Page 72 of Scandal Queen

Oliver.

People making moves to protect me, out of love, sure. But they can’t protect me from my own fears.

No one can.

“Vanessa, I don’t feel well. Please send my apologies.” I sunk lower under the duvet, breathing in the scent of Daisy’s strawberry shampoo.

“You can’t send apologies to a state banquet. It’s not how it works. All members of the family have to be there for the Russian president, it’s expected.”

“I’m not family.”

“Leia!”

“Bloody hell.” I grumbled as Nana swept into the room rather like a World War II tank.

“Shh!” Daisy whispered.

“Get out of bed this instant.” Nana pulled at the duvet and then stared in horror at what she found below. “Oh my days, are you wearing those awful pyjamas again?”

“Leave my nightclothes out of this.”

“Leia, I’ve just come all the way across London to be here to babysit.” She perched on the end of the bed. “What is going on with you?”

“Bad day.”

“I can see that.” Nana pulled out her phone and opened up a news app where a picture of me hiding from the press was the most newsworthy highlight of the afternoon.

Bastards.

“I thought we were through this?”

“I told you. It’s been a bad day.” I hated them, but tears whirled up again.

“You and Oliver had a row?” Nana dug deeper and I cringed.

No. Not yet. I didn’t know what to say about him and Janine hiding things from me. I couldn’t even face him to ask.

And now I had to put on a stupid frickin ballgown and go and stand by his side; the woman who brought scandal everywhere she went, with everything she did.

Jacob… a soldier in a grave who never knew his daughter. Maybe.

It’s a simple DNA test.

And then what… another lie? Another pay off?

“Vanessa, could you take Daisy for me please? I’ve got the makings of epic hot chocolates in the bag on the kitchen counter.” Nana took control.

Daisy glanced at me but then slipped out of my hold and I ached at the cold air that snuck into her space.

I watched her go, brushing at my wet cheeks. “She’s the only thing I’ve ever wanted, you know that?”

“We all know that, Leia. What’s going on with you?” Settling at my side, she reached out and slid her hand up and down my arm.

I dragged in a breath and opened my mouth to tell her, but I couldn’t find the words. I didn’t want to say them.

“Leia, you know you have to go to this dinner. To not go would be an affront to the royal family, the Queen; you don’t want to be rude, do you?”

“I’m always rude, aren’t I?”