Princess in Training (Prince Harry #3)

Chapter Twelve

She came highly recommended from Bodyguard Bill and she easily got along with Meredith, so it was only a natural fit. Meredith went hard on all the candidates, scaring a few of them, but this woman wasn't put off. With a past in the armed forces and other services, it was odd that this woman decided to be a bodyguard when she had a bright future elsewhere, yet Meredith welcomed it.

When it came time for their first event together, the transition was easy. Meredith didn't even know Bodyguard Bella was there. Bella followed Meredith around almost too quietly, which made Meredith jump (and that happened quite often). Bella was attentive but also realized that Meredith needed alone time as well as Bella trusted Meredith to make the right decision, where Jessica did not. Bella was smart and quick. Sometimes she knew what was about to come out of Meredith's mouth before Meredith did, and Bella was never offended by something Meredith said. It was perfect.

"Hmm," Meredith hummed as she had gone out and Bella stationed herself at the front of the door. While Meredith glanced through all the wedding dresses in late April, nothing called out to her. They at least had a theme Meredith wanted for her wedding dress: white. None of this was Meredith's idea to go wedding dress looking, but the designer was out of options because Meredith's only request was pockets. "What do you think of this one?"

"It's nice," Bella said dryly.

"You don't care, do you?"

"Ma'am, no," Bella replied quickly. "I didn't mean to offend--"

"Ha! I don't care. It's a wedding dress. Some people will like it. Some people won't. I wear it once. A lot of pictures are taken." Meredith looked at the wedding dresses, a glass of champagne in her hand. While the attendant had tried to stay, Meredith politely and aggressively told her to leave. "I wish I cared more, but I just don't. What do you care about?"

"Your protection, ma'am."

"Do you know why I chose you, Bella?" Meredith asked and turned her attention to the other woman. "My bodyguard is supposed to be bigger than me, easier for them to protect me. But you're shorter than me. I don't like when females are taller than me."

"Because you're already so tall?"

"Exactly. It's a complex." Meredith shifted at the dresses, finding nothing she liked. "I need to choose something and look like I have an idea what I'm doing. The Queen wants to know more details, but I have none."

"You're meeting with the Queen this afternoon, ma'am."

"Yes, I am. I think she might like me." That was probably a good thing. "What do you think of this?"

"It's nice, ma'am."

Meredith suppressed a shrug, since it was unladylike. "Huh." Turning to her bodyguard, Meredith said, "Let's go," and they went. Thankfully the wedding dress shoppe was discrete, so no paparazzi were outside-- or at least that was the thought. After crossing the street, the paparazzi came out of nowhere, and Bella backed up against Meredith, trying to keep Meredith going straight to the car.

Keeping her head up and shoulders back, Meredith walked forward, showing no distress of the world around her. It was usual. Bodyguard Bella kept the paparazzi back, even though she threatened to get lost in the sea of men. Meredith curled her fingers into Bella's shirt so that didn't happen. Cameras were shoved forward. If there was ever a barrier to keep paparazzi away, there wasn't one now. Meredith didn't show anything.

"Jack Campbell says hi."

Meredith whipped around. Cameras shoved in her face, and the men behind them screamed in British voices. Yet it wasn't British-- it sounded exactly like Jack. Turning through the crowd, her height allowed her to see over some of the men, but it wasn't enough. With all the passerby's, it held the ability to be anyone.

"Ma'am," Bella called, "this way."

It was hard to look away, but Meredith moved with her bodyguard. The car slammed forward, and Meredith was pushed in. Don't show fear, Meredith repeated mentally. I am not weak. I am not weak. Pasting a smile on her face, Meredith slowly became natural in the backseat. The car raced away with Bella in the front seat.

"Ma'am, are you okay?"

"Yep." Meredith looked at the buildings going by. "We need CCTV footage of around us. If we can't get that, we're going to need the photos from the paparazzi."

"Ma'am?"

"Someone in the crowd-- I don't know-- but it was the same voice. It sounded like Jack Campbell, but it can't be." Meredith didn't know for sure. "It's the same saying. I just don't understand why. He already said hi; does he have anything else to say?" Meredith rambled and she knew it. But every part in her being was trying to find a reason. "He wants something, or he wouldn't be taunting me like this."

"When we get back to Kensington, I'll contact--"

"No, we're going to Buckingham Palace. Now."

"What about His Royal Highness Prince Harry--"

"He'll know soon enough," Meredith said. "I have an appointment with the Queen, and I'm going to keep it." Call it either strong-willed or strong-headedness, Meredith was both when it came to getting what she wanted. "What do you think he wants?" she asked her bodyguard, who had an extensive past dealing with creeps. It was another reason Bella was hired with her background containing a stint in an anti-stalking unit.

"He wants to hurt you because then it would hurt His Royal Highness Prince--" Bella said.

"Harry. You think this all comes back to Harry?"

"Yes and no. It all started with the prince, and it expanded to you, ma'am. You have everything that Mister Campbell has always wanted, even if he doesn't know he wants."

"You think he's in love with Harry?"

"It may have started out as admiration, but it grew to be too much. Her heart became involved, which led to--"

"This." Meredith took a deep breath in the back of the black and sleek car. "It all comes back to Harry because of Jack loving him-- the obsession bit. Then he wants to hurt me so he can hurt Harry, but also just hurt me, I'm a plus. I have what he wants." Sitting back in the car, Meredith shook her head. "I knew when I met Jack, he was fucking weird, but I thought he just had a weird thing with ankles."

"Ankles, ma'am?"

"Yep. I found Jack a few times under tables and couches, and he would say it's hide and seek," Meredith said. "We played hide and seek in Dalkeith Palace because there were so many places to hide. When I asked people about it, they didn't know a game was going on."

"Are you sure it wasn't a foot or shoe thing?"

Meredith suppressed another shrug. "Who knows? But he likes to tickle the back of people's ankles, like that's not weird at all." Smiling, Meredith at least brought a happy tone to the next question, "Not what you signed up for?"

"It's going to be tough, ma'am, but I like a challenge."