“Let it go? Have you all gone mad?” she snaps. “Not fitting in isn’t a reason to kill someone.”
“Yes, dear,” her grandfather replies. “If it was, you’d have been gone a long time ago.”
“We need to focus,” Saoirse says, trying to gain control of the conversation. “She’s gone, dead, and Rhys is who knows where—”
“Fucking off with a bevy of blondes most likely,” Taylor adds.
“There’s no reason to be coarse,” Saoirse chides.
“I’m just saying…” he replies.
“We need to focus,” she says again. “Until otherwise, I’m in charge. This country needs a Queen, I’ve been that person before and I will do so now.”
“You can’t be serious,” Dahlia screams.
“Deadly,” her mother warns. “You need to remember your place or leave.”
“Gladly,” she sniffs. “I wouldn’t stay here with the lot of you for all the tea in England.”
Her chair scrapes back as she leaves and her sobsrise as she pushes through the door and retreats down the hall. Rhys drops my hand to intercept her and place a hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. When she sees me, her eyes go wide and he whispers in her ear. “You need to be quiet. I need you to get it together so that I can go in there and give dear old Mum a surprise.
Dahlia nods once and then looks to Leo. He pulls her to the side so that Rhys and I can take the lead. He takes my hand in his one more time and looks to me to ask if I’m ready. I’m not sure I ever will be, so I nod. I’m sure it’ll get worse and if we don’t die, who knows? Maybe it will all calm down for a little while.
He smiles and pulls me toward the door, tucking me safely behind it. We can hear the earl congratulating his daughter on remaining the Queen, even though we all know it is not her place. She should never be allowed on that throne ever again after orchestrating my murder.
“Once we announce the news, we’ll have to act quickly to keep our power,” the earl says.
Rhys pushes through the door.
“And what power is that?” he asks as he sits at the foot of the table. He doesn’t make his stepmother move but raises an eyebrow at her anyway.
“The Queen’s,” the earl stammers as if to chastise the King. “And where have you been anyway. This is not a time to disappear, the country needs a strong monarch and if you can’t be that, it should be my daughter.”
“I’ll address your questions in order,” he sayscasually, as a footman quickly sets a place for him and then blends back into the background. “One, I’ve been on my honeymoon. As you know, I got married not long ago—”
“We know that’s not true,” Saoirse says. “Those were doubles in France.”
“Yes, but we were at the country estate,” Rhys says. “You’re right, it is too precarious a time to disappear even on a honeymoon.”
“But that doesn’t make sense,” the earl snaps. “Your bitch is—”
“I’d watch yourself if I were you,” Rhys warns, his tone deadly. “That’s my wife you’re talking about—the Queen. Now where has she gotten to? She’s very tired from our relaxing trip. Come here darling, let’s get some food into you. You could be carrying the heir now after all,” he says laying it on a bit thick.
I move from my spot behind the door and step into the dining room with Leo and Dahlia behind me.
“I ran into Dahlia in the hallway and we were just catching up,” I answer with a smile as Leo holds out the seat next to Rhys for me. “I missed my new sister very much.”
“And did you miss me as well?” Taylor asks.
“You less so, but I missed you all the same.”
“We were just talking about how surprised everyone was that we were on our honeymoon,” Rhys adds.
“And why is that?” I ask. “Everyone was here for the wedding.”
“It appears they were all under the impression that Lady Thomley’s attempt on your life was successful,” he answers.
“Do tread lightly,” Saoirse says.