The official announcement hadn’t been made yet, and to my surprise, it seemed that no one in the press had guessed our secret. For once, they weren’t shouting questions about baby bumps every time I went out. Of course, I wasn’t quite so visible lately, either, since our schedules had been curtailed.
At Honey Bee, I had noticed that several of my co-workers watched me speculatively, but no one had said anything to my face. As a courtesy, I planned to let Serena know right before we made the public announcement.
But that was several weeks away. For now, I planned to focus on enjoying my first trip to Wales.
I slid a sideways glance at my husband, who was reading something on his phone, his face serious. A surge of love that was mixed with a not insubstantial bit of want filled me. Another of the side effects of pregnancy, I’d discovered, was that I was in the mood for love just about all of the time.
“What is it?” Nicky spoke without looking up at me, and it dawned on me that his feelings might have been a bit hurt by my harsh words of a few moments ago.
“Nothing.” I shifted in my seat so that I was leaning a little closer to him, and with one finger, I began stroking his forearm where it rested on the glossy wooden armrest. Back and forth, back and forth, with a light and lazy touch.
He ignored me for a few moments, and then I saw his lips twitch.
“How much longer do you think we have until we arrive?” I whispered, flickering my eyes to the other side of the car, where the rest of the Palace staff sat, removed from us. Since this was a longer trip than usual, with overnight stays and multiple commitments, Lady Marjorie, who had been my mentor prior to my marriage, was here to help. Simon, Harold and Hugh Naughton were here for security, and a couple of other retainers had joined us to handle schedules and anything else that might come up.
Nicky turned his free arm to check his watch. “Probably another hour and a half, I think. Why?”
I made a big show of yawning, covering my mouth and stretching my arms. “Oh, I don’t know. I’m feeling slightly tired and thought I might make use of the bedroom in this car.”
“Oh. Good idea.” Nicky nodded. “Have a nice sleep. I’ll make sure I’ll wake you in time to freshen up and change before our arrival.”
“I was thinking maybe you’d join me,” I murmured, leaning even closer. “You seem like you might be tired, too.”
“Not really, I’m just ...” His voice trailed off as he caught my meaning. “Really, Ky? Now? On the Royal Coach?”
I grinned at him, my eyes issuing a challenge. “Oh, yes, Nicky. Now. On the Royal Coach. Think of all the rocking and rolling of the train ... and that big, comfortable-looking bed back there.”
I sensed him wavering, but still, he looked over at the secretaries who were traveling with us. “What about—them?”
“Oh, they’re not invited.” I shook my head, and Nicky rolled his eyes, snickering.
“I would think not. I meant, what will they think?”
“They’ll think that we’re still newlyweds and that the Duchess is a little bit of a sex fiend, but what do we care about that? They’re not going to blab about it to anyone. And who knows, maybe they’ll simply assume we wanted a rest before the start of this trip.”
For the space of a few beats, Nicky was silent. Then his lips curled up, and he nodded. “All right, but let’s not be obvious. You go back, and after a few minutes, I’ll tell them that I’m going to check on you, make sure you don’t need anything.”
I smirked at my husband’s covert plans. “Sure, sweetie. Whatever you say. They’ll never suspect a thing if we do it that way—you’re totally right.”
Before he could second-guess himself (and me), I rose to my feet and rolled my shoulders, yawning again. In a voice designed to carry, I said, “I’m a bit tired. Think I’ll go doze until it’s time to get ready.”
“Good idea, darling.” Nicky patted my arm as I passed. “I’ll let you know when you should begin getting ready for the train station.”
I treated him to a brief smile and then, holding onto the back of the seats, I made my way into the bedroom.
This room was designed to offer Her Majesty maximum comfort and luxury when she made extended trips by train. I knew that her most frequent destination was Balmoral, in Scotland, and I thought that it must have been a cozy and perfect way to get to the northern country.
I hadn’t become completely accustomed yet to the swaying and jolting of the train, and in my current condition, I’d noticed that I was more susceptible to dizziness. For safety’s sake, then, I sank down onto the bed to slip off my shoes and jeans, sighing in relief as I eased them off. I was still wearing regular clothes, but pants of all kinds were beginning to become slightly uncomfortable. I thought it was a good thing that we were making an announcement soon. With spring on the way, I wasn’t going to be to hide anything beneath bulky coats and sweaters.
I’d just dropped my panties onto the floor with the rest of my clothes and slid beneath the cool sheets when the bedroom door opened. Nicky, his face tinged with pink, stepped inside, closing the door behind him.
I propped myself up on my elbows, offering him what I hoped was a seductive smile. “Hiya, big boy. Thanks for joining me in my boudoir.”
He shot me a mock glare, but I didn’t miss the grin on his face. “Do you know how mortifying that was? I probably looked ridiculous, explaining to the group from the Palace that I wanted to come and make sure that you had everything you needed in here. They didn’t believe me. I’m sure of it. They knew exactly what we’re up to.”
I giggled. “Nicky, first of all, why did you even say anything to them? We don’t owe them explanations. We’re married. They work forus—well, for Her Majesty, rather—not the other way around. And second, who cares if they know? I’d think they’d find it good news that the Duke and Duchess still want to get it on nearly a year after their wedding.”
He shook his head, but at the same time, he toed off his shoes. “But we’re going to have to face them afterwards. Won’t you be embarrassed?”
