Royal Ransom (22 page)

“How are you feeling, Jamie?”

“Tired, but okay. You?”

“It's strange, but now that it's all over I feel as though it never happened, as if life is exactly the same now as it was before.”

“I know exactly what you mean. It's all sort of like a dream,” I said.

“Or a nightmare.”

“Or a nightmare,” I agreed.

“Yet the strange part is that while it is over, I am certain that it has changed me forever.”

“You'll get over it. My grandmother says time heals all wounds,” I offered.

“I don't want to get over it. My life has been changed, and that change has not only made me different, but stronger, even better. Does that make any sense?”

I thought about what she'd said. I'd been thinking some of the same things, but they were confused, and now that she'd spoken them I understood exactly. “Actually I do.”

“I just knew you would, because it is not just me who has been changed. All of us are different, and the difference will never really go away,” she said.

I did feel different. I felt older. It was almost like the week before I'd been a kid and now I was a … an older, wiser kid.

“I also wanted to thank you again,” she said.

“You've done that a dozen times already.”

“Then I want to make it a dozen plus one.”

“Hey, I should be thanking
you
for coming out into that clearing and smashing that guy in the head and saving my life. That was just about the bravest thing I could ever imagine anybody doing.”

“I could not have done that a few weeks ago.”

“I don't know about that. You always looked pretty brave to me.”

“
Looking
brave and
being
brave are very different things. How does your head feel?”

“Okay. That army doctor took out the pieces of glass and took care of the biggest cut. It took five stitches to close it.”

“I hope it will not leave a scar,” she said, then she reached out a hand and very gently touched my forehead.

I wanted to say something to her, to tell her how pretty she was, but I couldn't.

“Where's Andrew?” I finally blurted out. That probably wasn't what she'd expected as an answer.

“He's already aboard the helicopter. I believe he's sleeping.”

“I can relate to that. I think I could sleep for a month.”

“I hope not quite that long, because you will soon be receiving an invitation. You and your parents and grandparents and, of course, Ray.”

“What's the invitation for?” I asked.

“To come to London.”

“London, England?”

“That
is
where it's located,” she chuckled. “Well, I know you have a city called London in Ontario, but it was the English one I had in mind,” she teased. “You will be our guests at a ceremony.”

“What sort of ceremony?”

“One in which you and Ray will be honoured for your bravery. My father wishes to bestow his thanks upon you formally.”

“Does my grandmother know that she's going to meet your father, that she's going to England?”

“Not yet.”

“She's going to go out of her mind!”

“And you?”

“And me what?” I asked.

“Are you happy that you'll be coming to England?”

“Yeah, of course I am. It'll be great to see London.”

The helicopter's engine came to life and the blades began slowly to spin.

“I believe that's a signal that it is time for me to depart,” Victoria said.

“I guess you're right.”

“I had better be going,” she said. “I just need to thank you—”

“You've already thanked me, and—”

“Will you just shut your mouth for
one
minute?” she snapped. “I still want to offer my thanks, just one more time.”

She flung her arms around my neck and pressed her lips against mine and kissed me! I was so shocked that for a split second I didn't close my eyes or kiss back. Then I did both. My lips were against hers and I kissed her back. Finally she let go.

“There, now you have been
properly
thanked. I'll look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.”

With that, she turned and ran toward the helicopter, where Albert was waiting to help her aboard. She turned and waved and then disappeared inside. Albert smiled and gave me a little salute and climbed in after her. The big door was pulled up and closed.

I stood there and watched as the rotors turned faster and faster and faster. The noise was deafening, and I had to turn my head to shield my face from the grit and stones and twigs that were being thrown up into the air. The helicopter lifted off and the sound and fury got even louder, and then it quickly began to fade. It got higher and higher and started flying away. I watched as it receded into the distance and finally disappeared from view. And looking up into the endlessly blue sky, remembering that kiss from a beautiful princess, with everything I had to look forward to, I really did feel as if the world was opening up to me.