Chapter Three

Dishoom, Shoreditch, London, Saturday 25 June 2016, 11.30am

Elizabeth was never happier than when her best friends were all gathered together around a table of food. Since Kitty Woodhouse had moved to Glasgow, the gathering of the five friends revolved around her filming schedules. Whenever she was in London, they always made time to see each other.

At the age of 9, Kitty watched Richard Attenborough's Blue Planet and had been mesmerised. From that moment, she decided that she wanted to make documentaries and dreamed of working for the BBC. Her dream had finally come to a reality where she was based at the BBC offices in Glasgow working in the BBC science department.

Elizabeth sat between Kitty and Jane and opposite Lydia Thorpe and Mary Price. She smiled when watching Lydia and Mary giggle together over another awkward date Mary had experienced. They were the opposite in every way, Lydia the celebrity blogger and Mary the religious studies PhD student, yet they loved each other dearly.

" He actually unzipped his trousers in the CAR and said 'get to it'!" Mary explained and they all laughed. Kitty frowned.

" Guys actually say that? That sounds like something from an American Pie film," Kitty commented

" I kid you not Kit, I have never got out of a car so quickly,"

" I wish I could say I have never had an experience like that, but I have had far worse," Lydia added and Jane nearly spat out her drink from laughing.

" I just had a flashback about Jeremy Tilney," Jane reminded them and even Lydia blushed.

" Please don't, I can't allow those memories to come back, ew!" Lydia replied and they all laughed.

" Is Charles any closer to proposing?" Mary asked Jane, changing the tone to a more respectable one.

" No," Jane answered, " But my mother has told me that he had a lunch date with my father last month, so I'll wait,"

" And you and George Kit?"

" No wedding on the horizon. We're still learning how this long distance thing works out," Kitty truthfully admitted. Kitty was in a relationship with George Knightley, an American lawyer based in London.

" Won't George move to Glasgow?" Jane asked

" He offered, but I don't want him sacrificing his career. London is where a human rights lawyer needs to be, not Glasgow," Kitty explained

" And who willingly leaves London?" Lydia asked and she took another bite of her bacon naan.

" Lydia," Elizabeth cried and shook her head. She could tell Kitty was struggling with this new arrangement with George.

" How's Celebip going? Any juicy gossip?" Kitty decided to change the subject. At this comment, Lydia's face change. She was clearly annoyed.

" That EU crap has drained my readership this week, but they will be back. I did think I had a great lead, but it has been shut down this morning," Lydia replied and Elizabeth noticed a knowing look between Jane and Lydia.

" Ooh, can you let us know?" Kitty asked

" No, I wish I could, but my hands are literally tied with this one,"

Elizabeth looked at Jane who was a terrible liar. Jane could feel Elizabeth's eyes on her and took a sip of her tea. Jane knew something. Elizabeth's mind immediately went to work. Was that why the Prince had been at their flat the night before. She knew Jane would never tell. She was loyal to her core. But for Lydia to be so annoyed, it had to be big.

" Shall we go for drinks tonight?" Mary asked

" Oh, I'd love to, but my boss is organising a fundraiser tonight which I have to be at," Elizabeth explained, " You four go, and maybe I can slip away early and meet you?"

" Well, I'm in," Lydia cried

" Me too, as long as Lydia isn't in charge of location. I don't want to find myself being served drinks by naked waiters again," Jane added

" That was one time," Lydia defended and they laughed.

To be continued...