The weight of grief when he spoke of Purnell was palpable.The hesitation—no, regret—when he mentioned his mother, like a story he didn’t want to tell.
Outside the Princess Charlotte suite, she met Cranston on patrol.
“Her Majesty is sleeping peacefully, miss,” the butler said.“She’s terribly grateful you’re here.She asked after you once the nurses settled her.”
“I’m glad to be here too, Cranston.My mother, however, may feel differently in the morning.”
“Whatever do you mean, miss?”
“You’ll know soon enough.Good night, Cranston.”
The truth was, Scottie didn’t know how Kate would respond to her late-night adventure or the chaos she’d stirred.
In her suite, she switched off the lights and headed to her room, beyond exhausted.She might just fall face-first into the pillows, clothes and all.
But Choko, dear Choko, had laid out her pajamas, set a tea trolley beside the bed with a warming kettle and snacks, and had even drawn a steaming bath filled with soaking salts and left a towel on the warmer.
After peeling off her clothes, Scottie brushed her teeth, twisted her hair into a knot then sank into the steaming water, burning the cold from her bones.
Again, the night replayed in her mind—music, shouts, the cold quay, the woman’s cries, the strong hands on her legs.The cozy, warm pub.Ernst.Stella.Michael.
“Where I go, you go.”
Scottie opened her eyes.Her promise at the pub.She hadn’t meant it to sound so personal, but under the cover of night, that’s exactly how it felt.
* * *
“What in blazes happened on the Dalholm quay last night?Did you see Lady Royal save that woman?If you ask me, she’s earned a Crown’s Distinguished Honor.It can go to anyone, right?”
— @RoyalWatcherOne
* * *
“I saw the video.Lady Royal pushed a woman and a child over the quay.Then tried to save her.What a blooming fraud.Send her home.No more royal Americans.We’re through!”
— Lauchten LOUD!on X.com
* * *
“‘Initial investigation on the Old Hamlet incident reveals no foul play,’” said Dalholm Chief of Police, Ian Clock.“‘We’ve looked at all the evidence and have determined the crowd on the quay simply got too close.If anyone has more information or a different testimony, please contact the DPD hot line.’”
— The Daily Dalholm Update
* * *
“‘I’ve watched the videos of Lady Royal leaping to save Mrs.Johansdotter and I’m telling you it’s staged.Or an AI video.Look at how she seems to jerk back as she grabs on to her hand.As if someone is holding onto her.Certainly a doctored video would not be impossible for Michael Cross, a decorated Special Forces major and a member of the Cross family.He’s trained, strong, crafty.’”
— Lt.Colonel Roland Hawkin, former chief of Her Majesty’s High Command on Tuppence Corbin & Friends
Chapter Seven
Michael
After very little sleep, he bolstered his morning with a shower, three cups of coffee, one tea, and an unknown number of sweet cinnamon puffs.But this day required protein, so he headed down to the servants’ hall for eggs and sausage.
After filing his report in the Operations Room, he climbed to his quarters, exhausted and trying to settle his thoughts.But his phone kept pinging with links to the events on the quay.
Most of the videos were dark and bumpy, a muddled mess of shouts, music, and references to Scottie as the “queen’s illegitimate daughter.”
