Princess Adeline of Wales

Chapter Nine: Happy New Year

31st of December 1997 - Sandringham House

"Adeline?" Charles asked surprised to see his daughter curled up in a corner with a book on her lap, it was late and everyone was gathered together downstairs getting ready to count down to the New Year. 

Christmas had been rather uneventful in his opinion anyway and he was glad to be away from the press without them watching every move that they made; he had even enjoyed playing some board games with his boys. 

"Why aren't you with the others?" Charles questioned sitting down next to her, he had been on his way back from the bathroom when he had found her and he wracked his mind on when she might have slipped away. 

Adeline shrugged her shoulders, her fingers brushing against the pages of the book that she was holding; her eyes focusing on the page that she had been reading to herself. 

Charles sighed, his talk with his sister springing to mind and while he had been successful in speaking with his sons about their loss; he just could not find the right words to say to Adeline. 

She had always been a quiet child and at times she remembered him much of himself when he had been her age; he found it hard to speak with her especially when Diana had been the one that had encouraged her love of reading. 

Clearing his throat, Charles looked down at the book that she was holding; his eyes catching on the title and he recalled that it had been the book that Diana had picked out for Adeline. 

"Could I have a look?" Charles said not wanting to seem rude, he was relieved when Adeline handed the book over to him even if she did look wary as she did so. 

Staring down at the title, Charles furrowed his brow trying to recall if he had heard anything about Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone; he was sure that he had not heard of it before. 

"Is it any good?" Charles asked gingerly, the book was one of the last gifts that Adeline had received from her mother and he was sure that it was something that she treasured now. 

Diana had always encouraged their daughter's love for reading and when they had lived together, he had often found her curled up on the couch with Adeline next to her as she read to her.

Of course, she had done the same with their sons when they were younger but William and Harry had both become rather sporting young boys who loved to run around more than sit and read most of the time. 

Charles had done his part to get involved but he felt rather out of place when they had Diana to lean upon and have fun with; he felt they thought he was rather stuffy and no fun at all. 

"I haven't read it yet..." Adeline whispered looking down at her hands, she had flipped through the pages all the same but she had not been able to read it yet; it was like if she did then she would lose what she had with her mother. 

Every time that she picked up the book, all she could think about was her mother and the fact that she would never get to read it with her by the fireplace. 

Charles frowned at that, it did not seem like the sort of thing that Adeline would do and he guessed that Anne had been right about how lost she had seemed since her mother had died. 

"Would you like me to read it to you?" Charles asked nervously, he looked down at the book knowing that this was the sort of thing that Diana would have done but he would understand if she said no. 

The last thing he wanted was to take away something that Adeline thought of in relationship to her mother; she was only ten and it did not seem fair that she would spend the rest of her life without her.