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I reached the front gate atin the Queen’s rosebush Once I’d finished, I kicked s and left the into the front door before pushingthem over my shoulder

I had just enough time to pull my t-shirt over my head before I passed out on the couch Piss-ass drunk sweet drea in my mind

TWO

Anna

“Shit!” I grunted, twisting the key in the old cottage’s lock I knocked one knuckle on the door, hoping for a ht position to open it Maybe the wrong key had been delivered It’d arrived at y hotel room by royal courier, that alone had raised some eyebrows from the owner

Frustration cli thirty en had been delayed, and I’d underestiet to Hopewell Cottage

One of the Queen’s es dotted around the countryside and I was the new caretaker Not of the cottage, but of the royal pain who lived there

“Son of a bi—”

“That old door sticks in the rainy season, here, let ardener based on the tool he held in his hand, jiggled the doorknob with force and it popped open

“Just takes a little wiggle” He was already walking away He paused at the evergreen hedge that bordered the small property

“Thank you!” I called and he waved without looking He went back to triht find on the other side of that door

“Here we go then” I pushed open the door The house was silent A tiny kitchen greetedand dining rooh with paperwork and books and boxes of personal items

“This place is a shitshow”

A low grunt carunt

“Hello?” I breathed “I’m the new caretaker—”

Rustling could be heard and then, “Caretaker? What the fuck?”

A head popped up froled to focus on me A crop of mussed blond hair shot every which way