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I choked on a laugh. She was doing this on purpose. At the nightclub, I’d assumed that her friend was the troublemaker. Apparently, both were as bad as each other.
Riss’s voice sounded in my ear. “Problem with your comms system?”
Quickly, I flipped my comms back on. “Negative. An error on my part.”
“Roger that.”
Johnnie’s voice followed. “What’s with the birds?”
Another laugh threatened me, but I suppressed it while Riss commented on the odd scene. Ahead of us, in the centre of the lawned area, a menagerie of winged animals had gathered. Alex completely ignored them, playing the game so well I barely saw her hand movement, but from the pecking, she was still scattering food.
A uniformed member of the botanical garden’s staff edged over and extended a foot to nudge one of the larger peacocks away. It didn’t budge, pecking the staff member on the toe instead.
I clamped my jaw tight.
Oh fucking hell. This was ridiculous. She was playing a game to keep herself entertained, and it was so damned delightful I couldn’t have looked away if I wanted to.
Alex, the mayor, and another couple of guests were guided into the marquee by the woman she’d shaken hands with outside, presumably the director.
The birds followed, hiding under tables and with two uniformed assistants now in pursuit. There were a number of displays under the huge tent, including local crafts and a series of paintings on easels. Alex’s sly hand dropped crumbs in piles here and there.
Yet at the paintings, she balked. It was a small gesture of unhappiness that I couldn’t ignore, even if no one else appeared to notice. She liked art, didn’t she? I’d assumed so from the art gallery visit.
The group moved on. At the other end of the tent, they exited and emerged once more into the sunshine. The director tapped a spoon against a glass, summoning attention to her. An audience formed in a ring.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to thank you for your attendance and support of the botanical gardens annual garden party. This esteemed event…”
She continued on. I stared at Alex. By her tense, amused pout, she was leading up to something but hanging back near the exit to the marquee.
Then her gaze slipped to mine, and the minx tipped me a wink.
The director wrapped up her speech. “Please put your hands together for Her Royal Highness, Princess Alexandra, here with our joint charity ambassador, Lord Mayor Johnson.”
To polite applause, the mayor waved a benevolent hand and beamed.
Alex stepped forward to join him in the centre of the crowd.
From under the tables and the marquee, a rush of birds followed her in a pantomime-like procession.
People squeaked and stepped out of the way of the pecky peacocks. Men danced to avoid the birds underfoot, and the white doves fluttered up in a panic, one tangling in a woman’s frilly skirt. Heads swivelled as others tried to work out what was going on, and voices rose.
A swell of alarm passed over the audience. Some made for the main building.
The director went to speak into the microphone but stumbled over the biggest peacock, narrowly avoiding landing on the bird as she dropped inelegantly to the grass.
The bird pecked the director’s shoulder, and Alex clasped her hands to her mouth, but I knew it was to hide a laugh and not shock.
I narrowed my gaze on the little chaos goblin.
Over the comms system, Riss called it. “Code red. Exit immediately. Will, ready transport.”
My brain caught up, and I instantly got back in the game. Riss was right. The event had descended into a disturbance, and we needed to protect our principal. Even if this was exactly what she’d planned to get out of giving a speech.
We mobilised, forming our protective positions around Alex and moving to the side exit where Will had summoned our drivers. The three cars filled quickly, and I caught Alex’s gaze before she disappeared into the central one with Riss.
“Your details,” she mouthed at me.
A flood of need chased my adrenaline. She wanted to talk, so talk we would. I just had to find a way to get my information to her that wouldn’t make Riss kick me off the team when I’d only just got back onto it.