From England to New York

Chapter 8

"Katherine? Katherine wake up Lord Bradley is here to see you!"

Katherine slowly peeled her eyes opened, she felt slow and groggy as if someone had been hitting her in the head with a frying pan.

"Huh?" Katherine asked her roommate Alice's face coming into view.

"Wake up darling it's half past noon already and we didn't even stay up that late last night." She said and Katherine noticed that the sun was high in the sky out her window. Then Katherine remembered the night before and how she had been a princess.

"Bradley?" Katherine asked sitting up and yawning. "Why is he here so early?"

"Like I said, it's half past noon." Alice said pulling Katherine's blankets off her.

Katherine stretched and glanced at her reflection in the window, her hair was a frizzy mess and her make up from the night before was smeared over half her face. She looked like she'd just woken up from the dead.

"Oh I look awful." Katherine groaned as Alice pulled her to her feet.

"Yes, yes you do." Alice said with a little snigger. "Don't worry, I'll fix you up in no time."

*********************************

Fifteen minutes later Katherine was herself again with her hair brushed, makeup fixed, and breath smelling of mint.

"Have fun Kat!" Alice said as Katherine walked down the stairs to the lobby. Katherine wasn't sure what to think so she mouthed a wish me luck back and headed on down the steps her pink dress dragging behind her. She really liked the dress she was wearing, it fit her nicely and still made her feel pretty. When she reached the lobby she spotted Bradley standing by the door with his hands clasped behind his back. He was dressed similarly as he had been the night before and Katherine wondered if it was mandatory that he wore it at all times or it just made him feel special.

"Lord Bradley." Katherine said curtly as she came up behind him.

"Ah, Katherine Plumber my American Reporter. How are you?" He asked kissing the back of her hand.

"I'm doing pretty good, I'm quite exhausted from last night but still doing good." She said walking through the front doors he was holding open for her.

"I bet, Alice told me you were still asleep when I came. I apologize for waking you up but I needed to speak to you." He said holding out his arm for her to take. She accepted and hooked her arm in with his as they walked down the streets of London.

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Katherine asked admiring the exquisite buildings around her.

"It's about what I told you last night." Bradley said steering her to a near by park.

Katherine clearly remembered there conversation the night before up on the balcony, he had told her things she didn't really understand. Things like protecting the Prince by not writing about the royal family.

"Have you asked Alice about it?" He asked.

"No I haven't had a chance." She said thinking about how she had completely forgotten about it after there little chat. "What's it about?"

"Well, this morning the Prince approached me and asked me a series of questions about you and Alice. He suggested that maybe you two should move into the Castle."

Katherine almost choked on her spit.

"What?"

"Yes, apparently he wants to monitor everything you and your roommate write about." He said.

"Does Alice know about this?" Katherine asked hardly believing her ears.

"Yes, I told her this morning."

Katherine was completely shocked, so the Prince wanted her and Alice to move into the Castle just to make sure she didn't write about the Castle? There was defiantly more to the situation, Katherine could feel it in her gut. She could also tell that there was something Bradley wasn't telling her.

"So do you except? Alice said she wouldn't decide until she talked to you about it." Bradley said.

"I-I don't knew what to say."

"Well you don't have to decide just yet, you have until tomorrow morning to decide." He said and Katherine noticed they were approaching the apartment building. He must have taken her for a lap around the block.

"Ok I'll take to Alice about it."

*******************************

"So what do you think?" Alice asked as Katherine explained her conversation with the captain of the royal guard.

"Something's not right Alice, it feels to strange. I mean the Prince invites us to stay with the royal family just to make sure we don't write about them? There has to be another reason? And why was it the Prince? Why not the King and Queen?" Katherine asked pacing her room.

"I don't really know why, but all I know is we better go." She said.

"Why?"

"Because it's the royal family asking! And..." Alice said getting up off Katherine's bed and grasping bigger her hands. "We would get to live int the Castle for goodness sake!" She squealed. Katherine had to smile at that, that did sound like a tempting offer.

"Ok, alright, I guess we'll go and stay. Then maybe we will find out more information." Katherine said.

"And not have to pay rent!" Alice added.

Katherine had to admit that was a pretty god deal.