Page 48

“You haven’t? Why do I have it in my head an image of reporters all sitting around after a long day of reporting sipping whiskey or bourbon?”

“If that’s a thing others are doing, I haven’t done it myself.”

“I can ask for something else. I have a small liquor cabinet in my office.”

“No, this is fine.” Palmer picked the glass up off the table. “This is the good stuff, right? Not the bargain basement swill? It’s got to be good to start at the top.” She held up the glass. “I don’t know if this is an occasion to cheers.”

“It’s not, but we still can. You are about to drink really good whiskey for the first time.”

They pushed their glasses together, creating that clinking sound. Then, Elizabeth took a slow slip of the warm amber liquid. She watched Palmer, her eyes over the glass, doing the same thing. The woman’s dark eyes nearly matched the color of the whiskey, and Elizabeth nearly choked on her drink when she realized that.

“Well?” she asked, preferring to focus on Palmer’s drink instead of Palmer’s eyes. “What do you think?”

Palmer lowered the glass from her lips and coughed rather loudly at the same time.

“It burns,” she said.

“Oh, God.”

Elizabeth placed her own glass on the table, taking Palmer’s with her free hand to do the same with it, and then leaned over to pat Palmer’s back as she continued to cough.

“How do you just drink that?” Palmer was finally able to ask.

“I guess it takes practice,” Elizabeth replied, smiling even though she probably shouldn’t be. “Sorry, it’s smooth to me.”

“Smooth? I would never callthatsmooth,” Palmer remarked, pointing to the glass on the table.

“How about something else, then?” Elizabeth asked, rubbing circles over Palmer’s back. “I have wine in my office.”

“No, it’s okay. I should probably just have some water or something after that. I think that one sip is going to get me drunk.”

“You don’t know how to handle your alcohol?”

“Not whiskey, apparently,” Palmer replied, sitting back on the sofa, which meant Elizabeth had to remove her arm and shift back over to her spot.

“There’s water in that pitcher. Maybe have something to eat,” Elizabeth suggested.

“To at least get that taste out of my mouth,” Palmer said, leaning forward.

“Blasphemy,” Elizabeth said, laughing.

“Blasphemy?” Palmer laughed as well, but it sounded a little pained, as if the coughing had hurt her throat.

“Yes, that whiskey is my family’s whiskey.”

“What?”

“Remember how I told you the monarchy of this country is self-sufficient?”

“Yeah.”

“Part of that is because we’ve had the ability to maintain the fortune of the first King by investing well and owning companies.”

“That’s allowed?”

“It is when we don’t take funds from the taxpayers, pay our own taxes properly, and report our earnings as required, which we do. We own a distillery as well as two breweries – one for the nation’s most popular beer and a smaller craft brewery.”

“So, you’re saying all your money is in booze?”