| The Queen entered the sudy and kicked a piece | | | | least thirty times ! |
| of Christmas wrapping away with an impatient | | | | |
| flick.The study was a mess- Maria had gone to | | | | She was convinced more than ever that 2007 |
| Rumania with the result that no cleaning or | | | | would be the year when she would return to |
| tidying had been done since Christmas. The | | | | take her throne again in triumph and that |
| Press Secretary had been in Naples and was | | | | once Bolshie Blair was well out of the way, |
| due back to-day. | | | | there would be a change of heart and there |
| | | | would be such a wave of nostalgia for the |
| She sighed, thinking back with pleasure at | | | | Royal Family that they would be swept back to |
| the Christmas and New Year festivities and | | | | power. |
| the wonderful food and wine they hadhad. They | | | | |
| had been entertained royally by the Duke and | | | | 'We three Kings of Orient are' the Press |
| Duchess of Gubbio. There had been a salmon | | | | Secretary sang as he entered the study. He |
| terrine, followed by boiled meats, suffed | | | | was weighed down with parcels of panettone |
| chicken and delicious sauces. Not to mention | | | | and other delights - chocolate delicacies of |
| the sweets- one was a fascinating mix of | | | | every shape and size which would feed his |
| pasta and almond sauce and cooked in a pastry | | | | habit for the next two months. He was a |
| case. She had had two helpings of that, not | | | | chocoholic! |
| caring a bit about her thickening waistline | | | | |
| and PC had had three helpings! | | | | "What's on the agenda?" he asked pleasantly. |
| | | | She noticed that he looked a little plumper |
| She picked up the Guardian and was pleased to | | | | and his face had a reddish glow. Too much |
| note that there was a contest where one could | | | | alcohol or was it the cold wind that was |
| win a House of Commons bottle of champagne if | | | | blowing to-day ? Hard to say and certainly |
| one guessed the actual date of Tony Blair's | | | | she was not going to ask him! |
| departure ! It said 'When will Tony go ? Get | | | | |
| it right and win a bottle of champagne'. | | | | 'We are going to win a bottle of champagne |
| They must certainly enter for this contest- | | | | and 2007 is the year of Our Great Return!" |
| in fact she thought they should enter at | | | | she announced triumphantly. |