler did not want the position, as he loved to interact with his students in the classroom; that was the part of teaching he enjoyed most. The role of Deputy Principal would reduce that interaction to nil. Nick understood that, but so many of his friends did not…
As Nick took the tray of food and drink back into the heart of his gathering, a little further downtown Lawrence found himself in the small staff room in the maternity department of the hospital at which his training was based, dealing with something that he had never expected to see. As is usually the case, the moment he had sent his text to his brother to say that things were quiet, they weren't. Things got hectic for a short period, and he found himself running between three labour suites, assisting as he could. Then it all died down again, three new lives safely in the world, the nurses that did the job day in, day out, now able to manage without his help.
He checked his phone, and saw that he had a message from Dex, saying that the little party had now arrived in the last stage of the queue, which had come about twenty minutes previously. He decided that he could go and have a look at the footage on the livestream in the staff room, but as he was heading there, he was hailed by one of the more junior nurses in the department, who had a look of worry and concern on her face. "Doctor, I think that we might have a small problem in the staff room. It isn't my place to tell you exactly what it is, but I can guess the cause. I don't know how to handle the situation myself and in all honesty, I think that it might be better if you, an outsider of sorts in the department, were the one that dealt with it…"
Lawrence nodded, trying not to show how worried he was by both the expression on the young woman's face, and the low voice in which she had spoken to him. He hastened along, then opened the door to the staff room carefully and quietly. He looked in, just in time to see that Adam was on the screen, giving an interview. He did not hear what he was saying though, as there was something more extraordinary going on in the room. Sat at the table, with tears rolling unchecked down her cheeks as she sobbed, was Nurse Crane. The normally unflappable, no-nonsense woman had broken down, and he could immediately understand why the young nurse had been so concerned by it all.
He closed the door quietly behind him, and walked across the room to stand beside the British born midwife. Closer to the screen, he could now hear what his boyfriend was saying, and the respectful words he was uttering made him proud. When the interview ended, he said out loud, "I am going to make a pot of tea; good and strong, as it should be. Then we shall drink it together, taking our time, until we see him again inside the Hall, carrying both of our hearts alongside his own. We cannot be there in person, but that is okay, because he is there for both of us."
Nurse Crane looked at him and nodded. He did not place a comforting hand on her shoulder as some would have, knowing that she would not approve of, or appreciate, the gesture. It was not her usual way to let her emotions win, but this time she had not been able to fight them any longer. When they had managed to overpower her steely determination, they had overwhelmed her like a tsunami. Lawrence went to make the tea, and allowed her to wipe at her eyes in private…
In London, the clock had now reached 6.40pm, and the group of eight had finally reached the final hurdle, the airport style security gates. As Miss Frobisher had surmised, the flasks that they had carried with them were completely drained, and the lids were off, making it easier for the guards to inspect them and see that they complied with the rules. Mr and Mrs Crawford had also not been disappointed in their earlier prediction when the queue marshals had been less than enthusiastic when they were presented with the two folding chairs by Joan. There had been a tense moment when it looked as if they would refuse to accept them, but then Adam had stepped in. Selfies and autographs proved to be a winner, and the two chairs were left with the marshals, ready for a new home in due course.
As he waited to pass through the gates, Jeff glanced outside and gasped as he saw a convoy of vehicles bearing the royal standard arrive at a vehicle entrance nearby. He considered asking the guards if they would object if they waited a while before entering, or even if he alone could stand and hold off for half an hour or so, but he knew what their answer would likely be; in the worst case scenario, they would send him back to the end of the line. He took a breath, and knew what he had to do; he had to face up to his fear, and just hope that everything would be okay…
Then it was time, the entrance to the medieval Westminster Hall in which the late Queen was lying in state looming up right in front of them. They discovered at that point that the grandmother of Lucy, Drew's ex-wife, was now right in front of them, having been held up whilst several of her party stopped to use the restroom. She looked a little lonely and sad even amongst them, and Drew knew what he needed to do; he stepped over to her, and whispered something in her ear. She smiled, then turned to the people that she had travelled with, and explained what was going to happen. They nodded in agreement, and then Drew brought the lady across to join his own party. He introduced her to those that he had not met first, but then she surprised them all by walking up to Jeff, and taking his hand in hers.
"I didn't actually realise where I had heard your name before until after you had all left. You are the man that drew the picture of the angel that Her late Majesty found so inspirational. I have to admit that it means a lot to me too; it just speaks to you of wisdom and truth. Then there was the portrait that you did for her centenary last year; it was an inspired idea. It looked wonderful on television, but it is only when you stand in front of it in the gallery at Windsor Castle that you can truly appreciate it. That is why she talked of you so highly, and included footage of you in her speech as well…"
Jeff was quite taken aback, but after a moment replied, "She meant a lot to me as well; I count myself as being very fortunate to have met her."
Drew had explained to the others that he had decided to ask her to join them as she looked so alone, all the others in her party seeming to be couples; he still saw her as family in a way. Now he was the one to point out what they needed to do to his old school friends. "It is time for us to send the messages to those back home in the United States to let them know that we are on the threshold, so to speak…"
There were answering nods, and almost in unison, the three former Warblers and Adam pulled out their phones, went into their draft messages, and sent the last one they had written. They then turned off their phones, and as a group of nine, they stepped into the hall proper. Almost at once, they were confronted with another decision; the queue was being split into two, with one line to pass by the coffin on the left, another to pass by it on the right. After a minimal debate, the Crawford family opted to take the line on the left, the other five taking the right. It was such a split-second choice that there was no time to weigh it up, and thus it was only once it was too late to change over that Sebastian realised that his group had chosen the side that would bring them right in front of the raised dais…
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, phones buzzed and beeped as the messages arrived. They did not go solely to partners and roommates, but to siblings and the Warbler text group. In New Jersey, Julian yelled to Isabelle that it was time from the seat he had taken in their living room, and as she came in from her study, he forwarded the message on to his father. He knew that his half-brother was intending to send the message directly to his maman, as she lived in a country, Canada, where the loss of the Queen was felt all the more deeply because of her deep love of the nation.
In Paris, François turned to his gathered friends and neighbours in his apartment and announced that the moment had come when Sebastian would appear in the Hall. Everyone had placed their Saturday night plans on hold until the moment arrived…
In the staff room of the maternity department of a New York hospital, a British born nurse sat with a young medical student, both fortified by strong tea, waiting for the moment that the latter's boyfriend appeared on the screen they were watching; the young man carrying their hearts with them to pay respect.
In the Senior Commons at Dalton Academy, Thad now sat not just with the Carmichaels, Skylar, Julia, and young Seth, but with just over half of the current group of Warblers and a number of other students, the pomp, grandeur and precision of the ceremony taking place leaving them all spellbound as they waited for the three former students of the establishment to arrive on screen.
In Manhattan, Nick looked around his full kitchen, knowing that in her apartment uptown, Sebastian's 'Aunt' Bette would now also be watching the livestream, after he had reminded the other man the previous day to add her to his text group for the all important message. Like everyone else, he watched the public entrance to the Hall carefully for a sign of those familiar people, but then the camera suddenly moved to focus briefly on the dais, on which the new Princess of Wales, her eldest son George, and the Duchess of Sussex had now appeared. They were followed by Mike Tindall, the husbands of Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and finally the Duchess of Wessex, there to support her two children in what was obviously about to happen. Nick groaned inwardly, knowing that this would be Jeff's worst nightmare. Still, the queue was filing past on both sides of the coffin, so with any luck, Jeff would be on the other side…
It was not until the moment that they reached the top of the final flight of stairs that lead down into the vast space of Westminster Hall that the full beauty and grandeur of the structure hit you; it was also then that they got their first view of the catafalque and the coffin that rested upon it. For Joan Crawford, it was a sight that brought back distant memories of the last time that she had been in this very building for the same reason, to pay respect to a passed monarch. Then she had been a very young girl, and she felt a tear form in her eye as she thought about that moment, and her mother and grandmother, the two people that she had accompanied to see the coffin of the late King…
Sebastian would be the first to see the group of people standing on the dais, and his heart sank. He turned to Jeff, and saw his friend pale as he too saw what was ahead of them. Reaching back, Sebastian took Jeff's hand in his own, a gesture which the blond greeted with a small smile…
Then came two loud bangs, the sound that they had all heard on the television more than once, the indication that the guard was changing. A murmur suddenly could be heard from those lower down the stairs, and then they came into the view of those at the top too. The new Prince of Wales was leading his brother and his six royal cousins into the Hall, to perform their own very public vigil. The youngest of them all, Viscount Severn, was still in his teens. They came in with a military precision that armies around the world would have envied, taking their places around the four sides of the coffin, mounting the lower steps around the catafalque in strict time. Then, with their heads now bowed, there came two more bangs, and once more the lines of mourners began to move past the late Queen's coffin once more.
Jeff froze where he stood, the reality of the fact that he was about to pass right between the couple he had thought of as friends hitting home hard. He wished that he had ignored the protocol now and had sent a message of sympathy, but it was too late; the damage was potentially done…
"Blondie, you need to move, or there could well be a riot," Sebastian was suddenly whispering in his ear. "I know what your issue is, but I am sure that they will understand the fact that you did not get in touch; indeed, they will probably respect you all the more because you abided by the rules. Now, best foot forward. If there is going to be a problem, then we are best getting it over with…"
Jeff nodded, realising that the other man was right. With his eyes downcast, he descended the steps slowly behind Drew, who had allowed Miss Frobisher and his ex-wife's grandmother to go first. Sebastian came right at his side, looping Jeff's arm through his own. At first this gesture seemed strange to the blond, but then he realised exactly why Sebastian had taken that step; his eyes had gone misty, as despite all of his best intentions, he had tears streaming down his face. He used his free arm to search for a tissue in his pocket, and finding one, swiped at his eyes. He glanced across then at Sebastian, and saw that his face was set in a grim expression that conveyed his sorrow at the death of the monarch; he also noticed that his friend's eyes were a little moist too…
What was most overwhelming about the whole experience was the silence; even the footsteps of the crowd of mourners was muffled by the carpet on the floor. As they reached the bottom of the long flight of stairs, Jeff looked up and saw the Duke of Sussex almost right in front of them at the end of the coffin nearest to them. On the side that the Crawford family would pass down stood Prince Andrew's two daughters and their cousin Zara. On the opposite side stood Prince Edward's two children and Peter Phillips, the eldest and youngest of Her Majesty's grandchildren stood side by side. Naturally, the new Prince of Wales was standing out of view at the other end, guarding the end where the late Queen's head was…
All that Jeff could think at that moment was how young Viscount Severn looked in his formal morning suit, the few medals on it awarded to him for his support to his late grandmother during her Platinum Jubilee and on her centenary. He also noted that as the young man stood between his sister and his cousin, head bowed and hands clasped tightly together, the other two glanced over at him every so often just to make sure he was okay. His mother was watching over him too of course, knowing what a big thing this was for the young man that was just in his first year at university.
The other thing that became apparent as they stood now at the bottom of the stairs was the sheer scale of the catafalque, raising the coffin of the late monarch high above all those that were passing on either side. The crown that sat upon it sparkled in the light, each of the many jewels upon it pristine. The wreath of flowers still looked fresh, but they all knew that was because it was replaced every night during a brief closure with an identical one prepared by the skilled royal florists. The air was scented by the pine used in forming the wreath, along with the beeswax that had been used to form the four tall candles that stood at the corners of the catafalque.
The whole atmosphere in the vast Hall was revenant and sombre. Jeff kept his eyes fixed to the floor as the moment that they had waited in line for approached. Ahead of him, the two older ladies stood side by side when they reached the coffin; they looked up, and bowed as they bobbed down in a curtsey. They moved on, Drew taking their place. He seemed unsure what to do, but then he suddenly stood rigidly to attention, then bowed to the coffin. He stood in silence for a moment longer, and then followed the two ladies…
And then Jeff was there, Sebastian at his side. They both stood still, then bowed together in the sort of unison that came either from military training, or being in a show choir. Then they stood again for a moment, and Jeff realised that Sebastian was reciting a prayer, which shocked him, as he never thought of his friend as that religious. His words done, they turned to go…
And that was when Jeff's eyes immediately met those of the new Princess of Wales, who was staring at him in surprise…
Across the Atlantic, the friends and family of those that had flown to London in haste were all glued to the screen when the moment came. Lawrence would be the first to spot a familiar face when he saw Adam at the halfway point of the steps, their side seemingly moving just a little faster. He reached out and took Nurse Crane's hand then, a gesture that she would normally have recoiled at, but it felt right in the circumstances that he did so, although the subject would never be mentioned again after that day.
Evie was the first to see someone in the West Village house, spotting Miss Frobisher, and that had those assembled in that kitchen focus on the right hand side of the queue. Then she saw her father, but then there was a gap…
That made Nick pale a little, but of the others in the room, only Mike knew why that concerned him so much. He said nothing, but like Nick the dancer breathed a sigh of relief when there were two pairs of legs hastening down the steps to close the gap, and Jeff and Sebastian made their appearance. Then Nick noticed that his husband seemed to be crying, and his heart ached, longing to be there and comforting him. He was even more glad now that Sebastian had offered to accompany the little party, and smiled as he realised that he was holding on to Jeff's arm.
They watched as all those they knew came to pay homage and respect at the side of the coffin, proud of the way that they all acted with the dignity and proper decorum that the event warranted. Then Nick saw it; the moment that Kate looked up and recognised the two people standing at the coffin, even though they had their backs turned to her. He saw the way that her eyes widened just a little, and he offered up a silent prayer that everything would turn out okay…
Nick watched with bated breath as his husband and Sebastian turned away from the coffin and naturally looked in the direction of the dais; he saw the exact second that his husband felt the gaze of the former Duchess upon him, as he noticed Jeff's face fall slightly.
"Well, we will know in a minute," Mike whispered in Nick's ear, and the brunet nodded, aware now that he was not the only person in the room that knew how his husband ticked.
Jeff was just standing there and staring at her, until they saw Sebastian give him a nudge, as they were holding up the line again. The former Broadway star bowed to Kate, and Jeff did the same. To Nick's immense relief, the Princess of Wales inclined her head just a fraction to acknowledge them, and he saw that there was a hint of a smile momentarily on her lips before she resumed her former position where she looked straight ahead, eyes down, showing respect to the late monarch.
"Okay, so she didn't turn away from him, or ask one of the guards to hustle him out of the Hall, so it can't be that bad," said Mike quietly, which made Nick laugh despite himself.
"I'd best send him a message to say that we saw him, and that I will speak to him properly tomorrow, as he will be tired out after his long day," replied Nick, and he began to quickly type out the words.
Mike turned to look at the others in the room, who were still watching intently as the seemingly endless line of people continued to move through the Hall. The spell was only broken when the two loud reports of the staff being banged on the floor to signal the guard change came again; this was also the signal for the grandchildren to take their leave as well. As they left with the same military precision as they had entered, the party on the dais also headed out slowly.
Nick looked back up at the screen just as they royal grandchildren were climbing back up the steps by which they had entered the Hall. "I see that she managed to get back up the stairs without losing a shoe," he quipped to Mike, referring to Zara Tindall's slight incident as she had entered the room and left one of her shoes on the step behind as she came in. "Anyway, I sent a message to Jeff, and he has replied that he will talk to me properly tomorrow, as he is tired and very hungry. He is also very relieved that Kate did not scream 'Off with his head!' the moment she saw him. He is still stressing about it though; I can tell from the words with which he replied…."
Nick was correct on that score. The group of friends had regrouped outside the Hall, taking a few moments to talk before they headed for home. They would all be going towards Westminster Station, the Crawfords' car parked only a couple of blocks from the Jubilee Line station at Bermondsey, and with the station being on the District Line as well, it would also provide transport for those heading for Miss Frobisher's home in Kensington. Drew momentarily stepped away to say his farewells to Lucy's grandmother, whilst being questioned by her group of friends that she now re-joined.
Sebastian meanwhile was keeping his eye on Jeff, who was still uneasy after his encounter with his royal friend. "Okay blondie, you survived. She did not ignore your presence or call you a traitor in hissed words. She had to remain the model of dignity and decorum, so she could not beckon you over for a chat, but she knows that you are here. She is governed by the same strict protocol that you are, so she will definitely understand why you have not been in touch since the Queen passed away."
"I do hope that you are right, Seb, because I would not want to lose her as a friend, albeit a distant one. Of course, that distance will have increased immeasurably now that she is the wife of the next in line to the throne…"
At that moment, Jeff's phone buzzed, and he wondered what Nick had forgotten. He switched it back on, glanced at the screen, and almost dropped his phone in surprise. "She's sent me a message," he whispered to Sebastian, who instantly prepared himself mentally to deal with his friend in a state of mental despair. "She says thank you to all of us for being here, and that seeing me in Westminster Hall just now was one of the best surprises that she has had in her life, and brightened what has been a very dark week…" Jeff paused, and took a deep breath, which made Sebastian flinch. "Okay, so she asks what we are doing right now, our whole party, because she says that if we are free, and not in a hurry, she and William would like to thank us in person…"
The plan to head straight to the tube station and head for home was forgotten the moment that Jeff told the other six in their group about his message, and what had been requested of them. At first the Crawfords had been certain that such an invitation could extend to them, but when he accepted the invitation and queried exactly who was included, he was told once more that it was all of them, and that they should make their way to an entrance to the Houses of Parliament that was directly across from the Westminster Station, where a member of the security staff would meet them and escort them to the place they would meet.
Sure enough, they soon found themselves being lead into the building again, escorted this time along a long corridor, eventually being brought into one of the committee meeting rooms that had windows that overlooked the Thames. The Prince and Princess were waiting for them there at the front of the room, their son sitting at one of the desks. Heads were bowed and curtsies made as protocol demanded, before the Prince spoke.
"I think that we have all earned a short break from such formalities now," said William. "Since my grandmother died, there has been little else in my daily life, and it would be lovely just to talk to people as friends. I have to admit that when Kate told me that you were all here it was a bit of a shock to say the least. I am certain though that Her late Majesty would be deeply touched that all of you came here, some over a very great distance, to stand for hours in the cold to have a brief moment to pay your respects to her."
"Adam wanted to be here, which is only natural as one of her subjects, and when he explained to us why he felt that way, I felt compelled to join him on his trip; we all did. She was the most wonderful woman, a shining light in an all too dark world, and I still feel so privileged to have met her," replied Jeff. He said no more, indicating to Adam that he should introduce his family to the royal couple…
With the Prince of Wales now talking to the Crawfords and Miss Frobisher taking the time to talk with Prince George, Jeff suddenly found himself alone with Kate; both Drew and Sebastian instinctively knew that they should stand back and allow their blond friend to talk to her freely. He bowed, then said, "I'm sorry that I did not get in touch as soon as she passed. All of my instincts were to do so, to be a supportive friend at your time of loss, but Nicky reminded me of the stupid thing called protocol and how everything in your lives had just altered so radically in a second… That doesn't stop me wishing that I had sent a text or even a letter…"
"If you had sent a letter then it would have become lost amongst the thousands of others that have been sent, to the extent that we have had to set rooms aside in each of the royal households just to accommodate all of the mail bags. The secretarial staff will open all of them in due course, but it might be the middle of summer before they finish their task if the sheer volume doesn't drop. That is before we even receive the majority of the mail from places like Australia and New Zealand. A text message would have ended up in much the same place. The fact that you are here, that all of you have placed your normal lives on hold to cross the Atlantic is proof enough of your friendship. I can't even imagine what it must be like to stand in that queue – I mean, what time this morning did you join it?" said the Princess in reply.
"It was just before 4am, Your Majesty," replied Jeff, recalling protocol again.
"She would be in such awe of the way that her people have turned out, and been joined by people from all over the world. The thing that would please her most is the fact that they come from such a cross section of society."
"That is down to the fact that we all share a sense of loss; her departure from our world is an immeasurable loss. Nick told me that they had a short remembrance service for her at the UN yesterday, and it became so crowded that they had to open a second room and broadcast the service in there too, as the Assembly Hall was too full. I have the feeling that most of the world will pause what it is doing on Wednesday…"
Kate nodded, then said, "That is not a day that I am looking forward to at all, nor am I looking forward to the reception for world leaders at the Palace the day before. However, my life is now governed by duty even more than it was before."
"I think that the lives of all Princesses are to an extent," quipped Jeff, which raised a smile.
He knew then that he could not hog her, and so he stepped aside to let her chat to Drew and Sebastian, and then move on to the Crawfords. He felt much more relaxed now that she had not been critical of his lack of contact. The truth was that he had never anticipated being able to talk to either of the royal couple on this visit, given how busy their lives had to be at the moment. They had new responsibilities in the light of the Queen's death after all…
He smiled as he overheard Kate telling Adam's mother that she was rapidly trying to learn some Welsh, so that both she and her husband could converse in the native tongue of the Principality that they now represented on the world stage. Their royal workload would massively increase from now on, their profile now greatly raised given that he would be, in a couple of decades, the new King himself… It felt wrong to even think about that at the moment, but it was true, even if his father had barely been in that role himself for a week…