“I came out to see the stars, but it’s still too light.”Scottie tasted the tea, glancing at him.“Thank you.”
“I won’t remind you to let me know if you leave the castle.”
“Which you just did.Very passive-aggressive.”
“Your words, not mine.”With a sigh, he stretched his legs toward the edge of the stone.“Are you all right?”
“I had no idea, Michael.”She cradled the warm mug to her chest.“I thought I did, but I didn’t.”
“About?”
“Coming here.Accepting a title.Pretending I could just slip into my mother’s world without causing a stir.Blending into an established family would be a chore for anyone, but I’m trying to blend into an ancient family that symbolizes an entire nation.”She turned toward him.“Are the people really tired of having a royal family?Are they really upset Americans have joined the House of Blue?”
“It’s clickbait, Scottie.Something to stir emotions.”
“With me as the latest stick?”
“Yes, but I saw something at the Garden Party, even amid the quay lunacy.You draw people, Scottie.They gravitate to you.It’s true, you see everyone as your friend.As for the press, the media, they’re conflict entrepreneurs, love.They’ve become millionaires by peddling your worst fears.”
“I just wanted to spend time with her.I like that she needed me.No one’s ever needed me before.My dad, grandparents, they loved me, raised me well, gave me a good start, but I’m not sure they ever really needed me.”
“O’Shay Shirts needs you.”
“Maybe… I guess.”Her voice softened, a familiar southern warmth slipping in.“My friends back home keep texting memes and posts.‘Hey, Scotto, did you see this?’Like I really want to know that someone at the Garden Party called me aminger, whatever that is.”
“The opposite of you,” he said.“You were beautiful at the Garden Party.Like I said, everyone wanted to be near you.”
Their eyes met, stirring early sensations he’d worked to bury.He broke his gaze as the turbulent sea below thundered against the rocks.
“The sea is angry tonight,” he murmured.
“Tell me everything will be all right, Michael.Thethemsaren’t coming after me.”
“It will be, lass.I mean it.Nordvagt Yard will handle thethems.You’re strong, you’re wise, you know who you are.Don’t let the lunatics reroute your narrative.”
“Do I know who I am?This past year I’ve cared less about O’Shay Shirts, which is so unlike me.I’ve been obsessed with that company since I could hold a pencil.Another reason I came here was to scratch the itch, you know?To discover these people who share my bloodline and heritage.All my life it’s been Dad, Fritz, Shug, a few aunts and uncles.I’ve traveled the world for O’Shay, negotiated with factories, hired and fired.Six years of college and grad school in design and business.I’m not a natural talent.I’ve worked at it.Then suddenly, I’m onThe Price Is Right.‘Come on down, Scottie O’Shay!You’ve won a royal family!’”
“Very good impression of a telly presenter,” he said, smiling.“It’s a bit much, I grant you, but don’t lose sight of the big picture, love.”Love.He must stop using that word.He hadn’t called anyonelovesince Purnell.“If you do, you’ll waste time and emotion better spent on knowing your mum.Consider the externals as part of your royal experience.Mrs.Agnus Johansdotter will merely become one of many anecdotes in your memoir.”
Scottie sighed, taking another sip.“Hey, to change the subject, I met Eloise Bright—Eloise Ltd.—at the Garden Party.She was amazing.Thrilled I carried her clutch.She said she’d tried to buy land a few years ago but was undercut by a bigger manufacturer.”
“The scandal with Princess Holland and Lord Cunningham,” Michael said.“Prince John never mentioned it?His late wife schemed to sell that land to Reingard Industries after Eloise Ltd.showed good faith—even ran an environmental study.”
“She said it nearly ruined her company.Now she’s bought a place in the Midlands, waiting for another chance to expand, but she’s getting nowhere.”
“With you carrying her bag, she’ll gain her global attention,” Michael said.“But she told you all this in a Garden Party line?”
“We chatted at the cake tent.Do you think we could visit her shop?See if I can help?”
“Ah, royal responsibility has set in.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning those in your position often feel a duty to lend a helping hand—if they’ve a halfway decent heart.Which you do.You’ve resources, connections, respect that comes with the name Blue.I’ll check with Her Majesty, but she may grant you Royal Warrant privileges.You could extend one to Eloise Ltd.Even after June, the warrant remains valid for five years.”
“Explain, Michael Cross.What is a Royal Warrant?”
“A seal of approval from the Crown.Only the queen, king consort, and Prince John hold that right.But the queen might allow you one such privilege.Use it wisely.A warrant allows a business to display the House of Blue coat of arms and a legend—‘By appointment of Her Majesty the Queen, Eloise Ltd.is her supplier of fine women’s fashion.’”
