Author's note: in this chapter Queen Clarisse's friend Queen Beatrix makes her appearance. On 28 January 2013 the chapter was nearly completed when the real-life Queen of the Netherlands unexpectedly announced that she would abdicate. I was sad to hear it. Long live Queen Beatrix! Hurrah!
Chapter 5 – The latest hot gossip
´What if his memory won't return? What if his personality has changed? It happens you know after a concussion.´
´That's two what ifs Clarisse,´ Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands told her friend over the phone. ´He barely got out of the hospital. It could take weeks before he starts remembering.´
´I know.´
´I understand that you're anxious but there's no reason to worry for what may or may not be. He'll remember Delgana and all other courtiers.´
´He looked at me as if I were just his employer.´
´Do you think he doesn't...´
Clarisse stopped walking up and down her suite and seated herself. Of course her friend couldn't see this, but the lack of click-clacking heels gave Beatrix a clear picture.
´I don't know what to do B. Wait until he remembers? Flirt with him?´
´He will be fine C,´ Beatrix said with all the reassurance she could master, ´Give it some time.´
Clarisse caressed Maurice's head.
´Now for something completely different,´ Beatrix said, ´I bet you're married to my general. Those press mosquitoes will pretend to have been investigating your affair thoroughly. Horrible gossips! I am sure though that in a week's time it will be forgotten C. Maybe it will even result in something good: the gossip might trigger Joseph's memory.´
Clarisse gave it a thought. If the article would cause Joseph to remember that they were mates she wouldn't mind the gossip at all. She even hoped Tittle Tattle to marry her to general Coligny for though Joseph did not seem to remember being her lover, he might recall being jealous of the tall handsome Dutchman. It would be a start.
OoOoOoO
Charlotte entered the Queen's office at 8:25 am, five minutes before she was due to arrive. She wanted Her Majesty to have a moment to read Tittle Tattle before Mr Jonas and Mr Delgana entered.
The Queen greeted her aid and then asked: ´So, whom did I marry?´
Rather than answering the question Charlotte handed her Queen her magazine.
The Queen was not surprised to see the headline on the cover: A widow no longer. Pages 3 to 8 showed opinions of Genovians who had been interviewed by the gossip magazine. They had replied to the question: can the Queen remarry? The Queen turned pages until she reached an article by Claude Valmont.
"We all noticed how happy Queen Clarisse looks nowadays. She is full of vigour and bares similarities to a woman in love."
Trying to keep the tension building inside her at bay the Queen said to herself that repetition was a cheap way to fill a page.
"Of course a woman in her position, who is watched all the time, doesn't have many chances to meet someone. But like so many people she might have fallen in love at work."
Chances that I married B's general are getting slim, the Queen mused.
"Widowed baron Lamboley may very well have caught her eye, but then, his function as chamberlain for the Winter palace does not bring him into daily contact with Her Majesty."
The Queen impatiently moved her eyes to the right bottom of page 10 where she expected to find the name of her husband. First she was drawn to "24/7" standing out in between the letters. Next there were two words practically flashing for attention: "Joe Romero".
Oh no! Clarisse thought.
" Turn the page to see them together…"
Queen Clarisse's heartbeat slowly decreased when she found that Tittle Tattle had done its utmost best to select suggestive photos of her public life. In all pictures spread out over five pages she smiled radiantly and Joseph was there to guard her, hold her elbow or place his hand on her lower back. She, who knew how his nearness affected her, keenly felt how convincing these pictures could be. But then: she smiled at her subjects and Joseph's dark glasses prevented anyone from seeing whether he was looking lovingly at her – as the subscripts suggested- or whether he was checking for danger.
The Queen swallowed a nervous giggle. What she was looking at was perfectly innocent compared to pictures that could have been made in her suite in El chalet. With a slightly trembling hand she turned the page. Valmont first gave his readers some background information on Mr Romero. He informed his readers that the Queen's bodyguard had an accident resulting in a concussion as well as a broken arm and that a courtier had brought the patient clothes, toiletries and a letter.
"My source happened to overhear a conversation between a doctor and the Queen's head of security about this message. The doctor said: You're still holding that letter. Then there was a rustling of paper and the doctor quoted: Love and kisses darling from your C.
Love and kisses darling from your C! I ask you dear reader: what does that make you think? As I wrote before sources at court acknowledge the Queen and Mr Romero to be good friends. But you have seen the pictures of the Queen and Mr Romero and friends do not say "love and kisses darling", do they? The doctor told Joe Romero what I would have told him also: "You're married all right." At this point Mr Romero, having a concussion after all, must have shown the doctor his hands, for the doctor remarked: "You have a reason for not wearing your ring."
Our Queen fell in love and without asking Parliament's permission she married her admirer. Of course her husband can't wear her ring! Of course our shrewd Queen wouldn't sign a revealing letter with her name! Now, Mr Romero, convinced by the doctor's logic, in a sad tone of voice said: "Why didn't she come to see me?" Had he not had a concussion he wouldn't have wondered why his royal wife didn't visit him any more than he would have given his explosive letter to a stranger."
The article didn't end here but Mr Jonas and Mr Delgana entered and the Queen had read enough anyway.
´Good morning gentlemen.´
She rose, dropped the magazine on her desk and gestured the men and Charlotte toward a sitting area. The three courtiers seated themselves on a sofa and the Queen sat opposite them on a chair facing the door. Even though she felt strained she couldn't help but think that they looked like schoolchildren seeing the headmistress, especially since the high back of the sofa made them look small.
´Tittle Tattle claims I got married,´ the Queen started the meeting. ´I did not. Mr Jonas, what do you make of it?´
´I took the liberty to contact the magazine's legal advisor ma'am. She advised against publishing the article and as a result she no longer works for Tittle Tattle.´
The Queen brightened up a bit. ´Go on,´ she urged.
´Miss Aboutaleb gave me the name of the doctor it concerns. She believes that the source did hear the doctor and Mr Romero talk, but that she only remembered what would suit a best-selling story.´
´Have you contacted the doctor yet?´
´No, I have not ma'am.´
´Please do so. Before I face Parliament I need to know as much as possible about the conversation. You may use Miss Kutaway's office.´
´Yes Your Majesty.´
Mr Jonas left.
´Wouldn't it take less time when instead of interviewing the doctor Mr Jonas or someone else would ask Mr Romero about it ma'am?´ Charlotte shyly asked.
´Joseph feels bad about having lost his memory. If he hears about the article he will also feel guilty for what was no doubt an innocent conversation with his doctor.´
Addressing her spokesman the Queen asked whether the media had contacted the castle already. Mr Delgana said that they had and that he had replied 'no comment'. The Queen nodded and - to fill the time until Mr Jonas's return - inquired after her schedule for the coming days. Charlotte, who had no way of knowing that only one in every four words she uttered entered the Queen's ear, talked until there was a knock on the door. An officer announced that the Prime Minister had arrived. The Queen nodded and a moment later on Mr Motaz entered. The Queen gestured the politician to sit down and informed him about the whereabouts of her legal advisor.
´And Mr Romero will inform us about his side of the story,´ the Prime Minister said, seating himself on the sofa.
´Excuse me?´ the Queen said, ´Joseph has a concussion and I don't want him worrying about a gossip!´
Mr Motaz hastened to explain that before he had entered the office he had seen Mr Romero enter the corridor. ´From what Your Majesty just said I concluded that - ´
The door flung open.
´Are we married?´ Joe cried out. He carried a Tittle Tattle with him.
Charlotte wanted to vanish. The Prime Minister and Mr Delgana held their breath.
´We are not married Joseph.´
Joe wasn't stopped by his Queen's tone of voice. ´Are you just saying that because the people donˈt want you to re-marry?´
´Joseph,´ the Queen cautioned her bodyguard.
´Only twenty per cent of the people would like it if you did. The rest is against it.´
Joseph quoted from the magazine: "She can't just remarry like that!" or "A Queen must be married to a King" or -
Searching for a powerful quote he walked toward the Queen. Looking at her he read aloud: "If that woman remarried she should resign immediately." The Queen moved her eyes from Joseph to the sofa. He paid no attention to it.
´Are we really not married?´
´I am not married Joseph.´ The Queen gestured toward the three wide-eyed witnesses. ´The Prime Minister, Charlotte and Mr Delgana are here to discuss the gossip.´
Joseph briefly looked at the visitors and then questioned the Queen: ´Is it really a gossip?´ he tearfully said, ´How can I know?´ Wiping away some tears from his cheeks, he left without a greeting.
The Queen managed to say that people suffering from a concussion could get very emotional. Charlotte nervously told the Prime Minister and Mr Delgana that the doctor she'd spoken to at the hospital had given her a folder about concussions. She babbled that she had seen the folder at the Queen's desk and she rose to get it. Just when she'd handed it to Mr Motaz Mr Jonas re-entered.
The Queen checked her watch. ´We have fifteen minutes before Parliamentˈs session starts. Mr Jonas.´
The jurist said that the doctor was very sorry for what happened.
´Undoubtedly. What about the overheard conversation?´
Mr Jonas cleared his throat. ´According to the doctor Mr Romero was upset for not knowing who sent him a letter.´
The Queen felt nauseous.
´The doctor suggested the letter could be sent by a friend, or perhaps a wife. The words from the article were uttered, but not at all in the way suggested by Mr Valmont. The doctor is willing to make a statement if you so desire.´
OoOoOoO
´The folder from the hospital was very useful,´ the Prime Minister said as he and the Queen walked toward the House of Parliament. ´I didn't know that people suffering from a concussion could have so many different symptoms.´
The Queen knew that the politician wasn't just making small talk. She carefully phrased her reply. ´So it is clearified to you now?´
´Yes Your Majesty. ´
Despite the affirmative the Queen picked up on Motaz's hesitation.
´There will be no surprises for you when we face Parliament.´
Mr Motaz cast a glance at the Queen who looked straight ahead. He opened his mouth but he couldn't decide whether he should apologize or whether he should state that it was his responsibility as a Prime Minister to know the truth. For half a corridor the only sound heard was the click-clacking of the Queenˈs high heels. As they neared the entrance to the House of Parliament the Queen said: ´Are you ready Prime Minister?´
The man cleared his throat. ´Yes Your Majesty.´
´Good. For I can hear them howl already.´