Before I could jerk open the handle of the door to the hotel, Simon was there, his hand covering mine as he pulled it. “Allow me, ma’am. Please, right this way.”
I was positive that my cheeks were bright red as I marched into the lobby. I wasn’t a pushy person. Coming into the Royal Family, I’d done my level best to keep my head down and learn as much as I could from everyone around me. I’d tried not to make waves—emphasis on the word tried, because sometimes I’d screwed that up royally (pun intended). And I’d followed the example that Nicky and his entire family set, treating all of the people who worked with and for the family with gentle deference and respect.
I’d experienced some stuffiness from palace staff, for sure, but mostly, people were kind and courteous, willing to help and understanding that making the transition into this world wasn’t easy. I’d never been treated the way Simon West had just done. I didn’t like it, and I wasn’t going to stand for it.
But that would have to be handled later, because right now, there was a group of men and women approaching me with smiles on their faces. I recognized them as a welcoming committee, and out of habit, I stopped walking and let them come to me, keeping the expression on my face pleasant and benevolent.
It was time to be the Duchess.
I was aware all during the luncheon that Simon West was standing against the wall, his eyes darting constantly from me to the various exits and back again. I wondered if he was just waiting for me to make a false move so that he’d have the chance to scold me again.
As I listened to the conversation around me and took part as was needed, I studied my new security officer covertly. He was definitely younger than Harold, who was in his mid-forties and had always felt to me like a much older brother or kind uncle. Simon, I guessed, was somewhere between thirty and thirty-five. He wore his dark hair short, and his eyes, which were so brown as to be nearly black, were wide and never still.
He wasn’t quite as tall as Nicky, though he had the sort of build one might expect from a runner—lean and muscular. He most definitely wasn’t my type, even if I hadn’t been blissfully married to my prince . . . but considering him, I wondered if he wouldn’t appeal to my friend Shelby, who’d always gone for the dark, brooding types. I made a mental note to push her about making another trip to London soon. It had been too long between visits—and if I introduced her to Simon, maybe they’d fall in love and she’d move to England. She could live next-door to me.
Well, a girl could dream.
As soon as the speeches had concluded, it was time for the presentations I was making in my role of the Queen’s representative. I stood at the front of the room on the small stage, shaking each hand, passing the plaques of recognition and saying a few words to each recipient. And then there were the photographs that had to be taken. Once those were finished, the master of ceremonies thanked everyone for coming—giving me a special nod, of course, as their guest—and then it was over. I spoke to a few more people as I wandered down from the stage, but the moment I was back on the floor, Simon was at my side.
“The car is waiting for us out front, ma’am. The luncheon ran a bit long, so we’re a little behind time. We’ll need to hurry so that we don’t delay your next stop.”
Once again, I had the perverse desire to stomp my foot and tell this man that he wasn’t the boss of me. But I couldn’t do that, not here and now. So instead I pasted on my professional smile.
“Of course. Let’s go, then.”
He whisked me through the lobby, outside and to the car before I had a moment to take a breath, and then we were zooming through the London streets, heading to Southall. Safely anonymous behind the tinted windows, I let my head loll back against the seat and sighed heavily.
The car was quiet, which wasn’t unusual. Harold and I didn’t chatter, necessarily, and when we were with a driver, on official business, we were even less likely to speak as freely as we did when I was driving us to or from the office, or off to visit Daisy. Still, the silence between us was always comfortable. Today, the air felt tense.
Several times, it seemed that Simon was about to speak and then thought better of it. That same old guilt poked me in the gut, especially when I imagined Nicky’s disappointment in the way I was behaving. It was one thing for me to be upset about Harold being gone, and quite another for me to be rude to his replacement, who was not responsible for having been assigned to me. He was probably wishing right now that he’d taken any other possible job. Maybe a nice, calm mission chasing down suspected terrorists.
I cleared my throat. “Apparently, it was a good thing we didn’t plan to stop at the garden. We’re running so late now that there wouldn’t have been time, and all that fuss about getting clearance would’ve been a waste of effort.”
Simon turned in his seat. “Everyone would’ve understood. Your schedule can be unpredictable when you’re relying on other people, and things like these luncheons are notorious for dragging on.”
I wasn’t certain whether he was agreeing with me, assuring me that being behind schedule wasn’t my fault or if he’d taken my comment as a jibe at him. I didn’t know how to respond, so in the end, I merely nodded.
“True.”
And then I stared out the window at the passing scenery. Maybe silence was safer.
The playground opening was a much faster, less-involved deal. I stood at the ribbon that stretched across the arched gateway to the new park and smiled as the officials made short speeches about the fundraising efforts and community involvement that had made the playground possible. Once they’d finished talking, I was handed a pair of large, shiny silver scissors, and with little fanfare, I cut the ribbon and stepped back as the children in the crowd poured onto the rubber-mulch covered ground.
After a few more handshakes, I was back in the car, this time heading for home. I slid the heels off my feet and wiggled my toes in relief.
“Busy day for you, ma’am.” This time it was Simon who cleared his throat and spoke first. “All of this, and then you and the prince are off for an evening out, too?”
I nodded. “One of the cousins is patron of a young artists development fund, and their big fundraising benefit opens tonight. Since he and his wife are so good about supporting our causes, we felt we should return the favor.” I shifted, crossing my ankles and leaning on the armrest next to me. “Will you be going with us tonight, or is Naughton on duty?”
Simon shook his head. “Tonight is Naughton, ma’am. Since I came on the scene a bit abruptly, he’s offered to take a couple of extra duty hours until I can settle in.”
“Ah.” I’d learned during my time in Britain that sometimes the best answer was that simple, non-committal sound. It worked perfectly in this circumstance, but still, I felt compelled to add something as the car pulled onto the grounds of Kensington Palace.
“I’m not sure if you knew this or not, Mr. West, but I had no idea that Harold was leaving for training. I didn’t know that he wouldn’t be with me today, and I might have handled that—poorly.” I made a face. “I don’t always cope well with change, particularly if I don’t have time to get used to the idea. Harold was the first person I met in England the first time I came over, and he’s been a good friend to me since then. I trust him. We work well together. So perhaps today I wasn’t quite as . . . welcoming and cooperative as I could have been.”
The sedan stopped at the cottage, and Simon jumped out without answering me. As he opened my door, I paused for a moment to thank the driver for his work today before I climbed out.
“And thank you, too, Mr. West.” I tilted my head. “Despite what you might think of me after today, I’m really not so difficult.”
“I don’t think you’re difficult at all.” The officer’s voice was low. “And if I was a little, ah, heavy-handed, I apologize, ma’am. I was a bit nervous jumping into this assignment so last-minute, and I’m told I can be a tad overbearing and even bossy at times. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
A smile curved my lips. “And just who tells you that you’re bossy, Mr. West?”
He returned my smile, though his was rueful. “Both my younger sister and my girlfriend, ma’am. They say I can bully them a little if I feel I know better.”
I laughed. “That’s good to know.” I stuck out my hand. “Let’s decide to start fresh tomorrow, all right? I won’t be rude to you just because you’re not Harold, and you can trust me to know what I’m doing without your bullying ways.” I kept my tone light and teasing. “Is that a deal?”
Simon stared at my hand for a long moment, and it occurred to me that he was not at all used to my still-American habits and mannerisms. In the end, though, he wrapped his fingers gingerly around mine and gave them a slight squeeze.
“It’s a deal, ma’am. Have a pleasant evening, and I’ll see you in the morning.”
“You, too.”
When I opened the door to the cottage, Nicky was sitting on the sofa, his sock-covered feet stretched out on the coffee table. He looked up at me with that smile that lit up my heart every time I saw it.
“Hey, Ky. How was your day?”
I collapsed onto the couch next to him and snuggled against his chest. “I ate lunch, I cut a ribbon, and after a few bumps in the road, I managed to make nice with my new security officer. So all in all, not bad.”
“Huh.” He touched my cheekbone and kissed the side of my head. “Want to tell me more about it?”
“Nope.” I closed my eyes and relaxed into his arms. “You should tell me that you’re proud of me for being so mature and gracious, and then we should both go upstairs and make out a little before we have to put on our fancy clothes and go out again.”
“Now that sounds like an excellent idea.” Nicky pushed himself to sit up, leaning over me, a grin playing around his lips as he gazed into my face. “Kyra, darling, I’m so proud of you for being—uh, what was it again?”
“Mature and gracious.” I pinched his ribs. “And now that you’ve messed that up, you can also add sexy and irresistible.”
“That goes without saying.” He buried his face in the crook of my neck. “So I’m proud of you for being mature and gracious, and I’m so damned grateful that you’re both sexy and irresistible. And now I want to chase you up the steps, so I can leer at that fine ass of yours, and then I intend to toss you onto the bed and mess you up before we get ready for tonight. How does that sound, Duchess?”
I giggled and ducked under his arm, jumping to my feet and darting for the steps. “You’ve got yourself a deal, Duke. I love it when you chase me . . .” I let out a shriek as Nicky leapt over the back of the sofa in pursuit of me, but I made it to our bedroom door before he grabbed me around the waist, lifting me off my feet.
“ . . . but my favorite thing is when you catch me,” I finished breathlessly when he tossed me roughly onto our bed and then landed nearly on top of me.
“I’ll always chase you, Ky. Now and for the rest of our lives.” His hands skimmed down the front of my body, heat trails following in their wake.
“And I’m always going to let you catch me.” I arched my back to press closer to him, and by the time we’d finished messing each other up, we were nearly late for our evening engagement.
But we had a lot of fun being late.
“GOOD MORNING, YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS.”
Simon West greeted me from his spot next to my car, the same way he’d greeted me almost every day for the past month. It still made me sad that Harold wasn’t here and that I didn’t know when he’d be back, but I was slowly becoming accustomed to Simon and to his methods. We’d fallen into a rhythm that seemed to work.
“Good morning, Mr. West.” I always kept things formal at first, too. “Chilly today, isn’t it?”
“Autumn is in the air,” he agreed.
“Today’s visit to the gardens in Tottenham isn’t official, so I’ll drive.” I opened my hand and held it out. “Toss me the keys, please.”
“The visit is on the staff calendar,” he countered.
“It’s not on the Court Circular,” I retorted. “So there won’t be media coverage. I’m not making an appearance; I’m just attending a meeting.”
“We can’t know that, and the standard is that if the engagement is on the staff calendar, it’s official.” Simon skirted the front of the car and reached to open the passenger door. “And if I drive, you can look over your notes for the meeting on the way.”
Grudgingly, I nodded. “Fine. But I still think I could handle it.”
The expression on Simon’s face told me that he was holding back a smile. “There was never any doubt, ma’am.”
I climbed into the front passenger seat and buckled in as Simon started the car and pulled away.
“Tell me, Simon, what does Juliette think about this insane need of yours to always get your way?” I’d gotten to know a little about Simon and his girlfriend in the past weeks, and I often teased him about whether or not he bullied her the same way he did me.
His lips twitched, but his attention never left the road ahead of us. “She finds it terribly annoying, but she says that my other, ah, attributes counter-act it and make it all worthwhile.”
“Hmph.” I made sure my skepticism was obvious. “One of these days, I really must meet this woman of yours. I think we’d have a lot to talk about.”
“That might be a dangerous idea.” Simon took a corner and slid me a droll glance. “I am a fervent believer in the separation of work and home life, ma’am. And I have a feeling that you and Juliette might be a combustible combination.”
I laughed. “Probably. But still, I’d like to risk it.”
“Maybe one day.” Simon slowed us to a stop at a traffic light. “What’s your meeting about today?”
“Oh.” I brightened. “A local nursery reached out to offer to sponsor a new field in the garden, and they’re sending a rep over to discuss how they can best support us. They’re going to provide seedlings, mulch, top soil, seeds . . . and maybe even some equipment, too. We’re hoping that they might even help us out with things like backhoes and mowers.”
“That would be a wonderful help for your gardens.” Simon nodded. “And I’m thinking that this wouldn’t have come along if it weren’t for your involvement, ma’am. I’m sure everyone in Tottenham is very grateful.”
I squirmed a little in my seat. “We don’t know that. If it’s true, then it’s a small favor in exchange for the joy that the work brings me. Sometimes spending time with everyone in those fields is the only thing that keeps me sane.”
Sighing, I stared out the window. It was all too true that the hours I was able to carve out with my hands in the soil offered me some much-needed distraction, particularly right now. Over the past month, as the air had turned crisp and the trees had begun to change colors, it seemed that Nicky was away more often than he was at home with me. We hadn’t been able to work out time to go see the estate in East Anglia, although apparently it was still available to us.
Nothing was wrong between my husband and me . . . not really. On the surface, everything was as perfect as it had ever been: when he was home, we ate together, we snuggled on the sofa and watched movies, and we spent long hours in bed, connecting on every level. Our love life was still just as sizzling as it always was.
But the problem was that he wasn’t at home long enough for me to feel as though we were building a life together. Instead, he was off to Sweden representing the Queen, or in the north of England for meetings with the No Hungry Child board, or in Canada speaking about innovative food sourcing. They were all legitimate reasons to be away, and there were reasons I couldn’t go with him, but I couldn’t shake the sense that something else was going on. Nicky was still holding something back from me.
“Ma’am?” Simon frowned at me, and I realized he must’ve been trying to get my attention. We were nearly to our destination.
“Sorry, thinking about the meeting,” I fibbed. “You were saying?”
�
�Just asking if there’s anything else going on at the meeting today.” We pulled into the small gravel lot adjacent to the house that was the headquarters for the community gardens in Tottenham.
“Oh, only typical things, like checking in on the budget and working out the schedule for the next few months. If we can nail down this sponsorship, we’ll also set up a time to make an announcement in the press.” I fastened Simon with a mock-stern glare. “When that happens, it will, in fact, be a real engagement on the Court Circular, and I’ll wear genuine duchess clothes and everything.”
“And you won’t fuss about me driving, either.” Simon pulled the keys from the ignition and jumped from the car to open my door. “Here you are, ma’am. I’ll just walk you in and make sure everything is set for you inside.”
“Thank you, Mr. West.” I climbed the steps to the front door and let myself into the foyer, where Petey Groves and the rest of the committee were waiting to welcome me. We’d been working together for long enough now that I had a comfortable familiarity with this place and these people. It was one of my favorite parts of my work here.
We all chatted for a few moments while Simon did his customary sweep of the house. When he reappeared, giving me a quick nod to signify that all was well, I joined the board and the representative from the nursery as we moved into the meeting room. For the next couple of hours, I was in my element, making exciting plans for the future of my favorite project.
“Hello, hello!”
As it always did when my younger sister-in-law arrived, the room brightened, and everything felt a little lighter and more joyous. There was just something about Daisy that made even the dullest occasion feel like a party.
“You’re early.” I leaned back in my chair, pushing away from my desk. “Are you sick? Is the world ending? Is there a looming apocalypse?”
The Anti-Cinderella Conquers the World Page 7
