Chapter 8 – A royal welcome

Charlotte had lunch in the canteen next to the kitchen. No sooner had she made her choice at the buffet and found a seat or the cook emerged from her domain. Mrs Danieli sat down opposite her and commented her choice of fruit.

´Those pears are delicious Miss Kutaway! You can't eat them without getting sticky fingers. I had some sent to Mr Romero for I'm not sure whether he will use his meals here yet.´

Charlotte smiled and buttered her toast.

´I don't know either Mrs Danieli.´

´You've talked to him didn't you? When you and he waited at the entrance for the Queen to arrive back home? How did he feel? How's his arm? Still in a sling I heard?'

Charlotte opened her mouth to reply affirmatively but the cook continued: 'I hope you told him that we're all glad he's back.´

In a whisper Mrs Danieli said: ´Teballi's a fine man but he hasn't got this thing Mr Romero has.´

Charlotte didn't reply audibly, but the cook read an affirmative in her eyes. She winked and asked after Mr Romero's general health.

'He told the Queen that there's no longer a hole in his memory,' Charlotte said.

'That's great! I should hate to lose my memory myself, even for a day! He must have been so relieved!'

'I'm sure he is,' Charlotte said as she thought about Joe's grumpy mood.

'Of course he is!'

'It wasn't new to him anymore, regaining his memory that is, and I guess the journey must have tired him. I asked him how often he'd had to change trains and it turned out to be four times.'

'Oh. How horrible! The other day, well, about five months ago, me and my sisters went to Nice by train. We had to switch twice and it was absolutely tiresome. I can picture Mr Romero, who never has to travel by public transport, not to have been pleased.'

Charlotte agreed and added: 'I'm glad to have him back.'

'I understand that. And he's a friend of yours, isn't he? '

'And not just of me.'

Mrs Danieli, unfamiliar with the idea that Miss Kutaway might be manipulating a conversation, deftly remarked: 'I know. And despite all the gossip I'm sure Her Majesty will be glad to have him back too. He is after all the only friend she has at court. '

Charlotte felt a bit offended but she nodded all the same and in a perfectly neutral tone of voice said: 'Her Majesty was pleased to see him.'

'He won't be fired, will he?'

Annoyed because that particular rumour was still in circulation, Charlotte said: 'You shouldn't believe every-'

'No no no,' the cook interrupted, 'But with all the articles in the press and all… Does he know about that?´

´He said he had bought some political journals for the journey home so… I haven't mentioned any of it of course.´

The cook nodded. ´He'd be angry for the attacks on Her Majesty and he still needs to recover and being upset never helped anyone to heal.´ She patted the table to announce her next remark: ´I'd understand it if she wouldn't want him to guard her in public, but I do hope he'll get back to work.'

'He wanted to do just that. He was already wearing his ear-plug,' Charlotte confided.

´I hadn't expected otherwise!´ the cook said in a proud tone of voice.

Charlotte wanted to make Mrs Danieli – and as a result the entire staff- know that Mr Romero may be the Queen's friend, but that first and foremost he was her employee.

´Her Majesty noticed the plug moments after she greeted him. She asked him whether his doctor had given her consent for him resuming duty. He admitted that he hadn't seen his doctor yet and the Queen told him that until he had, he was still on sick-leave.´

´How very wise,´ the cook said.

Charlotte had made sure to inform her boss that on her return from a public appearance her head of security would be waiting for her. She had felt that when the Queen would see him unexpectedly her innocent yet happy response would make people talk. Thanks to her, Charlotte, Joe had received a kind welcome but without the display of affection that would have triggered gossip.

'Yes,' Charlotte agreed, 'that was a wise decision.'

OoOoOoO

For the remainder of the day the Queen's loaded schedule prevented her from seeing her head of security. Charlotte told Joe so more than once.

Joe called his doctor. She happened to work the weekend shift and he bullied her into making an appointment for the next morning.

He ate three pears and stained his shirt.

He went for a walk on the estate after telling Charlotte that he could be contacted on his cell phone. He received no calls and the loveliness of the gardens failed to calm him down.

He made it for town, his bent head covered by a hood. Pyrus was loaded with tourists and some cursed him for passing in between their camera and the object they wanted to photograph. He was hungry but he only had enough money with him to buy a small slice of pizza. He ate it outside, surrounded by noisy backpackers.

Back in his apartment he skipped through a football magazine and tossed it against a wall. At a quarter past seven he went to the bathroom, stripped, put a plastic bag over his broken arm and had a shower. When rubbing himself down and later on when getting dressed he reminded himself that it was a good thing he hadn't broken his work-arm. He selected a handful of films from his DVD collection and practised to get a disk out of the box. He quickly mastered it and then he sat down and waited. It became eight o'clock. He stared at the phone. At nine in the evening he randomly picked one of the five films and made it for the Queen's suite.

OoOoOoO

When Joe entered the royal suite Maurice merrily barked. After a few moments Clarisse emerged from her terrace, still wearing the Valentino ensemble she had worn before. Joe privately called it her power-suit.

´I hoped to see you earlier,´ she said with a smile as she walked toward him. She didn't sound accusing. Joe felt her appeal but he didn't want to succumb.

´I hoped to find a note in my room inviting me to drop by,´ he said. Just when Clarisse had neared him he squatted to pet the Poodle: ´Do you have a new collar now do you?´

From the corner of his eye he saw Clarisse walk to a small liquor cabinet.

´You normally call for tea at this time. Don't you want the butler to see I'm here?´

´Saturday is our film evening. Which film did you bring?´

´It's right over there,´ Joe replied, gesturing to a side table. ´You did hear that my memory returned?´

´Of course I did.´

Joe couldn't decide whether she sounded surprised or whether she was on her guard.

´Yes. You said that it was wonderful.'

Clarisse looked at Joseph questioningly.

'Just like you would tell a child that the drawing she made for you is wonderful. If I had merely been your head of security you would have greeted me in the same shall we say professional way.'

Joe was proud that despite his feelings he managed to sound calm. Clarisse's face was unreadable. She continued to pour them drinks.

´You complain that I'm here too late but you yourself couldn't even spare ten minutes to see me in private? I'm back Clarisse. Last evening I remembered. I was with my family but I hurried home. Home Clarisse, for where you are, I'm home.´

Clarisse took their drinks and walked to the TV area.

´Ten minutes,´ Joe said to her back, ´Ten minutes to celebrate that we're a couple. Ten minutes to hold each other.´

Hearing the edge to his voice he breathed in deeply.

The couch in front of the TV had a tip-up arm-rest slash table in the middle and Clarisse sat down on one side of it. Joe picked up his glass from the couch's little table.

´Ten minutes to assure …´

Rather than finishing his line Joe drained his scotch. ´Will you be ruled by the aftermath of a gossip?´

Clarisse opened her mouth to reply but Joe was afraid of what she might say and quickly continued: ´I know the papers gave you a hard time. Mabrey and his ilk probably enjoyed themselves.´

´They did.´

Feeling he had acted a bit harshly he sat down on the edge of the couch. His lover took a sip of her wine.

´That bad huh?´ Joe said. His sense of guilt regarding the gossip made him say: ´But I'm sure you've mastered them quite well.´

The Poodle walked toward the closed French window leading to the terrace and barked.

´No Maurice. We will not go for a walk,´ Clarisse said.

The well trained dog lay down.

´Mind if I poured myself another one?´ Joe asked. Not waiting for a reply he walked to the liquor cabinet. Opening its built-in refrigerator to get some ice he murmured: ´I'm still on sick-leave after all.´ He wasn't sure Clarisse could hear him but it felt good to say it.

´Motaz suggested that I bring Teballi with me to the Netherlands. I told him no.´

Joe guessed a thank you was in place but he couldn't bring himself to utter it. Clumsily handling the bottle he spilt some scotch. ´He doesn't believe Tittle Tattle does he?´

´No. But he realises that the gossip caused a strong response that should be treated with care.´

Joe analysed the line.

´I'm familiar with the responses,´ he said as he returned to the couch. ´It isn't pleasant to know people think I'm an unsuitable partner for the woman I love.´

Looking pained Clarisse nodded. Most of Joe's anger melted away. Reaching out his arm in front of Clarisse he put down his glass and sat down next to his beloved. He caressed her cheek and she closed her eyes at his touch. Joseph admired the way the V-neck of her jacket accentuated her bosom. He trailed a finger down her neck. She shivered and he stared into blueness again.

´I love you,´ Joe said encouragingly. ´You love me. We will work this out. We were always discrete.´

´We had to be.´

´And we will continue to be.´

Clarisse checked her watch. ´It's about time we start watching your film.´

Joe told himself this was an invitation to snuggle and he raised Clarisse's hand to his lips to kiss it. They were mates after all, no point in bending his head for her. He didn't like the fact that his hand was slightly trembling.

´I'll get the DVD box,´ he said.

To show Clarisse that there was nothing to worry about he whistled the theme from the film he had selected. He placed the disk in the DVD player and pressed the play button.

After five minutes Joe used the remote to stop the film. It took a moment before Clarisse responded which confirmed Joe's idea that her mind had been elsewhere.

´Did the machine break down?´ she asked.

Joe showed her the remote he held in his hand.

´Don't you like the film?´

´I liked the way you used to sit next to me. Relaxed. We're in your suite Clarisse! No cameras, no chance of anyone surprising us. Yet you sit there as if you're granting an audience. Please: don't be ruled by gossip!´

´It had an impact Joseph,´ Clarisse softly said. She sighed and turned her upper body toward him. ´We need to talk.´

Joe braced himself. ´Do you agree with your people?´

´On what?´

Joe walked to the DVD-player. Forcefully pressing the eject button he said: ´Me being just a servant. A filthy nobody.´

Clarisse made a throatily sound.

´An upstart without a drop of blue blood,´ she said, ´A commoner who defiles me.´