Chapter Thirteen: Royal Duties
"A trip to Scotland? What a lovely idea!" Queen Jane smiled brightly at the king, who was busy wolfing down his dinner. "I think I'll take Mary along for company. In France she was an enormous help to me. She's just blossomed lately!"
"Splendid, Jane, splendid!" Henry was eating roast beef and talking with his mouth full. He didn't notice the way his beautiful wife and grumpy daughter were glaring at each other. "A trip to Scotland will be just the thing for both of you."
"This is your fault," Jane hissed, when it was quiet after dinner. Henry was fast asleep already, snoring loudly in a big armchair. "You told the king about me and Bernard! Didn't you?"
"I would never tell!" Mary was angry and a little hurt as well. "If I had told, you'd be locked in the Tower." Mary glanced at her sleeping father, who suspected nothing as usual. "When I heard about the two of you running off to Switzerland, I was worried sick. I thought I'd never see you again!"
"I would never leave you, Mary. And I would never hurt the king. But I'm a grown woman, and I can manage my own affairs." Queen Jane opened a fresh bottle of wine, while looking closely at her stepdaughter. "The private jet was your idea, wasn't it? That was a dirty trick, Mary. Flying me back to London instead of taking me to Switzerland as planned."
"It was Jamil Khan's idea," Mary admitted. "His family owns a whole string of private jets. He said you'd get suspicious if we sent one of the royal aircraft."
"Clever boy," Jane remarked. She refilled her crystal glass and poured a full glass for Mary as well. "Are you in love with him?"
Mary blushed, feeling hot and thirsty. "Jamil Khan is a friend, that's all. He's a friend and I trust him."
"Yes, of course you do." Jane replied, in her grown-up stepmother voice, watching with knowing blue eyes as Mary drink her wine. "But remember, boys always expect something from girls, even rich and powerful boys who own private jets."
"Jamil isn't like that." Mary felt a little dizzy.
"I know Jamil Khan's father," Jane said, giving Mary a firm and very direct look. "Take it from me, Mary. Important men don't do a beautiful girl favors without expecting something special in return."
"I'm not doing Jamil Khan any favors! And I'm not . . ."
"A beautiful girl?" Jane's voice was soft. "But you are, you know."
"I'm not in love with Jamil," Mary insisted. "I'm not in love with anyone." She hiccupped. "I've just had too much wine, that's all." She hiccupped again. "And now I'm going to bed."
The next morning, Queen Jane and her stepdaughter were awakened early and driven to a small airfield outside London. A sleek military jet was waiting to fly them to Scotland, where they were to visit the king's North Sea air bases.
"A pity your father couldn't wake up in time to see us off." Jane yawned in the morning mist, covering up her crimson mouth with a gloved hand. She was looking splendid in her diamonds and furs. She also seemed quite pleased with herself, as though she'd enjoyed a splendid night in the king's royal bed.
"The king is busy. He works very hard." Mary hated having to cover up for Jane. And she hated making excuses for her father. It was clear that he suspected nothing. At this moment he was still in bed, sound asleep. Mary yawned just like her stepmother.
"Yes, well we work hard too." Jane winked at her sleepy stepdaughter. "And it will be quite a long day for us, chatting with dignitaries and shaking hands with long lines of children and having to answer the same silly questions over and over again!"
"Well, what about it? Should we not work hard? We're royals!" Mary tried not to smile back at her stepmother.
"We should work very hard. But we're entitled to play as well." Jane made a funny face and reached into her elegant little purse.
"What's that?" Mary's eyes lit up as she handled the polished shark's tooth. It was from the oceanic research center in France!
"Just a present from an admirer of yours. Come on, our flight is waiting."