I’d even managed a short speech at the ceremony that had marked the start of construction, speaking briefly about the healing nature of gardening. I wasn’t entirely sure I was doing any good, but Alex was encouraging.
“That went very well,” she commented now as we both slid into the backseat of the car. “The children are so excited about the prospect of growing food and flowers. You were amazing.”
“I think you have very low expectations of me, Alex.” I let my head rest on the seat’s back. “I didn’t do much beyond a little chatting with the kids.”
“They love you because you’re so real, Kyra. You’re yourself, a genuine person, and those you meet—children, in particular—can sense that.” Alex smiled. “That’s why you’ve made such an easy adjustment to this life, to this ...” She cast her eyes up, thinking. “To this idea of duty and giving back.”
“Noblesse oblige?” I remembered something my grandmother had told me once upon a time. “From whom much is given, much is expected.”
“That’s part of it.” Alex lifted one shoulder. “Our family has been very blessed, that’s undeniable. Years ago, there was a clear and unbridgeable delineation between the Royal Family and the world at large, a sense that we had to remain mysterious, separate and aloof. As the royal families in the rest of the world became more accessible and human, we did not. Queen Victoria set a standard by which her children and grandchildren lived for decades. It’s only been in my father’s lifetime that things have changed.”
“Do you think the change has been a good one?” I wondered aloud. “I mean, the people seem to love you. Us. The family, I mean. From the point of view of someone who lived most of my life so far outside the palace, I can tell you that the rest of the world eats up whatever little tidbits of news are released about the royals.”
“Yes, I’m aware of that,” Alex replied wryly. “I’m not sure whether opening the doors, even as slowly and as cautiously as we have, has been altogether good, but even if we hadn’t, I think the twenty-first century would have forced us into it. When Granny became Queen in 1952, television was still fairly new and the press was still ... respectful. We could control situations.”
“You mean, the powers that be at the Palace could spin things?” Even now that I was officially part of the organization, I still had an uneasy relationship with the business end of the Royal Family.
“True enough,” she conceded with a sigh. “And it wasn’t always a good thing, I’ll give you that. But the point was that we regulated the flow of information. We released the pictures that we wanted to be seen. But then the press shrugged off its leash, and technology outpaced our ability to limit it. Now, we never know where the next reporter is going to pop up or if the person we stop to speak to is going have a cell phone to snap a picture of us unawares.”
“But look at all the good you’ve done. That’s got to mean something.” I needed it to mean something. I wasn’t sure why, exactly, except that this transition from private life to that of a member of a very public family hadn’t been easy for me. I clung to the idea that there had to be something positive, some higher purpose, to make it all worthwhile.
“It’s the only thing that does.” Alex nodded. “The world tends to look at us as living a charmed life, and no one can deny that we’re all quite privileged. But there are sacrifices, too. And I don’t think I could survive those without believing that we’re serving a purpose.”
We were silent for a few moments as the car motored through the streets of London. I wondered if Alex was remembering the loss of her first love and fiancé, whose death had come about because of her position in the Royal Family. She had fought back from that tragedy and was now happy and fathoms deep in love with her husband Jake, but I knew she’d never forget that horrible, painful time.
“Remind me where my brother is this week.” Alexandra shifted to face me. “You said something about him being out of town.”
“Oh, he’s in Scotland—Glasgow, actually—at a conference. He’ll be home Wednesday night, and then over the weekend, we’re going to East Anglia to see the estate your grandfather wants us to consider.”
“Ah, I heard something about that.” A small frown creased the space between her brows. “The meeting has to do with the environment, doesn’t it?”
“It’s a European summit on climate change, and Nicky’s speaking about how global warming affects food production.” I settled into the corner of the back seat. “I can’t wait to talk to him tonight and hear how it went.”
“It’s lonely when the husbands go away, isn’t it?” Alex tilted her head. “I’m committed to a dinner tonight, or otherwise, I’d suggest that you, Daisy and I have a girls’ night. Daisy and I used to have them regularly, but we’ve gotten out of the habit.”
“She’s been a little different lately, hasn’t she?” It was my turn to frown. “Nicky says that she’s just finally growing up and calming down—and he usually adds that it’s about time—but it feels like something ... more.”
“I’ve wondered about that, too,” Alex admitted. “And then I shove it to the back of my mind. I think Nicky and I both tend to see our little sister as just that—the one who’s always been a bit of tag-along, someone who’s only looking for fun and perpetually in the mood for a party. She’s so much younger than both of us. Maybe we need to take her more seriously.”
“Daisy’s got a lot more depth than most people see.” I was trending carefully, aware that what I said could be easily misconstrued. After all, I was a newcomer to this family. “She’s not just a party girl. The art she’s passionate about might not seem as important as the causes you and Nicky champion, but she’s serious about it. It’s where her heart is. And since everything happened earlier this year with Roc, something’s gone out of her smile. Have you noticed that? Some of her joy has disappeared.”
Not long before our wedding, the youngest of the Westhampton royals had eloped with an unlikely acquaintance who went by the name of Roc. Only after Nicky’s father had insisted on an annulment had we learned that the young man was actually part of the aristocracy.
“Yes, I’ve noticed that the bounce has gone out of her step,” Alex replied. “Like my brother, I chose to believe it’s that she learned a lesson with that entire debacle. You think it’s more than that?” A thread of worry ran through Alex’s voice.
“Maybe. Or maybe it’s just my imagination. I’m not her sister, and I haven’t known her anywhere nearly as long as you have, of course. I could be all wrong.” I fiddled with the clasp on my purse. “But I love Daisy, and I want her to be all right. Nicky told me that your family feels it’s time for her to move into the cottage. I wonder if that’s the right thing for her at the moment.”
“I don’t know that it’s our family—which, Ky, isyourfamily now, too, like it or not—but Granny and Grandpa certainly seem to think she should move to the Palace. My parents have mixed feelings. Mummy’s like you—she’s worried about Daisy. Daddy says it’s time for her to be more responsible.” Alex cast me a sideways look. “Which means you feel as though you and Nicky are being kicked out.”
I nibbled at the corner of my lip. “Nicky’s been telling tales on me.”
“Not really.” She shrugged. “It was more that I remember feeling the same way. You probably don’t know this, but I lived in that cottage before Nicky moved in.” She paused for a beat. “Grayson lived there with me. And it’s where I hid until Jake dragged me kicking and screaming back into the mainstream of life.”
“I didn’t know it.” I wasn’t quite sure what to say. “When did you move out?”
“Right before Jake and I got married. Nicky was finished school and anxious to move out of our parents’ home. Jake already had a place in the country which suited us, and our apartment was perfect for what we needed.”
“That worked out well for you. I know we’ll be happy wherever we live, but I’m horribly sentimental, I guess. I hate change.” I gave an exaggerated shudder. “But I’ll adjust. As long as Nicky and I are in it together, I can live anywhere.”
