“What if he isn’t? What if the stupid powers that be in the Palace decide to assign him to someone else because I like him, and they don’t want me to be entirely comfortable in anything?” I heard the ridiculousness of my own words and cringed a little. “Okay, that sounds a little too paranoid even for me. But you know what I mean. They could always decide they want him elsewhere, once he’s all trained up again.”
“They won’t,” Nicky promised. “One of the reasons he’s receiving the training is to ensure that he can stay with us. Don’t worry.”
“Hmph.” I still wasn’t convinced. “So, who’s filling in for him while he’s in training?”
“A security officer called Simon West. He comes highly recommended. I haven’t met him yet, but he’ll be with you today, while Naughton goes with me.”
Harold had been Nicky’s policeman before we’d announced our engagement, and it had been at our request that he continued to protect us whenever we were together, on joint engagements or simply traveling for pleasure. But Hugh Naughton was the officer who covered Nicky when he and I had separate obligations. He was a decent enough man, and I liked him; he just wasn’t as familiar as Harold was.
And now I’d have to get used to someone completely different.
“Here I thought this was going to be a better week,” I muttered darkly. “But apparently not.”
“Kyra, be reasonable.” Nicky fastened me with a stern eye. “You know this wasn’t something done to inconvenience or upset you. Just roll with it. Be kind to Mr. West. Remember that he’s coming into a new situation, too. You have the opportunity to be the gracious duchess who makes his job easier, not harder.”
“Fine.” I waved my hand. “I’ll do my best. But I refuse to like him like I do Harold.”
“No one would expect it of you, love.” Nicky stood up and collected both his empty plate and mine. “And just to show what an enlightened husband I am, I’ll do the breakfast dishes so that you can get ready for your luncheon. Before you go, I’ll introduce you to Simon.”
“I can’t wait.” Sarcasm dripped from the words, but before Nicky could scold, I stuck out my tongue at him and headed upstairs to begin the transformation from Kyra, regular girl, to Kyra, Duchess of Kendal.
“His Royal Highness said something about stopping by a garden after the luncheon, ma’am. Would you like me to see if I can arrange a visit there while you’re at the lunch? I can get in touch with the staff and also get clearance from the palace.”
Simon West glanced at me in the car’s rearview mirror. Since we were going on an official engagement, I was sitting in the backseat of the black sedan, and my new protection detail sat shotgun with the car’s driver.
“No, thanks, that’s all right.” My words were clipped, mostly polite but bordering on off-putting. I wasn’t in the mood to be chatty. Nicky had performed the introductions between my new security officer and me before we’d left the cottage, and Mr. West had seemed all right ... but he wasn’t Harold. Maybe it was unfair of me to hold that against him, but at the moment, I was feeling a little entitled to being less than charitable.
“Really, ma’am, it wouldn’t be a problem. I can take care of it in a matter of minutes while you’re eating.”
“No.” I put more emphasis on the syllable this time, and belatedly added, “Thank you.”
He didn’t respond, but I saw his jaw tighten slightly, and I felt just the tiniest bit guilty about being difficult. Not bad enough to relent and be pleasant, mind you, but enough that I didn’t glare at him in the mirror anymore.
The car remained silent for the rest of the trip to the hotel where the luncheon was being held. As we approached the curb where I’d alight, Simon turned to face me.
“Once the car stops, I’ll come around to open your door. Then I’ll walk a pace behind you into the hotel. Once you’ve been greeted by the officials and are escorted to your seat at the table, I’ll be standing alongside the wall, watching the entrances and exits to the room. If you need anything or feel uncomfortable about anyone, you’ve only to glance my way, and I’ll take care of it.”
One part of me appreciated him being clear about what to expect, but another part resented that he was treating me as though this were my first day on the job as a royal. I’d handled this type of engagement before. I knew what I was doing. Mostly.
“This isn’t exactly my first rodeo,” I replied tersely. “I’m aware of how things are done. I know how to follow protocol.”
“You’ve never done it as the duchess I’m protecting,” he shot back, and the assertiveness in his tone took me aback. I wished I had my mother-in-law’s ability to level a person with a single raised eyebrow or the Queen’s talent for quelling impudence with a mere glance. Instead, I was at risk of sputtering my shock and looking ridiculous.
“I wasn’t aware that each security officer had his own way of doing things,” I replied stiffly. “But by all means, let’s do it your way.”
The car slid to a halt at that moment, and Simon jumped out, probably as much to avoid arguing with me as anything else. I did my standard moment of prep for these engagements: deep breath. Relax the shoulders. Smile on my face before the door opened. Knees together as I stepped out of the car. And ... go.
The noise was always startling. I was constantly surprised at how loud people could be, particularly the media in their attempts to catch my attention. It was a constant struggle to maintain my focus, to concentrate on where I was going and how fast I could get there without launching into an out-and-out sprint.
I’d gotten better about being aware of the people around me as I walked from the car to the entrance of wherever I was going. I’d found that often, there were children waiting to get a glimpse of us, and I liked to stop and acknowledge them, if I could. Now, I glanced to my left and noticed a small black-haired girl with huge blue eyes, clutching a handful of flowers as her gaze tracked me.
Impulsively, I veered toward her, dropping down to my haunches in front of the crowd and beaming at the child.
“Hello! Aren’t you lovely? What are you doing on this beautiful day?”
Immediately, her plump cheeks dimpled. “Waiting to see you. My mummy is inside with my grandpa, but I wasn’t old enough to go, so my auntie brought me down here to see you as you walked in.” She thrust the flowers at me. “Here. I picked these from our garden. I saw on the television that you like to grow things.”
“I do, indeed.” I accepted her gift. “What’s your name?”
