Lady Diana Spencer Meets The Prince of Wales

Part 3

Diana did, in fact, find her boots in the mud room. Right where she had left them. She stuffed her feet into them and donned her rain coat. She pulled the hood over her head, and headed out the door. 

The air was wet and cloudy. But, she did not mind. She was protected from the drizzle by her big yellow rubbery coat. As she sloshed along, happily, she began to sing. A silly little jingle from a television add, popular at the time. Everyone knew it. It was the kind of ditty that, if you heard it once, it would get stuck in your head, and drive you mad.

The shoot could hear Diana before they could see her. She was singing at the top of her lungs. The guns stopped. They looked around to see who was making that sound.

"What the hell is that?" Prince Charles was curious. He looked around him, his brow furrowed.

Sarah, who was behind him, rolled her eyes and harrumphed. "It's my daft sister! I knew I shouldn't have included her. But, it's a complete nightmare, trying to make up numbers around here. Surely, you can see how desperate I was."

Diana came into view, behind them, then. Charles could not take his eyes off of all the yellow. She traipsed slowly through the muddy field. He chuckled, "Is she really daft?"

"Completely!"

Diana's boot's sank deep into the mud. Each step required and unseemly amount of effort. She put her whole body into it. Her arms flailed as her legs lurched and lunged. She grunted and groaned, all the while continuing to sing in falsetto. The thought that everyone was watching, only caused her to be louder and more animated.

With one over exaggerate heave, Diana's foot came completely out of her boot. She toppled to the ground, leaving one boot standing straight up, on it's own. Laying in the mud, she began to laugh at herself, hysterically. 

Sarah rolled her eyes in disgust, and grunted, "Just leave her." She called out to her guests. "Go back to your shooting. She's fine. She's only trying to get attention. Best not to egg her on." It was no use. Several from the crowd were already running to the girl's aid. Prince Charles included. He handed his gun to his loader, and took off in her direction. He was the first to reach her. "Are you alright?" 

"Perfectly!" She was still chuckling.

Sarah pushed her way through the crowd, "Diana! You idiot! Get. Up!"

Prince Charles took her hand and pulled her to her feet. She stood on one foot, trying to keep her bright pink polka dotted sock, with a hole in the heal, out of the mud. Someone retrieved her boot, and helped her into it, while Prince Charles kept hold of her hand.

"May we be introduced?" He says to Sarah.

"Oh, very well. Prince Charles, I'd like you to meet, my sister, Lady Diana Spencer." She spat the last part into the air, as if the words burned her lips.

 Diana curtsied low.

"Careful, you don't want to end up in the mud, again." He slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. He began to lead her across the rest of the field. "Here, let me help you." 

"Oh, Sir, don't bother with her. She's covered in mud." Sarah admonished the prince.

"Nonsense. In fact, perhaps, our late comer should be my companion for this bit of the shoot."

"Definitely not, Sir. I'm with you! Lady Diana's with Arnie." Arnie was a tall, skinny, young man. He was standing near by. Sarah shoved her sister in his direction. "It's all arranged. We can't change it mid morning. Perhaps after luncheon."

Diana clamped on to Arnie's arm. She beamed up at him. "Well, hello there, Arnie dear. I suppose I'm with you, then."

"I suppose you are, Lady Diana. And, I'm right glad about it too. It'll give us a chance to have a proper catch up. It's been so long since I've seen you."

"Too long!" She emphasized. "It's so good to see you. But, 'Lady Diana' ? What's that all about?"

He leaned in and whispered out of the side of his mouth. "I thought I should be proper in front of His Royal Highness." He nodded in the prince's direction.

"Oh, piffle, that." She whispered back. "I'm just plain, ordinary Diana. Especially when I'm covered in mud."

The two began to trudged across the field, to Arnie's shooting post. They were chuckling amongst themselves. As an after thought, Diana turned toward the prince, "Lovely to meet you, Your Highness." She said, smiling.

"Lovely to meet you, Lady Diana." He watched her walk away, on the arm of another man. The stabbing sensation in his heart surprised him.