Private Princess

Chapter 40

Jack Morgan looked out of the helicopter’s windows and over the gray landscape of a rain-sodden east London, his destination clearly marked by the second helicopter that was landed on a school’s football field. It was Princess Caroline’s helicopter, and Morgan had come alone to tell her that Sophie Edwards was dead.

The chopper’s skids touched down on the grass, and Morgan thanked the pilot before handing him his next orders — to head back to Wales and bring Cook to London as soon as Private’s legal representatives arrived to deal with the fallout of the case. With that, he opened the door and stepped onto the field’s wet grass.

A man was waiting to meet him. The face was familiar but the clothes were not — Colonel Marcus De Villiers was wearing civilian clothing, a green Barbour jacket over corduroy trousers. Even out of uniform, the man stood out as a military officer.

The Englishman put out his hand to greet him. “Morgan, I’ve spoken to PC Lewis. She said that you saved her life.”

“She saved mine,” Morgan replied, accepting the handshake.

“Regardless, you have my thanks. Lewis is a good woman, and fiercely loyal. She’s one of my favorites on the protection teams,” the Colonel admitted, and for the first time, Morgan saw a second side to De Villiers. One which was, perhaps, just as fiercely loyal to his team as Lewis was to her superiors.

“I’ll be putting her forward for an award,” De Villiers told Morgan as they walked across the sports field and toward the school. “Because of the reasons why she was in that situation in the first place, it will never pass, but at least she’ll know that I recognize her bravery.”

The pair paced in silence for a few seconds before De Villiers addressed the reason behind Morgan’s arrival. “She’s going to be upset about Sophie.” There was no trace of sadness in his words.

Morgan pulled up, and the Guards officer stopped and turned to him. “What is it?” De Villiers asked.

“Did the Princess hire Private to find Sophie, or bury a secret?”

“I’m not sure which particular secret of Sophie’s you’re talking about. She had many—”

“I’m not talking about Sophie’s secrets. I’m talking about the Princess’s secret, Colonel. The secret that she and Sophie Edwards were lovers.”