The Lily in the Snow (Miss Lily, #3) by Jackie French

Author:Jackie French
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 36

It is necessary to tell a child ‘no’ so they understand what is acceptable and what is not. A man in power, unfortunately, is rarely told, ‘No, that is wrong.’ He may be chastised when he is a child, but as an adult believes himself wise simply because there is no one to teach him that he is not.

Miss Lily, 1913

SOPHIE

‘Well?’ asked Sophie, as they waved at the royal car proceeding up the driveway, followed by the two other cars carrying the prince’s long-suffering guards. At least she had made sure they’d had a good lunch. David too often simply forgot his attendants, leaving them hungry and thirsty in the car or anteroom.

‘We are going to tour Europe towards the end of summer,’ Nigel informed her. ‘Not the south of France or Paris . . .’

‘That’s rather good — France would be far too hot. Even the fashion houses would be closed.’

‘We are to stay at His Highness’s request at a hunting lodge by a lake in Germany. It seems Hannelore has arranged it with the owner, for our pleasure.’

‘What! Not Dolphie’s lodge in Bavaria?’ Sophie had a too vivid memory of her ‘rescue’ of Hannelore after the war, the night she danced with Dolphie, almost agreed to marry Dolphie, before she realised where his loyalties truly were.

‘Not Bavaria.’ Sophie had never told Nigel about that episode, but she was fairly sure Jones and Green had. His sympathetic tone now confirmed it.

‘Why can’t we just go to Berlin or wherever this politician is, and get it over with?’

‘David says that would be too conspicuous. We need to look as if we are having a simple family holiday. The children will be with us too.’ Don’t worry. The lodge will be vacated for our use.

‘I don’t want Rose and Danny in Germany.’ Sophie considered. ‘Nor do I want to leave them here. Not if we will be away for weeks.’

‘It will be more like months. Darling, Nanny is extremely competent.’

‘Of course she is competent. But I am not leaving my children.’

Nigel looked at her, amused, as they entered the hallway. ‘What about when Danny goes to boarding school?’

‘Why should he? I never went to school. And you hated yours. You said it was sheer torture.’

‘Darling, that is simply what is done —’

‘It is what your family has always done. Mine hasn’t. We will argue about it in six years’ time,’ said Sophie, with the calmness of someone who intended to have her own way. ‘And continue to argue about it every time you suggest boarding school. Very well, Danny and Rose will come with us. Herr Hitler will meet us at the lodge?’

‘No. Once again that would be too obvious. We will continue on to Berlin then stay with Hannelore for a few days, in her aunt’s house. We will meet her politician then.’

‘Which aunt? Hannelore has about five hundred aunts scattered through the royal houses of Europe. Doesn’t royalty do anything other than breed and marry?’

‘Quite a lot, but breeding and marrying are their main occupations.

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