3 Chapter 3

An odd start to the day for one hitman.

Richie was lounging in bed and couldn't figure out what was going on. He looked at the golden tower clock. An amazing thing - it's already twenty to eight, and no one woke him up. Usually the wake-up took place earlier, but today there was no valet arrival that had already become customary.

Richard thought that something bad had happened, which made him jump out of bed.

He rushed to the door and ran out into the corridor in his pajamas. Looking around, the boy did not find anyone, which was surprising.

The boy went down the corridor towards the dining room, and only there he discovered the activity of the servants.

A young slender brunette in the uniform of a maid laid the table. She immediately spotted the young master and nodded politely to him.

"Good morning, Mr. Richie," she said in a melodious voice.

"Good morning," the boy looked around the dining room in bewilderment. - Where is everyone? Where is John? It's almost eight in the morning, and he didn't wake me up.

"Mr. Richie, it's Sunday," the maid replied politely. - John has a day off.

Richie was embarrassed. He was completely lost in time, both literally and figuratively. He was so busy diving into a new life that he forgot to keep track of the days of the week. Indeed, a person cannot work seven days a week. After all, John is not a slave, but a hired laborer. It's even surprising that he only has one day off a week.

- So what should I do? The boy muttered at length.

The maid took the question personally and hastened to answer:

"Sir, I suppose you should wash up, change into other clothes and rest.

"Um… I'm sorry, miss, I forgot your name.

- Lucy, sir.

- Yes, Lucy. I'm sorry. Can you tell me what I usually do on Sundays? After all, I understand correctly - I won't have any classes today?

"Quite right, young master," Lucy replied. "As far as I know, on Sundays you used to visit your girlfriend after breakfast.

Since the stranger did not remember any friends, he did not think of anything better than asking:

- Which one?

"Sir, I can't say for sure, maybe you have other friends, but you were friends with Miss Harriet Tomlison before. Pretty Girl.

- Ah, Harriet! - said Richie, as if he remembered who he was talking about. - Thank you, Lucy. And her father, Mr. Tomlison, does the same?

The maid thought for a moment, then replied:

"The last time I was in Chester, Mr. Tomlison's curtain factory was in place.

Richie almost chuckled out loud.

"Curtains? Are you seriously?! - thought the boy. - Is the son of a billionaire duke friends with the daughter of a small manufacturer who makes curtains? I am sure this business is not destined to stay afloat for long. "

He perfectly remembered from history that in the past, which now seems to him to be the near future, due to the global development of trade relations and means of communication, in particular due to the global spread of the Internet and inexpensive computer technologies, many goods in countries with expensive labor it became unprofitable to produce. Most of all kinds of industries were transferred to China and other Asian countries. If we take the same curtains as an example, it has become much cheaper to import them from China than to produce them in Europe. This resulted in many small European manufacturing business owners going bankrupt.

- Thank you, Lucy.

Richie hurried back to his room. He washed, brushed his teeth, changed into regular light blue jeans and a black T-shirt, and then went downstairs to breakfast. He just made it to the fully set table where Gerald was sitting.

- Good morning, father, - the boy slightly bowed his head, standing near the table.

"Richie, good morning," Gerald replied.

- Dad, do you have free time? I would like to discuss with you the financial condition of the Grosvenors. I talked about this with a tutor in economics, but I do not understand a lot, because the professor does not know the specifics of our finances.

- Okay, we'll discuss it after breakfast. Richie, why are you dressed like that?

- Dad, but it's Sunday. I thought, once a free day ... I usually meet with my girlfriend at this time.

In fact, Richie had no intention of visiting the "girlfriend." What should he talk about with a peer? Discussing dolls ?! He just put on the most comfortable clothes because he was tired of wearing suits.

- No girlfriends! The duke said in a stern tone. "Have you forgotten again that we have to attend the annual royal charity reception tonight?

- I'm sorry, father, I forgot. Will the reception take place soon?

"No, we need to get there by four in the afternoon. And now sit down to breakfast, all the conversations later.

Breakfast took place in complete silence. All that was heard was the clink of cutlery. Richie quickly brushed everything off the plates and waited impatiently for Gerald to finish his meal. And now this moment has come. The duke put down the cutlery, carefully dabbed his mouth with a napkin and looked at his son, after which he said:

- Richie, let's go to the living room.

Richard shot out from behind the table and dashed into the living room. Gerald followed his son at a leisurely pace with a straight back.

Father and son were seated in comfortable fabric-upholstered chairs near the fireplace, facing each other. They were separated only by a round mahogany coffee table.

- So what did you want to find out, son? Asked Grosvenor senior.

- Dad, tell us about our business and the order of inheritance. And then the tutor confused me. He said that many people inherited the Grosvenor fortune, including the brothers and sisters of Karl's grandfather.

"Hmm…" the man drawled thoughtfully. - No. So that you understand, my father, your grandfather, did the following. He set up several trust funds and split the Grosvenor fortune in half. One half went to the fund of the Grosvenor Group company, which went to the main heir, that is, to me. The rest of the fortune was divided into four parts according to the number of children left, your uncles and aunts. All the Grosvenors, starting with the first Duke of Westminster, distributed their property in a similar way. Not a single child, with the exception of the black sheep, was left out.

Richie really wanted to ask what kind of black sheep and if he would fall into this category, but still he refrained from the inappropriate question.

"I see," Richie said. - So you will do the same? Divide the state into two parts. One half will go to two sisters, and the other to me?

"You thought about inheritance early, Richie," Gerald chuckled. - There is a mistake in your thinking - half of the fortune will go to your three sisters.

- I have three sisters ?!

The boy's eyes widened at such news. Until recently, it was only about two sisters.

"Yes," Gerald took a deep breath, as if he were about to jump into the water. - In my youth I was a bully. In the last year of study at a closed school, I behaved ugly, I forgot to study. How - I am a rich heir, a future duke! Every servant is not a decree to me ... As a result, I did not pass two exams.

The man closed his eyes and seemed to begin to remember the past. His lips and eyelids quivered. Looking at his son again, he continued:

- Dad got angry with me and sent me to a military school. There I was taught discipline. But still, at heart, I remained a rebel. After college I had a full blast: alcohol, casinos, parties, free love. So, unplanned, from a political emigrant poetess from Russia with the beautiful name Natasha, Tamara was born. I could not marry Natasha. At that time, marriages with people outside of their circle were sharply condemned. It is now a nobleman can marry for love. And it's not a fact that everyone will perceive it as normal. After the scandal arranged by my father, I recognized the bastard, gave my daughter my name and content, brought her out. Tamara Grosvenor is now forty years old. She is recognized as a Lady. Tamara five years ago became the godmother of Prince William, the son of my friend Charlie and his charming wife Diana.

At this moment, the boy's eyes became even larger from strong amazement. He asked in a dumbfounded tone:

- Dad, by Charlie's friend you mean Prince Charles ?!

- Exactly. We are almost the same age, - a warm smile lit up the duke's dry lips. - Oh, I remember how Charlie and I were drinking ... Then both of them got harassed by their parents.

- Stunned! Was the only thing Richie could say.

"Kham…" Gerald hid his embarrassment behind a feigned cough. - So, what am I talking about? Oh yes! After graduation, Tamara went to study criminology at the University of Northumbria. She recently created a charitable organization and is now in Nepal - helping innocent children get out of prison.

Richie had no idea what was happening in Nepal and why innocent children were in prison there. He couldn't even imagine where it was. But just in case, I decided not to demonstrate my ignorance.

He was pleased that he was able to shed light on the order of inheritance in the family. He won't have to sponsor a crowd of relatives. Half of the Grosvenor fortune will go to Richie, which is a definite plus. Another question - how far is it? Although the father does not look young, he is full of health and strength. He can live up to ninety, or even up to a hundred years. As an example, we can cite the same Prince Charles - he has been the heir to the Queen for many years, God grant her health. So what? All this time to depend on the grace of a parent? Living on funds that Gerald can regulate to control his son? No, you have to do something about it.

Richie came to the conclusion that he needed to earn his capital. Moreover, it is worth starting to do this as early as possible, it is better to start now.

But it is only in words easy and simple to make a fortune. Even if you know the future, you need to have start-up capital to invest in successful businesses. Where can I get the money? In this case, just ask your dad. This is how it will hardly be possible to do something like that from a floundering bay. It is necessary to present competent arguments, and in order to do this, it is necessary to study more with an economics tutor.

Richie has a goal. Before that, he just got used to a new role, got used to the idea that he was alive, that he was living in the past and became a child. Now he dreamed of independence, which only a lot of money can give. And not just money, but personal funds. Not the family fortune in the trust fund, which is at the disposal of the father and the trustees of the fund, but the capital of Richard Grosvenor.

But this is all a goal for the future, the Queen of Great Britain has a reception on her nose.

- Dad, what are we going to do at the reception?

- Welcome ... - drawled Gerald. - Everything is as usual. I will donate fifty thousand pounds to charity, maybe give a short speech, pose for the cameras of journalists. And you will first accompany me, and then you will be able to communicate with your peers.

- Will they be there?

Gerald thought for a moment.

"There should be," he said. "William will be there for sure. Lord Finch-Fletchley, who is a member of my hunting club, seems to have a son the same age as you. Yes, there will definitely be a lot of children. For them, as usual, a table will be laid in a separate room.

- Dad, what can you tell us about the finances of the Grosvenor Group?

"Then, Richie," Gerald said. - I am glad that you are interested in this topic, but it is impossible to tell such things in a couple of hours.

- And how much is it real? - continued Richard.

Gerald thought about it, ran the back of his right hand over his chin, then turned his gaze to his son and said:

"Richie, we'll do this: when you pass the elementary school exams, I'll invite you to my firm to work as a courier." You will work for a month with correspondence inside the office, you will understand a little the essence of the company's work. And if, son, you endure this month, then competent specialists will inform you about the matter. Do you agree?

- No problem, - the boy began to nod actively. "Mrs. Stevenson said that if I studied at the same rate, then in a couple of months I could pass the exams for the entire high school. In just a couple of weeks, I will be able to pass the fifth grade exams.

- Incredible!

The Duke was amazed. He, of course, thought that his son was a genius, but so ...

- Richie, I'm proud of you! Until then, go rest. In two hours I will send Lucy to you to dress up in a tailcoat.

- So early? Richie was surprised. - Dad, you said we were only at four.

- Exactly! - agreed the duke. - But we need to pack up, dress up and get to the place. And the Queen's residence at Windsor Castle is two hundred and ten miles by road - four hours away.

Then Richard realized his mistake. After all, he recently found out that he lives not far from Chester, and the queen is in the suburbs of London.

- Isn't it possible, for example, to fly by helicopter? - asked hopefully the stranger, who did not want to drag the car for four hours.

"No, Richie," Gerald chuckled. - I am afraid of heights and cannot stand any helicopters, airplanes and other flying equipment. So let's go by car.

- Eh ... - the boy sighed heavily. - Now we would have a gravikar, we would have rushed to the place on the highway in an hour ...

The Duke chuckled, smiled warmly at the child and said:

- Are you fond of science fiction, Richie? I also once loved this kind of literature. All right, run. Relax, play - we are going to have a tough day today.

How can you rest in peace if for the first time you have to meet the queen and high society? Naturally, Richie could not sit still. He was worried, thinking about how such an event would take place and how not to puncture him. As a result, several hours passed in throwing.

Then Lucy came, drove Richie into the shower, and helped him put on his tailcoat.

Richard prepared for a tough and long car trip, but things didn't turn out as expected.

There are four people in the Bentley's cabin: Richard and Gerald took refuge in the back seat, separated by a wide armrest. A bodyguard driver was sitting in front of the wheel, and next to him was a similar inconspicuous man in a regular suit, apparently also a security guard.

As soon as a luxury car hit the motorway, a child's body, exhausted by worries, made itself felt. Richie's eyes began to droop. Half asleep, the boy discovered one truth:

"No matter how tough and grown-up you are, if the body is childish, then you will not trample against its desires. But sleeping in the car is nonsense. Another scary thing is that there is another adolescence ahead of us ".

- Richie, wake up.

Richard is awakened by the fact that someone is shaking him on the shoulder. He opened his eyes and found his father.

- Richie, we're here. Come out, "he said.

- What already? - the boy was surprised. "Weren't we supposed to drive for four whole hours?

"You slept all the way, son. We are already there.

The driver opened the door for the young gentleman. Richie left the car and found himself in a large car park. There were premium cars: Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Daimler, Jaguar and sedans from BMW and Mercedes.

Ahead, behind the tops of neatly trimmed trees, towered a stately palace. High beige stone walls turned into round and square towers.

A wide footpath led from the parking lot to the arched gate.

After passing the gate, Richie and his father were inside the castle courtyard. A wide paved path ran along a rectangular perimeter along the walls of the buildings, and in the center was a green lawn.

The palace was three stories high. In the center was a four-story square tower. On the right, in the corner, there were two five-story round towers, which, after turning, turned into three-story buildings, and then a step into a two-story building.

The windows on the first floors were huge, elongated and rectangular in shape. The windows of the last floors were arched and even higher.

To the left was a huge, circular building five stories high. To approach it, one had to go around the marble fountain.

There were people in the courtyard of the castle. They were mainly adult men and women. The male half was dressed in tailcoats, against their background the Duke of Westminster in his blue suit stood out strongly.

Richie, too, would have preferred a suit to an uncomfortable tailcoat, but it was explained to him that the current position of the boy does not yet allow a "free" dress. If he becomes a duke, then he will be able to wear a suit at an event at which one should be in a tailcoat.

The girls were wearing evening dresses. The variety of colors and designs of dresses and hats, as well as the abundance of expensive jewelry on the ladies, rippled in the eyes.

Most of the people crowded around the two-story half of the castle. People gradually went inside. Getting there quickly was problematic, since footmen in red livery stood at the entrance and checked the invitation cards.

- Dad, should we go there? Richard asked, nodding towards the crowd.

"Yes, Richie," the duke replied. "Aunt Lisa has a ballroom and a reception hall in that wing.

"Aunt Lisa, huh? - thought the stranger. - Hmm ... I won't be mistaken if I suppose that Gerald called Queen Elizabeth II that way ... To beat and beat! It blows my mind. "

Soon Richie and Gerald were inside. The boy gasped and could not tear himself away from the beauty that opened to his eyes.

The ballroom was thirty-six meters long and eighteen meters wide. It was finished with Carrara marble. The refined Gothic interior was decorated with paintings by renowned artists.

When Richie, for the sake of interest, went up to the second floor by a wide staircase, he found himself in a huge dining room. From the street it was not noticeable that there were such high ceilings. Moreover, the ceiling was made of glass mosaics, through which a view of the sky was opened.

The walls were made in the form of arches. They either protruded forward or formed niches. On the walls that protruded, at a height of about four meters, marble pedestals seemed to grow, on which were installed shining plate armor with two-handed swords in their hands. It is worth noting that there was a fair distance from the helmets of the armor to the ceiling, there were not only hidden electric lamps that illuminate the ceiling and illuminate the hall, but there was also room for openwork gilded metal structures supporting the glass ceiling. The niches housed gilded pedestals, on which marble busts of the rulers of antiquity were installed.

In the center of the reception hall, from beginning to end, is a wide table lined with hundreds of burgundy chairs. Moreover, the chairs were positioned in such a way that the guests could safely go out without disturbing the neighbors, and during the meal they did not nudge each other with their elbows. There was enough space behind the chairs for several waiters and guests to disperse with each other without problems. Why are there people - there is so spacious that you can drive a car. The dining table was at least one and a half meters wide, or even two meters wide. In its center, at regular intervals, were installed electric lamps disguised as candles.

Luxury! Shine! Gold and chic! This is what came to mind of anyone who happened to be in this room of the castle.

Richie with bated breath continued to explore the reception hall and each time he found new details, for example, previously unnoticed portraits of kings and queens. Although it was strange not to notice the paintings two or three meters high and more than a meter wide, in which the rulers were depicted standing in full growth. What about the red carpets? It was no wonder not to notice them because of the glitter of gold from all sides. Even the giant fireplace at the end of the room, which was at least five by five meters in size, was lost against the background of the surrounding splendor. Moreover, it was far from the fireplace.

The glamor subsided, and Richard decided to return to the ballroom. People had arrived there, so Richie couldn't find his father.

The boy twisted his head, looking for familiar faces. He noticed an elderly man in a blue suit, just like the Duke of Westminster. Thinking that it was the father, the boy headed in that direction.

When Richie got to the right place, the man was standing with his back to him. He talked with an elderly lady in a blue dress and a hat, to which a small bunch of wildflowers was pinned.

Richie slightly tugged at the man's jacket and said:

- Dad, I lost you.

The man turned to the boy, and then Richie realized that it was not his father. From behind he looked similar, but when he turned, the first thing that caught my eye was the absence of glasses on his face, a little less wrinkles and blue eyes. There is a small receding hairline on the front of the head. The face is less plump than Gerald's. A warm smile shone on his lips.

- Richie! - Joyfully said the man who recognized the boy. - Hi baby. You've grown up since the last time we saw you.

- Oh, sorry, - Richard was embarrassed. - I made a mistake.

The old woman looked at Richard with affection and handed him the candy.

"You're Gerald's son?" She asked.

Richard accepted the candy from the old lady's hands, put on a charming smile and replied:

- Thank you Madam. Yes, I am the son of Gerald Grosvenor. Richie.

"Oh, what a charming young man," the smiling old woman said with affection. - Call me Granny Lizzie.

- Granny Lizzie ?! Richie drawled with a questioning intonation.

It dawned on the stranger who he was talking to, and why the boy experienced cognitive dissonance. How could he have imagined that someday the Queen of Great Britain herself would give him a candy. Richard turned his head to the older man and asked:

- Uncle Charlie, is that you? Sorry, I didn't recognize you right away.

- Ho ho ho! Uncle Charlie! - Prince Charles was pretty amused. - You used to call me godfather. And what? I like it, so call me Richie. I immediately felt young, as if I had dropped thirty years.

"Charlie, take the boy to the playroom," the queen asked her son.

"Yes, yes," said Prince Charles. - Richie, come with me.

The boy followed the prince. First I had to leave the hall. Passing along a wide corridor, which was still in the same Gothic style, full of luxury, the prince led Richie into a small hall. Although it depends on what to compare with. The hall was ten meters long and about six meters wide. It was too big for an ordinary cottage, but against the background of the palace it was just an example of diminutiveness.

There were many children in the room between the ages of four and fourteen. There were not as many as there were adults in the ballroom, only about three dozen, but they made so much noise that they were able to overshadow the conversations of all the men and women in the great hall.

Five teenagers aged twelve or fourteen kept a separate group, diligently ignoring the baby. Children of Richie's age stayed closer to their peers.

The children were looked after by four women in strict dresses of dark colors, apparently nannies. In addition to them, there were several waiters in the hall, setting a large table, and a couple of animators: a young blonde girl in a bright dress embroidered with flowers, and a guy in a dark suit.

Children crowded around the animators. Apparently, something interesting was going on there. Only older guys did not participate in competitions. The rest of the children actively raised their hands and shouted something in response to the calls of the girl in a flower dress.

Surprisingly, all the children were dressed in a lot. Only Richie sported a tailcoat and two more boys his age were in black suits: a slightly plump brown-eyed brown-haired man with chubby cheeks and a fair-haired blue-eyed guy.

A four-year-old boy with wheat hair in a white sailor suit broke out of the crowd and ran to Prince Charles. He exclaimed joyfully:

- Dad! And here we are playing riddles. I guessed one!

Prince Charles smiled warmly at his son and said:

- Well done, Harry.

Then another boy of about seven years old, the same fair-haired boy in a suit, separated from the crowd. He also approached Prince Charles and addressed him:

- Dad, are we still here for a long time?

"Long time, son," said Prince Charles. - Bill, get acquainted, - he pointed in the direction of Richard, - this is Richie, the son of my friend Gerald Grosvenor. Richie, these are my children, - the man directed his hand at a seven-year-old boy, - William, - then he pointed to a small child, - and Harry.

- Nice to meet you, - Richie put on his face the most charming smile that he could squeeze out of himself. He shook Harry's hand, then William's.

In fact, he was in shock from who he had to communicate with. These little guys are actually the elite of Great Britain, princes. William is the second heir and Harry is the third. The first is Charles.

"Well, children, I'll leave you," Prince Charles said warmly. - Have fun and do not forget to behave with dignity.

Prince Charles retired from the children's hall.

William looked like a cheerful child. He grabbed Richie's arm and pulled him along.

- Come on, Richie, I'll introduce you to a friend.

- Ok, Bill.

William brought Richard to the eight-year-old brown-haired man in a suit and immediately addressed him:

- Look, Jas, this is Richie. Richie, this is Justin.

"Nice to meet you," Richard said.

It was difficult for him to communicate with children, but he understood that there were no ordinary guys here. Now they are children, but a little time will pass, and soon they will turn into princes, dukes, lords. In general, the elite, with whom it is better to be friends from childhood. That is why Richard diligently pretended to be an eight-year-old child and, unlike communicating with classmates at school, tried to communicate with these children on an equal footing and wanted to make friends with them. Yes, out of selfish motives, but otherwise a boy with the consciousness of an adult could not.

Justin, unlike the active and sociable William, turned out to be a shy boy.

"Hi," he muttered.

Richie remembered that the father mentioned the lord's son, who should be present at the event. So the boy said:

- Guys, do you know Finch-Fletchley?

- Um ... - Justin was embarrassed even more and quietly muttered: - This is my name. And what?

- O! - Richard was delighted. "My dad said your dad was in his hunting club. He mentioned that you would be at this event, and I wanted to befriend you.

"Um…" Justin was confused. - Do you want to be friends with me?

"Yeah," Richard nodded gravely. - And with you, Bill, I also want to be friends.

- Fine! - William was delighted. - Let's go to my room, I'll show you my toys ...

Richard expected different behavior from the older children of the elite. Being a layman in his past life and not communicating with people from high society, the guy thought that the children of aristocrats were chased by tutors, they were drilled that they were smarter and more judicious than their peers. This was confirmed by the life of the predecessor before hitting. But it turned out that they are no different from ordinary children of the same age. But it was even good and delighted the stranger. It's that simple with children. He said that you want to be friends - in a minute you are already in close contact. On the one hand, the value of such a friendship is negligible, on the other hand, growing up, people remember their childhood friends and subconsciously treat them well. And often children's ties develop into a real strong male friendship. For the sake of such connections, Richie was even ready to sincerely pretend to be a child, look at toys, play and perform other non-burdensome actions.