“Good morning, Sir. Here is your coffee.”
“Jack, book two tickets to Rome,
ASAP.”
“I assume we are going to see
Monsignor Angelo Pietro?”
“Snap. Have you found him?”
“Yes, I was able to trace him to
LAX and from there I tracked him to Fiumicino. The taxi he took went to the
Vatican. Do you want any further
sightings?”
“No,
unless you saw him leaving Rome.”
“I
believe he is still in Vatican City.”
“Good. He knows more than we do and if I have
to kidnap a nun to get him to talk I will.
This whole series of events smells and he always seems to be
connected. For all I know he is the
cause of it all. First rule of
being a good investigative reporter is to suspect everything and
everyone.”
“Very
good, Sir. I guess that is why you
are one of the best.”
“I
know you are just programmed to be pleasant, Jack, but thanks. Order breakfast while I
shower.”
About
five minutes later, while the master was still in the shower there was a crisp
knock at the door. I would have
expected it to be breakfast, but I had not heard any wheels on the carpet with
the approaching footsteps. I went
to the door and opened it. Standing
there was Her
Royal Highness The Duchess of Somerset, Countess of Strathearn and Lady Pomeroy. Or as the press called her – Princess
Marianne.
“I
came to see Frank.”
“Come
in your Highness. Please have a
seat. Mr. Huntington is currently
involved in his morning toilet, but he will be out shortly. Would you like me to order you a cup of
tea?”
“Thank
you, no” she said with her smooth voice as she took a seat and proceeded to take
out a cigarette to smoke.
About
a minute later Frank walked out with only a towel wrapped around
him.
“Princess,
what a surprise.”
She
got up and came over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She stood there in front of him and
looked into his eyes. Frank looked
into her eyes. I was about to ask
Frank if I should order another breakfast for the Princess when she threw her
hands around Frank and gave him a very passionate kiss full on his lips. As you can imagine, basic human
physicality followed, which I will not describe. I stood respectfully over to the
side. Based on Frank’s past
performances he was about halfway done when there was another knock at the
door. I knew for sure it was the
breakfast tray. I opened the door
and took it from the delivery robot.
I had doubled the order when I saw the lovemaking beginning just in case
Frank and the Princess felt like eating afterwards. Humans often do feel peckish after
sex.
Frank
and the Princess laid very still breathing deeply. Frank was on top of her and he gently
was kissing her. Finally he said,
“You are a very interesting princess, Princess. It would be very easy to fall in love
with you.”
“You
have the same effect, Mr. Newspaperman.”
“So
what is the reason you would look me up in New York?”
“I’m
actually here for a conference for Feed the Children. It is an organization tied to the United
Nation’s effort to end malnutrition.”
“How
did you know I was here?”
“I
called your paper.”
“Clever
girl. You should be a
reporter.”
“I’ll
stay being a princess.”
“Are
you going to remain Mrs. Lutts?
“Yes,
of course. I do love my
husband. It is just not very
sexual.”
“No
sex?”
“No,
we do it, but he seems to stay satisfied for a long time.”
“Good
for him. Even better for
me.”
“You
know, after our first lovemaking I started reading your
paper.”
“Good. I like a well-read
woman.”
“I
liked your article on how the non-religious have a higher rate of suicide. Being a new member of the ‘no religious
affiliation’ I can understand how suicide rates could be
higher.”
“You’re
not having any problems are you?”
“No,
of course not. I feel liberated by
atheism.”
“Good,
I like these visits.”
“Sometime
you will have to come to me. It
would be only fair.”
“Don’t
you think your husband might notice you’re not being in his
bed?”
“Actually,
our sleeping arrangements are more along the line of traditional
royalty.”
“Does
he make appointments or decrees?”
She
laughed at Frank’s remark and then said, “It’s not that bad, but when he gets
involved in his big projects he barely makes time for eating or
sleeping.”
“So
what project is keeping him from doing his husbandly duties to
you?”
“I
don’t know. I do see him most
days. He is good about that, but he
never discusses his work.”
“Do
you ever ask?”
“I
did at first, but now I know I will just get a vague answer or he will change
the subject. Do you keep
secrets?”
“From
my editor – all the time.”
“You
men are all alike.”
“And
does your husband know about this little secret?”
Frank
stroked the princess’s bare breast.
She looked into his eyes with a smile and said, “Touché.”
“Do
you think he knows?”
“If
he wanted to, yes. I don’t think
anyone can hide anything these days.”
“Speaking
of 24/7 surveillance, Frank, how about serving us breakfast in
bed?”
“Yes
Sir.”
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