Murder Most Royal — читать онлайн бесплатно полностью

Rozie was surprised, because she literally glowed with health.

‘It’s ME,’ Katie said eventually. ‘Myalgic encephalomyelitis. I’ve had it for years. I only realised while I was doing the APS job. It practically floored me. No, it totally floored me.’

‘Chronic fatigue syndrome. The one where people say, “Is that a real thing?” and yeah. It’s a thing. Not everyone believed me, but it is.’

‘You don’t need to be. I get extreme tiredness, like just-been-hit-by-a-truck exhaustion. I can sleep for a day and not feel better.

Like I say, I’d been having symptoms for a long time, but I had these coping methods for getting through. At the palace, though . . . it’s a whole new level. You can’t take time off if the Queen needs you.’

Rozie shook the thought off. ‘Only that Sir Simon said it was mental health problems. At least, I thought he did.’

Katie rolled her eyes. ‘Yes, he would have done. He just saw someone stressed who wasn’t up to the job. He tried to be sympathetic, but you could see his massive frustration.

It didn’t help.’

‘I remember, when we came here for Christmas and there were days I just couldn’t move. Mrs Maddox thought I was malingering. She said her staff had better things to do than bring me breakfast in bed. In the end, Lady Caroline found a consultant for me. He’d worked with her great-niece who has it, too. Even her just believing me was such a relief, I can’t tell you. Anyway, he put me in touch with this new programme. I needed a new diet, new exercise regime, no stress, no pressure.

I needed to stop, basically. You took over. I was going to move in with my mother, but she didn’t know how to look after me. The Boss said I could come here.’

‘But you’re getting better, right?’ Rozie asked.

‘It’s a different life,’ Katie admitted. ‘I’m still working it out. I miss the old me. I miss being taken seriously by people in smart offices with fancy titles. God, I sound so self-indulgent. I’ve got Daphne, and I can bake now. I’ve gone totally Marie Kondo.

I can knit. I’m doing a degree in nutrition so I can get to the bottom of what works for me. Just don’t make me hit the freezing water, OK? Anyway, like I say, you’ll love it.’

‘I can absolutely promise you,’ Rozie assured her, ‘I won’t.’

The Queen, meanwhile, was visiting Wood Farm with Philip. They were out towards the marshes, where the Boxing Day shoot had started. This was where Philip would retire to the modest farmhouse in less than a year.