August 2027: The Coronation Part III
She went to move on around the deserted gallery, but then froze, when she heard the words "Hey mom!" clearly in her ear…
Pam froze, then looked around, expecting to see someone else on the other side of the Whispering Gallery, a mother and son, but there was still no-one else there. She could still hear the echo of those words, and worse, she now realised that they had sounded like…
She froze for a second, as her mind processed the fact that this was the second time that she had imagined she had heard Blaine's voice that day, and both times had been in the precincts of the Cathedral. Rationally, she could not be hearing him, as he had passed away more than a decade ago. However, she was in a Cathedral, and that changed things; indeed, the whole notion seemed less perturbing here than it might have done elsewhere. Pam believed in God and the idea of a Heaven filled with angels. Maybe here in this great building, a symbol of Christian belief and faith, her mind was more open to the idea that her son had gained wings…
"Oh, I have mom. I'm an angel now, and watch over you…"
The voice came again, louder this time. However, this time Pam paled, as the words were too loud and too many, the shock too much. She started to move swiftly towards the exit door, afraid that if she didn't head away now, she would start to think that this beautiful place was actually haunted…
When she returned to the level below, Nick immediately saw how pale she was and headed straight over to her. He was alone now, his husband and son having returned to the crossing below; he imagined that Wes was probably reading the book he carried in his bag for the times when his papa sketched away, assuming that his husband had been given permission to do so by the staff. "Are you okay?" he asked her, face full of concern. "We never thought to ask you if you were okay with heights, and we should have; the gallery is quite a way up and rather open…"
"No, the height was not an issue, the problem was…" began Pam, and then she blushed. She let her voice drop to a whisper, and went on, "You will probably think that I am going mad if I tell you this, and who knows, maybe I am – or it could just be the long time that I have now been awake making my mind play tricks on me. I was quite alone up there, and so I decided to try out the whispering thing, just to see if it worked like they say it does. It did, but then I heard another voice saying Hello mom, and well, it sounded just like Blaine… Obviously it can't have been, but then I was quite alone… Nick, do you believe in the afterlife, and in angels?"
Nick was shocked, but he hid it. He had never imagined that something like this could happen to Pam, not after so many years, but it had, and he had to manage it. He smiled at her and said, "I do as it happens. I like to think that all of the friends that I have lost – not just Blaine, but Kurt, Wes and Seth too – are up there, as angels, watching over us all. In some ways, I think that it is Jeff's drawing made real. Of course, such things feel all the more true here…"
He said no more, but he was curious now as to whether his thoughts were accurate, and Pam was finally going to have the glorious moment that her eldest son and everyone else had enjoyed on that night so long ago in the Spotlight Diner…
Nick would say nothing to Jeff about the experience that Pam had just had in the Whispering Gallery as they continued to explore the great cathedral. She took a moment longer than normal in the memorial chapel to the US service personnel that had fought in Europe during the Second World War, and Nick noted that she seemed most intrigued by the fact that there was a book in which all the names of those that had died were recorded, each one inked in painstakingly in perfect script. It had been done once the conflict was over, so it was in alphabetical order. She studied it for a while, and then turned to talk to Nick again.
"I wonder if there is a list somewhere online of all the names that are written in the book, or if it is even possible to see a particular entry in the volume?" she asked and noticing that Nick was now regarding her with curiosity, she continued, "My great-grandmother's two brothers both fought in Europe during the war. Her elder brother made it home, but her younger brother did not. He was a navigator on a bomber, and his plane was shot up over Germany; they still managed to make it back to England though, but as it came into land the engines failed, and it crashed, bursting immediately into flames… None of the crew survived, and I was just curious to see if his name was on the list…"
Nick nodded, and seeing that there was a guide close by, he went over to enquire; he might have subtly mentioned who Pam was, and that she was only in the country because her assistance had been requested by the Queen Consort herself. That turned the initial disinterest and indifference into action, and shortly afterwards, a senior archivist, wearing white clothes, came to unlock the cabinet in which the memorial book was kept. He asked Pam for her great-great-uncle's name, and once given, he carefully turned the pages of vellum until he reached the correct one. She studied it carefully, her eyes moist, as she read details she had not known. He had been barely twenty years of age on the day his life ended; it also stated where he had been stationed with his squadron, and thus where he had died – an aerodrome near the village of Thorpe Abbotts in Norfolk. It was his age that made her cry more than anything else…
After their visit to the cathedral, they headed for the tube station that was named after the landmark they had just visited and at Jeff's suggestion, headed west on a Central Line train to Bond Street station. Nick had rolled his eyes at that, knowing what his husband was doing, and sure enough, he guided the little party straight to the doors of Selfridges. Pam shook her head at that, but followed anyway, and soon found herself in the vast beauty hall of what was the oldest purpose-built department store in the city. She took charge then, heading across the vast space to the counter that stocked the brand that she had initially represented when she first started at Bloomingdales, before she had taken on a more general role as an advisor.
She took careful note of what was on offer and decided that she might be best to purchase a few items so as to have an emergency back-up of her own. She had supplied a comprehensive list of requirements to the Palace, but there was no guarantee that all that she might desire would be readily available, and worse, some of the basics might even run out at a crucial moment. The sales assistant was both surprised and delighted as Pam rang out a long list of both what she wanted and the sizes that she required them in. She collected them all up, then could not resist speaking. "We are not used to our customers being quite so knowledgeable and specific when they come to us if I am being honest; do you have experience in the beauty industry?"
Pam laughed, knowing exactly what the young lady meant, and replied, "Yes, I do; I actually used to work for the same people as you on a counter in Bloomingdales, New…"
She got no further as realisation hit the sales assistant full on. "Oh my God! Are you Pam Anderson?" she gasped in a low voice. "Is all of this for…?"
"I am, and it is; I want to have an emergency supply in case the provisions that I requested run low."
"I cannot tell you how honoured I am to meet you. We have had dozens of ladies requesting the same treatment that you performed for Her Royal Highness since that day in New York, and it has built up even more since it was rumoured that you would be working for her during the Coronation. We have so much extra stock in as we know there will be a surge in demand. I know this is a lot to ask, but could you just give me a moment?"
Half an hour later, and after meeting nearly every member of staff in the beauty hall, and receiving a lot of admiration from them and the managers, they headed back out into Oxford Street with all Pam had needed, and all of it compliments of the store…
It would be later that night before Nick finally found himself alone; Jeff was reading a bedtime story to Wes and so he used that moment to summon an angel to come and see him, which was not the easiest of tasks. He was most pleased to see that it was Blaine himself who appeared, as it indicated that his suspicions were correct. "So, I hear that you had a few words to say to your mother earlier; she was more than a little startled, but I managed to calm her down. I would say that although I approve, you might not have chosen the best spot to speak to her…"
"Don't you start Nick! Wes has already given me a lecture, pointing out that my mom could have been so petrified and disorientated that she might have fallen over the edge of the gallery in fright. His exact words where that whilst the Cathedral was a perfect spot, it might have been better to have spoken to her somewhere there was no risk of her plummeting to her death."
Nick nodded, then went on, "Am I correct in thinking that this is going to be ongoing for her? That it is finally time for her to join her ranks?"
"It has been discussed for a while, but it had to wait obviously until she was of the right frame of mind. The truth is that she still cannot believe that she is here; that she will be meeting up with the Queen Consort again tomorrow, at Buckingham Palace, to discuss her plans; she will see get to see details of all the outfits that she will be wearing and the accessories she will have from the garden party onwards. My mom will be one of the few people that will know what she will be wearing at the Coronation itself before the day; admittedly, the plans for her make-up that day were finalised months ago. She still thinks this is all a dream and that she will wake up soon. We realised that if she receptive to this miracle, then she might be just as open to another one. The plan is that I will be with her tomorrow when she goes to the Palace, there to whisper words of encouragement and reassurance when she needs them…"
As Nick headed to bed in London, a veritable exodus was taking place of friends that were still in the United States. In Washington DC, Burt and Carole were en-route to the airport; they had been offered the use of Air Force One for the trip, but they had declined, as it was not environmentally conscious to do so, plus there was the fact that the President might need to use it in an emergency situation, and he could not if it was on the other side of the Atlantic. They would however be travelling in the fairly exclusive surroundings of Upper Class with Virgin Atlantic. Burt had argued that they did not require such luxury at first, but Carole had stated that if he wanted to travel in economy he could, but she wouldn't be, and neither would their security detail, as they deserved the upgrade too.
As they sat in the Clubhouse lounge at Dulles, Burt had to agree that perhaps his wife had had a point. He had just received the details of their hotel accommodation however, and he blustered about only needing a room, not a suite; worse, it had two bedrooms, which was completely unnecessary…
Carole listened for a while, then spoke. "First off, Pam will be moving into the room with me after she has finished her work for the Queen Consort during the Coronation, once you have headed back here, so the second bedroom will be needed then. Secondly, before that happens it can be used by one of the security staff so that they are on hand day and night. I believe that the second bedroom has its own access door to the hallway, and a door directly into our bedroom as well for emergencies. Finally, it provides you with a small, separate sitting room to greet the guests that you have been told to expect. The speakers of both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will be coming to visit, and it is much better to host them in that room than in the public lounge, or worse, expecting them to perch on the bed!"
Burt had to laugh at that image and had to concede that she did have a point on that one. True, he could have asked to receive them at Winfield House, which the Ambassador would have readied for him, but it was much further from Westminster; he knew that both the speakers had extensive duties to perform in the next few days, just as he had a whole collection of tasks to undertake when a new President was sworn in. The discussion over, he allowed himself to relax in the peaceful surroundings of the Clubhouse, trying to recall all that Kurt had told him about the Royal protocol, the necessary etiquette, and the dress code for the Coronation ceremony itself. He smiled to himself as he knew that although Rory would not be with him to assist, he had an excellent angelic stand-in in the form of his son…
In New York, a series of coincidences was taking place, the first of which occurring at JFK when Isabelle walked into the Virgin Atlantic Lounge to see Artie and Kitty sitting there in front of her. She had heard that the film director was going to London to scout for locations and to record how the city looked for the next Bond movie, but the possibility that he and his wife might be on the same flight as her had never crossed her mind. At once she began to wonder if there was potential for an article on his visit, showing how the major events in London this year had impacted on everyone… She shelved the idea for now though, instead heading over to greet the couple warmly, as Julian and their two children followed her through the door. Soon they had formed a little group in their corner of the lounge and were chatting away; then, much to her surprise, Artie asked Isabelle if he could have a private word with her…
"I know that this is going to sound dreadful," he said as soon as they were out of earshot of their family members, "and please feel free to say absolutely not to what I am going to ask of you, but the fact is that you are going to be able to access a lot of locations in London over the next few days as the editor of Vogue that I could never access as a film director; however, a certain Mr James Bond could get into all of those same locations. Now, I was just wondering if, maybe, you might need a film director to help you out as a temporary photographer in some of those places…? Kitty says I have a nerve to even ask, but I think that when it comes to getting what we want, you and I are on much the same wavelength…"
Isabelle looked at him for a moment, and then started to laugh; then she went serious again. "An exclusive inside look into the process of one of the great film directors of this time as he prepares to direct the new Bond film might persuade me that I needed a photographer with me… An interview with you with perhaps some hints of what we might see when the movie comes out…"
"I think that the producers and I would concur that the interview in question would be a very small price to pay to ensure that everything in the movie is perfect…"
Across the room, their respective spouses were sat together and watching; Kitty had informed Julian what her husband was going to ask, hoping to apologise for any upset caused in advance. Instead, she found herself watching them shake hands, both wreathed in smiles. She turned to look at Julian, and he just smiled, and said, "I think that your husband will be doing an interview for Vogue in the near future…" At that moment, Kitty realised that Artie had been spot on in his views on the magazine editor.
At the same time as this was happening in Terminal 4, across in Terminal 8, Sam, Adam, Lawrence and Ms Kudrow were enjoying the comforts of the British Airways lounge. It was the first time that Sam had flown First Class, and he had to admit that he was a little in awe of it all. Lawrence too was in awe, but that was because he was travelling with three people that were celebrities. Admittedly, he had the impression that one of the staff members thought he was Ms Kudrow's assistant, but they were alone in that. The rest knew that he was Adam's fiancé…
He was a little surprised to overhear one of the staff say that he was glad that Sam was not travelling with his wife; however, the man went on to say that he had worked with Rachel on a show many years before, in his previous life as an actor and swing dancer. He had been warned that she could be a bit of a diva, but those words had been scant preparation for how she had behaved towards them all…
He repeated those words in a whisper to his future husband, who responded by chuckling, saying he had heard much the same, and then telling him never to say to Sam what he had just overheard. "It isn't that he is unaware of his wife's reputation; he knew all about it long before he married her. However, it is not nice to know that people are talking about her behind your back, especially when they are the staff of an exclusive lounge…"
As those that were off to London boarded their flights, Drew was finally taking a seat after a long day. He had been in his office not long after 8am, having left Evie in the care of Elliott, who was on an extra day off. Having to find someone to take care of his daughter every day had been an extra complication brought about by the fact that Ethan was away and this week would be even worse, as Jeff, who could usually be relied upon was out of town; Kitty was away too, and Mike was tied to organising the choreography of a brand new show, and thus was in the practice studios of the City Ballet all day.
Fortunately, he had an understanding employer, which meant that he could work from home most days that week, but today had been different; he had another face-to-face meeting on Thursday though, and that had looked like a major issue, as Elliott would be working. The situation had seemed impossible, and he had been seriously considering taking his daughter into the office with him until Thad had volunteered his services. He already had child minding duties that day, having offered to look after Ty and Olivia to let Dante take a shift at The Strand bookstore.
He had been detained in the office that day for longer than he had anticipated; he had worked through his lunch break in an attempt to get away sooner, but then an important client had called just as he was heading out of the building, and despite his attempts to cut the conversation short, they had not wished to get off the line…
He had arrived home just as the yellow cab pulled up outside the empty house next door, bringing the first of the new group of former Dalton students that would be living there; he had silently cursed, ran into the house, dropped his case and grabbed the keys, before dashing back out to welcome them. He had been there for only a few seconds when he heard a welcome voice and Thad was there with them; that made things much easier, as he knew the new arrivals much better. Both of the young men in question had the distinction of having been the head of the Warbler council in their respective Senior years, the older of the two having taken a year out before college to do volunteer work abroad. Both of them would be attending Columbia. The remaining four were all seniors that had graduated in May and would arrive over the next two weeks.
Thad invited them all to Nick and Jeff's house for tea, something that the Sterling-Duval's had always done for the new arrivals; he had also included Drew and Evie on the invite, recognising that his fellow ex-Warbler was exhausted. Nick had baked a fruit cake and cookies for the occasion before he left, and all Thad had needed to do was prepare sandwiches. The forthcoming Coronation was almost at once the topic of conversation, given that the absentee owners of the house that the new arrivals would inhabit were on the guest list. Evie was more than happy to talk about the subject too, and even more keen to point out that she had been introduced to the new Queen Consort only months before.
The younger of the new arrivals smiled, and added, "Of course, Mr Karofsky-Smythe had the privilege to meet the late Queen and has been introduced to the new King as well. I don't know if I quite approve of the idea of a monarchy, but it comes with so much tradition."
Thad nodded, then replied, "There are those in the United Kingdom who wish to abolish it and become a republic, particularly amongst those that call for independence for Scotland, but they seem to overlook the fact that they would need to rename the country then as it would cease to be a kingdom. There is as I see it one major advantage to having a monarchy though. To paraphrase the words of a very wise and erudite man in part, a monarch is not elected by the people, but can only reign if they have the blessing of those people. As a result, they have to be there for all of the people, even those that object to the fact that they exist! An elected President, such as we have here, is voted into office by part of the population and is, of course, a politician in most cases first and foremost. That very fact means that they are NOT there for all of the people, however much they may claim that; those that did not vote for them will oppose them and vilify them with shouts of 'Not my President!'. A monarch, you see, is for everybody and nobody at the same time; as long as they do not antagonise the majority of the people, then they will remain in power. When you think about it, it really is the most brilliant of systems…"
The two young men nodded at Thad's sage words, as did Drew. He was not certain exactly who had said those words, but given the troubles and tensions of the Trump era, they did make a quite extraordinarily perfect point…
Now Drew was back home, and after a light supper, he had managed to get Evie to bed, and now his time was his own to relax. He put on some quiet classical music and decided he should check his personal e-mails; he saw at once that he had one from Lucy's grandmother, confirming that her flight tickets had now arrived, but she was worried that there was an error, as they said that she would be flying in Upper Class, and that a car would be coming to collect her from home…
Drew chuckled, then shook his head, knowing that this was Ethan's doing; he wished that he was there so that he could scold him for not telling him what he was intending to do. He sent back a reply to the lady in question, apologising for not having done so earlier, but stating that it would be correct, as Ethan had contacts in the airline industry, and that she was just to sit back and enjoy the experience.
No sooner had he finished typing the message and pressed send than his phone began to ring. His first thought was that it was the lady in question, but then he dismissed that idea as it was 2.30am over in Maidenhead. He answered and was delighted to hear Ethan's voice on the other end of the line. He said hello, then immediately scolded him for not telling him that he was getting her the upgrade…
"I did mean to, Drew, but with everything that happened with dad, it slipped my mind. I am sorry," he replied, and Drew understood and forgave him.
"How is your father?" he asked.
"He is sat up in bed now, and best of all, he is now talking coherently again, much to the relief and indeed surprise of us all. He is also able now to move his left leg, so now it is just his arm that seems to be unresponsive, and the doctors are extremely hopeful that given that everything else has reset, it is only a matter of time. He told mom this afternoon that she should be in the office instead of sitting at his bedside, then told me I should be back in New York as well. Mom's response was to tell him that she would be if he was still doing okay on Wednesday. The doctors seem to think that he will be, so unless there is a major change, I will be home on Friday…"
"Well, it will be good to have you back," replied Drew. "Evie has missed you being around so much."
"I've missed her too, and her dad for that matter, more than I can say… All of this upheaval has had one major benefit though; it has shown me the reality of being in charge of a major business like Mackenzie Inc. What has made all this worse for me is not having the people I care about the most close to me. My parents always had an advantage there in that they had each other close by, whereas I was quite alone in the office here in Ohio. Mom and Dad love it here, but it isn't for me… I think that when the time comes for me to take over the reins, I will run the business from New York rather than come here."
Drew sucked in a breath, and although the idea appealed to him, he had to be practical. "That might not exactly go down well with all of the folk that work there…"
"I have thought it through, trust me; there is no reason why they can't all continue to do what they do here in Ohio. It isn't the 1920s anymore; with proper use of the internet, and video conferencing facilities, I can see what is happening here in Ohio from an office in Manhattan. I can speak to the staff over Zoom, and monitor the shopfloor, not just in the main plant here, but in every manufacturing facility we have, over video links. As for the location of my new office, that is simple; we can just take back the whole of the building that houses the Mackenzie Trust at the moment. The firm that currently leases the top two floors is nearing the end of their contract term, and they intend to move to larger premises when it does expire, so it is a no brainer…"
Ethan paused for a breath, and then carried on. "I have seen the original blueprints of the Trust building, and it was constructed as the New York office of one of the two companies that came together by intermarriage to form Mackenzie Inc. It would be an easy task to restore the upper floors to their former glory, but with every modern convenience. It would be the hub of both the business and the charitable trust in one location, which cuts down on travelling, which is a very green thing to do. I will only need a couple of experienced staff to move over from Ohio to assist me; whilst I was there, I scoped out the younger members of staff, and I have a fair idea of who I would transfer over. It is the perfect solution to the whole dilemma I always faced. I always knew that I would have to step up one day, but I didn't want to force you and Evie to leave New York…"
"We would have done though, so that we could stay together as a family unit, and you know that," Drew replied at once.
"I do, and that is why I can say that if there is anyone I have ever loved fully, it is the two of you."
"Well, that is reciprocated by both of us," responded Drew, knowing that for his friend to even admit to loving someone was a big deal – and if he was honest, he loved Ethan with every bone in his body, in a strictly platonic sense...