Thanks for all the great reviews! Y'all know I am just a comment-whore. And to Liz: Geeze! Ya kill a guy once and people hold it over your head for the rest of your life! Ha ha ha!
The Queen was shown immediately to a private dinning room in the back. Two of Joseph's men were there ahead of them and waited just inside the doors. The owner made sure the Queen was seated and took her dinner order just as the Labor Minister and two Department of Trade officials arrived. Joseph handed her the attaché case and removed the agendas prepared by Charlotte. The Minister's secretary took a seat in a corner of the room and took notes of the proceedings.
The meeting flowed smoothly through the courses of the meal. Clarisse managed to keep the Minister on task, and by the time dessert arrived, business was concluded. She stayed just long enough for politeness sake, then excused herself, pleading other pressing responsibilities.
She knew Joseph had been absent for about half of the meeting. She wondered what he'd been up to. He met her just outside the dining room.
"Ready, Your Majesty?"
"Yes, but what, exactly, are we doing?"
"We're going for a drive. But first to Madeline's."
Madame Madeline was ready and waiting for them. She dressed Clarisse in a sky blue cotton dress. The neckline was just low enough to be interesting and the skirt had a bit of a flounce along the bottom, which drew attention to the legs emerging from it. There was a matching sweater, which she draped around the Queen's shoulders. The outfit was finished with a pair of comfortable, low-heeled sandals and a large-brimmed, white straw hat.
Joseph tried to act disinterested as she twirled in front of the full length mirrors. It was a very difficult task.
Clarisse thanked Madame. Madeline told her Joseph had arranged for her other clothing to be sent back to the palace, along with the bill.
As they exited the building this time, Joseph helped her into the front of the car without being asked. Joseph smiled as he handed his charge into the vehicle, and closed the door on his view of her well-toned legs. The flash of skin he was treated to as she turned in the seat could have been completely unintentional. But he hoped not.
She didn't speak as he situated himself behind the wheel and pulled away from the curb. She regarded him thoughtfully for a few moments while he piloted the vehicle into the light mid-day traffic; wondering whether or not he'd noticed her legs as he helped her into the car. Damn sunglasses - she could never tell for sure!
He glanced over at her. "Curious about where we're going?" he asked.
"Yes. But I trust you," she replied.
He couldn't help but smile in satisfaction. They continued the drive in companionable silence. After a while he felt her hand snake its way between his body and his arm to rest on the inside of his elbow. She wrapped her fingers around his arm, stroking the fabric of his sleeve, yet leaving him freedom of movement for driving.
The coastal highway wound its way through the country side. They passed through several villages and towns without even slowing down. When they drove past the turn that would take them to the large, sandy beach that was considered to be Genovia's coastal jewel – at least according to the travel brochures – she raised an eyebrow at him, but still made no comment. He grinned and she settled down further into the soft leather seat with a contented sigh. He was certain she knew now where he was taking her.
A few miles further on, he turned off the main highway and onto a smaller road leading to a much less popular, and therefore less populous, beach. It had a different sort of beauty – rough and rocky. The rocks and boulders that covered this beach were shades of black and grey, which always provided an interesting contrast to the deep turquoise colored sea.
Clarisse had dragged her security team to this particular beach several times when she was a young mother. Whenever she had a bit of free time during the summer, she would pack up her children and bring them here. They sometimes complained bitterly about not being allowed to run free down the soft, sandy expanse of the large public beach, but they eventually learned to appreciate the beauty, and especially the privacy, that their mother found here.
The family holidays on the French Riviera with both of their parents also helped allay some of the young princes' disappointment. The last time she'd come here was shortly after Joseph was hired. Her sons were busy teenagers by then and her husband was just beginning his battle with illness. She spent an afternoon here with a good book, a full picnic basket, her bodyguard Richard and his new protégé, Joseph.
As Joseph pulled the car off the road and parked it, he finally spoke. "Your seaside promenade awaits you, Your Majesty."
"Lovely as ever, Joseph. I knew I could trust you to come up with just what I need." She patted his arm one last time before withdrawing her hand. He exited the car and went around to open the door for her.
The sea breeze was just strong enough to stir her hair. She let the wind ruffle it for a few moments, then put on the hat that Madame Madeline had provided. Joseph offered his arm, which she took with both hands and they set off towards the water.
Joseph felt his lungs expand to take in more of the sharp, fresh air. It was a magnificent afternoon and there was no where else he'd rather be. He could feel how at ease Clarisse was. During the drive down she seemed to let her cares slide off her shoulders with each passing mile.
They picked their way carefully along the edge of the water. Here and there they pointed out interesting sights to each other. She talked about memories of her previous visits to this place. They laughed together, happily relaxed in their friendship.
Clarisse pointed out an oddly shaped bit of drift wood that had washed up on the shore. They examined it together, deciding it looked a bit like the Loch Ness monster.
"I always think I should collect the wood and take it back home with me," Clarisse said.
"And turn it into a vase or a clock or something," Joseph agreed.
"Exactly! But who wants an ugly clock made from driftwood?" They laughed.
"I never know what to do with the shells, either," she confessed a little further down the beach. "The boys used to bring me buckets full of them!"
"You can only have so many shell encrusted picture frames before it gets really redundant!" Joseph said.
She smiled at that. "Pierre and Phillipe would spend hours out here picking up bits and pieces of 'treasure'. They always wanted to bring it all home – shells, rocks, wood. We compromised and I let them bring it home. Then we would dump their buckets into boxes and bury the boxes in one of the flower beds. They loved having their very own buried treasure and it kept the rest of us from having to deal with assorted beach refuse for weeks after the trip."
Joseph grinned at her. "Ah, the Wisdom of Solomon."
"Hardly! More like avoiding the Wrath of the Housekeeper!"
They walked further down the beach. In the distance Joseph could see someone sitting among the large rocks. As they got closer he realized that it was an artist, working on a painting. The sun was just beginning to think about going down and evidently the man wanted to capture that fleeting bit of sky where the dark and the light mingle together.
The man saw them coming and nodded in their direction. Joseph returned the greeting. Clarisse leaned closer to his ear and said quietly, "Ask him if it is ok if we watch him paint for a while." Joseph did as she asked and the painter acquiesced. They sat a few feet away, enjoying a view of both the sun set and the painter's work. The man worked in swift sure strokes, his colors mimicking the show of nature around them. He never looked back, not realizing that he had a royal audience.
After a while, his brush stopped its quick flicks across the canvas and the painter seemed satisfied with his scene. He simply sat and watched the colors change as the sun deepened into the sky. After a while, Clarisse touched Joseph's arm and stood up, brushing the sand from her dress. Joseph followed her lead. She walked towards the edge of the beach, just out of the reach of the small waves rolling in towards them. Joseph lingered momentarily with the artist, then joined her.
She smiled up at him from under the brim of her hat. He slipped an arm around her shoulders.
"I love sunset on the beach," she said. "It's much more serene than sunrise."
"When were you ever awake early enough to experience sunrise on the beach?" he teased.
"Well that's the point of time off, isn't it?" She leaned against him slightly, her hands still clasped behind her back. He tightened his grip on her shoulders. After a few moments she dipped her head slightly and seemed to stifle a laugh. She could feel Joseph's questioning look.
"Rupert never liked this beach very much. He didn't like the rocks. He used to claim there were no good spots for half naked women to sunbathe and it ruined the view," she laughed at the memory. Joseph chuckled as well.
"I remember a few times on your vacations when some of those under-clad beauties thought he needed a closer look." Joseph said.
Clarisse laughed out loud. "Yes, there were a few times we all got quite a view. Rupert was so embarrassed." She paused for a moment then said, "We were never accosted by half-naked men, however. I always felt somewhat slighted by that."
It was Joseph's turn to laugh out loud. "That is because your bodyguard was a very jealous man who did a much better job of keeping undesirables away than the King's bodyguard did."
She looked up at him rather sharply. "Really?"
"Oh yes. There were any number of men who wanted nothing more than to impress the beautiful Queen of Genovia."
"And you kept them away? That is so unfair, Joseph. I could've found the perfect paramour!" She pretended to be upset.
Joseph put a hand on his chest in mock angst. "I'm deeply sorry, madam, but none of them were worthy of your attention."
"You took it upon yourself to prevent me from having torrid summer liaisons with handsome young men? I am terribly disappointed in you, Joseph." She tried to sound stern.
He removed his arm from her shoulders and stood at attention, hands clasped in front of him. "Just doing my duty ma'am. So what shall it be for me? Public flogging? Banishment from the kingdom? Hanging?"
She moved her gaze back out towards the horizon and when she spoke her voice had a throaty timbre. "Oh, I'll think of some way for you to make it up to me." After a moment she caught his gaze again. "I'm hungry. When do we eat?"
He offered her his arm and indicated the path back to the car. "I thought you'd never ask. Shall we go?"