Royal Duchess | BRF Story

Grandparents

"Where are my grandchildren?" The Duchess' mother asks, standing on the family room doorway with her arms open.

Vicky is the first to jump up off the sofa and rans up to her grandmother, who hugs the princess tightly, before hugging the other two children and sitting down next to her daughter and son-in-law.

"And how is my beautiful daughter?"

"Very well, mum. You?"

"Very happy to spend the weekend here. I missed my grandchildren."

"Dorothy!"

The Duke kisses his mother-in-law's cheeks, sitting with Jamie and Vicky who were watching a children's cartoon on the family's television.

"We would like to ask you something, mummy." Princess Mary jumps up to her father's arms, making it possible for the Duchess to look over at her mother.

"You are pregnant."

"No, uhm, not even close." The Duchess had a yellow smile while her mother's disappeared. "George and I were discussing buying you and daddy a house. A bigger one, more private, so that we can go and spend the weekends and half-terms."

"Amelia, your father and I already have a house. There is no need for another one. Even more, our house is close to everything, and to your uncles and Dominik."

"I know mummy. But don't you want to spend more weekends with your grandchildren? If you and daddy had a bigger, more private home you and daddy would be able to see the children more often."

"I... Don't think that is a good idea, Amelia. I am very thankful for your kind idea, however that would not be appropriate."

"Mummy, can we play outside?" Jamie was holding his sister's hand, already half-way across the room, on their way out to go to the gardens.

"Yes, sweetheart. But lunch will be in an hour."

As the older children left the room, Harriet arrived to whisk the youngest for her morning nap before lunch, leaving the three adults alone, to chat.

"Is it because of Dominik isn't it?"

"Amelia, please."

"I know he doesn't like me, mum, I know he doesn't like my children, my husband or my life. And I know he would have much preferred if I had stayed in his shadow for the rest of my life. And that is completely fine." The Duchess gasped, finally noticing she had held her breath for the last few seconds.

"Bee."

"NO! I understand you are in a dreadful situation, but you cannot let him dictate how you will live your life or when you will be seeing your grandchildren. That is not right, mum."

"He has been promoted to director of something, your brother. If he knows you and George bought a house for us with 'public money' he is going to... I don't know what he is going to do, but I know it will not be anything I would like to hear."

"Mum, it is not 'public money', is not even The Queen's or Charles'. Is our money, and if we want to give you and dad something a more expensive than a Christmas card there shouldn't be any problem with that."

"Your father should be arriving soon. It is better if we start with lunch." Mrs Saunders gives her daughter a final smile before leaving for the kitchen to start preparing the meal.

- - -

"Are you coming back, grandma?" Princess Victoria asks her grandmother, who was saying her final goodbyes to her grandchildren while Mr Saunders puts the bags in the back of their car.

"Maybe next weekend, dear. Miss you."

"Miss you more, grandma."

Princess Mary sends a kiss to her grandmother, who immediately smiles, sending a kiss back. With help from her son-in-law, Mrs Saunders sits next to her husband on the passenger seat, opening her window to wave goodbye one last time.

As they drive off, with Kensington Palace now behind them, Mr Saunders clears his throat, looking over at his wife, lost on her thoughts.

"Millie is right you know?" It was a risky move on Mr Saunders part, but he was willing to take it if it meant seeing his grandchildren more often.

"What do you want me to do, Paul? Choose a side? Choose a favourite child?"

"No, of course not, Dotty, but we are not getting any younger and I do miss seeing my grandchildren more often." Mr Saunders stops the car at a red light, looking over to his side, where Paddington Station was located.

"I know you do not like talking about the future, Dotty, however, there will come a time where I won't be able to drive an hour and a half to London anymore, and we'll see our grandchildren only on their birthdays and New Years. And I don't like the thought of not being able to see our daughter's children for more than half the year."

"Well, neither do I, Paul, but I also don't want to see our son writing rubbish about our daughter's family. If we... Accept it I cannot possibly foresee what Dominik would say."

"Then maybe it is time to talk to him, teach him to respect his sister's privacy."

"Paul, I can't."

"If you can't do it I will. He has been saying the most cruel lies about our daughter and our grandchildren. He may not like them, but he has to respect them." They drive off once again, the outside noise the only hearable thing. "I've talked to our lawyers, and I asked George to talk to his lawyers. Dominik will sign an agreement that he will not say a word about our daughter's private life, that includes the house."

"Paul, you can't."

"I can, Dorothy. I understand you don't want to choose sides, but when respect is thrown out the window I will. George said we can sign the house papers in a week, and that he and Amelia will handle the selling of the old house." Mr Saunders looks over at his wife, who seemed in a loss for words. "I am doing this for the both of us, Dotty. It is what's best."