Across the Pond (Prince Harry #2)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

After spending the night as the sleet tapered off in front of the fireplace, Meredith awoke in the morning to sunshine streaming through the windows. Sighing, Meredith rolled over and placed her head upon Harry's chest. Yet to wake, his arm automatically curled around her, pulling her closer. Meredith listened to his calm heart, which sent her back to sleep.

On their third day together, it was sunny outside, making everything light up, glimmering. Though things were slippery, a nice path cleared off with the warm temperature, which continued to climb. The white snow slid into the water as the couple walked toward the edge. Meredith was careful on the frozen rocks. Harry held her hand to steady her.

"Come on," she said. Harry came down onto the stones with her, which wasn't as slippery as he thought. Meredith took off of a glove and placed her hand in the water. She let it stay for, perhaps, a second, before pulling it out because it was too cold.

"How was that?"

"Good. If I can't swim, anything to touch the ocean." She smiled. "Did you want to touch the water?"

"Is it cold?"

"Yes."

"I'll pass."

She snorted and continued down the shore. Harry, of course, came along. Meredith didn't put her glove back on, as it became warmer and warmer outside. Soon enough, she took off her jacket. Harry wasn't that wild yet. Then he eventually took off his jacket, getting too warm under the sun that continued to move across the sky. Waves lapped against the snow of shore as the couple returned back to the house's back property at the end of their walk on the beach.

"Tired?" Harry asked, kissing her cheek. His arms snaked around her body.

"No." Meredith swayed in his arms.

"Hungry?"

She shrugged.

Harry kissed her cheek again. "What do you want to do today?"

"Well, we do have those fishing pools," she said, "and it is nice outside."

Laughing, Harry kissed her on the cheek and returned inside. Meredith watched the waves roll in. Even with the sunglasses in, she was almost blinded by the light off the waves and snow. The door creaked from behind her as it swished open. Harry's heavy snow squeaky in the white powder. He brought up the fishing rods. Taking one, Meredith and him went out to the dock that held a bench at the end.

"We probably won't catch much," he admitted.

Meredith wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug. He was so warmth that she thought she might melt. "It doesn't matter as long as I'm with you."

Blushing, Harry baited the hook for her and she cast out, settling herself down the cold bench at the end of the dock. Harry cast out too and sat down beside her. Immediately he held out his arm, and she curled herself into him, wrapping herself up. A chilly breeze came off the ocean, but Meredith welcomed the slight chill. She came closer to Harry.

"How's the family?" she asked.

"Good," he said softly. "They're all good. My grandfather keeps asking about you."

"The Duke of Edinburgh?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"He's just wondering when you're coming over next."

"So I can hide behind a wall again?"

"No." Harry snickered. "Though, it was amusing."

"Anyone else?" she asked, disliking her curiosity about herself. If it was just normal people, she wouldn't care. But she never thought about her boyfriend's family liking her, especially when they were royal. "How about the Queen?"

"Well, um...."

"She doesn't like me?"

"No."

"Well?"

"It's just that, she doesn't take this seriously, us. She wants me to find a nice English girl to settle down with, someone that likes to play by the rules and doesn't step on anyone's toes. You might be the most controversial girlfriend I've ever had because how many toes you step on."

Meredith smiled, proud of herself. "I can see how that might be a problem." Her fingers curled into his warm sweater. "But the Queen is fine, right?" she asked. The Queen hadn't gone to the Christmas church service, which she rarely missed. Harry had gone, when he rarely did. It was rumored that she was on her deathbed, but obviously she wasn't if Harry was here, right?

"Granny is the Queen," he said. "She will continue to be the Queen. She will be fine, like always. She will continue to reign."

"Love may she reign," Meredith said. "And Wills and everyone else?"

"Wills and Kate are good, just trying to raise their kids. Of course the paparazzi goes mad around them, which causes many problems. George and Charlotte are getting so big."

"How old will they be this year?" Meredith asked. "Three and one?"

"Four and two," Harry replied with a smile.

"No," Meredith said. "Charlotte was born in May."

"Of twenty-fifteen."

"But she's getting so old."

He scoffed. "Does it make you feel old?"

"All the time." Meredith shifted her blonde hair so that it stopped hitting her in the face. "And how is your dad and Camilla?"

"Good, good." He sighed.

"What?"

"Dad fears that if his mother, Granny, does die, he will be King."

"That's how the line of succession works, I thought." She met his gaze. "Why is he scared? Hasn't he been preparing for this for a long time?"

"Yes, but now isn't a good time."

"Why?" Meredith couldn't believe that there was a convenient time for someone to die. However, she knew better; she saw through the bullshit. Right now the world was slowly panicking because of all the recent shifts, mostly backward by far-right groups that reminded many people of Nazi Germany. The Queen was a reminder of goodness that can come out of it. She saw the horrors of the past. The Queen stood firm. And then there was Charles, whom Meredith admired, but he was a very quiet man that had some troubles in the past with the media.

"People don't seem to like Dad very much," he admitted. "People can't let it go, and I was angry for a long time. But it's not like people know." Harry sighed, keeping his arm firmly wrapped around her. "But they're good. Everything is good. Everything is fine."

She scoffed. "You can say that t yourself a million times over, but it doesn't make it true."

"Well, everyone is fine and good. I'm worrying about nothing. Granny will be fine. Dad will just be Dad a little longer."

"You won't have a wear a drape for a little longer?"

"Yes. That." He laughed.

Sighing, Meredith pulled out a book and opened it. She began to read aloud, knowing how much Harry liked it, and he followed along, watching the sea and the rods. The lines bobbed up and down. Meredith read, telling him a story. She brought this book to Canada, having not started it, so that they could read it together. Harry didn't much cared as long as she read aloud.

"Is this about princesses?" he asked.

"Yes."

"You're dating a prince. Doesn't that hit a little close to home?"

She stopped. "Well, you've ruined it." Meredith slid away from him.

"Mere, that's not what I--"

Looking back, she laughed. "I'm getting up to reel in. The bobber is being pulled, and someone didn't know because they weren't doing their job." Meredith winked and reeled in her fish, which she then released back into the wild.

"That was a good looking fish," he said solemnly.

"Well, then let the pretty things go free." Meredith sat down beside him and started reading again.