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“Come back with me,” Palmer suggested.

“To the house?”

“No, I’m staying here tonight.”

“You are?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes, I am. I wore a dress for you today, Your Majesty. The least you could do is let me sleep in that giant, comfortable bed.”

Elizabeth chuckled a bit and said, “What about your stuff?”

“It’s in the guest room already. Security had someone bring it up. Is it okay that I stay? I kind of just invited myself because it’s my last night and–”

“Of course, it’s okay,” Elizabeth interrupted. “But if you weren’t talking about the house… What were you talking about?”

“Come with me for the holidays. Victoria said you take two weeks off every year. Come to the States after the Christmas address thing. I’ll be in New York for a couple of days first to check on my apartment, do laundry, and buy gifts for the family. Then, I’m driving to Pittsburgh. If you want, you can fly straight there.”

“What about your family?”

“What about them? My parents think the more, the merrier, and my sister would love to meet a Queen. When I called her the other day to tell her about you, she was so excited that I had a Queen as a friend. She’d love to meet you.”

“I can’t impose on your family like that, Palmer.”

Palmer leaned in and said, “If you don’t want to go, just say no. But you don’t have to worry about imposing or my family not wanting you there.Iwant you there, Lizzy. If you can make it happen, I’d love it. I’m not ready to say goodbye to you, either, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“Where would I stay?”

“With me.” Palmer swallowed at her own response. “It’s not a huge bed like this one, but it’ll fit both of us. If you’d prefer to stay in a hotel, though, I can send you a list of the good ones. There’s one only five minutes away, where security could stay. I don’t know the protocols for this stuff. Do they stay in the adjoining room if you’re in a hotel or something?”

“You really want me there? Victoria didn’t put you up to this?”

“She mentioned that I should invite you.”

Elizabeth’s look changed to disappointment before she said, “So, you’re doing this out of some sense of obligation.”

“Elizabeth, I would have asked you sooner had I actually thought I could.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re the Queen of a country. I didn’t think Icouldask you to come to visit me.”

“Of course, you can.” Elizabeth wiped another tear off her own cheek.

“Well, then I am. Will you come?”

Elizabeth stared into the fire again and said, “I’ll have to discuss it with security, but I’d like to go with you.”

“I can’t wait to tell Camilla. She’s going to freak out.” Palmer laughed a little, letting out the breath she’d been holding in since this conversation began.

“Don’t tell her just yet. I have to make it through the Christmas address first.”

“It’s just a speech, right?”

“It’s a speech that closes one of the most tumultuous years in the history of this country and sets the tone for the next year.”

“Oh, so no big deal, then,” Palmer joked.

Elizabeth laughed before turning serious again and said, “How am I supposed to address a country when some of them don’t even want me here?”