Princess in Training (Prince Harry #3)

Chapter Thirty-Three

It was a late morning getting up. Curtains had been drawn the night before, blocking out as much light as possible. Summer in Scotland always left Meredith awake. The sun never truly went away. Harry was up at the usual time, but Meredith just rolled over. She didn't get much sleep in London, so her time away was nice.

Harry cooked breakfast when he slowly felt the time coming to wake her up, especially as it neared noon. Going upstairs, Meredith snored on the bed. Gently he woke her. Her eyes opened blinking, and a groan escaped her lips. When her eyes landed on Harry funny, she grinned.

"Good morning." She glanced at the clock. "Good afternoon," Meredith amended.

Leaning down, Harry kissed her. "I have breakfast downstairs waiting for you."

"You could let it get cold and come back to bed with me?" she suggested.

"Do you plan on wasting your last day in Edinburgh like this?"

Meredith contemplated it. This wasn't the last day in Edinburgh, but this wasn't the last day like this: waking up late and just spending the whole day as just them. At least she hoped. She needed to do something today, especially when she had the chance to be this close. Meredith needed to go back. If Harry knew she was thought, his suggestion was to stay in bed all day. This close, when Dalkeith was just outside the city, she had to go.

Pulling herself out of bed, they went downstairs and ate, where she told him the plans for the day.

"We could go to Musselburgh instead, or North Berwick?" Harry recommended. "We could go see puffins."

"I want to go to Dalkeith, and I'll go there by myself if need be."

"Why?"

"Obviously for Franco's and the fish and chips."

"Mere, I know you'll go to Dalkeith Palace. Let's try to forget about Jack Campbell."

Meredith hadn't told Harry about the woman at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral. With this bad feeling, perhaps Jack Campbell was making a comeback. Or perhaps-- hopefully-- it was nothing. Maybe Meredith was wrong.

"I'm going." Her voice was strong. It wasn't her first time back to Dalkeith, and she wasn't going to allow the place to be haunted by Jack Capmbell. There were many good times there, especially with Rachel and Chloe. "Would you like to come with?"

"You're stubborn. You know that, right?"

Meredith smiled happily at him. "Don't say it like it's a bad thing."

When they finished eating, they both changed and then it was off to Dalkeith. When they originally met, Harry hadn't known the way. Now it stuck in his mind like a thorn. While he had gone there enough times to pick her up for their many adventures, the one time with Jack Campbell burned into his mind. He felt vulnerable as he parked on the grounds and stepped out of the car.

Through the old gates laid a large green, flat meadow with no one overgrown blade of grass. No weeds grew either. Going down the hill and standing there, Harry surveyed the area. There was the house, which was once a palace, which was once a castle. Meredith used to call it a palace, but after living in Kensington Palace and being in Buckingham Palace, she saw the differences.

Her fingers interwove with Harry's, and she pulled him forward. Her thumb ran over the back of his hand. It was another rainy day in Scotland, but she had no cares. By the evening rolled around, the sun would surely come out. A dark haze had fallen over the palace, and Meredith looked at the dark and barred windows.

The Scotland program through the University of Wisconsin system continued to flourish, even after the tragedy of Sofia and Veronica. On the week long break between module, where Meredith had spent her time in Germany and in London with Harry, it was meant to be dark.

Walking along the path, she chose to go into the woods. It meant walking past where Meredith had pushed Jack down the hill-- and somehow he survived-- but Meredith powered through it. The large, stone bridge eclipsed over the small creek, just to prove the family had money, and soon they crossed into the woods area.

The more they walked through the woods, the less the palace was thought about. The bright green leaves making canopies guided the path as the sun sparked on above them. Heat shifted through the branches instead of a cooling breeze. Harry shed his coat.

Meredith planted a kiss on his lips.

"What was that for?" he asked with a chuckle.

"For always being there," Meredith said sincerely.

Harry smiled brightly. "I'm not sure I'm always there." If there hadn't been arguments about it, he thought he was. But during the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral, there had been a question. "I think that's more directed at you. You're always there."

"I did spent two and half years away from you, at university."

"Yes, but that's not a bad thing, Mere." Harry wrapped his arms around his fiancee. "You were just being educated and being smart or whatever."

"Being smart or whatever?"

"Yes. That is what I said."

Rolling her eyes, she led him back down the path. "I want Dalkeith to be a happy place," Meredith admitted. "I want the memories of Rachel and Chloe to be prevalent, which is why I come back. I take you back here because I want good memories besides you always picking me up in the parking lot. The only time you were ever on the grounds was that night with Jack.

"This place is happy," Meredith said. "Scotland is happy. It's where I met you, and I can't get over how absolutely gorgeous it is. There are bad memories, but Scotland doesn't deserve them. I want the happiness that I know Scotland can provide."

"I feel like you could leave me for Scotland any moment." Harry meant it as a joke but the hesitation on Meredith's face showed something different. "Do you like London, Mere?"

"Absolutely." She meant it truly. "Yet, it's nice to get away. It's nice to not be bothered. It's nice to not be watched." Meredith curled her arms around Harry. "I'm also just happy to be anywhere that you are."