was notoriously closed-lipped, and I sure as hell wasn’t going to bring it up. We talked about everything else as we journeyed to the airport and onto the private airfield where the royal fleet of planes arrived and departed.
Archer was flown in on Roan I. Audra and I stood at the bottom of the gangway to greet him as he deplaned. He reached me first. “Pretty swanky, sis,” he grinned. I launched myself up into his arms for a hug.
“Thank you for coming.”
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t miss this for the world. It’s not every day one is invited to a royal soiree,” he grinned. “Or should I say, summoned?”
I laughed before stepping aside. “Archer, this is Countess Audra Tremwell.”
The minute his eyes fell on the beautiful Audra, I could see my arrogant, cocky brother was dumbstruck. Audra was every bit as regal as any Quinn, and every bit as formidable as any Tremwell. She stood tall as she reached out a hand.
“Mr. McPhee,” she greeted.
“Archer,” he corrected.
Their handshake lingered for just a moment before Audra pulled back her hand and cleared her throat. “Shall we?”
“After you, Countess,” he grinned.
She chuckled. “Audra,” she corrected.
I linked my arm in Archer’s as we walked towards the terminal. As we approached the car waiting just outside, some of PING’s ever-present vultures waited, snapping their pictures. “Who’s the new man, Peaches?” they all wanted to know.
Audra straightened her spine and encouraged us to do the same, walking forward, chins high. And when one of the PING paparazzi got a little too close to me, Audra quickly blocked his access. Taking no prisoners, she spun his arm around his back and planted him face first into the curb without breaking a nail.
With the snap of her finger, police quickly ascended, dragging the offending paparazzi off as a warning to all the others who remained behind.
I gaped as I turned to Audra. She smoothed her hair. “Let’s go.”
Archer was equally stunned, and I couldn’t help but grin. He might not have known it, but I suspected Archer McPhee had just been hit by the thunderbolt.
We climbed into the Alda limo. “May I get you a drink?” she asked Archer.
“Please,” he said, before turning to me. He peered at my face closely. I knew from the way his brow furrowed that my eagle-eyed brother had spotted the fading green and yellow tone of the bruise underneath all the makeup. “What happened to your face?” he wanted to know at once.
I cleared my throat. “Silly accident,” I brushed away. “It doesn’t matter.”
“If someone hurt my sister,” he warned ominously, “I think it matters quite a bit.”
“I’m fine,” I insisted. I was glad that Audra handed him a tumbler of Aldaynean whiskey, from the Quinn family stock.
He took a sip, then nodded his approval. “It’s good,” he told Audra, before sliding his eyes to me. “And we’re not done talking about it.”
I chuckled. That was Archer in a nutshell. Smart, determined and focused. It was what made him a good lawyer.
Audra stepped up to the plate by giving him a tour of the Aldaynean capital Wandermere as we entered the city. Sean took his time, letting the limo prowl through the tangle of the impressive skyscrapers, so that Audra could give him any number of things to focus on besides my face.
Finally, we reached Queen’s Quay and the Royal Symphony Hall. Archer helped me out of the car. I knew it was for a full-body inspection. “How’s the pregnancy going?” he wanted to know.
I embraced my belly. “Rounding the last quarter and heading for home,” I grinned. Technically I was 30 weeks along, but as far as the world was concerned, I was only 26. No matter the timeline we used, however, I was around the third trimester and in full bloom.
“You look beautiful,” he said. I knew he meant it. “Can I?” he said, reaching for my tummy. “Or will the Countess rip my arm off?” he added, stealing a shameless smirk towards Audra.
“That’s up to Peaches,” she said with a smile.
“Of course, you can, Uncle Archer,” I said.
He placed his hand on my rounded stomach. Jack responded with a fierce little kick, which made Archer’s eyes widen. “Wow,” he breathed.
“Wow,” I agreed.
“Does it hurt?”
I shook my head. “It feels funny, but it doesn’t hurt. Yet,” I added with a mirthful grin. “I still have to push him out into the world. And he’s not getting any smaller.”
He fell into step beside me as we walked towards the massive