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“Her father is giving her a new title,” Alice said.
“What?”
“It’s a military thing. He’s giving her the honorary title of Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Navy’s Small Ships and Diving Operations. It was in my briefing this morning,” Alice explained. “She served in the Royal Navy after she went to college.”
“Yeah, I knew that part,” Bexley replied. “And I’ve got a big ego, apparently. I thought she left because of me.”
“I talked to her about this a couple of weeks ago. Her father is healthy, but he’s getting older, and he needs to start doing certain things to get her prepared to take over for him one day. She’s unmarried and without children, so until that happens, he’s giving her titles and jobs to do to help secure the world’s view that she’s next in line and able to do the job.”
“It’s so funny,” Bexley said, though she didn’t laugh. “She seems to think her parents would prefer her brother be the heir, but they do things like this to show people thatshe’sthe one. I don’t think she sees it.”
“I wonder why.”
“I don’t think she feels like she’s earned anything. Eventhistitle is honorary. She has her rank and her medals from the Navy, I guess, but that’s it.”
“She has a degree from Oxford,” Alice reminded.
“That she feels like she got because her family got her in,” Bexley replied. “We talked about it on the flight to Kansas.”
“She may have gotten in – at least, in part – because of that, but Alex graduated second in her class. She earned her degree. She was also pre-law, so it wasn’t easy.”
“I know,” Bexley said, smiling at her best friend. “She’s crazy smart and doesn’t even realize it.”
“You’ve noticed, huh?”
Bexley nodded and couldn’t stop her smile.
“Bex, she wasn’t trying to get away from you; she reallydidhave to go. But even if she didn’t, she’s being patient and giving you time to think about things. She put herself out there with you, and that’s never easy.”
“I know.”
“You know she’s worried about what happens, right? She’s not worried that you’ll reject her. She’s used to that. She’s used to women showing interest because of who she is or not wanting to be in the spotlight. She’s worried you’ll say yes. She’s worried you two will actually get together, but everything else will get in the way.”
“She’s worried I won’t be able to handle it.”
“No, Bex. Sheknowsyou can.Iknow you can. She’s worried that it’ll change your whole life; and if things end between the two of you, for whatever reason, that you’d never be able to go back to how things were before. You’d always be the ex-girlfriend of the next Queen of England. She doesn’t want anything to mess with your life like that.”
“Idon’t know that I can handle all of that. How do you two?”
“Bex, when Mr.Daughtry and Nora came to find me back home, and the press showed up, you didn’t miss a beat. You drove us to safety, made sure not to make a comment, took care of Stan and your grandmother, and you’ve been a feature in my, dare I say it, court ever since.”
“Don’t say yourcourt. This isn’t the seventeen-hundreds,” Bexley joked.
“People notice you at parties and events when you’re here. You’re a damn doctor, Bex. You volunteer your time, you keep up with current events, and you understand history. I’ll take credit for a lot of that, by the way.” Alice, the former history teacher, winked at her. “You’re pretty much the perfect Consort.”
“Aren’t I just an American commoner?”
“Times have changed. Alex’s mom has been pushing a lesbian Duchess who’s divorced and has two kids that could never inherit.”
“She’s still pushing her?” Bexley asked, leaning forward in her chair and clenching her fists.
“Careful, Bex. Your jealousy is showing.”
CHAPTER 25
“You could at least look happy,” her mother said.
“Iamhappy,” Alex lied.
