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Elizabeth swallowed hard at the mention of the hotel room and said, “We haven’t… We didn’t… I mean, I–”
Palmer’s father laughed loudly and said, “Palmer is almost thirty years old, Elizabeth. We know how this works.”
“Maybe Palmer should be the one to talk you,” she said, trying to sidestep this whole conversation.
“She will. Well, she’ll probably talk to her mother first. I guess what I’m curious about is how this is going to work with you two; assuming thereissomething with you two.”
“Things are complicated,” Elizabeth admitted. “I’m not… out.” She met his eyes again.
“We’d never say anything. I knew Palmer was a lesbian before she did, I think. I kept my mouth shut until she sat us down to tell us.” He gave her a kind smile. “We can keep a secret.”
“Palmer is so different than anyone I’ve ever met,” she said. “And my world has changed so completely the past few months.”
“How does my daughter fit into all of that?”
“I don’t know yet,” Elizabeth replied honestly. “I don’t know if she can or if she even wants to.”
“She wants to,” he stated. “I can tell. Besides, I can also see her from the kitchen table right now. She’s turned around at least ten times to check on us since we’ve been back here.”
Elizabeth chanced a glance only to meet Palmer’s eyes. Palmer quickly turned back around. Elizabeth and Palmer’s father both laughed.
“She’s beautiful,” Elizabeth said more to herself than anyone else.
“She takes after her mom that way.”
Elizabeth returned her attention to the flowers and began walking around the space.
“Do you know the Silene viscaria?” he asked, nodding toward flowers that were bright rosy pink, appearing in long-whorled spikes. “They grow on cliffs and rocky places. Their common name is just viscaria.”
“I don’t know them, no.”
“They mean an invitation to dance. I know Palmer isn’t one to receive flowers, but I know she likes to dance.”
“She does? She never told me that. There was a dance at my coronation dinner, and she declined the Duke of Nottingshire’s offer.”
“She would, wouldn’t she,” Palmer’s father laughed lightly. “I doubt she wanted to dance with a duke of anything. She probably wanted to dance with a Queen.”
Elizabeth nodded slowly.
“Why don’t you take some of these to her later?” he offered, passing her some sheers that had been on the table nearby. “I taught her everything I know about dancing, and even my wife will tell you, I’ve got moves,” he joked.
???
“Camilla, let the woman breathe,” Palmer’s mother said as Camilla continued to show Elizabeth pictures of her friends from school on her iPad.
“It’s okay,” Elizabeth said. “I’m enjoying the show,” she added for Camilla’s benefit.
“Oh, no,” Palmer said.
“What?”
“My show! Do you want to see my show? Mom recorded it.”
Elizabeth turned to Palmer in confusion.
“She was in a play last year. She calls it her show. It’s an hour long. You just signed yourself up for some fun,” Palmer explained.
“What was the play, Camilla?” Elizabeth asked, placing a hand on Palmer’s thigh and giving it a playful shove to punish her for making fun of her sister.
