Page 67 of Next in Line

‘Belfast. We’re going to spend a week with her grandmother. If she can survive that, I’ll sign her up for the SAS.’

‘And what about the other woman in your life?’

‘I’m going on holiday with her as soon as I get back, but I confess I’m not looking forward to it.’

‘Why not?’ asked Jackie, looking surprised. ‘Half the world would like to go on holiday with Princess Diana.’

‘I don’t much care for her present …’ he hesitated for a moment ‘… paramour. A playboy, who enjoys basking in her reflected limelight.’

‘Have you ever told her how you feel about him?’

‘It’s not my position to do so,’ said Ross, sounding unusually formal. ‘Although I’m not very good at hiding my feelings,’ he admitted as William reappeared and tossed him the cherry. ‘Right, Super,’ he said. ‘This is one lot I won’t be protecting. I plan to send them straight back to the pavilion as quickly as possible.’

‘Not too quickly,’ whispered William. ‘Remember our long-term plan.’

•••

Beth’s father, Arthur Rainsford, and Sir Julian were seated in the pavilion waiting for the first over to be bowled. They had, over the years, become close friends, and Sir Julian didn’tmake friends easily. They both wore smart blue blazers, Sir Julian’s double-breasted with Lincoln’s Inn brass buttons – even at play he was at work – white shirts and MCC ties, as if it were the opening day of a test match at Lord’s, rather than a hastily arranged fixture between two branches of the police force.

‘Who’s opening the bowling?’ asked Arthur as he focused his binoculars on a tall man who was shining the ball on his trousers.

‘DI Ross Hogan,’ replied Sir Julian. ‘He’s got a foot in both camps as he’s currently the Princess of Wales’s protection officer, which is useful because it means William had someone on the inside from the start.’

‘Not an easy job at the moment,’ said Arthur, without further comment.

‘I think you’ll find that Ross will be up to the challenge. He enjoys flirting with danger.’

‘Beth tells me that’s not the only thing he enjoys flirting with,’ said Arthur as they watched Ross measuring out his run up while William set the field. ‘You must be very proud of William. The youngest Superintendent in the force.’

‘Nelson was a vice admiral by the age of forty-three, I had to remind him,’ said Sir Julian. ‘And Eisenhower was only a colonel when America entered the Second World War, but just two years later he was the supreme Allied commander in Europe.’

‘So where will William end up?’

‘He certainly won’t be President of the United States,’ said Sir Julian, glancing across at his daughter-in-law. ‘How’s Beth coping after being treated so appallingly by Sloane?’

‘She seems fine, as far as I can tell,’ said Arthur. ‘She and Christina Faulkner are up to something, but I don’t know what.’

‘I hope Beth knows what she’s doing. Mrs Faulkner isn’t someone I’d want to rely on.’

‘Good shot, sir!’ shouted Arthur as the ball raced towards the boundary rope. ‘The ministers have got off to a good start.’

‘On a more serious note, Arthur,’ said Sir Julian, ‘now the children are at school, I think we’ll have to top up their trust fund.’

‘Fine by me. Ross Hogan has more than played his part since Jojo joined the fold.’

‘Yes, that arrangement has worked out well, especially now Beth has been able to spend more time with the children since she resigned.’

‘Well bowled, sir,’ said Arthur as one of the opening batsmen’s middle stump was uprooted and the fielders ran over to congratulate the bowler.

•••

‘I have a feeling,’ said Christina, nodding to the old gentlemen, ‘that those two are talking about us. Do they know we’re partners?’

‘Certainly not,’ said Beth. ‘And I don’t intend to tell them until we’ve made our first hundred thousand.’

‘I bet Julian finds out long before then,’ said Christina as she opened a half bottle of champagne and poured two glasses. ‘Any recent coups?’

‘We made a couple of thousand profit when I sold the Brabazon Brabazon to the Chris Beetles Gallery in Mayfair.’