"He said that he wants me to tell you that it was all a misunderstanding," Poppy added, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, a misunderstanding." P sighed. "Well I suppose I can't avoid him any longer."
"I can have him room at the other end of the palace for the night, and you can stay with me," Poppy suggested with a grin.
"That sounds inviting," P laughed, "but I need to face my problems."
"Elsie told me his flight is getting in at 8," Poppy glanced at her watch. "So we have a few more hours. What would you like to do?"
P frowned. "Hm, do you have stables here?"
"The Royal Mew- it's where all of the horses are trained for official ceremonies, but we keep or family horses there as well to keep them exercising."
"Why don't we go for a ride? I haven't been since before I was pregnant, and I miss it."
"Of course! I'll call a car and have the horses brought out to the countryside. Lets go!"
P dressed quickly in some riding clothes supplied by the palace. Jan was eager to join in, and in a matter of minutes P, Poppy, and Jan were being escorted to a waiting car outside of the palace.
"This will be so much fun, I have been trapped inside for days," Poppy commented.
"Jan and I both competed as children, I hope you'll be able to keep up with us," P joked, grinning at the princess.
"I'll have you know I took lessons three times a week until I was 14," Poppy sniffed, trying to keep a straight face.
P felt happier than she had in days, the children were at Buckingham Palace playing with their cousins and their royal friends, she was going to get some fresh air with her best friends, and Bobby was out of her mind for the moment. She glanced out the window and realized that the small motorcade had arrived at their destination.
"It's beautiful out here, Poppy!" Jan gushed.
Rolling green hills with lush grass waving in the wind backed up to thick woods. A few small, thin brooks lined with gray rocks broke up the landscape, their water clear and bubbling. "My family bought it a few years ago, it's the perfect distance from the palace and the guard has made sure it is perfectly secure for us."
P and the others climbed from the car, breathing in the crisp, cool air. The First Lady buttoned up her gray wool riding coat and turned at the sound of tires on gravel. A trail of 3 trucks toting trailers pulled to a stop, and the respective drivers led horses over to the women.
"Jan, why don't you take Lightning," Poppy suggested, motioning to a beautiful white horse. "I'll take my usual, Dashing."
P looked to the remaining horse. It had sleek, black fur and a long mane. Something in her chest twinged painfully. "This is Lace, P," Poppy introduced. "She's very gentle."
P's arms felt like lead as she reached for the horse's soft face. A black horse almost identical to this one had followed Michael's casket at his funeral. A rush of emotions overcame the First Lady, and she struggled not to cry. "Well let's get going," P managed to force out. Mr. George and the other secret service agents watched closely and nervously as P and Jan climbed onto their horses. The agents were most definitely on edge, and she happened to know Mr. George's particular distaste for her riding horses. He couldn't ride himself, and felt that he couldn't protect her.
Poppy was about to say something, but P was impatient, and her horse took off. Lace was one of the fastest horses P had ever been on. She maneuvered across the landscape, dodging rocks and small shrubs. With almost no direction from P, Lace leaped over one of the narrow brooks. For a split second, while P and her horse were suspended in the air, the wind blowing stray strands of her brown hair back from her face, the complete silence that filled the countryside, she felt at peace. The events of the past months had left her mind for the time being.
However, horses must come back to the ground, and P must come back to reality.
---
"The president's car has arrived, your majesty," Elsie informed Poppy. P and Poppy and Jan exchanged looks before rushing to the window of Buckingham Palace. The continual riots opposing the proposed raise in taxes to aid the Middle East were still going. P could see Bobby's motorcade stop outside of the palace. Her husband ducked out of the car, waved quickly, and rushed inside.
She turned into Jan and Poppy. "Thabks for the back up, but I need to speak to him alone."
"You're welcome," Poppy smiled reassuringly, patted P on the arm, and brushed from P's suite.
"If you want to sleep in my room the door is open," Jan said. She kissed P on the cheek and left her alone.
P looked around the room and decided she would wait on one of the gorgeous velvet couches. There was a commotion in the hall, and the door to P's suite swung open.
"P!" Bobby burst in, looking disheveled. His tie was loosened, his pale blue oxford shirt rumpled with the sleeves shoved half way up his forearms, his usually immaculate hair messy. She noticed quite a bit more gray had sprouted, moving away from its concentration at the temples to speckle all over his head.
"Robert," P greeted. Her husband rushed to her and pulled her into a tight hug. P didn't return it.
Bobby pulled back, looking saddened. "You have to let me explain."
"Honestly, I don't want to hear it." P walked to the window to gaze over the protestors outside of the palace. She felt a twinge of guilt- so many people were against her husband, and now she was too.
"Penelope, I didn't invite her." Bobby took a seat on the windowsill. "I didn't even see the guest list, I promise."
"And I didn't either," P snapped. "But I would think that you would have made it clear after she humiliated me on your birthday that she wasn't invited. Or you think I like having your affairs rubbed in my face?"
"Affairs?" Bobby roared. "You think I'm cheating on you?"
P snorted. "I don't think, I know!"
"You think after everything that has happened I would go off and cheat on you?"
"That's why it hurts."
Bobby's face softened. "I would never. Noel was at the house, yes, but only after Steven invited her. I was on the boat the whole time, I-" he paused. "I hadn't slept in over a week."
"Why?" P questioned.
"Nightmares," Bobby answered. "I still have them."
P frowned. "That doesn't excuse the birthday party."
"Steve planned the whole thing without consulting me. I knew there would be entertainers- but not her." Bobby laughed, shaking his head with anger. "I'm sure he thought the whole 'Marilyn' look was hilarious."
"I'll say." P felt her heart wrench. "But why were you with her in the hallway? Why would you do that to me?"
"After the party she's been harassing me by phone and clearly in person. She has sent me gifts and flowers, right to the Oval Office. You don't think I'm embarrassed? For my staff to think those things of me?" Bobby signed heavily. "I would never betray my family like that. So, at the party, I was going to leave for the night so I didn't have to talk to her, and she followed me. She was all over me, but I was going to have a talk with her so she would get the point. And then you came."
"So all this time..."
Bobby nodded. "Nothing. Not one thing happened."
And with that, a crushing weight was gone from P's chest.
***
Poppy woke up early, yawning as she stretched in the dim dawn light. Rubbing her eyes, she slipped on her silk robe and fluffy slippers and made her way down the corridor, as she did every morning when she woke, to the nursery. She pushed the door open silently, whispering, "Good morning my -"
She broke off when she saw Fritz in the rocking chair next to the two cribs. He held Mary Adelaide in his arms, rocking her gently as her soft cries began to subside. "That's it, Addy. Go back to sleep."
For a moment Poppy was frozen in the doorway, a small smile creeping onto her face. She leaned against the frame, watching as he coaxed her back to slumber. He's so good with her, she thought. Snapping herself out of her daydream, she walked forward quietly.
Fritz looked up, and quickly but gently moved Mary back to her crib. "Sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't want her to wake up her brother."
Poppy shrugged. "It's fine." She made her way towards him slowly, thinking of what to say. Things should be awkward now, with him trying to get between her and Will. But...it didn't feel that way. "Why are you up so early?"
"I heard Addy crying and I didn't want her to wake you. I thought you deserved some sleep."
Poppy found herself blushing. Stop! she scolded herself. "Oh. Er, thanks."
He got up, and she noticed how close she had gotten. She gulped, looking up at him. "How did you sleep, Pops?"
She blinked. Why couldn't she focus? "Um, well. Thank you for asking."
"I'm worried about you."
"W-why?"
Fritz moved around her, putting his hands on her shoulders and beginning to give her a massage. "You have too much on your plate lately. What with the babies and the U.S. demanding all that money. I don't want you to get too stressed."
Poppy's eyes began to close. "I have been - a little stressed, I guess."
"You should take a vacation."
She laughed. "Where do you suggest?"
"Germany."
Poppy was snapped out of her little haze. "What? Germany?"
He grinned sheepishly. "My parents want me to visit."
"And you want me to go with you?"
"I need you to go."
Poppy sighed. "Is this just another way for you to come between William and I?"
"I don't believe I'm the only thing coming between you and good old Will."
"Stop saying things like that," she pleaded. They got to her - more than she liked to admit.
Before he could say another word, the door opened and both of them looked to see their interrupter. "William!" Poppy exclaimed. She wished she had acted nonchalantly, like it was perfectly fine that she was here with Fritz and the babies. Unfortunately, she did not have a poker face - she was a deer in headlights. "I - I -"
"Do you want to explain what he's doing here?"
"I was just helping with the babies. I'll go now." Fritz smirked as he walked past Will, and Poppy wanted to sink into the floor.
"Will, he just -"
Will shook his head. "I don't care why he was here. I'm not even going to focus on why you two were standing an inch apart. Instead, I think I'd like you to tell me why you look so guilty."
Poppy looked down. "I'm sorry. I knew you would be upset if he was here but I didn't tell him to go. He's my friend, I want to spend time with him, too."
Will sighed. "I get that, poppy seed. But its a little hard when your friend frequently tries his hardest to make me uncomfortable and make comments about your relationship."
Poppy bit her lip. "I wish I could get him to stop."
Will moved towards her. "What happened, Poppy? What happened while I was gone?"
She felt as though she would cry. "He was there for me, Will. The only person I could talk to."
"Do you still feel that way?"
Poppy inhaled deeply. "Of - of course not!"
Will's eyes squeezed together for a moment - and when he opened them, she saw hurt.
"You hesitated."