Page 41 of The English Queen

The butler looked at him nervously. “They’ve gone to Wales, sir. And I haven’t a clue. The way she packed, it may be a bit.”

“Wales?” Robbie looked confused.

Robbie picked up his mobile and frantically dialled his wife. She didn’t answer. He rang Nefoedd, her Welsh estate, and all the staff would say was The Princess had called ahead and asked to ready rooms for herself and the children. Robbie fled upstairs to see how much his wife packed and found a note on her pillow. Had she left him a Dear John letter? If so, why? What on Earth had he done wrong?

Robert,

I hate to do this, but I need space. Something happened today with your mother, and I can’t be in London anymore. Not for a while at least. I can’t do this anymore. I love you. It’s not your fault. I just need to be alone and spend time with the kids. Please don’t hate me.

Vanna

“What. The. Fuck?” Robbie threw the note down.

He rang Rita.

“Oh, God, what happened now?”

“Rita, Vanna has fled to Wales. What is happening? She has taken Paul and Kiersten. She left me a note with little explanation. She says something happened with Mummy. She says she needs space, and she can’t do this anymore. What is happening?!”

“Deep breaths. She went off on Aunt Maggie because Aunt Maggie went off on her,” Rita explained. “Your mum accused her of trying to run some sort of jewels trade. I don’t really know. And then she made Vanna cry. Ugly cry.”

“How? When?”

“She crashed our morning meeting. Vanna had called it to discuss the banquet and also this tiara Louis wants to make for Beth. Simple stuff. Mum and Auntie offered up some things if he wanted to commission one. He appears to. Vanna—the one managing things—insisted she would call Louis and arrange things. Simple, right? Your mother got offended and said she should call because otherwise he might assume something untoward is going on. Vanna clapped back and began to cry. Your mother made fun of her. Vanna told her all she has been doing is trying to take care of things while Maggie healed and that’s all she’s been doing pretty selflessly since she married you. And basically, your mother insisted she was free to divorce you if she hated it so much. Which—”

“Oh, fuck. God, poor Vanora.”

“Yeah, so she left. I laid into her along with Mummy. She ran her mouth. Vanna left her mobile in the room. So, she came back for it. And, as she returned, your mother was talking shit about you doing whatever she wanted and her complaining about things and being… entitled.”

“Oh, fuck.”

“So, your wife launched into a tirade about her being compassionate and giving up her own need to mother your children so she could mother Maggie which, when you think about all she is doing, yeah… it’s not wrong. She then said she was done, fuck this, and told your mother to go fuck herself.”

“Holy fucking shit. God damn.” Robbie was dazed.

“So, I don’t know what that means. She won’t answer. I’m a mess. Bruno told me to calm down but I’m worried. And I have half a mind to go to bloody Wales over it.”

“What? Why? She needs a moment—”

“No, no. She can get so dark.”

“What do you mean?”

“Vanna is quite depressed. She told me she was fine when I last got her to reply to me, but I don’t always believe her. She called herself a piece of shit and said you should have married someone better and that’s the sort of thing I heard last time. It’s reminding me of the time Nate’s parents laid into her. At one point, I literally got on a plane to distract her for a week. It was not good. I worry about her.”

Nate was Vanna’s late husband. She’d been so depressed after she lost him. Rita’s comparison frightened him.

“She gave up so much,” Robbie murmured. “For me. For us. For the family.”

“She did but that’s not the problem. She wants to be included. She feels rejected, abandoned, and unworthy. All Vanna ever wanted was to be loved and appreciated for being one of the team. That’s it. You know that, Robert. And your mother practically said she is worried about Vanna having access to the vault and she’s entitled and underserving. It was… stunning. In fact, her reaction to your Mum was so severe, your mother didn’t even say anything.”

“What?”

“She just… said she was knackered and left,” Rita scoffed.

“God, poor Vanora,” Robbie’s heart broke. “Fuck Mum. I don’t care how sick you are, you badmouth someone who has tirelessly worked and worked herself to the bone. The Australian tour was so hard on Vanna. And she never let it get her down. She’s not one to complain. Mum insulted the very fabric of who Vanna is.”

“And knowing Vanna, she’s going to think it’s the truth and beat herself up over it.”

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