End of an Era Part X.
Jeff meanwhile arrived back in Kensington to discover that Miss Frobisher was just about to serve up dinner, which was a fine steak and kidney pudding that she had made from scratch that afternoon, accompanied by mashed potatoes, green beans and carrots. Drew was already sitting at the table as Jeff apologised for his tardiness. "We met up with Russell Tovey by chance in Tate Britain, and he asked me to do an interview with him for his art podcast, and well, it would have been churlish to refuse. Then there was a signal problem on the tube, so it took forever to get back from Victoria," he said, then excused himself to wash his hands.
He returned to find a portion of the pudding on his plate, Drew pouring extra gravy on his, an action Jeff followed. It was delicious, a prime example of the best of classic British cookery, and it was consumed in total silence, as Miss Frobisher believed that nobody should talk with their mouth full. She had made a steamed treacle sponge pudding for afters, served up with rich yellow custard, and it was only in the gap between courses that Jeff was finally able to ask Drew how his day had been.
"It was good; it was wonderful to catch up properly with Lucy's grandmother, or Bronwyn as she insists I call her now. Getting her family out of her life seems to have been the best thing for her; she looks younger, and she says she feels it too. We spent half the time together laughing. Of course, she was eager to see all the pictures I had of Evie, and well, I went ahead and invited her to come to New York in early summer. She was reluctant at first, not wanting to intrude on my new life, but I said I wouldn't take no for an answer, so she agreed. I am going to see if Ethan can get her a good deal on a flight, as she insists that she pays for that. I also told her that she should come for at least a month to get the full experience of the city, and not miss seeing anything…"
In New York, that same Monday had proceeded like any other. Ethan had been able to take a day's leave from work and had undertaken the school run duties first thing, before returning home to deal with some of his paperwork in connection with the Mackenzie Trust. He normally dealt with all of that in the evenings, particularly at this time of year when his day job kept him extremely busy. He had a folder full of new requests for financial assistance to work through, and as usual, there were so many deserving causes out there. One which immediately stood out to him was in connection with the British branch of the Trust, a request for assistance from a charity that worked with the elderly in Windsor of all places. It was looking to open a new, state of the art day centre for those with dementia and other conditions, particularly those that came as people neared their century of life. He was minded to give them not just the modest sum that they had requested, but enough to complete the project, as long as they named the building after the late monarch…
There were also two requests from his own country for aid to set up a men's refuge, similar to that they had established in London; one from Philadelphia and one from New York. He smiled as he recalled how the original facility in England had made the headlines across the globe, and had been lauded in the New York Times; now it seemed as if the concept was finally going to make it to the city he lived in. It was the thing he was most proud of achieving in his short time as head of the Trust, a concept born out of his guilt over what had happened to his best friend. He smiled as he thought just how far Drew had come since he had walked up to the front door of that house in London and made him cry; he was back in London, fear dismissed at last, and had handled his encounter with Lucy's grandmother with aplomb. For his own part, he was also delighted by the reaction of his mother to seeing Drew at the Lying in State; in her opinion, his attendance was a sign of his morality and all round decency…
His cellphone rang at 1pm, just after he had stopped for lunch, and he was delighted to see that it was Drew on the line. He answered with a cheerful tone, putting aside his sandwich. They exchanged the normal pleasantries, and then, after Drew enquired how his daughter was doing without him, he told Ethan where he had been that day, and who with. The latter listened in silence, and made no negative remark as Drew explained how he had asked his former in-law to come and visit New York in June.
"I know that some people would say that I should have nothing to do with any member of Lucy's family, but she is nothing like the rest of them. All of the self-centred, ignorant attitudes and the violence that came with it were on her husband's side of the bloodline. She is alone now, and although she has a circle of friends, they are not the same as a family. She was the only one in that family that took any interest in Evie, and when all is said and done, my daughter will always see her as her great-grandmother." Drew had said those words with such passion that Ethan decided not to express an opinion, just replying that if Drew felt that it was a good idea, then he would back him…
The minute the call was over, however, he picked the phone up again and made a call of his own, this time to the head of the small team of private investigators that the Trust used to check the bona fides of those involved with the charities they backed. He knew that what he was doing was deceitful and a little out of line, but as Evie's other legal parent, he had a duty to protect her if he thought there was a risk to her safety. He gave them the name of the old lady, and as an afterthought, added those of Lucy and her parents. He wanted to check that the story that the old lady had told Drew was true, and that she was estranged from her daughter's family now. He had no real reason to doubt it, and Drew was a fair judge of character most of the time, but still, he had been taken in by Lucy all those years ago… The only problem that could arise would be if their investigations showed that she was in touch with her family; then he would have to deal with Drew's possible anger at his going behind his back in the first place.
As Ethan set off later that afternoon to collect Evie and Wes from school, Nick found himself listening to the special meeting of the UN General Assembly that was taking place to allow member nations to pay tribute to the late Queen. It had already been sitting for over two hours and what had not come as a surprise to Nick was that each speaker that rose to their feet had nothing other than praise for both her knowledge of world affairs, and her diplomatic skills. Even those nations that were normally the most confrontational and anti-Western were allowing their representatives to stand up and laud her, if not the nation or the institution that she represented.
To see the ambassador from Russia stand up, and with a tear in his eye, describe the time that he had met her as a junior member of staff in the nation's embassy in London was moving; he told the world that she had offered him a piece of advice that had stood him in good stead ever since; see the good in everyone, even your sworn enemy, because we are all united in one thing, and that was the frailty of our human body. That had struck a chord with him, the idea that no matter how much power or influence we might yield, no matter how rich we might be, your body was still the same as the weakest and poorest members of the human race…
Nick sighed as he turned back to the report that was sitting on his desk, one from a corner of the world where, as so often in the history of mankind, the members of the so-called majority were persecuting other people for no other reason than that they were different to them. If only everyone in the world followed the words that the Queen had apparently said to the Russian ambassador – yes, his job would be redundant, but that he would accept without quibble and with a smile. The world needed to see a lot more love and respect, and less conflict in his humble opinion…
Nick would head home that evening to his own house in the West Village, Ethan having agreed to stay there with Evie and Wes, and heat up one of Nick's casseroles to share as their evening meal. Ethan had however prepared all of the side dishes from scratch. Mashed potato was easy enough even for the most amateur of cooks, and he used the technique that he had been show by one of the senior catering staff at his college in Cambridge many years ago; he added plenty of butter and a little drop of cream to them to make them smooth, and all the more delicious. He also prepared steamed cabbage with garlic and butter; it was a vegetable that was exceptionally healthy, if not exactly all that popular. He had considered adding it to the mashed potato to make colcannon, but he decided to err on the side of caution just in case the green vegetable was despised by Wes, and cut down waste.
As Nick walked into the house, his nostrils were immediately assailed by the smell of the dinner cooking downstairs, and it made him smile; then his heart ached for his husband, who was normally the one responsible for cooking the meal. He headed down to find the two children busy with their homework, and Ethan working away in then kitchen, wearing the apron that Jeff was supposed to wear when he was cooking, but never did. Seeing Nick walk in, Ethan smiled and said, "Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes. How was your day? I caught a little of the Special Assembly on television, so I'm guessing the mood at the United Nations was reflective?"
"It was," replied Nick. "Of course, as all of those ambassadors were talking about how wonderful the late Queen was, and a great advocate for peace and tolerance, some of their nations were busily attacking the human rights of some of their citizens just as they do every single day… Anyway, I will just pop back up and put my stuff away properly in the study, wash up, and then I will be back."
A miaow from beside the radiator as he turned to go made Nick chuckle, and rolling his eyes, he went over and crouch down to give Caleb a stroke, the cat nuzzling into his hand, pleased that the usual domestic order appeared to have been restored, albeit with a different human doing the work in the kitchen…
Nick was tempted to open up his laptop as soon as he got into the study, but he didn't; he had been instructed to take an evening away from his e-mails by Miss Worthington, and he knew better than to not follow her instructions to the letter. He took it out of the bag and merely placed it on charge before he washed his hands and headed back down to the kitchen. Dinner when it was served was both filling and tasty. Nick was most impressed with Ethan's mashed potatoes, and equally pleased to see the two children eating their cabbage without hesitation.
Ethan mentioned his doubts about preparing it to his friend, and Nick laughed. "Wes has never had a problem with eating his green vegetables; it is his papa that would look at cabbage on his plate and turn up his nose. True, he isn't quite as fussy as he used to be. His palate has broadened as he has matured, and he no longer craves only burgers, fries and pizza. And cookies, lots and lots of cookies…"
Ethan chuckled, and replied, "I have to admit that you have a point about the way that our tastes in food change as we get older. I am much more adventurous now than I was ten years ago, and there are things that I used to swear as a Senior at Dalton would never pass my lips because they were disgusting that are now a regular part of my diet, like sushi."
"I can vividly recall the retching noises you made when we were at our last heat in Nationals that year when someone suggested it as a potential thing to try for dinner that evening…"
"I should really apologise to Beats for having that reaction, because it was so immature. I knew then that Japan was a place that was on his bucket list, and that he loved all things Japanese. Between the two of us, he might finally be about to get his dream and go there…"
Nick looked at him with eyes full of curiosity, and Ethan told him in a hushed voice that he had been called upon to help Elliott and Josh to get a good deal on a flight to Tokyo at the end of the month. He had sorted it, and their mutual friend would be getting a weekend in the country that he had always wanted to visit. "I think that Dante knows all about it too, as he will be the one that will be taking care of Ty whilst Beats and Elliott are away."
Seeing that Wes and Evie had now finished their plates of food, he promptly changed the subject and revealed that there was Lemon Meringue Pie for dessert; true, it was not a homemade one, but it would be delicious nonetheless…
With their meal over, and the dishes stacked in the dishwasher, Ethan approached Nick and asked if he could have a word in private. Nick nodded, and they left Evie and Wes watching the television, heading upstairs to the privacy of Nick's study. They sat down, and Ethan began. "As you know, Drew met up with Lucy's grandmother in the queue; well, he went to see her in private today, had a wonderful time from his account, and well, he has invited her to come over and visit New York in June. She has accepted the invitation…"
Nick nodded, and anticipating Ethan, said, "And you are concerned that bringing her here and into your lives could potentially allow Lucy back into Drew's life too. Now, she said that they were estranged, but I am guessing that you have your doubts about that. I also know that through the Trust, you know people…"
Ethan chuckled then and interjected, "You make me sound like some kind of mafia kingpin when you put it like that…"
Nick smiled, and went on, "All I will say on the issue is that if Drew was ever to discover that you had gone behind his back and had her claims investigated, he might not be able to forgive you…"
"I know, but my number one priority is protecting him and Evie from harm. I have to be certain that she isn't a threat… That is why they aren't just checking up on her, but on what Lucy and her parents are up to as well. I am also toying with the idea of saying to Drew that our place is too small, and we should put her up in a nice hotel instead."
Nick looked at his friend, thinking that maybe he was acting like a mafia kingpin in having the whole family checked out, but only said, "Drew will never accept her being in a hotel, and you know it. I know you don't technically have a spare room, but you and Drew have shared one and a bed for that matter before. I am pretty satisfied that your search will not uncover anything untoward about her, and that she will have no recent interactions with the rest of the family. What you will uncover about them is anyone's guess though! I must admit that it would be nice to know exactly where the dastardly doctor is now though. I will not tell anyone what you have said to me tonight, and you know that. What you need to be careful of is a small pair of ears attached to a little girl. I hope the investigators aren't going to be reporting things to you at home…"
Ethan smiled, and reassured Nick that he had already told them only to speak to him when he was in the office. He knew that it was as important to keep Evie in the dark about what he was up to as it was to ensure her father never found out about his actions…
When Tuesday came, the day felt strange, both in New York and London. There was an air of anticipation, mixed with sadness at what was to follow. For those that were in England, it was a day to cement their plans for the following day. The first piece of news was that after a long chat the previous night, the Crawford family had concluded that only Adam would head into the centre of London for the funeral. His grandmother was content to watch event from the comfort of an armchair, warm by the fire; had it been in the summer, she might have felt differently she readily admitted, but it was too cold for her to be out all day again. Her grandson could see the sense in that, knowing that the BBC would have world beating coverage of the event anyway, along with a broadcast of the service across its radio stations. Of course, the commercial television and radio stations were all following suit, either broadcasting the funeral, or in some cases, closing down whilst it took place. That there was no outcry was a mark of the respect that the country had for its late sovereign, and a realisation by those that did have an issue with it that this was not the time to vocalise their views…
When Sebastian informed Jeff of the Crawfords decision on Tuesday morning, he wasn't all that surprised if he was honest. It had been a long cold wait on Saturday, and even now he could recall how bitter it had been just before dawn. He passed on to his friend an offer from Miss Frobisher, who had suggested that if they all squeezed in, she could provide shelter for them all that evening, so as to avoid those coming from Surrey having to drive in. Jeff was relieved when the offer was declined, although he did his best not to sound it. There were to be extra trains first thing, and Adam had decided that if they could get to East Croydon then they should have no issue.
Sebastian told his friend about the research he had done the night before as to where they should head, and how he planned to be in The Mall, at that spot, no later than 6am, a full 5 hours before the actual service began. Jeff had laughed, and told him that he would join him there but a little later. On being told that news by his friend, Drew had messaged Sebastian to say that although the blond would be late, he would be there at the same time, if not earlier still…
What those three Warblers did not know of course as they went about their business that day was that a fourth member of their core group was now also in the city, having arrived in the early hours of the morning aboard Air Force One. Trent had still not informed anyone other than Nick that he was going to be travelling with the Presidential party; even Thad was unaware, although Trent had a suspicion that the Head Warbler might well work it out for himself in the end…
He had said his farewells to Rory and the children the previous afternoon, his husband now sitting in what was usually Trent's office; as a precaution, it had been agreed that Burt and his normal team of advisors would take up residence at the White House until such time as the President and Vice-President were safely back in the country. The Obamas had naturally travelled apart from the President; indeed, the decision had been taken to travel with only a small team, so much so that other than Trent, only two close advisors were on board the flight with the Kennedys.
The first couple had decided that they should take a good rest on the transatlantic flight, which allowed Trent to do the same for once; he took a mild sleeping tablet before take-off, and was out before the plane was even airborne. He woke up feeling refreshed when the plane was still an hour out of he Heathrow. Whilst he ate his light breakfast, he checked the e-mails that had come in overnight, and was surprised at just how little there was going on in the international sphere. He wondered why briefly, and then it occurred to him; with so many of the world's leaders, and others in charge of politics aboard aeroplanes – or in the case of European leaders, on trains, or already asleep in their nation's ambassadorial residence in London – there was nobody to cause the problems…
When they arrived at Heathrow, there was a slight delay to their disembarkation, something that Trent had never experienced on previous trips abroad on Air Force One. It emerged that the plane bringing the Emperor of Japan had arrived a few minutes before their own, and it was being processed. Of course, that would lead to a brief meeting between the President and the Emperor in the VIP section of London's busiest airport, one that would expand just a couple of minutes later when the Prime Minister's of Australia and New Zealand, who had flown on the one flight to help alleviate environmental concerns, joined the party. The image of those four global figures was of course recorded, and would grace many of the news websites that morning.
Winfield House was as comfortable as ever, but being there was a poignant reminder of the last time he had been there, for the State Visit; the day he had met the late Queen and her family, including the new King in the reception room. He smiled to himself as he recalled how pale Rory had been that day, given that his nana had been invited, and he was dreading what she might say to the monarch given her outspoken nature. As it happened, the two woman had bonded almost at once. He knew that the lady in question would be glued to her television screen the next day, and had been watching the livestream for the last few days as well…
His first task was to check the finalised information for the reception for foreign dignitaries that would be held at Buckingham Palace that afternoon, and also the process for paying a visit to Westminster Hall, something that both the Kennedys and the Obamas wished to do. As he was doing so, he received the final seating plan for Westminster Abbey the next day. He looked at it, knowing that the President had agreed to travel to the venue for the funeral aboard one of the buses that was being laid on to cut congestion, dispensing with the usual motorcade on this one specific occasion. It also upped his green credentials with the world stage, given that it was to be an all-electric coach.
A glance at the plan left Trent pleased with the allocation of seats, and he knew that his boss would be too. He supressed a chuckle as he thought about how the President's predecessor would have reacted to being halfway back in a side aisle. Kennedy understood it, knowing that the Commonwealth nations took priority, which was why Canada's leader sat 9 rows in front of him. Trent surmised that Mr Trump would not have been pleased with that at all. He would have demanded that he be allowed to drive up to the door, and would have wanted a front row seat, certainly in front of the Canadians and those other less important nations. In fact, he would not have put it past him to suggest that one of the Queen's children could be moved back to allow him his proper place by the new King…
He also knew just how much skill creating that seating plan had needed; Nick he realised would also see it as a work of art, and he made a note to take the copy away with him afterwards to send on to his friend back home. It needed to cope with the constantly changing relations between nations, keeping foes apart and friends close. He also saw that there was a diplomacy in it all; the seats allocated to the President were in the same row as those allocated to both Russia and China, albeit separated by the aisle. Given that there was a rumour that Putin himself might attend, the funeral could be quite a moment diplomatically as well…
With the checks of the arrangements for Westminster Abbey all done, and the whole journey to the bus pick up point in Chelsea planned almost to the second, Trent turned to the normal business of state, finalising the words that the President would say to the waiting press as he was pictured signing the official book of condolence at Lancaster House. It would be the moment that the world would be waiting for, so Trent had to ensure that the words that he said were just right in meaning and tone, all the while making it appear that they were spoken off the cuff and from the heart.
It was something that he had become quite adept at over the six years since he had written the inauguration speech that had inspired the nation to reject the Trump era and move on to a new and better deal for everyone. The speech he was writing was based on the ideas that the President himself had given him; the day he had, he had become rather emotional, as there was a family history of connections to the Queen and her family. His great-uncle had met the late monarch of course, and her husband had attended his funeral as her representative. He had been found on the floor of the Kennedy home, playing with JFK Junior by the assassinated President's widow, providing comfort to the family in a way that few people knew about until his death…
Trent had taken that emotional connection and had run with it as his main theme; he had also talked about the loss of a matriarch that no-one could imagine the world being without. But now she was gone, and the world, the extended family of not just nations but humanity as a whole, felt keenly the loss of such a strong and inspirational woman.
In the early afternoon of that day, Trent suddenly found himself in a difficult spot. He had been talking on the phone to Rory, briefing him on what the President was going to say in the now approved speech, and what the President's thoughts were on the events that were taking place back home, when there was a knock on the door of the office and the First Lady stepped in without waiting, as was her prerogative. He put Rory on hold, and turned his attention to her; that was when she smiled at him, and dropped the bombshell…
"The President and I have been talking, and given that we dragged you away from your family at this time, we feel that although you are not permitted to attend the reception at Buckingham Palace, given that there is no restriction on our other destination this afternoon, you should join our party in paying respect to the late Queen at Westminster Hall. There is plenty of space in the car that will take us there, and after it has done so, it will be taking us to a pick up point for transportation to the Palace itself, rather than entering the grounds. It will then be returning here and awaiting a message to say it is time to come and collect us to avoid congestion at the pick up point. I know that you would prefer to keep everything low key, so there is no problem with you viewing the coffin from the floor of the Hall, the cameras focusing on the dais that we will be standing on after all, alongside the Obamas. As you put it so succinctly yourself, this is a moment in global history; we brought you here, so it is only right that we get you as close to that moment as possible…"
Trent said nothing, thinking of a way that he could politely decline the invitation without causing offense, but before he could think of something, the First Lady spoke again. "I might also have spoken privately with Burt Hummel, and I am led to believe by him that you have only informed one of your close friends that you are even here in London at all, and they are not a member of the small group that are already here. So we can give you that continued anonymity if you wish. I have in mind kitting you out in a security uniform, complete with all of the correct equipment, and of course, the trademark dark glasses. With so many dignitaries in the room, nobody will focus for a moment on the security personnel; given that the current President and Vice-President, and their partners, including a former President will be in the room, I rather feel we will draw all of the media's attention…"