Page 25 of Scandal Queen

My world, my understanding of it tilted again, like it frequently did when I was with him. He changed my perception of everything. Even down to simple things like who I was.

Oliver bent down and for the first time in the ten minutes since this had all started, I noticed he only wore jeans—that’s how scary the hounding press were.

“We’ll be home soon, and I promise, Daisy, there is nothing they can do to get to us. Bill is here to be our guardian.”

I reached for Daisy’s hand, while Bill conferred with Oliver using hushed tones that made my stomach turn. When Bill turned his attention back to me, he smiled. “How quick can you pack, Ma’am?”

“Uh. In about thirty seconds.” I shrugged.

“That sounds about perfect. If you may.” He gestured towards the rest of the house where our small belongings lay scattered.

He wasn’t joking, I could tell. Thirty seconds and we’d have to be on our way.

I dashed for the stairs pulling Daisy after me. There was no way we were leaving those magazines.

* * *

“I can’t believe you are scared of flying.” Oliver nudged my shoulder and I ducked my head, hiding my face from the interested glances of the female flight crew. They were all stunning and about six feet tall. Most of them, if they turned sideways, all but disappeared.

“Maybe because I’ve never flown before?” I pulled a well duh face which made him chuckle.

“Daisy likes it, don’t you?”

She nodded, but her eyelids were drooping. We hadn’t even been on the road that long. My abrupt wake-up call by the national press had only been a couple of hours ago. The flight from Cornwall to London happened to be significantly shorter than my drive down in the back of Patrick’s car.

“You do realise that tomorrow my pyjamas are going to be on the front page of The Sun?”

He had the nerve to grin. “Private, not secret.”

“Right.”

“Anyway, we are about to land. Do you need to hold my hand?”

“Nope.” The small plane dropped what felt like hundreds of feet and a strange clanging noise came from below our plush seats. “Yes please.” I grasped his fingers tight and Daisy giggled. I stuck my tongue out at her. “Just so everyone knows, in case we die, this was all worth it.”

Oliver chuckled again, the motion rocking us together and he switched his phone off with his free hand. “It’s just the wheels coming down for landing. Don’t panic. Wheels are good in this situation I can assure you.”

To distract myself from becoming a splatter on a runway, I nodded to his phone. “Who’ve you been texting?”

“Freya. She’s meeting us with a car and has a security debrief for us.”

I held in my groan. “That’s nice.”

He raised a dark eyebrow, his lips quirking. “Nice?”

“Well, you know.”

“It’s her job, Leia. She’s staff; trusted staff. It’s her job to make sure I’m where I’m supposed to be and when. Once everything is settled it will be her job to make sure you are where you are supposed to be and when.”

I bit my tongue. Over my dead bloody body. The plane dipped again, and I took back my thought. I’ll be nice to Freya, if we live, I threw up into the air.

My face must have been highly amusing because Oliver’s lips twitched, and he worked to school his features as one of the air stewardesses on the private plane sashayed over to us. “Your Highness.” She looked like she was desperate to curtsey, but her tight skirt wouldn’t allow it. “If you could please fasten your seat belt, we are due to land in fifteen minutes.”

“Thank you, Sarah.”

Say what! He knew the hostess’ name in person?

I scanned her navy uniform, just to check my reactions hadn’t spiralled from zero to one hundred in two seconds, but there wasn’t a name badge.