Page 73 of The English Queen

When they reached the royal palace, where most of the extended family stayed, Rita sat on the couch by her mother in the drawing room. Here, Maggie held court. Rita put her feet up while Bruno readied the boys for rehearsal.

“You look knackered,” Sabine said.

“I walked all morning. My feet are dreadfully swollen. I am a ball with legs.”

“You should take a rest,” Maggie said. “You need to give yourself a break. The baby doesn’t need you running around as you have been.”

“The boys think they are on holiday and it’s our last time together just the four of us. By the time they are home for summer, I’ll be managing a newborn.”

“And they will help you,” Maggie insisted.

“I don’t know.”

Sabine laughed. “What don’t you know? Look at how Georgie totes Kiersten around like a precious little doll. That will be your boys.”

“And now look at her. Well, I wish I could. I have been exiled.” Maggie was deep in her lamentations.

Sabine rolled her eyes. “You are the sitting monarch. They are all here. You will see her in no time. Take your own advice and rest.”

“Robbie is acting head of state and unsurprisingly is at Laeken. It is because of Vanna. So, I miss out on half of my grandchildren.”

“It is not about you and Vanna not getting on,” Rita said. “It is because Beth would like all of her ladies-in-waiting together. And since she’s married to Robbie, he is there. I would prefer to be with Vanna, but I’m not the bride. I am useless at present.”

“Pregnancy is a bitch,” Sabine groaned. “But you’ve done well with this one.”

“If it were not for my absolutely saintly husband, I wouldn’t be so well.”

“I felt that about Keir every time. I do hope it is the same for Beth, but I worry.”

“Maggie, Louis will be an adoring husband and doting father. He is not a baby person but… he is dutiful. He needs time to warm up, as most men do. You do not give your daughter enough credit. They negotiate things to the death. She knows who she is marrying.”

“It’s all bureaucratic. Although, I suppose it is on-brand for this country. Oh, Aunt Maggie, how did the fitting go? You went?”

“I did. She looks breath-taking. Oh, the dresses came out so well. Three dresses! The civil ceremony dress is modern and different. She has a beautiful hat to go with it. That was made by a Belgian designer. Then the ballgown is other-worldly. I am glad Natalie is so strong because the train will take such work. Now, the reception dress… it is…”

“She looks stunning. Besides, she’s twenty-eight not sixty, Margaux,” Sabine said. “Let her have a fun dress for once.”

“There is a plunging neckline and no back.”

“And if I was her age and had her tits, I would do the same. In fact, I didn’t have her tits and I did the same many times,” Sabine declared.

“You weren’t a queen.”

“I recall you spending an inordinate amount of time picking out your own tits so don’t start with me.”

“Oh, joy, I’m glad we’re having this talk.” Rita let out an annoyed groan as she tried to move Nina off of her kidneys.

“Beth helped me,” Maggie said. “She wanted me to be happy even if I was embarrassed to speak about breasts. I think the dress is a bit much.”

Rita snickered. “I bet Louis will disagree with you. If you saw the mint she dropped on his card on lingerie in Paris, you might melt.”

Maggie stared agape.

“Yes, well, I say if a man is going to have opinions about it, he better be footing the bill,” Sabine said.

“I don’t think he’s the only one with opinions, but she has a blank cheque. Consider me jealous. People don’t seem to mind her wearing labels. Vanna would get such flack about her consumption.”

“Europeans are different,” Sabine acknowledged. “And she’s being treated as if she were queen, not a crown princess. She gets away with things Vanna or Rebecca could not.”

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