Page 26 of The Crown

She followed, bleak and lonely. And completely shut out. She didn’t know what more she could do for him, but knew she must stay. She’d have to figure out how to best help her father, to encourage him to lay low through all of this and then figure out what to do with her life when it was all over. And to be at Nico’s side in everything, to be whatever strength he needed. Because she loved him, she would stay, at least until things settled.

13

When they arrived home, Monique was there, sitting with the Queen, both with red eyes. She hugged each of the brothers, lingering in Nico’s embrace, nodded at Jo and then left. Normally Jo would have rolled her eyes but today she felt left out. Nico had barely talked to her at all on the plane. He seemed in a distant place, one she could not reach.

She offered her condolences to the queen, but the woman just patted her hand and soon looked past her as if she were dismissed. Julian was distracted, and more busy than usual, and each of the brothers disappeared as soon as they could. Everyone seemed tasked with responsibilities except her.

For the next couple of days, she saw very little of anyone. Group breakfasts had been postponed until further notice. Even the staff seemed too busy when she asked for directions out to the back gardens.

She walked among the hedges and the flowers, wondering why she was even there. But she knew she couldn’t leave. Being invisible here was at least not causing stress or strain by leaving.

Monique came and went as if she belonged there. And Jo refused to care. Though she did. But how could she care so much about their treatment of her when they were each dealing with so much? She felt completely selfish even as she continued to feel the hurt of being shuffled aside.

Her phone dinged. The funeral and viewing and national service had been scheduled. She was given all the times and places she was required to attend.

Since they had never officially announced their engagement, Jo wondered if she would even be seated with the family.

Then a text from the queen came through. “Could you come to my office please?”

She turned around and immediately made her way back toward the palace.

Her lungs filled with the biggest breath she could manage, then she let it out slowly. Her knock sounded weak and timid.

“Come in.”

The queen sat on her settee, off to the side of her desk. She had a box of tissues and she held her hand out to Jo. “Come sit with me, Jo. We have neglected you dreadfully.”

A spark of guilty hope that she might become a larger part of the family warmed her insides. She sat beside the queen. “I’m just so sorry about all this. I feel terrible.”

“Thank you, my dear. He always liked you, you know. Supported you when…” she looked off out her window. “well, always. He knew when Nico was set on marrying you, and he accepted our son’s choice, as unconventional as the idea was. He told everyone that a unified marriage was the best thing for our nation.”

Nico had told her often of his father’s words of support for their marriage. She remembered clearly, at his bedside when Francisco awoke from a coma, he had been so kind in his support of them both. Nico had proposed shortly after, in the hospital room in front of all his family.

She smiled, thinking about Nico’s loving eyes, his hope for their future. Perhaps they still had a chance. “I loved the king. He was a good man.”

The queen nodded. “He was.” She reached for her agenda. “I asked you here because we need to discuss some matters of state.”

Jo sat up straight in her seat.

“We will need to step carefully in the coming few days regarding you and your relationship to Nico.”

Jo’s concern grew.

“We have yet to make a press announcement, and now is not the time for news such as your engagement would be. Nor does Nico wish to be answering questions at a press conference about you and your Alzheimer’s scandal, and your father and everything that package entails. It is just simply not the time, which I am certain you appreciate.”

Unsure what exactly to say, Jo stammered, “Certainly. I have no desire for those things to become matters for the press.”

“And yet they are. They will need to be addressed.” She leaned back in her seat, signs of fatigue lining her face. “But I see us having a few choices. We can have the funeral, squeeze in your wedding the day after, and then move quickly to the coronation so that the nation sees a unified couple when Nico is crowned King.”

Jo’s heart stammered. What was the queen suggesting? Married in four days? And didn’t she just say she didn’t want a press conference about her relationship with Nico?

“Or, we act as though your relationship is still in its growing stages and move forward with a single King, allowing your relationship to progress naturally in whatever direction.”

The queen obviously preferred this option. She also seemed to prefer the idea that she and Nico were still as yet, an undecided couple.

“I don’t know. I think I need to discuss it all with Nico. I’m not sure what he wants…”

She waved her hand. “Nico doesn’t even have time or emotion to make these sorts of choices. You will soon learn, if you are to be at his side, these types of choices fall into our hands. We simply let his assistant know and he shows up.”

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