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I feel tongue-tied and clumsy sitting next to someone so effortlessly elegant, and I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. I’d probably start crying or hyperventilating or something if she wasn’t so nice and friendly.
Even still, it’s hard to feel completely at ease when I’m sitting at the table with actual royalty.
“You and I have more in common than you might think,” she says in that same hushed, bubbly tone that makes me feel like we’re two friends having a sleepover. “Did you know I’m from New York, too?”
Before she said that, I would have doubted very seriously that she and I might have had anything at all in common. But now that she mentions it, I can hear the slight remnant of a New York accent.
“I didn’t know,” I shake my head. “I never would have guessed.”
“I sure did. I grew up in Brooklyn—and that was before it started to become trendy. I even keep a strand of my hair dyed pink as an homage to those carefree days.” She lifts up a layer of curls in the back of her head and shows me the bright pink strand of hair underneath. “Stellan doesn’t understand, but it’s my way of keeping in touch with that part of myself. It’s only a tiny rebellion, but it means something to me.”
Now I really am surprised, but I also feel a kinship with her that I couldn’t have had if she’d been from anywhere else in the world. “Do you ever miss it?” I ask before realizing it might be a faux pas to ask about personal things like that. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Sometimes.” Her ever-present smile doesn’t slip for a second. “I miss the anonymity more than anything. I used to be able to walk everywhere, do my grocery shopping and pick up my dry cleaning without anyone looking twice at me. It’s been a while since I could do anything like that.”
“I can imagine,” I nod even though I can’t really imagine living a life like that at all. “Keir—Keiran doesn’t seem to mind when he gets recognized out in public, but it always seems so… intrusive.”
“I won’t tell anyone if you call him Keir,” she wiggles a brow. “I think it’s romantic that you two are trying to keep your relationship under wraps.”
There’s no way I can respond without giving too much away, so I just take another sip of my champagne and push some vegetables around on my plate with my fork.
“To your point, though,” the Queen continues, seemingly undaunted by my awkward silence. “It does feel a little intrusive at first, but you get used to it pretty quickly. It also makes you appreciate the quiet, private moments like this more than ever before.” She purses her lips and glances at Keir. “So, how long have you been together? I’m guessing you’re a pretty new couple.”
The change of topic is so quick I nearly choke on my salad. She’s relentless, but in the nicest possible way. Thankfully, the guys finally seem to be paying attention.
I look over to Keir for some help, but it’s the King who comes to my rescue. “Now, dearest, we shouldn’t pry. You know how private Keir likes to keep his love life.”
This might be the first time I’ve ever seen Keir blush. I’m definitely going to tease him about that later when we’re alone again. For now, I’m just happy to spread some of this awkwardness around. The Queen is lovely, but I can’t keep dodging her questions without seeming rude.
“Okay, okay,” she sighs, sneaking me a secretive smile. “I’ll stop for now. I just enjoy seeing people who are in love. It’s one of life’s simplest, greatest pleasures.”
“Keir, I want to hear about your trip to Kenya last year. Margot and I have to go to Ghana later this year to try and make amends. Tell me about your experience. Was the flight long?”
Keir looks thoughtful. He stretches out his arms along the banquette seat, looking out over the Seine. “I imagine that you have a lot of history to make up for. I went under the flag of Scotland, as opposed to England. It was tricky, because just a few years earlier I would’ve been forced to go under the English flag. As you can imagine, the reception was much more genial. I think in part because Scotland was also colonized by England.”
Margot nods. “I want to go to Ghana. I pushed for a large endowment of scholarships to be issued to anybody in Ghana that wants them. Our government was not thrilled by the prospect—“
“That’s one way to say it,” Stellan intones. “Another way is to say that Margot got death threats for about a year after she proposed it.”
Margot gives him a flat look. “Yes, but everyone is now in agreement. Right?”
Stellan leans back, jerking his head toward the royal guard that is huddled at a table near the front of the boat. “We had to double the number of security officers.”
“Ah. We are going through a bit of a growth spurt ourselves.” Keir sighs. “Ella seems to be taking it worse than Isla.”
“She doesn’t realize how intrusive they are on her private moments!” I laugh, a little outraged. “It’s different when you’re raised with security. If you’re an adult, you know what you’re losing. It’s bound to be a little awkward.”
Keir flicks a wrist. “You seem to be adjusting. I saw you come back from shopping yesterday. You were carrying two tiny bags and the poor guards each had two overflowing armfuls of purchases.”
Feeling my face grow red, I stick my tongue out at him. “They offered to carry the bags!”
Margot rolls her eyes. “I’ve been married to Stellan for three and half years and he still has the same gripes. Like he cares what I buy. Keir, surely you don’t begrudge Ella buying herself a few things on your charge account?”
“Not really.” Keir scrunches up his face, sliding his eyes to me. To my relief, there is amusement in his eyes. “Especially when I peeked in your shopping bag. There was some seriously shocking lingerie in there and I for one can’t wait until you model it for me.”
“Keir!” I cry, my eyes going wide. “I can’t believe you! This is the very definition of mixed company.”
He grins and Stellan chuckles. “If you feel like telling Margot where you got the lingerie, I think we would be very appreciative.” He pauses, tilting his head. “Maybe we could use it after the baby comes.”
