Worst of all, what if it was so good, so right, that Caroline could never live with the awful reality of her life again?
Fear flooded through her, and Angus seemed to sense it, reaching a hand towards her arm to calm her.
But she stepped away quickly, not wanting him to touch her lest she clung on, unable to let go.
‘All right, we can meet you, but just for one day.’
He nodded. ‘Thank you. I mean the best for you both, you know that?’
‘I think I do.’
‘They’re sending me back to Scotland next week, so I was hoping we can meet on Saturday.’
She knew it would be difficult to get away from Frank, but she said, ‘I’ll make sure we’re free.’
‘I’ll be underneath the clock in Victoria Station at nine.’ And now a half-smile lit his face. ‘Be dressed for walking.’
‘Why, where are we going?’
He led her back to the door. ‘You’ll find out when we get there.’
And for a moment they stood, the open door between them, and she wondered if he just wanted to spend time with Annabel, or was it her, too. If he said it was, she would balk, back away, worry that what they were doing was wrong. Yet she couldn’t help but wonder whether she still meant anything to him.
Suddenly self-conscious, she straightened her hair, murmuring a quick, panicked goodbye before darting out onto the dark path, following the light from the windows back to the palace.
All the while, she couldn’t help but worry. What excuse was she going to give to Frank? What was she going to say to Annabel about this strange man taking them out for the day?
But deep down, she knew there was one far more pressing issue.
How was she to stop herself falling in love with him all over again?
MIRANDA
IT WAS A SEEMINGLY ORDINARY TUESDAY,MIRANDA GETTINGon with procession issues, when a message from Villiers arrived.
Since the queen and senior advisors are in Windsor Castle, today’s coronation meeting has been moved there. As such, I won’t be able to attend, so you’ll have to go in my place.
The cars leave the main entrance at two o’clock.
R. G. F. Villiers
Holding the note, Miranda rose to her feet. It was almost two already, and a nervous excitement took hold of her as she prepared her files, giving herself a rather nasty paper cut along the way.
Instead of Villiers presenting her ideas as his own, she’d be there, taking the glory for her own work. But not only that, she’d get to meet the main characters, hear the gossip, and best of all, see the plans.
In addition, she’d get to visit Windsor Castle. It was one of the queen’s favourite palaces, with its own Royal Lodge, where she kept her horses. There had to be a news story in that.
She gathered her notes and hurried to the entrance.
Unsurprisingly, Miranda was the only woman in the group leaving for Windsor. There wasn’t space in the first car with the moustaches – Miranda’s name for the suited managers – and she was left to take the second on her own.
‘Perfect,’ she murmured to herself as she settled into the back seat.
But just as the car was about to leave, the door was yanked open. There was Sinclair, plumping himself onto the seat beside her as the chauffeur pulled away, heading out of the palace gates and into the city.
‘How delightful!’ he said, folding his jacket onto the seat beside him. ‘A journey with Miss Self-Sufficient.’
She gave him her withering look. ‘I need to be self-sufficient with a boss like Villiers. How the man was given the position, I have no idea – nor why he took it. He has absolutely no intention of doing a thing. He stole my report and called it his own and blames me for everything he hasn’t done.’
