The Prince's Secret (Prince Harry Fanfic)

Part 66 - Mark My Words

Samantha

"Here, now," Tom said, his voice gruff. "I won't be having any fights in my pub. I don't take it from the boys when they're watching the football match and I'm not going to take it from ladies neither." He gestured towards the door and fixed his gaze on Meg. "I think it's time for you to go."

Meg turned on him, her eyes narrowed. "Oh, really? Do you know who I am? You can't just throw me out!"

"It's my pub and I bloody well can throw out anyone I feel like!" Tom growled. "I don't care who you're hooked up with. He's got the title and the manners to go with it. You don't. Ain't nothing that says I have to bow and scrape to someone who isn't even married to a prince yet...and probably never will be."

The old gents at the bar were now turned around to watch the free entertainment, muttering amongst themselves.

"You'll regret this," Meg said to him. And again, looking back at me, she hissed, "And so will you. Mark my words. By next week you'll be wishing you'd done as I suggested."

She flounced out of the pub, slamming the door behind her. The gents at the bar laughed and returned to watching the TV.

"I'm sorry," I said to Tom. "I didn't mean to make a scene."

"Wasn't your fault, Sammy girl." He stared after Meg and shook his head. "There's a word for women like her, and I'm not going to say it in front of you ladies. She's got no class, that one. No manners. Ol' Ginger's better off without her in his family, that's for sure. No wonder all his staff is running for the hills."

Randa leaned in, and I thought she was going to give me a hug. Instead she pulled at the hood of my sweatshirt. Because of course, the day I finally met up with Harry's fiancee, my supposed rival, I was wearing a scruffy barn hoodie and work jeans.

"What are you doing back there?" I asked, as she yanked harder at my hood.

"Just...retrieving...this!" she said triumphantly, holding up her phone.

Tom and I both stared at her.

Randa messed about with the screen for a second, then held it out, Meg's voice quite clearly coming from it. "I set it to record and dropped it in your hood when you left the bar."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"If you knew it was in there you'd have been self-conscious. It works better if you're unaware. And obviously she didn't know it was in there. So did we get anything good?"

I hugged Randa fiercely. "You're amazing, you know that?"

I took the phone and scrolled the recording back until we could hear Meg's muffled voice saying "I can put a million dollars cash in your hands tonight if you are on the next flight out of London."

Tom stepped back, eyes wide. "Maybe you need a lawyer, Sammy girl."

I shook my head. "My dad's a lawyer, actually. Corporate, but I'm sure he can find me someone if I need it. But just wait till Harry hears this." I couldn't help but smile. "This may be just what he needs to get things done."

We made several copies of the recording and stored them in different places. Randa kept a copy and I emailed one to my dad, just in case, asking him not to listen to it unless I directed him to. One of these days I was going to have to have a long talk with him about Harry, and what I thought the future would hold, but I didn't want to have the conversation just yet.

Harry had left the day before on a week-long trip to Malawi, working with African parks in their efforts to save elephants and their habitat, so his texts were sporadic and it was almost impossible to get him on a call. I decided to wait until he returned before I let him know of Randa's recording. I sent him the usual bedtime text and turned in.

I woke the next morning to a flurry of texts...all from Randa.

R: OMG you wont believe it

R: The Lion has been shut down!

R: Stopped by this AM and there was a notice on the door

R: Health inspectors shut it down and told Tom he would have to appear in court

R: You know what? I think Meg had something to do with it

R: Can u get Harry to do something?

R: We have to help Tom out!

You'll regret this, Meg had said as Tom tossed her out yesterday. And with a sickening feeling, I knew that this was probably just the beginning of the harassment Meg had in store for me—and those I cared about.