Kat glanced over her shoulder then grabbed Meredith by the arm, tugging her ahead faster. “I want to talk to you in private,” she said quietly. “Okay?”
“Let’s take some drinks up to my room.” Meredith was curious about why Kat was being so secretive but waited until they were behind closed doors to ask.
“Did Papa tell you about the terrorist threats?” Kat asked.
“Yes, sort of. He didn’t go into great detail, but I’m aware of it. I’m also aware that he doesn’t want to worry Mishka.”
Kat took a long swig of soda. “Well, did you know I may not be able to return to my school?”
Meredith considered this. “I can understand about potential security concerns. But he never mentioned it.”
“Before I became friends with Kalina, I wouldn’t have cared, but now I’m looking forward to having such a good friend in school.”
“I understand that.” It saddened Meredith that Kat had made this progress but might not get to live it out.
“I told Papa I still want to go to school there, but I don’t think he heard me. But he may listen to you.”
“Oh, I don’t know.”
“Grandmama wants me back at the palace. That’s two against one. If you were on my side, it may help.”
“I am on your side, but honestly, I doubt it will make any difference.”
“I can tell Papa respects you.”
Meredith wanted to question this but didn’t.
“If you could just tell him, you know, as a teacher, that you think I need to be in school…well, it may do the trick. Okay?” Kat looked so hopeful, Meredith knew she couldn’t disappoint her.
“I’ll do my best, but I’d be surprised if it changed anything.”
To Meredith’s surprise, Kat hugged her. “Thank you.”
Meredith hugged her back. “We better get down to lunch.”
As they went down, Kat asked Meredith to save that conversation until Meredith was alone with her dad. “And please don’t tell him I asked you to do this, okay?”
Meredith agreed as they went into the dining room to join Spencer and Mishka. As if trying to make points, Kat attempted to act more gracious about the whooping they’d given the boyson the football field. “Mishka’s skills have really improved,” she told her father. “If he keeps it up, you guys may whip us next time.”
“Why don’t we play boys against girls with a tennis match?” Mishka suggested eagerly. “Can we do that, Papa?”
“I don’t see why not.” And so they soon agreed to meet on the courts at two.
Thanks to Spencer’s superior tennis skills and Meredith’s distraction over trying to come up with a way to convince him to rethink Kat’s education plans, the boys proved to be more competitive at the next match. After they won, Mishka suggested they cool off at the pool. “You have to come too, Papa,” he insisted. “So I can show you my swimming.”
“I wouldn’t miss it,” Spencer promised.
Meredith knew that Spencer was being extra cooperative because he felt guilty about taking the children back to the palace sooner than planned, but it was fun seeing him playing with his kids in the pool and acting like a real dad. Kat and Mishka seemed to be eating it up. After swimming a few laps, Meredith decided to enjoy not being so much in demand by sitting in the sun on the deck. Besides, she thought, the children should start getting used to it. In a couple days, they would all be saying goodbye.
Eventually they tired of the water, but Kat, in a rather uncharacteristic fashion, started helping Mishka towel off and began ushering him toward the house. She gave Meredith a look that suggested now might be the time to talk about her schooling plans. Feeling fairly certain she’d be rejected straight away,Meredith asked Spencer if she could have a word with him just as the children were out of earshot.
“Sure.” With an oversized pool towel over his shoulders, he came over to sit on the lounge chair next to her. “What’s up?”
“Kat told me you talked to her,” Meredith began. “And she’s worried that she may not be able to continue her schooling and she’s—”
“I thought Kat hated that school,” he interrupted.
“She may have before. But now that she has a friend, her attitude has changed.”
