Stealing Kisses With a King (Kings of Carolina #3)- Sylvie Stewart Page 0,68

be more still if it were frozen.” It would clearly take more than words to convince her, and I was happy to oblige, so I ran directly at her with the intention of throwing her over my shoulder. But she scrambled away at the last second, using Ruby as a shield between us.

“Sharks?” she asked as she ducked lower, as if I couldn’t see her. Ruby laughed and struck a defensive pose to ward me off.

“Haven’t seen any in, oh, at least a few days,” Nolan offered as he tossed a few small rocks over the edge, his mess of hair blowing this way and that in the wind. This would definitely be the last time this season.

“That’s not helping, Nolan,” Leo admonished, handing a sparkling water to Ruby as she guarded my girlfriend.

Girlfriend. I quite liked the sound of that.

Rarely having the chance to go on outings as a group, everyone had jumped at the opportunity to make an afternoon of it at the rocks. I’d had to reschedule a fitting with my tailor, Mitchell, but he’d been agreeable seeing as he was at the palace just about every day recently. As soon as Ruby had agreed, I’d quickly gathered the troops.

This last week with Alice had been better than I could have imagined. The way we meshed our lives was effortless, and so far, I’d been able to assuage each of her concerns. Luckily, I’d tackled the biggest obstacle first when I’d met my parents for tea the very afternoon Alice and I had worked out our differences in her kitchen.

It shouldn’t have surprised me that Queen Elsie had somehow become aware of a shift in our relationship, so it was a good thing I’d come prepared, defenses up.

Her opening question had me immediately on alert.

“So, how is Alice?” Her expression was indiscernible as it often was as she sat in a hand-carved armchair in their drawing room. She wore one of her pastel suits, sitting with her legs crossed at the ankles and an heirloom teacup perched gracefully in her hand.

I was careful to appear utterly calm and collected. “She’s fine. I’ll be sure to tell her you asked after her.” I’d even brought my manners with me to tea.

“I hear you consulted your father the other day.” She nodded in my father’s direction and he silently confirmed with a dip of his chin before turning his attention back to the book in his lap. He’d always been a smart man, my father, knowing how to use silence to his advantage. I’d have to study his technique more closely.

“He’s always available to you, as am I,” my mother finished.

I gave a polite nod and lowered my teacup to its saucer on the table. “Thank you. I appreciate that. I’m sure I’ll need plenty of help to get my footing.”

The queen shook her head, disagreeing with me for some reason. Everyone knew I had a steep learning curve ahead. “You’ll be fine, especially with Alice.”

Not that Alice’s skills weren’t indispensable, but that was quite the assessment, coming from Queen Elsie. Perhaps now was the right time to divulge the change in our relationship. “Well, I’m not sure I’ve convinced her to stay past the coronation just yet.” I began easing into it.

“She’ll stay if you simply ask her,” my mother stated with certainty.

My father chose to weigh in as well. “Women don’t care for it when you assume. Remember that.”

Mother nodded in agreement and allowed her lips to curve in a display of pleasure.

“So I’ve discovered.” I watched them both, suddenly feeling warier, but my mother carried on.

“We’ll have to work out some sort of statement, of course. Have Alice confer with the communications team. If it can wait until after the coronation, that would be best, but it’s ultimately up to you.”

I was clearly missing something. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I’m not following completely. What kind of statement are you referring to?”

This time when my mother shook her head, it read as if she were amused by a witless child. That child being me. “A statement about your relationship with Alice. It’s always best to get ahead of the press on these things.”

Gobsmacked would be an appropriate word for how I felt. “You know about Alice and me?” All signs of cool and collected had fled the room.

Again with the tolerant head shake. “Of course. She’s been in love with you for years. It was about time you noticed.” She took another sip of tea, clearly pleased