The Second Son Page 10

  This made the ambassador grow a few inches in height and have a huge smile on his face. “Where are my manners, can I get you anything?” asked the ambassador.

  “Would love a decent cup of tea,” replied Grenville, smiling.

  “Forbes, tea for two if you please,” said the ambassador.

  “Coming right up,” replied Forbes as he departed.

  “I must admit, my Lord, you do not look like the picture they sent us of you.”

  “I know, was down south in Punta Gora when I had all my luggage stolen, luckily for me met a really nice American couple who lent me the bus fare back to the capital. Once I arrived, I came straight here, hence my appearance,” replied Grenville, smiling.

  “How dreadful,” replied the ambassador without further comment.

  “How much have you been informed, may I ask, Ambassador?” asked Grenville.

  “We know about your brother’s death and your father’s asking the government to urgently track you down so you can come home to take up the mantel, shall we say,” said the ambassador.

  “Excellent,” said Grenville, just as Forbes returned with the tea.

  “After tea, can we get you to have a quick wash up for a photo for your new passport?” asked the Ambassador.

  “That would be wonderful, most kind,” replied Grenville, sipping his tea.

  “Should only take a day or two for a replacement to be issued,” said the ambassador, smiling.

  “You are very efficient,” replied Grenville, smiling.

  “Once finished, please could you follow Forbes here, he will take you for your photograph,” said the ambassador.

  Grenville placed down his cup and saucer and, standing, said, “Lead the way, Forbes old chap.”

  Forbes led Grenville to a wash room. “If you pop in and freshen up a bit I will go find the photographer,” said Forbes.

  “You are most kind, old man,” replied Grenville. Grenville entered the washroom, and went to the sink and stared into the mirror and the face staring back was not him. He smiled and said, “Oh well, back to the rat race.” Looking about he noticed shower gel, shampoo and a towel by the shower and a fresh set of clothes hanging up on a coat hanger, with a new pair of trainers.

  Grenville stood in the shower for five minutes letting the hot water cascade over him. Part one of the plan was now complete; he needed a few more things to fall into place and the plan would be complete. Quickly drying and dressing, Grenville started to laugh at himself; this was the first shower in ages where he would not have to dirty his hair and face again.

  Grenville was surprised on the sizes, but no doubt Mrs Preston would have given then the correct sizes, which made Grenville smile. He was now looking forward to seeing everyone again after his absence. The trousers hung loosely from him, but the shirt was tight against his chest and arms; even Mrs Preston would be surprised at how much he had changed.

  As Grenville left the bathroom, Forbes smiled and said, “Feeling better, my Lord?”

  “Much,” replied Grenville.

  “Can you stand against this white wall, please, my Lord,” said Forbes.

  As Grenville, did as requested the photographer quickly stood in front and said, “Look directly into the lens, sir.”

  The photographer then clicked three times, and said, “Thank you sir, most kind.”

  Grenville nodded his thanks. Forbes said, “This way my Lord, I will take you back to the ambassador.”

  “Lead the way, old man,” replied Grenville, following in Forbes’s wake.

  Back in the Ambassador’s office the ambassador smiled at Grenville and said, “Spoken to the FO that we had located you, and they are going to inform your father.”

  “Most kind, Ambassador,” replied Grenville, taking the offered chair. “Was wondering if I could send the parents a quick email, in person, if that’s OK?” asked Grenville, looking down.

  “Of course, cannot see why not,” replied the Ambassador, moving to his desk and pressing a button on the phone console. “Forbes, can we arrange for the Earl of Eastleigh to send a private email to his parents, to let them know he is well and homeward bound.”

  Forbes immediately replied, “Will arrange it now, ambassador.” Once the line went dead, the ambassador returned to sit with Grenville.

  After a pause, Grenville said, “Ambassador, I was wondering if you could do me a small favour.”

  “Please ask away, my Lord,” replied the Ambassador.

  Reaching into his bag, Grenville extracted the handwritten paper Tom and he had previously drafted for the transfer of S&T Imports. “I have a document from an old friend that I need endorsing, and I was thinking, who better to ask than one of my father’s old school friends?”

  The Ambassador beamed with pride and said, “Would be delighted to.” Passing over the document, the Ambassador went to his desk; as the document was in Russian, Grenville showed the ambassador where to enter his name and sign, but without really reading the document the ambassador signed it and placed his office stamp on it and returned it to Grenville smiling, and said, “There you go, my Lord.”

  “You are the embodiment of diplomacy,” replied Grenville, smiling. After studying the document, Grenville folded it up and placed it in his bag; phase two of the plan was complete.

  Just as Grenville placed the document into his bag, Forbes knocked and entered and said, “Ready for you, my Lord.”

  Grenville stood and said, “Thank you, ambassador.”

  “Take your time, see you before you go,” replied the ambassador, standing.

  Grenville followed Forbes to a nondescript room; opening the door, Forbes said, “Jenkins here will show you the ropes.”

  “Thank you, most kind,” said Grenville.

  “Jenkins here will escort you back to the Ambassador,” said Forbes.

  “You have been most helpful, dear chap, most professional,” said Grenville, smiling. Forbes bowed slightly and left.

  Turning, Grenville smiled at Jenkins and said, “Most kind of you to show me the ropes, old man.”

  Sitting beside Jenkins, he explained to Grenville the laptop and how it worked. He explained it was a top of the range encrypted laptop. “You enter your password here, and see the envelope icon? If that is flashing, you have a message. Open the message and it will be all encrypted. To de-crypt so you can read it, select the hand like a hammer and it will ask for a password. Enter the password and it will open the message. Everything done by a biometric algorithm programme, and same for the reverse: type your message, then encrypt it and then send it to the email address. Things to note is the passwords need to be changed every thirty days, the laptop password and the de-crypt password can never be the same, and for extra security, if you enter an incorrect password for either of the two passwords three times, the whole laptop will wipe.” Suddenly Jenkins stopped talking. “I apologise, my Lord, rambled on a bit there. But obviously, you only need to send a simple email,” said Jenkins, smiling.

  “Amazing stuff and I admire your enthusiasm in your job,” said Grenville, smiling and formulating a new part of the plan.

  Once Jenkins went over the laptop with Grenville, he said, “Do you want me to help you, my Lord?”

  Grenville noticed Jenkins take a sneaky look at the wall clock. Realising it was lunchtime, Grenville decided to push his luck. “No thank you old man, rather personal to the Duke, all things considered.” He was not sure how much Jenkins knew, but was sure Forbes would have explained who he was and needed VIP treatment.

  “Of course, my Lord,” replied Jenkins, sliding his chair to another desk.

  “Look Jenkins old man, I am sure I can handle this, I am sure I can find Forbes to escort me back to the ambassador office. I don’t want you to miss your well-earned luncheon waiting for me, that would make me feel really awful,” said Grenville, smiling.

  “You sure, my Lord?” replied Jenkins, smiling.

  “Our little secret, old man,” said Grenville, winking at a smili
ng Jenkins. Without further comment Jenkins stood and left the room. Grenville stared at the blank screen, and started to laugh. He did not even have a clue what his mother’s or father’s email addresses were, or even if they had one. He could not even remember seeing a computer at Hampton hall.

  Grenville closed the lid and traced the power supply and placed both into his bag. Quietly closing the door behind him, he traced his steps back to the Ambassador’s office. Once there, Grenville gently knocked and he heard, “Enter.” Grenville opened the door, smiling, and entered the room again. The Ambassador came from behind the desk, smiling, and held out his hand and said, “All sorted, my Lord?”

  Grenville took the offered hand and said, “Yes, thank you, feel so much better, have emailed the Duke.” Forbes returned to the Ambassador’s office and was surprised to see Grenville already there.

  “My lord, your passport and first class flight ticket back to England will be ready in two days’ time,” said Forbes. “Where are, you staying?” asked Forbes.

  “Hotel Americano, do you know it?” asked Grenville.

  “Yes, of course,” replied Forbes smiling, “I shall arrange for a car to pick you up at eight in the morning on Wednesday, and take you to the airport,” smiled Forbes.

  “Do you require anything else, some money until you leave?” asked the Ambassador, smiling.

  “No not at all, and fine but thank you for asking,” replied Grenville. “One last indulgence?” asked Grenville. “I have two duffle bags with some items for my father, the Duke, any chance they can go diplomatic?” asked a smiling Grenville.

  “Of course, old chap, Forbes will sort that out, won’t you Forbes.”

  “Of course, Ambassador.”

  Standing, the Ambassador said, “Well, my Lord if nothing else, I have to crack on, diplomacy waits for no man.” He laughed at his own joke. “Forbes here will see you out.”

  Holding out his hand, Grenville shook the Ambassador’s hand and said, “You two are the epitome of why there is still a Great in Britain. Once I am home I will get father to mention you both in the House of Lords,” said Grenville, smiling.

  At the exit, Forbes shook hands with Grenville and watched Grenville go through the gate of the Embassy, and thought to himself, somehow the future Duke of Hampshire has made right mugs of the embassy staff, but for the life of him could not figure out how.

  Smiling, Forbes closed the door. As he did so, Grenville spotted Tom waiting on the other side of the road.

  “Well, don’t you scrub up well,” said a laughing Tom. “Everything OK?” asked Tom.

  “All as per the plan,” said a laughing Grenville. Back at the warehouse, Grenville explained to Tom, “The plan went better than even I imagined, and you are right, don’t embellish the story, stick to known fact, that way you cannot be tripped up,” which made them both laugh.

  “Two days,” said Tom.

  “Yes, old bean. Tomorrow is our last day together.”

  Tom slapped Grenville on the back and said, “Well, we better make it a good one,” to which Grenville agreed.

  Tom and Grenville finalised the plan, and the way to contact each other. Grenville said, “The old PO box is a bit outdated and long winded and time consuming, we need something modern,” at which Grenville produced the laptop and placed it in front of Tom. Grenville opened the laptop and turned it on. “Got this little beauty while I was at the embassy, asked to use a laptop to send a secure message to the folks, bent over backwards to show me how it works. Top of the range encrypted laptop,” said Grenville. “Let me show you how it works.”

  Afterwards all Tom could say was, “Amazing.”

  “Technology, my dear friend. But before we get connected you need to get a phone line run into the place and a modem,” said Grenville.

  “I will sort that as soon as you leave, set up an email address and send it to you,” promised Tom.

  Grenville said, “In the future we can communicate in minutes rather than days by post, and all from the comfort of your own home.” Grenville gave Tom the two passwords for the laptop, and made sure he was conversant in its use before he let it rest.

  Tom looked at Grenville with a smirk and said, “So you stole this laptop.”

  “Not at all,” replied Grenville. “I simply recruited it to our cause,” Grenville went on, smiling.

  “Will the embassy not miss it?” asked Tom.

  “Well, it was in the office when I left, if I am asked,” said Grenville, “and I don’t think they would ever consider or accuse a future Peer of the Realm to be a light-fingered thief. Just not cricket, old boy, bad form,” which made them both laugh.

  Tom went on to explain he had sent three crates homeward bound with uncle Ivor; he was expected to be in England in three months or so. Tom gave Grenville the password he had agreed with Ivor, and made sure Grenville realised the importance of remembering it; if not, their little endeavour would end before it got off the ground.

  That night Tom and Grenville stayed up until nearly dawn, drinking and talking, both trying not to think about the day after next when they would finally go their separate ways. During a silent period, Grenville said, “I want to thank you, Tom.”

  “What for, Duke?” said Tom, smiling.

  “You have given me your friendship and loyalty and since I have been here, your trust.” Turning to Tom and looking sincere, Grenville said, “I promise you Tom, I will never let you down, you can always count on me for anything. This I promise on my family name.” Tom knew what Grenville had said was most probably the most sacred oath he could have made, and it was not given lightly.

  Tom smiled at Grenville. “I knew there was a reason I saved your upper class sorry arse,” replied Tom, which set them both off laughing.

  The day for Grenville’s departure arrived and Tom drove Grenville to the Hotel Americano and parked up.

  “Well,” said Tom.

  “I know,” said Grenville.

  They both hugged and slapped each other on the back.

  “Be safe,” said Tom.

  “You too,” said Grenville. Grenville lifted his two large duffle bags from the Jeep and walked towards the embassy’s waiting car.

  Tom shouted, “Thank you, Grenville,” using his given name for the first time.

  Grenville turned with tears in his eyes and shouted back, “Get that email sorted, you old pirate,” before moving towards the car with the boot open. The chauffeur saluted Grenville and took his bags off him and placed them into the boot. Once Grenville stepped into the car, he closed the car door behind him. The driver did think it was strange that his passenger had come from the opposite direction from the hotel and not from the hotel lobby; but then again, he had worked for the Embassy long enough to know not to ask questions, or ponder on things that did not concern him.

  Tom watched the car drive off towards the airport and as he watched it disappear into the distance, Tom had a smile on his face. He put the Jeep into gear and headed towards home with a new hope for the future.

  As the plane touched down at Heathrow International Airport, Grenville opened his eyes, and smiled. Although he was pleased to finally be home, he knew he was going to miss Tom, but his new quest would drive him on.

  An air hostess came and told Grenville to please stay in his seat until the plane had been disembarked by the other passengers; there were two other diplomatic passengers who stayed in their seats as well. Eventually the air hostess came and asked them to depart the aircraft. At the end of the ramp, a British Airways employee showed them down a flight of stairs to waiting cars. At the bottom of the stairs, Grenville smiled as he saw the family Rolls Royce, with a waiting Newton.

  Grenville smiled as he approached Newton, who stood to attention and gave a smart salute. “Welcome home, my Lord,” said Newton.

  “Thank you, Newton, how’s things at the ranch?” replied Grenville.

  Smiling, Newton replied, “Not good my Lord, not good.”

  “Better get ba
ck then,” said Grenville.

  “I have your luggage already loaded, so we can leave at your convenience,” said Newton as he held the back door open for Grenville. Grenville slept most of the way down to Hampton Hall. Just as they entered the gates, Newton gave a loud stage cough and said, “We have arrived, sir.”

  Opening his eyes, Grenville smiled and said, “Thank you Newton, good chap.” As Newton pulled up the staff had been assembled and his parents were also waiting. Grenville was not looking forward to this one bit. He felt quite guilty that he had spent such a long time away, plus he was only back because of the death of his older brother.

  Newton pulled up at the entrance and stopped, and the door was opened by a footman, who bowed deeply as Grenville exited the car. Grenville went straight to his mother and embraced her, and shook his father’s hand, who said, “Welcome home, my boy.”

  “Thank you, father,” replied Grenville. Grenville turned to the staff and thanked them all for being there and no doubt he would catch up with them over the following days, Grenville noticed Preston and nodded. Preston smiled back. Preston turned and ushered the staff off to their chores. Taking his mother’s arm, Grenville followed his father into the hall.

  Once in the drawing room, his mother spoke for the first time. “Come sit next to me, and let me look at you.” Grenville did as she asked and went and sat next to her and took her hand. Grenville stared into her eyes and noticed that, although still a beautiful lady, the recent events had taken their toll and she was beginning to look her age.

  Grenville smiled at his mother and said, “You look well, mother.”

  “You are sweet, my darling, to say,” replied his mother, “you look so different from when I last saw you. I cannot quite put my finger on it but you have changed,” as she stared intently at him. “What do you think, James?” she asked, looking at her husband.

  Grenville father had been studying his son, and his wife was correct: something had changed in Grenville. He was more confident and relaxed, his time away had made him a man. “I totally agree, my darling, our son is a changed man,” said his father, smiling at them both.