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“Excuse me?” Victoria said.

“This is Her Royal Highness, Princess Victoria Elizabeth Georgina Hanover of St. Rais.” Elizabeth looked at her sister. “Is that better?”

“Andthisis?” Victoria asked, nodding to Palmer, who was still sitting down.

“Oh!” Palmer exclaimed and stood up, giving a slight bow. “I tried the curtsy before; I was really bad at it. Any chance I can get away with a bow?”

“This is Miss Palmer Honeycutt, Victoria. She’s the reporter I told you about. And, Miss Honeycutt, you can also just shake her hand.”

“You’rethe reporter?” Victoria asked.

“I’m also a Yankees fan, and I’m not too bad at karaoke if everyone’s had a couple of beers before I go on,” Palmer replied.

Elizabeth laughed. Then, she looked at her sister again, who was glaring at Palmer.

“I don’t get baseball,” Victoria finally said. “I prefer football.”

“American or–”

“American football is not football. You play it with your hands. How is thatfootball?” Victoria questioned.

“They kick it sometimes,” Palmer replied.

“Majesty, Your Royal Highness, you’ll be late for your dinner,” Rebecca said in her attempt to rush them all out the door. “I will have Jenny escort Miss Honeycutt out.”

“It was nice to meet you, Your Highness,” Palmer added, offering another bow in Victoria’s direction. “Your Majesty, thank you for your time this evening.”

Elizabeth couldn’t help but laugh at Palmer’s formality. It didnotsuit her, and that was what made it so great.

“It was nice having company around,” Elizabeth said. “Rebecca, can you please see that I get Miss Honeycutt’s personal number? I’d like to call her to arrange another follow-up since this one got interrupted, and I’d prefer not to have to call her at the hotel.”

“Of course, Ma’am,” Rebecca replied.

Palmer smiled. Then, Elizabeth and Victoria were escorted out of the room.

“Lizzy, be careful,” Victoria whispered as she walked down the hall.

“What are you talking about?”

“With the reporter.”

“What about her?”

“She’s areporter,” Victoria reminded.

“Yes, I realize that.”

“Lizzy, you’re treating her like a friend.”

“Is that so wrong, for me to have a friend? The one I had is gone now, Victoria.”

“I know. But this is different; you didn’t grow up with Palmer Honeycutt. She isn’t a member of this family. She’s an American reporter who’s doing a story on you.”

“How are things with David, Victoria?”

“Fine, deflect. You’re good at that,” Victoria scolded. “I’m only trying to look out for my sister. In case you haven’t noticed, Lizzy, I’m all you have left. And you’re allIhave left. David doesn’t count; he’s not family yet. He doesn’t feel the losses we feel in the same way. No one else can.”

Elizabeth knew Victoria was right: shedidneed to be careful with Palmer. The problem was that every time Palmer was supposed to ask her the hard-hitting interview questions, they ended up having a conversation instead. Those conversations made Elizabeth smile and laugh, and she hadn’t had that since before a bomb went off in front of a children’s hospital. She’d be careful around Palmer, but she wasn’t quite ready yet to give up having a companion around that just made her laugh.