Page 99 of The English Queen

Rita answered, “I am not sure, but yes.”

Baby Nina arrived early that evening. Robbie and Vanna couldn’t resist a visit. Robbie watched as Kiersten approached with a book she stole. It was on a shelf the child shouldn’t have been able to reach. Robbie smiled as she approached with outstretched hands and a huge grin.”

“Nice book on… Irish castles? Lovely, thank you.”

He attempted to take the book.

Kiersten whimpered, shouted “NO!”

She flopped on her bum and flipped through the book.

“Can you say ‘Dada’?” Vanna asked Kiersten.

“Pointless,” Robbie said. Kiersten shook her head.

“She hasn’t said it even once?” Bruno asked.

“Not once. Drives him mad. All of the others said ‘Dada’ well before ‘Mama’ which was an insult. Mummy got no credit.”

Robbie chuckled. “Payback. I don’t think I’ve ever done as much work as I did with this little scallywag and, yet, I am dead to her.”

“Maybe she’ll call you ‘Majesty’ instead of Dad?” Rita giggled.

“Oh, fuck off. God, don’t even—”

“Get used to it, cuz. The both of you. I mean, as naturally as Beth has taken to her new position and making us all bow to her, I’m sure you’ll get the hang of it.”

“Beth is surprisingly assured of being in command of her domain,” Robbie chuckled. “I wish I could handle it so well. I wish I gave as few fucks as Louis does, too. Unfortunately, that’s not how I am.”

Rita teased Robert. “Oh, poor darling. Heavy is the head who wears the crown.”

Robbie flipped her off and chuckled.

“She just had a baby and that’s what you go for?” Vanna smacked his arm.

“This is what we do. By now, Vanna, you know better. God, how long as it been? Nearly a decade and a half you’ve been back here. And all we have to show for it is… three marriages and seven children between the two of us.”

“Seven children,” Robbie murmured. “And more than half of them mine. Would you have bet we’d four children when this all started?”

“Yes. Well, for her,” Rita clarified. “And you do whatever she wants. I imagined I’d have four myself, too. At least three. And now I have my three and it feels perfect. Finally got my baby girl.”

Baby Nina protested suddenly, extending her tiny little fist out of her swaddle. She whinged and made an angry face. Vanna checked to see if her nappy needed a change.

“Yeah, she’s wet and probably hungry. I will go change her and bring her back.”

“I can do it,” Bruno insisted.

“No, I insist.” Vanna whisked the baby off to the nursery.

Robbie shook his head. “It’s pointless. She’s obsessed. You’ll have to pry that baby out of her hands when we leave.”

“Opp!” Kiersten barked at Bruno.

Robbie clarified. “Christine says that means ‘up’ in Norsk. She always says it that way. No clue why.”

Bruno picked the girl up and shook his head, “If you weren’t so adorable, sweetheart, we wouldn’t have Nina. Do you speak Norwegian now?”

Kiersten shook her head.

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