Best Kept Secret

anyone knew his name.
    ‘I’m the ambassador’s private secretary. He has asked if you would be kind enough to come with me.’
    ‘Shall I let Don Pedro know?’
    ‘No,’ said Becky firmly. ‘This will only take a few minutes.’
    Sebastian looked uncertain, but followed her as she weaved her way through the chattering crowd of morning suits and cocktail dresses, and entered the embassy by a side door that was being held
open for her. The ambassador smiled, pleased that the first part of the operation had gone so smoothly.
    ‘I will indeed pass on your best wishes to Her Majesty,’ said the princess, before the ambassador guided her across to the prime minister. Although he tried to concentrate on every
word the princess was saying in case anything needed to be followed up, he allowed himself the occasional glance in the direction of his study window, in the hope of spotting Becky coming back out
on to the terrace, which would be the sign that the meeting between father and son had taken place.
    When he felt that the princess had had quite enough of the prime minister, he moved her on to the mayor.
    ‘How nice to meet you,’ said the princess. ‘Only last week, the Lord Mayor of London was telling me how much he’d enjoyed visiting your city.’
    ‘Thank you, ma’am,’ the mayor replied. ‘I am looking forward to returning the compliment some time next year.’
    The ambassador glanced in the direction of his study, but there was still no sign of Becky.
    The princess didn’t last long with the mayor, and discreetly made it clear that she wanted to move on. The ambassador reluctantly fell in with her wishes.
    ‘And may I be allowed, ma’am, to present one of the city’s leading bankers, Don Pedro Martinez, who I am sure you will be interested to know spends the season at his home in
London every year.’
    ‘This is indeed a great honour, Your Majesty,’ said Martinez, bowing low, before the princess had a chance to speak.
    ‘Where is your home in London?’ enquired the princess.
    ‘Eaton Square, Your Majesty.’
    ‘How very nice. I have a lot of friends who live in that part of town.’
    ‘If that’s the case, Your Majesty, perhaps you’d like to join me for dinner one night. Do bring along anyone you like.’
    The ambassador couldn’t wait to hear the princess’s reply.
    ‘What an interesting idea,’ she managed, before rapidly moving on.
    Martinez bowed low once again. The ambassador hurried after his royal guest. He was relieved when she stopped to chat to his wife, but the only sentence he caught was, ‘What a frightful
little man, how did he ever get invited?’
    Once again, the ambassador glanced towards his study, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Becky walk out on to the terrace and give him a firm nod. He tried to concentrate on what the
princess was saying to his wife.
    ‘Marjorie, I’m desperate for a cigarette. Do you think I could escape for a few minutes?’
    ‘Yes, of course, ma’am. Shall we go back into the embassy?’
    As they walked away, the ambassador turned to check on Martinez. The besotted man hadn’t moved an inch. His eyes were still firmly fixed on the princess, and he didn’t seem to notice
Sebastian quietly returning to his place just a few feet behind him.
    Once the princess had disappeared out of sight, Martinez turned and beckoned Sebastian to join him.
    ‘I was the fourth person to meet the princess,’ were his opening words. ‘Only the president, the prime minister and the mayor were presented before me.’
    ‘What a great honour, sir,’ said Sebastian, as if he’d witnessed the whole encounter. ‘You must be very proud.’
    ‘Humbled,’ said Martinez. ‘This has been one of the great days of my life. Do you know,’ he added, ‘I think Her Majesty agreed to have dinner with me when I’m
next in London.’
    ‘I feel guilty,’ said Sebastian.
    ‘Guilty?’
    ‘Yes, sir. It should be Bruno who’s standing here to share in your triumph, not me.’
    ‘You can tell Bruno all about it once you’re back in London.’
    Sebastian watched the ambassador and his secretary walk back into the embassy, and wondered if his father was still there.
    ‘I’ve only got as long as it takes the princess to smoke a cigarette,’ said the ambassador as he burst into his study, ‘but I couldn’t wait to find out how the
meeting with your son went.’
    ‘He was shocked to begin with, of course,’ said Harry as he slipped his BOAC