He felt a smile forming. “It’s pretty kickass.”
She pressed closer. “And anyway, I was gearing up to be in the UK a fuckuva lot more. Right?”
His tone was guttural when he replied, “Right.”
“So that’s not a thing,” she said.
“Good to know.”
More apt: great to know.
“I know it’s going to sound crazy to say this,” she began, “but it’s true. I just wish I had a mum who, when she died, suddenly and without warning, I was devastated.”
Fuck, his poor wee lass.
He turned into her and gathered her tight against him. “I wish that too.”
“As macabre as this is, and warning, it’s very macabre, I think she’d like that she went out the same way the most famous princess in the world did. She hated her. Said she was the death of the true monarchy. But she was obsessed with her. Even after she was gone, Mum watched every documentary and read books about her. Is it weird that I feel some solace in that?”
“Nothing is weird, lassie.”
She tucked her face in his throat.
He stroked her back.
“I’m going to be okay,” she assured. “I just need Alex here. With Dad here, Nora helping with the necessities, Alex here and you here, I’ll be okay. So don’t worry. All right?”
He’d worry until he knew she was all right.
But he said, “All right.”
“So go to sleep,” she ordered.
“That’s my line.”
If he wasn’t mistaken, he felt her smile against his throat.
And he was surprised when, not long later, she drifted to sleep.
Since she did, he followed her.
Chapter 15
Fellow Captives
Blake
* * *
“Babe, c’mere,” Dair called from the bedroom.
I stopped brushing on eye shadow and left the bathroom to see Dair in nothing but dark blue, drawstring pajama bottoms lounged in my bed.
I’d always loved my room at Treverton. The muted, light green walls. The ivory bedclothes with contrasting light green elements mingled with a subtle floral in ivory, green and pink. That floral also covering the padded headboard and draped as curtains that framed the head of the bed around a panel of ruched green silk. The glossy, dark wood bureaus and nightstands with brass accents.
It was very pretty.
And very English.
