promise. The Administrator knows we’re here. He gave me the key and permission to park my car in the next field.’
‘And the fire?’ said Bella, still suspicious. ‘When was that chimney last swept?’
‘Do you know, I didn’t ask?’
She relaxed. ‘Oh, all right then. If it explodes and burns us to a crisp, I shall blame you.’
‘Do that. Champagne?’
She was surprised. Richard was a claret man normally but he knew she loved the lightness and sparkle of bubbles.
‘Very spoiling. Thank you.’
She sat in one of the picnic chairs and he opened the bottle and brought two glasses to the hearth.
They toasted each other. It seemed as if he wanted to say something and didn’t know where to start. This looked serious.
‘Why are we here?’ Bella said at last.
‘I don’t know if I’ve done the right thing. You may want to choose your own. But – I’ve never given you anything personal. Not really. And I wanted this to be from me to you. Sort of private.’
He reached into the pocket of his Barbour and removed: her right shoe, a checked cap, a tube of mints … and a jeweller’s ring box.
He looked down at it, swallowing. ‘If you – oh, hell, here it is. I hope you like it.’
And he stuffed it into her hands as if it were a ham sandwich.
Bella opened the little velvet box very carefully.
Inside was a swirl of silver metal like a curly ‘S’, with single lemon-coloured diamond set in the middle. It was very simple and yet, somehow, heartbreakingly beautiful. It was also completely him, like that gorgeous plain apartment with all the light and the wonderful inlaid wood.
‘It looks like the wind,’ she said, awed.
His breath came out in a rush. ‘You like it? You really like it? It’s by a young designer. I’ve admired his work for ages. We talked about the design for a long time and I said I wanted something that was free, that sort of flowed. This was the one I chose. We talked about gold but I liked platinum better for you. You really like it? You’re not being kind? Because you can choose your own engagement ring, you know that.’
She got up and kissed him. ‘I really, really like it. I love it. You’re a genius.’
Richard beamed.
‘Terrific. That’s – terrific.’
He bounded to the stairs. ‘Now come and look at the stars. And then I’ll feed you.’
They ran up the rickety stairs. The tower, it seemed, had ramparts. From the top, you could see mountains, valleys, the sparkle of water in the moonlight, little sleeping towns and great fields. The lower clouds had lifted but there was still a dark roof of high cloud with a great gap punched through it leading to the universe beyond where stars twinkled. Moonlight flowed down in golden swathes Bella felt she could climb.
‘Hello, Britain,’ said Richard, taking her hand and holding it high. ‘Here she is then. My lady and yours.’
19
‘The Dress!’ – Royal Watchers Magazine
Of course the ring had to be kept under wraps until the photocall at which they were due to announce the date and venue of the wedding. Richard suggested that Bella should take it home and wear it for a while, to make sure that it didn’t need any adjustment. Lottie had stolen one of her gloves for him but the jeweller had warned that only gave an approximate size.
Bella was terribly tempted. But in the end she decided to be sensible.
‘I’m such a klutz, I might do something terrible like drop it down the loo,’ she said with a shudder.
‘You’ll have to get used to it some time,’ Richard said, amused. ‘But never mind. It can wait a week. I’ll take it back and put it in the safe, if you like.’
She thanked him with fervour.
So when she paid her first visit to her new office in the Palace, she could honestly say that, no, she did not have a ring yet. Lady Pansy was put out.
‘Haven’t you at least chosen the stones? And have you decided what to wear for the engagement photograph?’
‘Goodness, no,’ said Bella.
She had been hoping to get in and out of the place in an hour but Lady Pansy had a list of decisions to be made that would take most of the morning. Bella considered rebelling but then thought better of it. It was not Lady Pansy’s fault that she took everything at a slow march and paid attention to every detail. Besides, she was the Queen’s friend and