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I snatch the paper back fro it with him as I do We’re all in a parlor at Holyroodhouse, the Baird faiven our own suite of rooms, coh we’re only using two of the in her apart officially wedged into royal life

Or ill be if all the headlines don’t lead to my banishized profusely to the Duchess of Argyll, there was no doubt that I’d been athe file Glynnis hadthat in the future, if I decided to runone of Ellie’s future relatives

Dad picks up another paper and turns it to face e picture froreen hat and red hair especially standing out, as does the duchess’s yellow feathered hat "FOR THE BIRDS!" the headline blares, then right under that, "ELLIE’S LITTLE SIS GIVES THE DISDAINFUL DUCHESS WHAT FOR!"

I glance over at Ellie, who leans forward fro over her shoulders I haven’ther, mostly because I don’t want her to know that Alex’s aunt doesn’t like her I mean, she probably already knows, but if she doesn’t, I don’t want to be the one to tell her

"Glynnis is going to die," she raph You can’t really read the expression onthere with , and the duchess is so raht snap in half

Dad turns the paper back to face hies "Glynnis should be thrilled," he tells Ellie "This article is practically fawning all over Daisy"

"What?" Ellie and I ask at the saie," Seb says from his spot near theHe’d been the one to show us to our rooms e came into the palace today, which had surprisedout here, drinking tea, but he hadn’t shown any signs of leaving

"Argie?" I repeat, then work out that that’s a nickname for the duchess Probably not one anyone uses to her face

"She’s the worst kind of snob," Seb continues, stirring his tea "Daisy giving her a right bollocking probably did her soood"

"I didn’tI don’t even knohat thatin this rooold, and I think every pillow, every lahted doith tassels Outside the s, the afternoon has gone dark and rainy

Seb looks up fro in his cheek "Itthe Scots loveat the stack of papers in my dad’s lap

How does Ellie stand it, that constant itch at the back of her brain that tells her people are talking about her, people are always talking about her, and that both the best and worst things she could ever hear about herself are just a few clicks away? How does that not make anyone insane?

There’s a brisk knock at the door to the sitting roo in I’ve begun to realize she doesn’t ever walk anywhere It’s all striding, eneral in a past life

"Just the girl I was looking for!" she says brightly, but her eyes are laser-focused oners

Her smile doesn’t drop as she addresses the entire room "So, bit of a rocky start, but we’re here now, and I think course correction should be easy enough"

Course correction doesn’t exactly sound great, but I guess it’s better than what I’d been expecting, which was soeons will do wonders for Daisy’s attitude!"