all over the place, and most of it is frankly crap. I don’t want to add to that, I really don’t. But I am certain that you and Richard need to work out what you want before everybody else gets to have their say. It’s just so easy to be taken over by the rest of the world. I was. And it took me half a lifetime to get myself straight.’
This was news to Bella.
‘I didn’t know that,’ she said cautiously.
‘When you’ve made your bed, you lie on it,’ said Georgia dryly. ‘Old saying. No reason for you or anyone else to know. But, believe me, when I say talk to the man, I speak from experience. Oh, look, there’s a taxi with its light on. I do so love London taxis! They’re so big and solid and uncompromising, and you have room to spread out the skirts of your dance dress. Heaven. Just heaven. I have great hopes for you, Bella.’
On which gnomic utterance she raised an arm to hail the cab, kissed her granddaughter quickly, jumped in and was gone.
17
‘The Date!’ – Royal Watchers Magazine
Bella did not act immediately on her grandmother’s advice, not even when Georgia sent her a list of possible dates for bringing Richard to dinner. But she did think about it.
Richard was on a brief tour of middle European capitals, in support of trade promotion. After that he was going on to a ski-ing holiday in Andorra. He had asked Bella to go too, but hadn’t argued when she said that she couldn’t start a new job and take a holiday after only a month.
‘I can’t duck out of this,’ he said apologetically. ‘It’s a family tradition. We go every year. We stay with my mother’s cousins and take friends. Including, this year, my goddaughter, who has a birthday that week. I can’t disappoint her.’
‘Of course you mustn’t cancel,’ said Bella, shocked. ‘Include me when you book the next one.’
‘You got it.’
But later he rang and said, ‘How would you feel about coming for just the weekend? I’d like you to meet everyone.’
So she left work at lunch-time on Friday and flew to Barcelona. She wondered if Richard would meet her there himself. She remembered how they had fallen into each other’s arms that first time at Waterloo Station. But a uniformed airport official picked her out while she was walking from the plane and led her off through silent corridors to a waiting limousine, having her passport stamped en route.
‘Thank you,’ she said.
The official bowed. ‘Our pleasure. We hope that you will be very happy, you and Prince Richard.’
‘Good heavens! I mean, thank you for your good wishes.’ I’m starting to sound like Georgia, she thought.
The car took her to a substantial villa behind an even more substantial wall. There were a few sightseers and the inevitable photographers waiting in the country lane that led to it. Bella had learned the form now. She leaned forward, so they could see her face, and gave everyone her best smile.
No waving, Lady Pansy had warned. Not unless she was accompanying the Prince. People wouldn’t like her pretending she was Royal before she was. So Bella kept her hands locked tight in her lap and beamed for Britain as gates swung silently open and the limo drove out of their sight. The people in the road waved like mad. It was a real physical effort not to wave back.
Richard did come to meet her as the car arrived, though. He ran down the steps and kissed her, with a slight air of restraint.
‘Lady P been getting at you too, huh?’ muttered Bella.
‘What?’
‘Nothing.’ She slipped her hand into his and they went into the house. ‘Tell me who’s here.’
‘My mother is resting at the moment. Nell is on the slopes with the whole Lenane family and our cousins. George is sprawled in the rumpus room getting over a hangover.’
‘Still?’
Richard grinned. ‘He and the younger ones went into town last night. Most of them came back around midnight, but Chloe tells me that George got into some heavy salsa action. Don’t ask me when he got home. I don’t want to know.’
Bella smiled but said slowly, ‘Chloe Lenane’s here?’ So the ditzy blonde who had looked at her with such hatred on New Year’s Eve was included in the family party. Just great!
Richard was saying, ‘She’s a fellow godparent to The Monster, Tilly, which isn’t really fair as she’s a cousin and should cough up for a birthday