look at her. The entire ceremony had been smiles from beginning to end, when Leo delivered a kiss that made the bishop blush.
Now we were at the formal reception where Malcolm had made a welcome speech paying tribute to the bride and groom. We still had photos and the dinner to get through, but it was a lovely day all around—and would be even lovelier once I lost the heels under the dining table.
“It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn’t it?” I heard Sadie say to the next guest and I looked over to see that it was none other than Victoria accompanied by a handsome man in a very posh Armani suit. The guests were all announced before going through the line so we’d know who they were, but I’d completely missed Victoria’s announcement. Probably because she was now known as Mrs. Grant Lamond.
“Victoria, it’s lovely to see you,” I greeted, and I sort of meant it.
Initially, I’d been a bit shocked upon hearing that Victoria was still Malcolm’s assistant in the days following my departure for America. The news had reached me at the same time I’d learned of Andrew’s surprising betrayal, and it took a while to understand that, while Victoria didn’t particularly care for me, she hadn’t invaded my privacy nor shared any information with the press.
In fact, when I’d returned to Dunwall for good before Malcolm’s coronation two months ago, she’d sought me out to apologize for her initial coldness—and for pointing out my tiny boobs—admitting that she’d been threatened by me as Malcolm’s assistant. I subsequently learned from Trevor, however, that she’d also been harboring a massive crush on my boyfriend and had envisioned herself as the future queen to his king—something she’d tearfully confessed during her post-press-leak interviews.
The crush had apparently faded, however, because she was now married to one of the wealthy business owners she’d approached for donations in the early days of rebuilding. And she’d switched from assisting Malcolm to acting as head administrator of one of Queen Elsie’s foundations.
Victoria and I saw each other occasionally, as I also worked on two of the family’s foundations now—while still helping Malcolm here and there. He’d devised a new arrangement where a few assistants worked together to help the new king with his numerous endeavors. And while I no longer worked for Triumph, I still helped Grier with the glasses charity and kept in touch with many of my friends back in North Carolina. I’d already been back to visit last month and anticipated many trips in my future—after all, Carl needed all the looking after he could get, didn’t he?
“Hello, Alice.” Victoria smiled warmly and even leaned in for a hug, to my surprise, which I returned. “Beautiful dress,” she said when she pulled back, and I could have sworn she made a gesture to her own breasts, indicating that she thought mine looked good in my dress. Would wonders never cease?
“Thank you. Yours is lovely as well.”
And so it went until the last of the guests came through and we all dispersed, most of us heading for the loo after such a long wait. Ruby and Leo, I noticed, chose to go in together. It seemed Leo was well on his way to taking the mantle of the most mischievous Baxter.
However, Malcolm proved me wrong immediately by coming up behind me and squeezing my bottom through my dress.
His father approached just as I smacked Malcolm’s hand away, making my cheeks heat. But King Gregory either didn’t notice or he was so used to Malcolm’s behavior that it didn’t deserve acknowledgment. Either way, I allowed Malcolm to wrap his arms around me from behind without digging the heel of my shoe into his foot.
“It’s nice to see so much love in the air.” King Gregory nodded his approval. “A celebration is a welcome change, isn’t it?”
We didn’t need to ask his meaning. It had been a long six months, but there was more light than dark now, and optimism was a welcome change for everyone. Malcolm had been crowned two months ago in a more sedate coronation ceremony without any of the excessive celebratory events originally planned. It had been breathtaking nonetheless, and Malcolm had made a beautiful speech about humility, grace, and the ties connecting us all. It had made me cry and I couldn’t have been prouder of him.
He did enjoy one frivolous element to his coronation day, however, when Leo presented him with the keys to his beloved Shelby which