Page 57 of Christmas at the Castle
“You imagine girls at camp?” Gill asked with a look of distaste.
“Females are females.” Jamie set his glass on the table. “Whether at camp, in a sorority, or at girls’ night, only the ages change.”
Bertrand shrugged. “I’d still like to know.”
“Sophie will have to tell you the specifics,” Kat said to him. If Sophie hadn’t told him about their times at camp together, Kat wouldn’t, either. They hadn’t done anything wrong, but that was a time of growing up and sharing secrets. Girl stuff. “My memory isn’t what it used to be.”
“Mine, either.” Sophie didn’t miss a beat. “I believe it’s called BFF amnesia.”
Kat nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard something about that. A good thing we have pictures or we’d never remember anything.”
“We can ask Gill to fill in the missing gaps,” Sophie teased. “He used to follow us around.”
Jamie raised his wineglass in Gill’s direction. “I knew there was more to you than meets the eyes. If I’d been at that camp, I would have followed these lovelies around, too.”
Kat hadn’t known he’d done that. “You followed us?”
Red tinged Gill’s cheeks. The blush was uncharacteristic and cute. “On occasion.”
“That was my doing,” Queen Louise said. “I asked Guillaume to keep an eye on his sister.”
“Why?” Sophie asked.
“Because my little girl was going off to the Wild West in America, and I was worried. That’s what mothers do. Worry about our children.” The queen held Sophie’s hand. “You may be grown up and getting married, but you’ll always be my little girl.”
Sophie beamed brighter than she had in her wedding dress today. “Thank you, Mother.”
A lump formed in Kat’s throat. Gill and Sophie had so much patience for their mother. He’d mentioned one of the reasons earlier in the sitting room, but now Kat saw for herself.
Queen Louise sipped her wine. “Enough sentimentality. Who’s ready for the next course?”
Beneath the queen’s hard edges and harsh words lay a mother’s heart full of love for her children. Bertrand was now accepted as someone who loved Sophie. Jamie, too. Kat, however, was as an outsider and, for some odd reason, viewed as a threat.
Not how she’d wanted things to be, but she understood a little better. Maybe by the time Kat left Alistonia, the queen could say she knew more about Kat and, at least, tolerated her.
Kat glanced at Gill. The crown prince, too.
“So Kitty Kat.” Jamie stared over the rim of his wineglass. “How about we leave the two love birds alone tomorrow and go sightseeing?”
Sophie and Bertrand held hands under the table. Their gazes had hardly left each other’s. The couple needed time alone, but Kat would need to keep Jamie on a tight leash and not let his flirting get out of control. He was a little too out there for her tastes.
“That sounds like fun,” Kat said.
Gill wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Yes, it does sound like fun. I’ll go with you.”
That got Sophie’s attention. Her nose scrunched. “You have to work.”
“I doubt Mother would want us to leave our houseguests on their own. That wouldn’t be polite.”
Sophie gave her brother a look. “They don’t mind.”
“We don’t,” Jamie offered.
His grin was full of innuendo, which made Kat think maybe Gill should go. She’d never needed a chaperone, but Jamie might.
“I’m happy to offer my services as a tour guide,” Gill said.
“Gill knows all the sights,” Queen Louise said. “However, Claude could take Kat if you gentlemen would rather tour on your own.”
