Allies

Chapter 4

A white envelope with gold leaf detail arrived in the White House residence the first morning after P returned from her tour. P opened it while she and the kids sat at the kitchen island, eating breakfast in their pajamas.

The Royal Chamberlain is commanded by the Queen to invite:

President and Mrs. Robert Conoroy

To the marriage of Her Royal Highness Poppy Princess of Wales with Mr. Fritz Neumann at Westminster Abbey on Friday, February 10th at 11:00 a.m.

"Nannie, look at this, the Princess invited me to go to her wedding!" P handed the invitation to her daughter, who examined it with wide eyes.

"Can I go, please?" Nannie begged, pressing her little hands together.

"It says no kids allowed," P lied with a sad look. "But I bet you can watch on TV!"

"Will I see you on TV?" Ben piped up.

"Maybe, I think I'll wear a fancy hat. That's what everyone wears to royal weddings."

The kids and P talked about what happens at weddings with princes and princesses. P told Manon that, no, birds don't hold up her veil and had to tell Ben that they unfortunately do not shoot cannons. The conversation continued all through getting dressed and brushing teeth, and on the way to the solarium for Manon's preschool class. Ben liked to go look at the other kids getting ready for class, each day asking if he could go too. She reminded him that in the fall he could go too, and that Nannie would go to a different school for kindergarten.

Similarly to what other First Ladies had done with their young children, P organized a preschool class of the 3 and 4 year olds of administration officials. It was nice that Manon could stay in the house while she adjusted, but still was able to socialize regularly. The solarium was beautiful and filled with toys and books and little tables. A small line of hooks hung on a wall where parents and grandparents were helping the kids hang up their jackets.

P's heart sunk when Bill turned around, his foxlike eyes flashing. Bill's grandson, Bill III, ran from his grandpa's feet to give Ben a hug.

"Hello, Penelope," Bill greeted with a sly grin.

"Mrs. Conoroy," she corrected quietly. "How are you, Mr. Riley?"

"I just got a lot better," he smirked.

"Yes, I love dropping my daughter off too," she continued, ignoring his comment.

P knelt down and gave Manon a tight hug. "I'll see you when school is over. How about I take you and Ben swimming?"

Nannie grinned and nodded before running over to join her friends on a brightly colored carpet. "Come on, Benji. Time to go back upstairs." Ben ran over and grasped P's hand.

"Catch you later, Penelope."

P didn't give Bill the satisfaction of glancing back over her shoulder to correct him again.

---

"Liza, look at this one!" P called, narrowing her eyes at her laptop screen.

"I suppose like that," said Liza. "You could wear that with any dress, really."

P was browsing hats while she took a break from researching some information about Mohammed and his followers. "I think it'll be nice. I'll have to pay for express shipping, the wedding is kind of late notice."

"Its quite scandalous, actually. I heard it's because of Prince Phillip's health."

P frowned. "That's too bad. When I lost both of my parents I could barely function. It was rough."