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Erin picked up a copy of Hello Magazine from the table and scanned through it. Princess Alexandra holding the hand of a dying woman, a tear glistening in her eye. Could anyone really be as compassionate, as perfect as this woman was made out to be? What were her secrets? There must be some, hiding behind the perfection. Erin might get the chance to know the real Alexandra.
Erin stood as a member of the Princess’s staff approached. A petite girl in a waistcoat who barely looked old enough to be working for anyone, her hair immaculately twisted into a bun, her make up understated.
“Princess Alexandra will see you now,” said the girl and she turned and motioned for Erin to follow her. Erin fell into step behind the girl whose short legs moved quickly as though she had somewhere important to be. Which she did really, at the beck and call of the future Queen.
Erin followed the slim girl into the Princess’s drawing room. A big room with lovely wide windows overlooking the garden, a large ornate sofa and elegant chairs around a coffee table were the feature.
Alexandra stood up as Erin entered. She was every bit as beautiful as her photographs and there was a moment, just a moment where Erin just gazed at the loveliness of her face before she remembered herself and where she was.
Erin curtsied to her. A curtsy was a bizarre and sexist tradition and show of respect which didn’t work quite so well in the trousers Erin was wearing. They felt a touch on the tight side after Christmas indulgences and there was no give as Erin moved one foot backwards and dropped down into the curtsy nodding her head.
“Your Royal Highness.” Erin greeted Alexandra.
“Welcome, Sergeant Kennedy,” said Alexandra her voice dripping with privilege and importance. She approached and shook Erin’s hand. Her hand as elegant as the rest of her, fingers long and slim, nails neat and with a natural french manicure. Erin held her strong gaze without looking away.
“You can call me Erin,” Erin replied boldly. Alexandra raised an eyebrow. “If you want, I mean,” she added hastily.
Erin wasn’t expecting the effect that Alexandra would have on her. But she took a deep breath and pulled herself together.
“Please sit,” said Alexandra.
Erin sat opposite Alexandra and Alexandra summoned the petite girl that had brought her through to organise tea for them both.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice Erin. Now, I don’t want to waste your time or my own, so I will get to the finer points of what I need in my personal bodyguard.” Alexandra’s voice was kind, but firm and Erin appreciated her directness.
“Of course,” replied Erin.
“Firstly, I need someone dedicated. I need someone who can live my life with me, be my shadow. You will be given time off, scheduled carefully of course and you will be compensated well. But, as I am sure you are aware, along with my increasing status, there comes increased risk with everything I do. I want to trust one person implicitly with my life. I don’t want to chop and change my personal protection regularly.”
Erin knew exactly what she was asking. They say a truly great bodyguard should be the ‘Grey Man’ or in this case ‘Grey Woman’. They should become the shadow of the star, always there, never noticed. The Princess wanted her own shadow, she wanted to look behind her and know whose eyes she would see and they would reassure her. This was often the case with a female client, they liked to know who was looking after them, they wanted to know and trust their protection. A male client, more commonly, could have one of twenty protection officers working one to one with them and they wouldn’t care, but Alexandra wanted a face she would know to be with her at all times.
“I’ve had a couple of incidents lately, as I am sure you have been briefed upon, with over zealous members of the public and then separately, there has been an assassination threatened by terrorists. Obviously our security services are looking closely at this assassination threat and there is nothing currently to verify it, but we have to be aware that it is there.” Alexandra’s beautiful face in the light was solemn and serious. Erin obviously had been briefed on the threats on the Princess and the level of risk but was surprised that the security service had told Alexandra herself.
“You look surprised,” Alexandra said and she smiled. “You think they wouldn’t tell me the serious stuff?”
“Er… no. Well.. yes. I am surprised. Usually we don’t tell the client,” stammered Erin.
There was a knock at the door and the tea arrived on a trolley pushed by a waistcoated waiter. There was silence as he served the tea to them both and then left.
“I need to know, Erin. It is imperative that I know everything. It is imperative that I trust you implicitly and that if I ask you something, anything, I get an honest answer. I know there is a risk attached purely to my name, to who I am and the life I was born into. I want to be the best I can be and do good things with my name and status. Make a difference to the lives of people, in both our own country and those less privileged. If the price I pay for the good that I do ends up bein
g my life, I am okay with that. But I want to work with someone who will give me all the information, someone who will protect me, but also advise me and help me make choices. Can you be that person?”
“I can always be honest with you, yes,” replied Erin.
“Good,” said Alexandra. “My other requirement is that you don’t have family, a partner, children? I don’t want to take you away from your family. I need to be able to be selfish at times. I need someone who can become part of my life. Do you have children Erin?”
“Er…. no.”
“A partner?” asked Alexandra.
Erin thought for a moment about Sophie. Hot Sophie. Sexy Sophie and all the wild sex they had had.
Then she thought about her loneliness and her sad apartment.
“Er….no.”
“So you could dedicate your life to me?” asked the Princess. “I cannot ask you for forever, but for a few years at least. Be with me, be by my side, be the one I look to and trust with my life.”
