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“You’re important enough forme, Palmer.”

“I should probably get some sleep if I’m going to look halfway decent tomorrow,” Palmer said.

“Oh, okay,” Elizabeth replied.

“Do you need to keep talking?”

“No, I’ll be fine. I’m tired. I’ll be able to get some sleep tonight.”

“Are you sure?”

“I need to get used to you not talking me to sleep, Palmer.”

“That makes it sound like I’m boring,” she joked.

“Youareanything but boring.”

CHAPTER 24

“Well, there’s a new Queen in town,” Victoria said.

“Oh, hello,” Palmer replied.

“Hello. You got the seat on the right, I see.”

“I just sat where she told me to sit,” Palmer replied, looking at the people taking their seats for dinner at the round tables in the giant banquet hall. “Is it not right?”

Victoria glared at her playfully and said, “No, it’s right.” She nodded then. “So, I talked to my sister this morning, and she mentioned her plans to spend Christmas alone in her little house.”

“I know. I tried to talk her out of it.”

“Did you try to talk herintoanything?”

“What? No.”

“I suggested she go with David and I to London. His family will all be there, and I’ll be meeting most of them for the first time. I also told her I’d skip that, and she and I could have the holiday together, but she turned me down.”

“She told me she wanted to be alone. I guess we just have to accept that.”

“You’re a reporter, Palmer. I didn’t take you for a quitter,” Victoria said.

“Excuse me?” Palmer replied.

“Ask her to join you in New York for the holidays.”

“What?” Palmer asked. “I’m not going to be there. I’ll be in Pittsburgh.”

“Great. I don’t care. Take her with you.”

“I can’t take her with me; she’s a Queen. She–”

“The entire family always takes two weeks off this time of year after the Christmas address. Everyone knows this. Elizabeth should be taking time off. She was forced to jump right into this thing. She needs to take time away from it.”

“I agree, but I can’t just invite her–”

“Yes, Palmer. Youcanjust invite her.”

“What about security concerns?”