“Ah, true.” We reversed course, and I shivered a little. The wind was blowing against us walking this way.
“You know, Kyra, maybe we’re both coming at this the wrong way,” Honey said thoughtfully. “I wonder if there might be another route to the same destination.”
“Okay.” I wasn’t sure I understood where my grandmother was going with this line of thought.
“As Handsome often said, people are more likely to drink anything sweet than they are something bitter. What if you found a way to deliver the same message, but in a gentler way, to reach those folks who might otherwise take offense?”
I nodded. “I see what you mean, but I’m not sure I know how to do that.”
“The right opportunity will present itself at the right time.” Honey bumped against me. “Just be patient.”
“Patience is not my strong suit,” I observed.
“Something else you inherited from me, I’m afraid.” Honey paused again, lifting her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. “But when I’m most at my wit’s end and feel like I might explode—when all the troubles in the world seem like they’ll never be solved, or at least not in the timely way I prefer—then I like to come out here and stare at the ocean. It reminds me that this world is finite, and so am I. We take one step at a time, and we do our best.”
“Over the last months, I’ve begun to think I’m constantly running to catch up. I have so much to learn, and then it seems they throw me into the deep end and expect me to do the breast stroke like a champ. Things that seem natural to me turn out to be no-no’s—like taking a picture with a woman and her baby when we’re on an official visit. Who would think there’d be something wrong with that?”
“You’ll figure it out, darling.” Honey brushed sand from her leg. “Eventually, you’ll learn where the booby traps are and how to avoid them. And you’ll also learn when to stick up for yourself and take a stand on an issue. For instance, the picture incident? That’s ridiculous. Ignore it. Figure out where to draw your lines and then stick with it.”
“You sound like Nicky.” We trudged up the beach, away from the ocean and toward the house. “He says very much the same thing. But I don’t want to make anyone unhappy.”
“That, my dear, is an impossibility. There are some people in the world who are absolutely determined to be upset about one thing or another. When you meet those people, the best thing to do is to ignore them and go on your own way. They’ll find something else to be unhappy about sooner and later, and they’ll forget all about you once they realize their opinion doesn’t matter to you.”
I thought about her advice for a few minutes. “That works, unless it’s the Queen who’s unhappy with me.”
Honey chuckled. “True, but from everything Nicky has told me, his grandmother likes you very much. So as long as you and Nicky are happy with each other, and the Queen isn’t raising objections, then—what is it that your sisters say? Oh, you do you.” She winked at me.
“Oh, Honey.” I giggled as we climbed the steps to the deck. “Are you sure that you don’t want to live with us in England? You’re good for my soul.”
“Sweet girl, I plan to visit so much that it’ll be as though I live there,” she promised. “But as much as I enjoy Great Britain, I think I’m better off in the good old US of A.” She hooked her thumb to her chest. “With all this spunk, I’d end up getting you into more trouble than you do on your own.”
“But think of the fun we’d have.” Kicking off my shoes, I washed off my feet in the small foot shower.
“We would, indeed. But the truth is, I’m not sure England’s ready for two Duncan women living there.”
I snorted. “England’s not sure it’s ready foroneDuncan woman living there.” A wicked smile curved my lips. “But they all better get used to it ... because as long as the man I love is on that island, I’m not going anywhere.”
IT TOOK ME A SOLIDweek of being back in London before I began to recover from our trip to Florida. I allowed myself that long to rest, hibernating at the cottage and not seeing anyone except for Nicky. I didn’t take calls from work or from the Palace. I needed the time to adjust to going on with life after losing Handsome.
Three days after we’d returned home, I had a message from Aline, the head of the Press Office at Kensington Palace.
Ms. Duncan, I’ve tried to telephone you, but Sophie informed me that you are staying in seclusion this week. However, I did want to inform you without delay that while you were in the states, it came to the attention of the Palace that a member of our staff was sharing information with several reporters. The leaker, in fact, worked for me, in my office. I had no inkling of his betrayal until it came to light. Of course, his employment was terminated immediately. Please accept my apology for any inconvenience or discomfort his indiscretion might have caused you. I’ll look forward to discussing this with you further once you return to the Palace for your regular sessions next week.
“I can’t tell if she really feels badly about the situation or if she’s just trying to save face,” I mused to Nicky that night. “If anyone is owed an apology, it’s the staff at Honey Bee, since she accused them of being the problem.”
“I think you’d wait a long time for that, Kyra.” Nicky shook his head. “My suggestion is that you accept what she said with good grace and move on. Trust me when I say that she won’t forget her mistake. But she might actually be a bit easier on you, thanks to that memory.”
I decided that Nicky was right. I could afford to extend some grace, particularly as I’d be working with these people for a long time to come.
At the end of my week in hiding, Daisy came over to visit.
“Nicky told me not to come,” she announced when I opened the front door to her insistent knocking. “He said you’re not ready to see anyone, and that you just need time and space.”
“But you decided that didn’t apply to you,” I guessed, smiling at her in spite of myself.
“Of course, it doesn’t.” She dropped her colorful patchwork purse onto the bench near the front door and sank down on the sofa. “You always want to see me. Besides, I figured after the way we left everything before ... well, before we heard the news, I owed you an explanation and an update.”
“I’ve heard some of it from Nicky.” I sat down across from her and folded my arms over my chest. “The annulment is in the works, he said.”
