Princess Elizabeth's Spy(105)
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Maggie said, taking a seat as the Queen poured cups for both her and David.
“How is the Princess, ma’am?” Maggie asked, accepting the cup and saucer. “Her foot?”
“She’s, well, she’s had quite the time of it. The doctor’s seen to her and it’s just a sprained ankle, thank goodness. She’s resting with Alah now. But she has her grandmother’s strong constitution—and she’s going to be fine.”
“She was very brave,” Maggie told the King and Queen. “She helped save us.”
“Of course she did,” said the King, taking the Queen’s hand and beaming with pride. “She’s our daughter.”
“Mr. Thompson,” Maggie said, “how is your leg?”
“Fine,” replied Hugh. “I’ll be on crutches for a while but expect to make a full recovery.”
“Good,” Maggie said, wishing she could say so much more.
“I must apologize for my role in all this,” the King said. “I knew about Lily’s background and I allowed her to stay at Windsor anyway. If I’d sent her away, as I should have … Instead, I sent away Marta Kunst Tooke, who was completely innocent.”
“And I let my prejudice against Louisa blind me to the fact that it was actually Audrey and George Poulter who were setting up the kidnapping plot,” Maggie interjected.
“All’s well that ends well, then?” the Prime Minister said.
“Indeed,” added Frain. Then, to Maggie and Hugh, “I’ll see you two at my office on Monday morning, after the New Year,” he said. Then his tone softened. “In the meantime, happy Christmas.”
“Thank you,” David chimed in. “Still Jewish, of course. But I do love a cup of mulled wine and those little almond cookies at this time of the year. And the trees are always pretty.”
As Churchill, Frain, David, and the King and Queen began a long political discussion, Maggie leaned over to Hugh. “So, how’s the leg?” she asked. “Really.”
“I’ll live,” he told her. “Just needed a few stitches.”
“That’s good.”
They listened to the discussion for a while, then Hugh said, “So, you’re off to Leeds for a wedding, then?”
“How did you—?” Maggie began, then realized that she’d had to clear her schedule with MI-5 months ago and of course he’d know. “Yes, off to my friends’ wedding. I’m a bridesmaid.”
“Are you, um, bringing anyone? As a date, I mean?”
“No,” Maggie said. She wished she could ask him, but they both knew it wasn’t in the cards.
“Well,” he said, not hiding his pleasure. “Good.”
The next day, after breakfast, Maggie and David packed up their things. From Windsor, they would drive straight to Leeds, for Nigel and Chuck’s New Year’s wedding.
“Merciful Minerva,” David exclaimed, “in all the excitement, I’d nearly forgotten about good old Nigel’s getting hitched.”
“Well, as a bridesmaid,” Maggie said, “I’ve been getting regular updates all fall. You wouldn’t think Chuck would be so girly about her wedding, but she really did get into the spirit. We might need to start calling her Charlotte Mary.”
They walked past the doors to the nursery. “Do you mind?” she said to David. “I’d like to check in on Lilibet.”
“Of course,” he replied.
Maggie gave a soft knock at the door. Alah opened it. “Oh, Miss Hope!” she cried, falling into Maggie’s arms. “We’re ever so grateful to you, for bringing our Lilibet back!”
Maggie was stunned, and held the woman, patting her back. “She was truly brave,” she said. “A credit to you and Crawfie.”
Alah sniffled. “If anything had happened …”
“But it didn’t.”
Alah wiped at her eyes. “It didn’t. You’re right. Stiff upper lip, Miss Hope. Stiff upper lip.”
“May I see Her Highness?” Maggie asked. “I’m off to a wedding and then, well, I’m not really sure what’s next.”
“Of course,” Alah said. She went to Lilibet’s bedroom door and knocked. “Miss Hope is here to see you!”
The door popped open and Lilibet and Margaret both burst out. “Oh, Maggie,” Lilibet said, hopping to her on her good leg and wrapping her arms around Maggie’s neck. “It all seems like a dream now, doesn’t it?”
“A bit,” Maggie said, smiling.
“Were you really on a German submarine?” Margaret demanded. “Because sometimes Lilibet likes to tease me.”