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“Well, that is something. Don’t feel ashamed, my dear. I can’t imagine you grew up near much snow,” Arabella added, and I just stared at her. Where did she think I grew up? Somewhere in the Sub-Saharan?
“Arabella, she is from Seattle,” Elspeth explained to her.
“Yes, I know that.” The old woman just looked at her and then me, confused as to why she was saying that. “Why? Does it snow in Seattle?”
“Yes, Grandmama, a lot.” Eliza laughed at her.
The old woman shook her head. “When I think of Americans, I just think of wild, gun-carrying cowboys and loud, obnoxious laughter.”
Florence bit back a snort, shaking her head as she drank her drink.
“Anyway, yes, you did well with that part, my dear, at least. It should further damage the ridiculous claims of that horrid girl.” She nodded proudly.
The horrid one she was speaking of was, of course, Sabina, who was still fighting to slander Gale. But it was hard to do that and protect herself from slander at the same time.
She’d now gotten a lawyer and was suing members of the press…which only made them turn on her worse.
At this point, I didn’t know why she didn’t just stop. A lot of people were over the “scandal” of the playboy-prince-turned-king during the holidays. People wanted more positive news. Our tour helped with that. Then Gale’s Christmas message. His very first one had gone well, too.
Despite all the mess at the beginning, we were starting to settle in now. It was less about the outside and trying to keep the peace on the inside.
“I heard the girl was thinking of doing her own interview,” Queen Arabella said, getting my attention.
“I did not hear that.” I frowned.
Wolfgang or Gelula would have told me first thing in the morning.
“I didn’t hear that, either,” Elspeth added, putting down her tea.
“Let’s say an old source reached out to tell me something was in the works. A tell-all of sorts.” She glowered and looked me over. “She wishes to go on record and expose the nobility.”
“Isn’t she part of the nobility?” Florence spoke.
“That is why she would be so credible,” Elspeth replied. “Though in doing so, she’d socially cut herself off from everyone forever. She wouldn’t just be gossiped about in the corners. It is social suicide she would never recover from. No matter what they say, she always preferred to be inside and spoken of, then out altogether…like everyone else.”
What a fabulous life.
“I agree with mother,” Eliza said, leaning over to look at her grandmother. “Are you sure your old source is good?”
“They are excellent. I have no doubt about them.” She blustered.
“Great, just what we need.” I shook my head. “I don’t understand why she won’t just stop. At this point, what is she after?”
“She probably doesn’t know, either,” Florence replied, stirring her drink gently. “Not everything has a reason. She knows she can’t get Gale back and she’s hurt…dare I say heartbroken. When you’re heartbroken, you can’t see clearly. You just want to burn everything down. You want the person who hurt you to hurt just as bad if not worse.”
Was she speaking from experience?
“But Gale…no offense, Odette…was a jerk to all the women he was with before,” Eliza added, sitting back on the chair and kicking her feet up. “I love him. He’s my brother. But still, he was a jerk. He always made it clear to everyone he was not serious about them.”
Was it wrong that I liked that?
That I was the only person he was serious with?
“How naïve of you.” Arabella shook her head. “Do you really think anyone cares if he is sweet or not to them? He was a prince. Born into status and wealth…well, that second part went to hell…but they did not know that, and even still, I doubt they would’ve cared. If he looked like fungus under their toenails, they still would not have cared. It was probably for that reason he also did not. Why put effort when you know it is not needed?”
“Cheers to you again, Your Grace.” Florence lifted her drink to me.
“Me? What for?”
