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I hover over her

"But you’re not, are you?"

She lifts her chin to look up at me

"Not what?"

"My Majesty," I say softly I dropthem over every inch of her, all her delectable swells and valleys And she is glorious to look at

"At leastnot yet"

After the balcony, we have tea on the back terrace with the Palace’s head press secretary--a e hair, a nasally voice and a habit of sniffing after each sentence he speaks

I takeof whiskey

"Now, as I was saying, I’d like to schedule a photo shoot for you, Your Grace" Sniff sniff "At your fa to have another photograph taken ofoff into the horizon, like an utter arse"

The secretary glances down at his notes "But we need to give the establish in the tabloids" Sniff

"What stories?"

He passesthat the Rourke fortune has been squandered and you’re onlythe Queen for money and title" Sniff, sniff, sniff

"That’s ridiculous Lying bastards"

"You can’t let it bother you, Edward," Lenora says

"It doesn’t bother me; it pisses me off There’s a difference"

The butler, Jonathan, announces that the press secretary has a call--the izes for the interruption--and heads inside

When it’s just the two of us, Lenny runs her finger along the handle of her teacup thoughtfully "My very first front-page headline was the announce"

I freeze and "

Lenora holds up her hands like a banner "‘Palace staff confir"

And I’irl she must’ve been, once upon a time

"Your father should’ve burned the paper’s offices to the ground"

She looks up, surprised by s "You have to learn which headlines to pay attention to--which ones can do you dae and which ones you should pretend aren’t even there If you take theo mad Believe me, I know--I had an uncle ent out that way My h because Lenny can be very funnywhen she’s not trying so hard to be a pill

"I’ve been -sized dia on Lenora’s right ring finger

"The Palace requested it from the conservator of the Rourke family jewels It was your mother’s"

"I’m aware You should toss it in the river or bury it on consecrated ground My parents couldn’t stand each other"

Especially not afterthe chauffeur and tossed her out He was never a pleasant fellow, but after that he worked very hard ateveryone around him every bit asher head and exa the jewel