Princess Adeline of Wales

Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Countess of Munster

14th of June 2007 - FitzClarence Manor

Staring at the table that had been set out for lunch, the Countess of Munster pursed her lips as she fixed the cutlery that was already in place; everything had to be perfect.

Nothing had been left to chance and Anne knew how important this was to Simon that everything went well, her son had been nervous enough about bring Adeline to the house.

Simon had actively avoided bring any girl that he had been involved with home, he wanted his privacy and it disheartened Anne that her son felt like he couldn't share that part of his life with her.

Of course, Anne knew the real reason that he didn't bring anyone home; it was the same reason that he'd insisted on coming while his father was up in Scotland.

Anne straightened out the napkins and peeked up at the clock on the wall, she was sure that it was running slow or had completely stopped cause time didn't seem to be moving at all.

"They're here," Susan called peering through the curtains at the car that had just pulled up, her head craning to see Simon's new girlfriend; she was rather excited at the notion that a princess was coming to her house.

It had been a closely guarded secret about this visit and she hadn't even been allowed to tell her friends at school that a real life princess was coming to her home.

"Susan come away from the window," Anne scolded as she hurried towards the entrance, she shook her head wondering what Adeline would think to find Susan gawping at her from the window.

She had raised her children right, she raised them to be respectful to others and she wanted nothing more than for this visit to go well for the sake of her son; Simon might not have said it but she knew this was a big deal for him.

Smoothing down the skirt of her dress, Anne took a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself to answer the door; her eyes quickly scanning the entrance hall to make sure nothing was out of place.

"Do I have to curtsy?" Susan asked appearing to follow after her mother to the door, a bounce in her step as she thought about all the questions that she wanted to ask the princess.

Her mother paused and turned to look at her just as the doorbell rang to announce that the couple had reached the front door and her anxiety hit the roof.

"Yes," Anne said quickly as she moved to answer the door, she wasn't about to mess this up and it didn't matter to her that Adeline was attending in a private manner as the new girlfriend of her eldest son.

Adeline was still the granddaughter of the Queen, the daughter of the Prince of Wales and nothing would ever change that fact.

"Mum," Simon greeted when she opened the door and allowed them to step inside, her eyes sweeping over the girl at his side before she could even take in her own son.

Adeline looked just as she did in many of the pictures that Anne has seen of her, she stilled recalled watching the funeral of Diana and her heart breaking watching a ten-year-old Adeline walk with her brother behind the coffin.

"Your Royal Highness," Anne greeted ducking into a elegant curtsy, it was not often that she got to use what she'd learned at Insitut Alpin Videmanette; a finishing school in Switzerland that she'd attended after she had finished her formal education and before she had married Edward.

Susan copied her mother from behind her, her curious eyes taking in the princess and she eyed the lilac dress that she had opted to wear wondering if she'd be able to something similar.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, I brought you some flowers from the gardens of Clarence House," Adeline stated kindly, she had been so nervous about coming to meet Simon's mother.