“Thank you for interceding on her behalf. But about that last bit…”
Jack tugged on his ear. “Yeah, I might have gotten carried away there. But, it was that or the firing squad.”
Elizabeth couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. Her heart had only just finished its drum solo. “What last bit?”
“My French is a little rusty,” Simon said, “but I think he said that you were pregnant and as a grateful gesture for his beneficence would name the child after him.”
“I’m afraid to ask,” Elizabeth said.
Jack winced. “Zog.”
“Come again?”
Jack laughed. “That’s his name. King Zog.”
“Well, it is memorable.” In a “please push me off the jungle gym” sort of way.
“In a matter of mere minutes,” Simon said, “you managed to cause an international incident and relegate our poor future child to a life of hardship and ridicule. That’s impressive by any standards.”
“It’s these darn sensible shoes!” she said wiggling the offensive footwear.
“Well, you’d better find a way to keep them on your feet, I’m afraid. Even before your exchange with the king, we were sadly out of luck here. No rooms. We might try Claridge’s.”
Jack shook his head. “The city’s lousy with royals in exile, generals, diplomats and Romanovs who may or may not be Romanovs. Be the same story at Claridge’s. You can try, but forget the Savoy, Grosvenor House, Berkeley and the Dorchester too.”
“There must be something,” Elizabeth said. That was one of the problems with time travel; it was impossible to make reservations.
“You might try Browns or Dukes. They might have something, but really you’re better off in Knightsbridge or Kensington. Won’t be as posh, but it’s not too bad.”
“What do you think?” Elizabeth asked Simon.
“I’m not sure we have much choice in the matter. I should have realized the hotels would be like this.”
“We did have a lot on our minds.”
Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably. He must have thought she was referring to their wedding night. The realization made Elizabeth blush, which only made matters worse.
“There’s my date,” Jack said with a grin. He smiled down at Elizabeth. “It was fun.”
From the gleam in his eye, he really meant that. “Thank you,” she said and then placed her hand over her stomach. “And little Zog thanks you too.”
Jack laughed and shook hands again with Simon. He picked up his overcoat from the back of a chair and waved toward a leggy redhead across the room. His date was apparently Jessica Rabbit. He took a few steps away and turned back and said, “Keep your head down and your shoes on, all right?”
Elizabeth watched Jack disappear into the crowd and turned to Simon.
“Ready?” Simon said as he picked up their suitcase. He gestured for her to go first and followed her toward the door. “Fictional or not. We are not naming our baby Zog.”
~~~
By the time they’d walked to Knightsbridge, Elizabeth’s feet genuinely hurt, but there was no way she was taking her shoes off in public, no matter how much they ached. They passed by Harrod’s Department Store and Simon promised they’d try to get her a new pair in the morning.
The first two bedsits were full and it was well after ten in the evening when they finally found a small room to rent at a bed and breakfast. The carpet was loud and the walls were quiet, but it was clean and available. The furnishings were simple, but functional. One hard occasional chair that had seen more than the occasional visitor huddled next to a small table. A small dressing table and a wardrobe that had definite left leanings took up the rest of the room.
After settling in and cleaning up a bit, it was late and the lumpy double-bed and scratchy starched sheets looked pretty appealing. They shared the bath down the hall with the other five people on their floor, every one of whom seemingly had to go at the same time as she did. Elizabeth waited in line in
Jack tugged on his ear. “Yeah, I might have gotten carried away there. But, it was that or the firing squad.”
Elizabeth couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. Her heart had only just finished its drum solo. “What last bit?”
“My French is a little rusty,” Simon said, “but I think he said that you were pregnant and as a grateful gesture for his beneficence would name the child after him.”
“I’m afraid to ask,” Elizabeth said.
Jack winced. “Zog.”
“Come again?”
Jack laughed. “That’s his name. King Zog.”
“Well, it is memorable.” In a “please push me off the jungle gym” sort of way.
“In a matter of mere minutes,” Simon said, “you managed to cause an international incident and relegate our poor future child to a life of hardship and ridicule. That’s impressive by any standards.”
“It’s these darn sensible shoes!” she said wiggling the offensive footwear.
“Well, you’d better find a way to keep them on your feet, I’m afraid. Even before your exchange with the king, we were sadly out of luck here. No rooms. We might try Claridge’s.”
Jack shook his head. “The city’s lousy with royals in exile, generals, diplomats and Romanovs who may or may not be Romanovs. Be the same story at Claridge’s. You can try, but forget the Savoy, Grosvenor House, Berkeley and the Dorchester too.”
“There must be something,” Elizabeth said. That was one of the problems with time travel; it was impossible to make reservations.
“You might try Browns or Dukes. They might have something, but really you’re better off in Knightsbridge or Kensington. Won’t be as posh, but it’s not too bad.”
“What do you think?” Elizabeth asked Simon.
“I’m not sure we have much choice in the matter. I should have realized the hotels would be like this.”
“We did have a lot on our minds.”
Jack cleared his throat uncomfortably. He must have thought she was referring to their wedding night. The realization made Elizabeth blush, which only made matters worse.
“There’s my date,” Jack said with a grin. He smiled down at Elizabeth. “It was fun.”
From the gleam in his eye, he really meant that. “Thank you,” she said and then placed her hand over her stomach. “And little Zog thanks you too.”
Jack laughed and shook hands again with Simon. He picked up his overcoat from the back of a chair and waved toward a leggy redhead across the room. His date was apparently Jessica Rabbit. He took a few steps away and turned back and said, “Keep your head down and your shoes on, all right?”
Elizabeth watched Jack disappear into the crowd and turned to Simon.
“Ready?” Simon said as he picked up their suitcase. He gestured for her to go first and followed her toward the door. “Fictional or not. We are not naming our baby Zog.”
~~~
By the time they’d walked to Knightsbridge, Elizabeth’s feet genuinely hurt, but there was no way she was taking her shoes off in public, no matter how much they ached. They passed by Harrod’s Department Store and Simon promised they’d try to get her a new pair in the morning.
The first two bedsits were full and it was well after ten in the evening when they finally found a small room to rent at a bed and breakfast. The carpet was loud and the walls were quiet, but it was clean and available. The furnishings were simple, but functional. One hard occasional chair that had seen more than the occasional visitor huddled next to a small table. A small dressing table and a wardrobe that had definite left leanings took up the rest of the room.
After settling in and cleaning up a bit, it was late and the lumpy double-bed and scratchy starched sheets looked pretty appealing. They shared the bath down the hall with the other five people on their floor, every one of whom seemingly had to go at the same time as she did. Elizabeth waited in line in
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