The Duchess Effect by Tracey Livesay

Author:Tracey Livesay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2023-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

The Prince and the Pop Tart

• A brewing crisis as Julian is pulled from his royal duties

• Questions about the future line of succession

Daily Mail

Dani drifted into their suite and sat on the edge of the bed. “They’re fast.”

In the adjoining dressing room, Jameson approved the clothing choices his valet recommended and nodded his thanks. He went to join her. “Who?”

“The queen’s staff.” She wrinkled her nose. “Or is it her household? I remember Margery explaining that to me last time. That households don’t refer to the house where you live but the staff that assist you in your public duties.”

“Right.”

“Thankfully, I have Louisa as my one-woman household. She’s got my schedule and it appears our first event is a reception at Buckingham Palace honoring the winners of an essay contest.” She grinned. “That seems right up your alley.”

It was. He always enjoyed meeting with students or attending events that touched upon education. They had been some of his grandfather’s favorites, too.

He’d be prepared, as he always was. But Dani mentioning their first joint event was the in he needed to discuss an issue that continued to plague him.

“I want to talk about our meeting with the queen yesterday,” he said, sitting in the leather accent chair that faced the bed next to the fireplace.

She tucked her legs beneath her. “What about it?”

Was she serious?

“We agreed to keep our individual responsibilities separate from our relationship because we didn’t want it affected by outside forces. You brought it up first. But then you caved and agreed to her request. You heard everything I said and disregarded it, like it didn’t matter.”

The sting of the slight still bothered him.

“That’s not what I was doing. You heard her. If we do this, you won’t have to be a working royal anymore. You can go back to teaching. Not at Birmingham, but somewhere else. And your mom’s place in the family will be safe. How could I not agree?”

“Because it’s not worth the risk to our relationship.”

“Our relationship is fine.”

“It is now. But what happens when people begin commenting on how we perform at an event, criticizing you and praising me or vice versa? When they start questioning why you’re being treated in an unprecedented manner? When some ‘enterprising’ journalist decides to tie you to Samantha Banks again and questions your role in the Company’s latest scandal?”

It was clear she hadn’t considered that. She averted her gaze and dropped her hands to her lap, absentmindedly tangling her fingers.

Good.

She needed to consider what he was saying. This wasn’t a sound idea.

“What about Mela-Skin? Can you be gone from the company for so long? Just as you’re about to sign the contract with Genesis?”

She looked up and he was surprised to see the determination in her gaze. She scrambled off the bed.

“This is too important, Jay. Mela-Skin is in good hands. And if anything urgent comes up, I’m a video conference call away,” she countered. “As for our relationship, I love you and I want to be with you.

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