Page 101 of Tabloid Princess

“Leia.” She stepped closer, her fingers resting against my cheek. “I hope you are prepared for what this means.”

“For Daisy?” I hadn’t been able to sleep with the worry of it.

“No. For you. This won’t stay secret long.”

I nodded. I knew this. I could hope otherwise.

“I’ll say my goodbyes—to the prince.” She chortled to herself and shook her head, muttering something about, “Who’d believe it.”

I watched her go, then flicked the kettle on. Taking a deep breath, I turned for the door back into the lounge.

Oliver stretched out on the carpet laying on his tummy, a look of immense concentration on his face as he considered the wonky height of Daisy’s palace walls.

“I think this one needs to be moved,” he told her. “If we put a shorter wall in here it would be like an antechamber.”

“What’s an antechamber?” she asked him.

“Basically, it’s a room off a room. Palaces and castles have them, especially the older ones. It means that important conversations can take place away from where the rest of the people are gathered.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that.” Daisy’s attention flickered in my direction. “Mummy, we need an anteroom. Then you and Nana wouldn’t have to whisper in the kitchen.”

This kid.

Oliver’s eyes danced as he lifted them to me. “Come and sit, we need more master builders.”

Daisy gasped. “Like in the Lego Movie?”

“One of my favourites,” he told her.

My heart wouldn’t survive this. I knew that. I may as well give in and live in the moment. I folded myself to where they lay together. His fingers brushed mine, but he swiftly took them back into his own space. His gaze occasionally searching Daisy.

“Daisy, you know I’m rubbish at Lego.” I scowled at the pieces that never seemed to do anything useful when in my hands.

“Do you lack vision, Leia?” He might not have been touching me, but his voice reached me just like his touch would.

“Totally.”

I watched them work in silence for a while. Every so often he gave her a little hint, never pushing, never telling.

I had no precedent to compare this to.

How could I compare the way Oliver interacted with Daisy when I’d never let anyone else even close?

“Would you like a coffee? Tea?” I asked eventually when my blatant staring was becoming borderline stalkerish.

“Coffee would be good.”

I stared, narrowing my eyes at the bricks in his hand. Somehow he was using small bricks to make a round turret. How did you make a round shape with square bricks? I didn’t get it.

In the kitchen I searched for a mug that didn’t have a chip in it but then decided I doubted chipped china would have much of an impact on the situation. Eventually I chose one that Nana had got me at Christmas. In bright turquoise it said, ‘Bad Assy’.

“Everything okay?” The magnetic air between us flickered to life as soon as he came into the room.

“Yes, it’s great.”

Using a firm touch he turned me from the kitchen counter, so I faced him. “I’m trying to make this as natural as possible.”

“I know.” I smiled. “Really, I appreciate that. I know this is all very quick. I guess you didn’t expect to meet me and then a few weeks later be making Lego with my daughter.” I ducked an embarrassed glance at my feet.