Page 30 of The Unlikely Heir
“Your Royal Highness,” Lionel replies. There’s a hint of disdain in his tone, a curl in how he rolls the vowels of Callum’s title. But then Lionel is blue blood through and through.
I was exposed to the inner workings of those circles when I was married to Garett, and it honestly shocked me how many people still believe they have an innate superiority over others just because of their ancestry.
By Lionel’s logic, Callum is inferior because his mother was a commoner. These aristocratic snobs must find it infuriating that they have to bow to him.
“Sorry, I know I met you on the reception line, but I can’t remember your name,” Callum says politely.
Lionel’s lips pull into a straight line. “Lionel Pearson.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Lionel. And what do you do?”
Lionel blinks at him for a few moments before he answers. “I was the Chancellor of the Exchequer for the last government. Have you heard of the Chancellor of the Exchequer? It’s the second most important position in Her Majesty’s government, so you might want to get your head around it before you become king.” The scorn in Lionel’s voice has my eyebrows flying up.
“Of course, that was when we had functioning fiscal policy.” Lionel throws me a barbed look. He’s managed to insult both Callum and me without taking a breath. You’ve got to admire his prudence with words. It’s a genuine talent.
But I haven’t got to my position in politics without being able to return a barb with interest.
“We might have to agree to disagree about how well you did your job, Lionel,” I say. “The spiraling national debt under your watch suggests you might have spent too much time at the golf course.”
Lionel gives me a look that contains icicles. During his reign as chancellor, the press delighted in releasing photos of his exceptionally bad swing alongside any articles containing dire economic news.
Luckily, before our exchange can descend further, our conversation is interrupted by the prime minister of Jamaica, Keon Campbell, on Callum’s other side. It turns out Keon was at Cambridge with Lionel, so they begin reminiscing about their university days.
The seats beside me contain the prime minister of South Africa and his wife, so I make polite conversation as Windsor Castle servers bring out dinner. A starter of halibut with wild mushrooms and gnocchi. Quail with figs and walnut sauce as the main.
It’s a banquet fit for a queen and future king, after all.
Callum continues to sit silently between Lionel and Keon, who have moved on to an intense discussion about the factors that have brought about the collapse of civilizations in history.
“The development of hostile neighbors is the most important factor,” Keon says.
“I think the collapse of trade is more defining,” Lionel counters.
The servers sweep the remnants of the main course away and bring out trifle for pudding.
Callum sits there poking at his trifle, wearing a slightly bemused expression, before Lionel finally turns to him.
“I’m sorry, Your Royal Highness, you must find this conversation incredibly boring. It’s the kind of thing we spent hours debating at Cambridge. What do you Americans like to discuss? The specs of the latest semi-automatic machine gun on the market? Who one of the Kardashians is sleeping with?”
I suck in a breath at the sneer in his voice.
Callum smiles. He has such a genuine, open smile. I still have no idea why I find it so unsettling.
“No, I’m quite happy listening to your debate. I’m confused about a few things though.”
“What’s confused you?” Lionel asks in an oily voice. “I’ll try my hardest to break it down.”
“Well, it sounds like most of your arguments have been uplifted from Jared Diamond’s bookCollapse,and you’ve completely ignored the counterargument that Diamond engages in environmental determinism and minimizes human agency. I think you’ll find the prevailing view among academics is that many societies simply changed forms rather than completely collapsing.”
Lionel’s mouth has fallen open as he gapes unattractively at Callum.
“But I think you’ve got the interpretation of climate change correct,” Callum continues. “A recent study from Oxford scientists indicated that when climate change is combined with other anthropogenic stressors, it will intensify societal vulnerabilities which have the potential to converge into comprehensive, simultaneous system breakdowns.”
I almost choke on my wine. There’s a stunned silence around the table.
Callum gives Lionel another happy, sunshiny smile. “Anyway, who is your favorite Kardashian? Mine is Khloe. Best personality by far.”
“I’m afraid I don’t actually have an opinion on the Kardashians,” Lionel finally splutters, but it’s too little, too late.
