Page 129 of The Love Letter

‘Drink it, Jamie. It’ll warm you up.’

The boy sipped at the hot liquid, his small hands clasped round the mug. ‘Are you cross with me?’

‘No, of course not. We were all worried, yes, but not cross.’

‘Mumma will be furious when she finds out.’

‘She already knows you’d disappeared from school. She’s on her way home from Spain and should have already landed. I’m sure she’ll call the moment she can. You can speak to her and let her know you’re safe.’

Jamie sipped some more tea. ‘She wasn’t filming in Spain, was she?’ he said slowly. ‘She was with him, wasn’t she?’

‘Him?’

‘Her boyfriend, the prince. Prince Arthur.’

‘Yes.’ Simon studied the boy. ‘How did you know?’

‘One of the older boys put a page from a newspaper in my locker.’

‘I see.’

‘Then Dickie Sisman, who’s always hated me because I made the under-tens’ rugby A team and he didn’t, kept calling Mu-Mumma a prince’s wh-whore.’

Simon winced, but said nothing.

‘Then he asked who my father w-was. I said Great-James, and Dickie and the others laughed at me, said he couldn’t be my dad because he was my great-grandfather and I was stupid. I knew that he wasn’t my father really, b-bu-but hewas, Simon. Great-James was my dad and now he’s g-gone.’

Simon watched Jamie’s shoulders heave with sobs.

‘He said he’d never leave me, that he’d always be there when I needed him, that all I had to do was call and he’d answer . . . But he didn’t! Be-because he’s dead!’

Simon gently took the tea mug from him, sat down and pulled Jamie into his arms.

‘I didn’t think he’d gone, not really,’ Jamie continued. ‘I me-mean, I knew he wasn’t there in person – he’d said he wouldn’t be – but that he’d always be somewhere, but when I needed him he was nowhere!’ More sobs shook from Jamie’s chest. ‘And then Mumma was gone too. And there was nobody. I couldn’t stand it at school any more. I had to just get out, so I w-went to Great-James.’

‘I understand,’ said Simon quietly.

‘Wo-worst of all, Mumma lied to me!’

‘Not on purpose, Jamie. She did it to protect you.’

‘She’s always told me everything before. We didn’t have secrets. If I’d have known, then I could have defended myself when the boys were so awful to me.’

‘Well, sometimes adults misjudge situations. I think that’s what has happened with your mother.’

‘No.’ He shook his head wearily. ‘It’s because I’m not number one any more. Prince Arthur is. She loves him more than she loves me.’

‘Oh Jamie. That could not be further from the truth. Your mother adores you. Believe me, she was frantic when she heard the news. She moved heaven and earth to get on a plane and come back home to find you.’

‘Did she?’ Jamie wiped his nose morosely. ‘Simon?’

‘Yes?’

‘Will I have to move in to one of their houses?’

‘I don’t know, Jamie. I think that kind of decision is a long way off.’

‘I heard one of the masters laughing in his study with the PE teacher. He said that it wouldn’t be the first time a bastard has moved into a p-palace.’