Chapter Twenty-Nine: Royal Visit

Mary didn't really expect to see her royal stepmother again until the wedding, so it was a bit of a shock when Queen Jane turned up unannounced at the cottage one hot and hazy summer afternoon.

"Princess Mary! Your Grace! It's . . . it's . . ." Sally Weeks sounded shaky, and a bit frightened, though the cheeky blonde was rarely at a loss for words. Her slim white fingers squeezed Mary's shoulders in a panic, rousing her from a heavy and sated slumber.

"Mm . . ." Mary didn't open her eyes. She really didn't want to move. She was resting in the shade, and Sally was giving her a massage. The two of them had played a brisk early morning game of tennis and gone for a long walk in the woods before making love in a warm bath illuminated by scented candles.

"Ah, the girl from the spa! I see you're taking very good care of Princess Mary. Bring us a pitcher of iced tea, please, with plenty of sugar and perhaps just a slice of lemon." The queen's voice was royal, commanding, soft and soothing all at the same time.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Mary roused herself and quickly reached for a robe. She was very comfortable with her beautiful young stepmother, but she never forgot that the sexy, long-legged blonde in the peach-gold Chanel suit was also Queen of England. Even on a hot summer day, a Tudor princess couldn't receive her queen lying naked under a blossoming dogwood tree!

"No need to apologize!" Jane waved off the stammered words and the sleepy consternation on Mary's flushed features. The queen seated herself at a small table under the huge flowering tree. "Truthfully, Mary darling, I'm the one who's sorry for dropping in unannounced. And for being the bearer of bad news."

"Bad news?" Mary hurried to join the queen, clumsily fastening the frilly robe around her waist with thick and fumbling fingers. Trust Sally to think ahead and have it waiting for her when she awoke! "Jane, what is it? Is it father?" Mary's heart was pounding. She pictured King Henry lying flat on his back in a hospital somewhere, with tubes and wires stuck everywhere, the victim of a heart attack brought on by all that eating and drinking and sex.

"No, no, your father is fine, healthy and feeling quite vigorous!" Jane smiled as though she had personally restored Henry's vigor. Mary guessed the king and queen had been working out a lot together, just like her rather strenuous workouts with Sally. "No, it's not exactly a family problem. It's about politics, and that lovely boy Jamil you're so terribly excited about marrying. Take a look."

"Huh?" Mary couldn't quite work out what Jane was driving at. The queen passed her a slim little iPhone done all in silver with the royal seal engraved on the back. The video showed a mob of angry dark-skinned people rioting, turning over cars and setting fires in some remote part of the world.

"Jamil's home country is in turmoil," Jane explained, reading the confused look on her stepdaughter's face. "The people blame the government for continuing unemployment and the growing gap between rich and poor. Jamil's family is naturally a target, because of their vast wealth and those modern hotels and spas. But there are nasty hints in the press that Jamil's father is corrupt, and is using the government to destroy his personal enemies."

"Oh, dear." Mary hated violence, and her eyes filled with tears as she saw what came next on the video. The government troops were smashing down barricades, loading protestors into trucks. Many of them were women and children. They looked so scared!

"Jamil's got to put a stop to this," the princess said, snapping the iPhone shut and handing it back to her stepmother. "He's the kindest person I know! I'll just get on a plane and go with him back to his home country, and go to the press and tell them . . ."

"Ah, you see! I told the king that would be your first reaction. You're a Tudor, Mary, brave and loyal and very passionate. But right now it might not be such a good idea to be seen with Jamil."

"What do you mean? We're engaged to be married!" Mary was in an agitated state, feeling hot and frustrated. Maybe she didn't desire Jamil in quite the way a wife desired her husband, but he was her very dear friend. And she wouldn't abandon him!

"No one's asking you to break your engagement," the queen said gently. "But until Jamil's father has answered the corruption charges, and things have quieted down in the streets, it might be wise for you to distance yourself a little from the family. Don't forget, you are still a working royal. Perhaps a trip abroad, to speak at one of those environmental conferences or appear on a panel discussing the effects of climate change. Better still, why not arrange a little luxurious private time, away from all the crowds and cameras? You've certainly earned a holiday!"

"I don't like it," Mary grumbled. She felt hot and thirsty and she had a headache. Jane's advice made sense. But her conscience nagged at her, just like her throbbing head. How could she just run out on Jamil after all he'd done for her?

"Ah, and here's the iced tea at last." The queen gave Sally Weeks an approving royal smile. It was clear that Mary's bright-eyed, energetic assistant had made a very good impression on her. "Would you be so kind as to pack a fully stocked traveling bag for Princess Mary? And be sure to pack a few of your own things as well. The two of you are going on a holiday."

"Oh, how lovely!" For a moment, Sally's bright blue eyes sparkled with excitement. But instantly she remembered her official duties. "I mean . . . I am honored to serve the princess, and travel with her, and see to her every need. I mean, if the princess still wants me." Sally cleared her throat, looking slightly embarrassed.

"I want you," Mary growled. The way Sally blushed it was clear she was thinking about the two of them being alone together. Spending time together like they had over the last few days.

"Well, that settles that!" Queen Jane clapped her hands, as pleased as a toddler with a new toy. As she drank her iced tea, gulping it down thirstily and letting it cool her parched throat, Mary tried to tell herself that she would find some way to help Jamil, and that her sweet young stepmother really knew nothing at all about what was going on with Sally.

Or did she know everything?