Royal Holiday - Jasmine Guillory Page 0,21
next to Malcolm. When Tim had said that thing about her coming again, she’d wanted to ask Malcolm if he would bring her back, but she’d stopped herself. She was having a great time hanging out and flirting with this tall, plummy-voiced chocolate bar, but he had a very important job, and must have his own family to spend time with during the holidays. She didn’t want to impose on him more than she already had.
What was he even doing to celebrate Christmas, anyway? Where was his family? They’d talked a bit about his nephew and sister but no one else. Was Malcolm going to leave Sandringham soon to go to his family?
Wait. Was he married?
She turned to ask him.
“Are you . . . ?”
Her voice trailed away. Right in front of them was a short, elderly woman, wearing a very practical mackintosh, a black purse hanging off her elbow, and a scarf over her head.
“Your Majesty.” Malcolm bowed. “May I introduce Vivian Forest? She’s a guest at Sycamore Cottage.”
Without thinking about it, Vivian dropped into a quick curtsy.
“Ms. Forest, a pleasure. I saw you out there earlier on Polly. Excellent seat.”
Vivian swallowed hard.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” What in God’s name was happening to her? Did she actually just address someone as “Your Majesty” for real? “I had a lovely time riding her; she’s a beautiful horse.”
The Queen nodded.
“She is indeed.” She turned to Malcolm. “Thank you for your note; we can discuss it in our meeting tomorrow morning.”
Malcolm nodded again.
“Thank you, ma’am.”
The Queen lifted a hand in farewell and walked ahead of them out of the stables, back toward Sandringham House.
Vivian hadn’t realized she was standing still and staring straight in front of her until Malcolm slipped his arm through hers and turned to lead her back toward Sycamore Cottage. They didn’t speak a word to each other until they were well out of the stables.
“After all your scorn of the monarchy and making fun of people who bow and curtsy to them, who was it I saw drop into an impeccable curtsy just now?” Malcolm had an enormous grin on his face.
Vivian threw her hands in the air.
“I didn’t do it on purpose, okay? It just happened! It’s not every day in my life a queen just lands in my path as I’m walking out of a stable! I saw you bow and I just lost my mind!”
He shook his head.
“So many revolutionary ideals that came crashing to a halt!”
The Queen. She had really met the Queen. Vivian laughed out loud.
“I cannot believe that just happened!” She turned to Malcolm. “Did you know she was going to be there?”
Had he brought her to the stables both to try to get her to ride a horse and to “accidentally” get her to meet the Queen?
“I didn’t,” he said. “But you should be honored by her compliment on your seat; she would never say that if it wasn’t true.”
Not only had she met the Queen, but the Queen had given her a genuine compliment on her horseback riding?
She’d definitely fallen down a rabbit hole. None of this felt real.
She stopped to look around.
“What a strange place this is,” she said.
Malcolm followed her glance, from Sandringham House to the stables to Sycamore Cottage to some of the other buildings in the distance.
“Quite,” he said.
She laughed out loud.
“Maddie isn’t going to believe this,” she said. “I never even thought I might meet the Queen while I was here—I thought there was no way someone like me would be allowed near her. I did sort of hope . . .” She stopped herself. She didn’t need to admit that.
Malcolm touched her elbow.
“No, you can’t stop like that. What did you ‘sort of hope’?”
She shouldn’t have started this, but now she’d have to finish.
“This is silly, so please don’t judge me for it. But I did ask Maddie if we’d get to see some tiaras. I’ve never seen one in real life before. A real one, I mean.” She sighed. “But Maddie said no. Apparently, they don’t wear them that often.”
Malcolm smiled at her and took her arm again.
“No judgment here. The jewels of the royal family are really something to see in person. Some of them come out for the holidays, but your daughter was right; not the tiaras.”
They turned back toward Sycamore Cottage. Vivian suddenly remembered what she’d been about to ask Malcolm when they’d been interrupted by the Queen.
“How much longer are you at Sandringham? What are your plans for Christmas?