Best Kept Secret

someone will recognize me?’
    ‘Not if you’re bidding by phone.’

38
    ‘I F YOU’LL BE kind enough to stand here, Mr President,’ said the ambassador. ‘Her Royal Highness will come to you first.
I’m sure you’ll have a lot to talk about.’
    ‘My English not good,’ said the president.
    ‘Not to worry, Mr President, HRH is used to coping with that problem.’
    The ambassador took a pace to his right. ‘Good afternoon, Prime Minister. You will be the second person to be presented to the princess, once she’s finished her conversation with the
president.’
    ‘Could you remind me of the correct way to address Her Majesty?’
    ‘Of course, sir,’ said the ambassador, not correcting his faux pas. ‘Her Royal Highness will say “Good afternoon, Prime Minister”, and before you shake hands, you
should bow.’ The ambassador gave a slight nod to demonstrate. Several people standing nearby began to practise the movement, just in case. ‘Having bowed, you will then say, “Good
afternoon, Your Royal Highness.” She will open the conversation with a subject of her choice, to which you can respond appropriately. It is not considered courteous for you to ask her any
questions, and you should address her as ma’am, which rhymes with jam, not harm. When she leaves you to move on to the mayor, you bow once again, and say, “Goodbye, Your Royal
Highness.”’
    The prime minister looked perplexed.
    ‘HRH should be with us in a few minutes,’ said the ambassador, before moving on to the Mayor of Buenos Aires. He gave him the same instructions, before adding, ‘Yours will be
the last official presentation.’
    The ambassador couldn’t miss Martinez, who had placed himself a couple of feet behind the mayor. He could see that the young man standing by his side was Harry Clifton’s son.
Martinez headed straight for the ambassador, leaving Sebastian in his wake.
    ‘Will I get to meet Her Majesty?’ he asked.
    ‘I was hoping to present you to Her Royal Highness. So if you’d be kind enough to stay exactly where you are, Mr Martinez, I’ll bring her across as soon as she’s finished
talking to the mayor. But I’m afraid that does not include your guest. The princess is not accustomed to having to speak to two people at once, so perhaps the young gentleman would be kind
enough to stand back a little.’
    ‘Of course he will,’ said Martinez, without consulting Sebastian.
    ‘Now, I’d better get going, or this show will never get off the ground.’ The ambassador made his way across the crowded lawn, avoiding stepping on the red carpet, as he walked
back into his office.
    The guest of honour was seated in a corner of the room, smoking a cigarette and chatting to the ambassador’s wife. A long, elegant ivory cigarette holder dangled from her white gloved
hand.
    The ambassador bowed. ‘We’re ready, ma’am, whenever you are.’
    ‘Then let’s get on with it, shall we?’ said the princess, taking one last puff before stubbing out her cigarette in the nearest ashtray.
    The ambassador accompanied her out on to the balcony, where they paused for a moment. The bandmaster of the Scots Guards raised his baton, and the band began to play the unfamiliar sound of the
guest’s national anthem. Everyone fell silent, and most of the men copied the ambassador and stood rigidly to attention.
    When the last chord had been played, Her Royal Highness proceeded slowly down the red carpet and on to the lawn, where the ambassador first introduced her to President Pedro Aramburu.
    ‘Mr President, how nice to see you again,’ the princess ventured. ‘Thank you for a most fascinating morning. I did so enjoy seeing the assembly in session, and having lunch
with you and your cabinet.’
    ‘We were honoured to have you as our guest, ma’am,’ he said, delivering the one sentence he had rehearsed.
    ‘And I have to agree with you, Mr President, when you said that your beef is the equal of anything we can produce in the Highlands of Scotland.’
    They both laughed, although the president wasn’t sure why.
    The ambassador glanced over the president’s shoulder, checking that the prime minister, the mayor and Mr Martinez were all planted in their correct positions. He noticed that Martinez
couldn’t take his eyes off the princess. He gave Becky a nod, and she immediately stepped forward, took her place behind Sebastian, and whispered, ‘Mr Clifton?’
    He swung round. ‘Yes?’ he said, surprised