Page 61 of The English Queen

“No. I’m miserably horny while pregnant. It’s perfect. But I was never this big with the boys.”

“I would have it no other way.”

Rita kissed him slowly. “Nap or no nap, we’ve spent too much time up here.”

“Alright, mi esposa. You tell me. These are your crazy white relatives.”

“I promise you this is better than it was the last time we were up. No more bullshit with my aunt’s outbursts. I admit we’re a bit much.”

The two dressed and went down to what was now a casual Christmas Eve celebration. No white tie dinner. No nonsense. No showdown between Vanna and Maggie. It was refreshing. The table was set. The change of pace appeared to please the staff.

Robbie was a grump in drawing room. “Paul, no! You are going to watch a movie. All of you. You’ve been fed.”

Vanna said, exasperated, “Robbie, stop shouting. Paul, sweetheart, it’s time for the grownups to have dinner. Go with your cousins.”

“Why does the baby get to stay up?”

“Because she takes a late nap. And her schedule differs from yours,” Robbie was short. “Go on, go.”

Paul balled his fists and left to watch a movie with the other children.

“He will be the death of me today. Natalie is fine, so Paul needs to argue!”

“Robbie, calm down. He’s six,” Vanna was frustrated. “He’s having big feelings with the baby.”

“She’s asleep right now.”

“He knows she’ll wake and get to stay up until eleven. He doesn’t know better,” Vanna sighed.

“See what you have to look forward to,” Duncan said to Bruno. “All the emotions over babies getting special treatment.”

Vanna disagreed. “It’s fine. The older kids don’t care. The twins are wonderful with the baby. Paul feels displaced. Poor thing. Have some empathy.”

“Sir, dinner is ready when you all are,” the butler said, checking in with Robbie.

Duncan shouted over the din of conversation. “Everyone! Dinner is served.”

“Thanks, darling. They needed that.” Rebecca rolled her eyes.

As they sat, the baby cried.

Rita hopped up. “I’ll get her. Stop. You stay. Eat.”

Rita was quick to help. One, because she loved babies. Two, because the baby was going through a sleep regression. Vanna and Robbie were tapped out with their night nurse gone for the holidays. Rita picked Kiersten up and made her way up to the nursery. She changed a nappy while dear little Kiersten smiled and kicked her legs wildly. Rita grabbed a bottle and returned to the dining room. Kiersten fussed all the way, wanting the bottle.

“You’ll have to wait. Calm down, sis.”

“Give her to me,” Robbie insisted.

“No, I’m about to pawn her off because my hunger knows no bounds. Bruno, darling, your turn.”

“Oh, well fine,” Bruno agreed.

Rita passed the baby off. Kiersten took the bottle in her own hands and sucked it down.

Izzy giggled. “She’s not about to wait for a man, is she? She doesn’t need a man.”

Vanna said, “She’s pretty good at feeding herself. She will lose her mind if you insist on feed her when she’s not wanting it. She wants to be in control.”

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