Page 73 of Duchess Material

“No edit on either of you.” Patrick shook his head like a perturbed librarian.

“No, quite right,” Natalie laughed. “Um… yeah. So, he was Natty heavy. You don’t get to pick your name, I’m afraid. It’s not all top gear and woo-woo hoo-ha fun times.”

“Woo-woo hoo-ha fun times are what my grandmother wished I got up to.” Patrick snickered at George, who burst into a laughing fit.

“Okay, what is it? What did I say?”

“Hoo-ha is American slang for pussy,” George said. “That is how people refer to it. Playfully.”

“We also don’t toss ‘pussy’ around,” Patrick reminded him. “People use the euphemism. Pussy is bedroom talk.”

“Hoo-ha?” Natalie stammered as the doorbell rang. “Ridiculous.”

“Your Royal Highness!” her butler called out. “Mr Winslow for you, ma’am.”

“Darling!” Natalie ran into the entryway to give Ed the biggest kiss. He held flowers in one hand and a bottle of champagne in the other. Natalie nearly knocked him over, but he stood firm and let her kiss him.

“Ooooh, you smell so good,” she groaned, still close.

She bit his lip a little and then pulled away.

“I… bathed?” Ed said, confused. “And shaved.”

“Shaved as in your face or…”

“Force of habit. I cannot go to the pool covered in hair. It drives me mad. How are you? How was everything. I saw your little hat.”

Natalie rolled her eyes.

“My mother loved your outfit, by the way. She wanted me to tell you as if you would care. And if I don’t bring you for dinner soon, she might disown me. And, while tempting, I think it reflects poorly on me as a son.”

Natalie gave him another kiss before taking the flowers—a big bouquet of red roses.

“I didn’t know quite what to get. My father said flowers were a good housewarming gift.”

“I think he meant like a plant. I think that’s the thing, but these are lovely. You, Ed Winslow, are the best housewarming gift yet.”

Ed pulled her close, hand in her jean pocket. He tilted Natalie’s face up with the hand not holding the champagne and kissed her slowly. It made her knees weak. She was fine until she heard someone clear their throat.

“So, you going to come and have dinner?”

Natalie turned. George leaned on the doorway. He looked like a shorter version of their father. His arms were crossed. He looked unimpressed.

“Get going,” Natalie waved the flowers at him.

“I didn’t realise we had company?” Ed said.

“Don’t sound deflated. We have a child. She’ll need to go down at nine and… well, I’m the bitch on duty tonight who will lie with her an hour while she climbs all over me and steps on my face. She will finally fall asleep going horizontally across the bed and then it will be over. Patrick, meanwhile, will find a place to tuck into a book. The two of you can go at it like teenagers without us bothering you.”

“Well, I did bring a magnum of champagne. This, though, was not for me,” Ed offered up. “This is from Dad. He and Mam. They are happy you finally got your own place.”

“Oooh! Yes, let me give you the tour,” Natalie offered up.

She came home to her new place at Kensington Palace. Her things were moved while she was in Sandringham. Apartment 1A may have languished for a bit in disuse but she had polished it back until it shined. With Lucy’s organization and her mother’s creative energy, the place looked surprisingly feminine and acceptable for a young woman. Still, it was more meant for a family. It certainly gave her more space to spread out. Most of all, it gave her privacy.

Natalie led Ed up and around the bedrooms.

“I think this is where we were conceived, yeah?” George laughed as they hit up the big his and hers suite.

---