Free Into Temptation (Spoils of Time 03) by Penny Vincenzi

be watching it in unsuitable places like pubs.’
    ‘I heard that one,’ said Henry, ‘and that the men might not even take their hats off.’
    ‘So there you are. Now, Venetia, my darling, shall we have some food? I think they can manage without us for a few minutes. Then we can watch the procession from the balcony.’
    Boy had recently acquired a large building in St James’s and had not yet sold it on; it had provided a perfect base for family viewing of the Coronation. Even Giles and Helena had been unable to resist the opportunity; Giles had originally said that he had no interest in the event whatsoever, but his family had overruled him.
    ‘You needn’t come, Father,’ the rather lumpy Mary had said, ‘but George and I are going, and Mother said if we went she would feel it was rude not to come too.’
    Giles had been astonished, Helena was the last person in the world he would have expected to be caught up in Coronation fever; he made a pompous little speech about jingoism and the Coronation being an anachronism and said he had no intention of going. But he had joined them in the end.
    ‘We’ve commissioned a book on the thing, I can’t afford to ignore it.’
    ‘Of course not,’ said Helena.
     
    They had all been in the building since seven; the routes into the capital had been closed at eight. They had watched the procession to the Abbey, in the damp drizzle, waving their flags and cheering. A wave of affection and happiness had swept over London; thousands of people had slept on the streets all night, uncomplaining in spite of the rain. It was as if all the hardship and loss of the past fifteen years were justified by this one heady day. A young and beautiful woman had been crowned, the mystic spectacle watched by millions, thanks to the new wonder of television, and as people everywhere were saying, England had never been greater than with a queen on the throne. And the news that morning that Everest had been conquered by Sir Edmund Hillary and his British team had come as an extra piece of glory on this day when the country was celebrating its very existence.
    ‘The colours are superb,’ said Geordie, looking out of the window. ‘It’s better in its way than if the sun was shining, it’s as if the red, white and blue had been painted on a black-and-white photograph. Adele will make a lot of that.’
    ‘I wonder where she is? A better view than Mummy, from all accounts.’
    ‘I look forward to the comparing of notes,’ said Boy lightly.
    ‘I just wish we had a royal family,’ said Jenna, ‘it’s so romantic. It’s dreadfully dull, just having presidents. Elizabeth is just beautiful, and Philip’s so terribly handsome. Mamie Eisenhower is just so, so plain.’
    ‘Jenna!’ said Barty, ‘that is no way to describe your president’s wife.’
    ‘It is because it’s true,’ she said coolly, with a toss of her red-gold hair. ‘How would you describe her?’
    ‘Plain,’ said Geordie, laughing. ‘Sorry, Barty. It would be wonderful to have a dazzling young First Lady. Maybe we will some day.’
    ‘Unlikely, I’d say,’ said Barty. ‘You’d need a dashing young president for a start, and where on earth would he spring from?’
     
    ‘Oh, look, isn’t she marvellous!’ cried Izzie.
    ‘Who’s that?’ Sebastian scowled at the screen; he had been asleep for the past hour.
    ‘The Queen of Tonga. Look at her, what a wonderful woman, sitting there in her open carriage in this pouring rain.’
    ‘Half the country is out there in the pouring rain. At least she’s in a carriage with an umbrella over her.’
    ‘Oh Father, don’t be such an old grouch. And look at the Queen! Doesn’t she look beautiful, in that crown, waving, look—’
    ‘Izzie I can see perfectly well, thank you.’
    ‘Father, you’re spoiling it for me.’ She sounded suddenly genuinely upset; she had longed to join Boy’s party, had refused the invitation, knowing that her father and Kit would want to