"Yes, it's beautiful there. Gothic style, lots of gilding, shining armor..."
Hermione's eyes widened, she took a deep breath and said indignantly:
- You were there! You were there!
- Yes, that happened. Do you really want to go there?
- Of course! It's every British schoolchild's dream.
- Dreams come true. I will help you.
"You're kidding!" Hermione snorted, clearly not believing Richie's words.
Meanwhile, Richard reached into the suitcase John had left on a chair in the waiting room. From there, he pulled out a monstrous-looking portable phone, extended its antenna, and dialed a number from memory.
- Hello, Uncle Charlie, good afternoon.
Hermione eavesdropped on a boy's conversation on an expensive phone. She'd seen similar devices in a store before and was well aware of their insane price. Her parents run a private clinic where they work as dentists, so they're quite wealthy. Yet they can't afford a portable phone. Yet here was a boy, younger than her, casually pulling out one and using it habitually. The sight left Hermione dumbfounded.
A woman's curiosity made the girl perk up her ears. A quiet male voice reached her ears from the telephone receiver:
- Hey, Richie. How are you, hooligan?
- I'm not a hooligan!
- Well, well! And who ran away from the reception with Bill to play with toys?
"It had to be that way. Uncle Charlie, you don't understand anything about toy types. Bill has such a fancy train set! Any grown-up would love to play with one like that."
Laughter came from the telephone receiver.
- Uncle Charlie, I'm calling you on business.
- Yes, yes, I'm listening carefully.
"I have a friend who wants to attend the Queen's annual tea party with her children. She's nine, so she's the right age."
"Richie, it's no problem. I don't do it, but I'll tell the tour organizer. What's the girl's name?"
- Hermione. Hermione Granger.
- Yep, I wrote it down. I need her address and phone number.
Richard covered the phone's microphone with his hand and turned to Hermione:
- What is your address and telephone number?
Hermione couldn't answer. She was so stunned by the simplicity with which Richie had arranged to "have tea with the Queen" that her mind refused to believe it. She thought it was a prank.
- Hey! Hermione, Richie wants you for a session. Give me your address and phone number.
The girl straightened her back, frowned, pursed her lips and said sharply in a displeased tone:
- Richie, this is a stupid joke!
"What jokes?" Richard's eyes widened. "I called Uncle Charlie himself for you! And you can't grasp the seriousness of what's happening..."
Hermione began to get angry, which showed on her sweet face. Richie realized the girl didn't believe him, so he sighed heavily, shook his head, and said,
"Okay, let me explain so you understand. Uncle Charlie is Prince Charles to you, and he's waiting for your answer right now! Now do you get it, this isn't a prank?"
Hermione's brows drew together. Her expression showed a struggle between her desire to believe the boy and her disbelief. In the end, like any little girl, she believed in a miracle. But this left her in shock. Her fair skin paled.
"How can this be? If this boy calls Prince Charles uncle and uses an expensive phone, then who is he? A prince? Oh! And I was so rude to him."
"Hermione!" Richie called out to the girl, who was lost in her thoughts.
"Oh, yes... The address!" Hermione perked up. "Write it down..."