The Prince's Secret (Prince Harry Fanfic)

Part 17 - Spilled Beans

Samantha

It was late December, and work at the riding stables was slow. Since there were few lessons and almost no hacks in the park, I was only working a few hours a day, split between morning and evening barn chores. This gave me a lot of time during the day to sew...and think. I tried texting my friends back home, but they were busy with their own holiday plans, and I could tell we were beginning to drift apart.

My dad called and offered to pay for flights so I could spend Christmas with him and his wife. I seriously considered the offer, but eventually declined. I knew he would pressure me to return to Vancouver, to apply to grad school, or get a job somewhere in the fashion industry, and at the moment I didn't want to do any of those things.

And what I did want to do...well, I couldn't talk about it. I didn't know much about hanging out with "the royals" but I knew better than to discuss my new royal friendship with anyone.

Desperate for some company, I headed off to the Sleeping Lion in the early evening dusk to meet Randa before she went off on a skiing holiday with her family. Even though it had been about a week since my debatable date with Harry, I still seemed to sense his presence in the dark booth in the back, so I took a seat at the bar.

There were only a few of the old regulars in the pub. They greeted me with smiles and nods as I slid onto a stool at the end of the bar, close to where Tom was polishing glasses.

"So you decided to have Christmas here in London with us, Sammy girl?" he asked. "Not going back to Canada to be with your family?"

"Now how could I leave London when all my friends are here?" I asked, gesturing around the place just as Randa plopped on the barstool next to me.

"Oh, I think there's someone that's kept you here in London, all right," Tom said, winking at me. "Even if he is off in Norfolk just now."

I sucked in a breath. Sandringham, the Queen's private residence, was in Norfolk. It was common knowledge that the royals spent the holidays there. Tom must have recognized Harry the afternoon I brought him to the pub.

"Who's in Norfolk?" Randa asked.

Tom shook his head. "Oh, no one of any importance."

I tried to give Tom the eye but he didn't see it.

Randa zeroed in on me. "Are you seeing someone?" she asked, indignant. "You are, aren't you! Why haven't you told me?"

Now Tom realized his mistake, but it was too late. "Oh, I'm just teasing our Sammy here. I'm sure if she were serious about a feller she'd tell you all about him." He shot me an apologetic look that was so blatantly obvious Randa had no trouble understanding it.

"Sam? What's going on?"

"Really, there isn't anyone," I said. "I just had lunch with someone last week. Tom's just teasing me. It wasn't like a date or anything."

"No, it definitely weren't a date," Tom said stoutly. "You know she wouldn't keep you in the dark if it were a date."

"Who did you have lunch with?" Randa asked.

I grabbed her arm. "Please, can you keep it down? It's nothing. Absolutely nothing. There isn't anything to tell."

"You're working really hard at telling me nothing. Too hard. Nothing would be easy to tell. This is something."

I should have known I couldn't keep this a secret from Randa. She was like a bulldog. She would not let go of this until I either made up a plausible lie...or told her the truth.