Page 20

CHAPTER 20

“ W ait, what? You’re taking her to Scotland!?”

Astrid nearly choked on her 2008 Dom Pérignon, her blue eyes wide with disbelief across the intimate corner table at the Devonshire Club, one of London’s most prestigious private members clubs. Its signature raspberry-coloured walls and low lighting created the perfect cocoon of privacy, while the gentle murmur of conversation from other members — aristocrats and high-fliers, politicians, and carefully vetted creatives — provided just enough cover for their conversation. “Meeting your grandmother, too. You’ve never taken anybody to Scotland before.” The implications hung in the air.

“I took Dexter.”

“Dexter, much as he’s a darling, does not count. You’ve never taken a woman.”

Victoria’s cheeks flushed hot at the memory of their night together: Ash’s hands, her mouth, the way she’d made Victoria forget her own name. “It’s more a chance to get away somewhere far off the radar. I’m not going to tell Granny I’m with her, of course. She’s just a new friend.”

Astrid furrowed her brow. “Your granny is not as stupid as you think.”

Victoria waved her comment away. “Granny was in love with Dexter. She’s probably still mad with me about breaking his heart. But taking Ash to Balmoral is part of my grand plan to wow her. I have some making up to do after I rather buggered things up the morning after our dazzling night before.”

“What did you do?”

“There was a knock at the door and I panicked. Yes, I know Tanya knows , but she doesn’t know about Ash yet. She knows I’m interested, but she doesn’t know the full picture. And what if Albert saw something? I wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye ever again.” Victoria groaned, then covered her face. “I basically shoved Ash into the bathroom. God, Astrid, you should have seen her face. She looked so hurt.”

She instinctively glanced around their alcove, although she knew the club’s staff were legendary for their discretion. The silk lampshades cast a warm glow that made everything feel conspiratorial, intimate. Perfect for confessions.

“Oh, darling.” Astrid’s voice softened with understanding. She set down her glass. “What happened next?”

“I apologised. Properly. And then…” Warmth crept up Victoria’s neck. “Let’s just say I made it very clear how much she means to me. Against the bathroom wall.”

“Victoria Elizabeth!” Astrid’s delighted laugh bounced off the wood-panelled wall of their corner. “You absolute dark horse. I knew you had it in you.” She leaned forward. “Tell me more about the night before. Some of us have been married too long and want to relive the first throes of lust.”

Victoria shook her head. “Just because you’re one of my oldest and dearest friends, you do not get all the details.” But then, she couldn’t help herself. She lowered her voice, aware of the people around them.

“I’ll just say, she’s known for being good with her feet, but she’s no slouch with her hands or her tongue, either. And her body, my god. I have never dated a professional athlete before, and I don’t know what I’ve been doing with my time. She’s all lean muscle. When I ran my hands down her stomach...” She closed her eyes briefly at the memory. “Her abs are sent from heaven, and you should see her thighs. I notice footballers’ legs, of course. But up close, they’re something else.”

Her friend raised a single eyebrow. “You’re blushing, and I am loving every single second.”

“She made me blush, believe me.” Victoria’s mouth quirked into a smile. Picturing Ash inside her made her feel like she was right back there all over again. She shifted in her seat then moved a little closer before she continued. Astrid did the same.

“The way she touched me, it was like I was precious, but not fragile. She kept asking if I was okay. Let’s just say I’m fairly certain half of Kensington heard exactly how okay I was.” She met Astrid’s delighted gaze. “I’ve never lost control like that. Never wanted to.”

“All hail Ash Woods.”

“Shhhh!” Victoria put a finger to her lips and frowned at Astrid. Talking about Ash was one thing. Saying her name out loud was quite another.

“I went down a little social media rabbit hole looking into her after you messaged me all lusted up,” Astrid told her. “There’s a lot of photos of her with the Lionesses’ keeper Cam Holloway, and women’s football social media seems to wonder if they could be more. Nothing to worry about?”

Victoria shook her head. “They’ve been friends since they were eight. It would be like you and I sleeping together.”

Astrid wrinkled her face like she’d just been served supermarket champagne. “Understood.” She paused. “And now you’re taking her to Balmoral?”

“I need her to know this is real.” Victoria traced the rim of her glass, voice growing serious. “That she’s not some secret I’m ashamed of. She’s the first person I’ve wanted to share that place with, Astrid. The first woman I’ve ever...” She trailed off, unable to find the words.

“Are you close to saying the L word?”

Victoria’s features crumpled at her friend’s suggestion. “Don’t be so ridiculous. We’ve hardly spent any time together.”

“You’ve been flirting and messaging for months. It’s like an old-fashioned courtship, and everyone knows that the slow build makes the best kind of relationships. You might have only slept together recently, but your feelings have been building far longer.”

Victoria didn't deny it. She didn’t want to. What Astrid was saying was 100 per cent true. Finally sleeping together had only confirmed what Victoria suspected.

“I want to give her something that’s just ours. Somewhere we can just be. She’s too high-profile to do that in London. We both are.”

Victoria couldn’t even bring Ash here. If she looked left, she recognised a cabinet minister, a pop star and a well-known actor. She was damn sure they knew just who she and Astrid were, too. However, seeing two princesses together wasn’t really news. Seeing her and Ash Woods together totally would be.

“And you chose the one place you’ve never let anyone into.” Astrid reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “I’m proud of you for opening yourself up.”

“I know it’s fast. We’ve only just started whatever this is, but when I’m with her...” Victoria paused, thinking of how safe she felt in Ash’s arms, how right it felt to wake up beside her. “It feels so natural.”

“Which is exactly how I felt when Sofia and I first got together.”

Victoria’s mind blared an alert. “Don’t say that.”

“Why not?” Astrid’s face was a question. “I assure you, what Sofia and I have is the realest thing I’ve ever had in my life.”

“I know. Of course I want that, but everything that goes with it? Coming out, placating my mother and the entire country when they find out the Princess Royal likes women? If I think about it too much, it makes my head hurt.” She raised her gaze to Astrid. “I spoke to my mother the other day about changing royal protocols. About what might happen if I meet someone who matters.”

“And what did the delightful Queen have to say for herself?” Before Victoria could answer, Astrid held up a hand. She cleared her throat, before changing her accent to mimic the Queen. “No, let me guess. ‘The UK royal family is not the Swedish royal family. We have standards, and being a lesbian is not in those standards’. Am I close?”

Victoria gave a rueful smile. “At least I got her thinking about it.”

A waiter appeared and refilled their glasses, disappearing into the shadows as stealthily as he’d arrived.

“The fact you had the conversation in the first place shows me this is different from anything else you’ve had before. That Ash might be someone worth upending your life for.” She covered Victoria’s hand with her own. Her soft touch made Victoria jump. “It had to happen sometime.”

Victoria sighed. “You don’t think it’s too fast? That I’m rushing into it?”

“What do you think?”

“That I’ve waited all my life to feel like this. That I really like this girl. That I could easily fall in love with her.” That was the plain, unvarnished truth.

“Then it’s not fast. I think this is your time. You’ve put in the years of dutiful service, of pretending to be in love with someone you’re not. But you can’t do it forever. You deserve a chance to be happy. And if your mother doesn’t see that, tell her to call mine. She can tell her the world will not collapse if you come out.”

Victoria smiled. She needed to hear that from one of her oldest friends. She needed someone to tell her she wasn’t wrong or going mad. That she could finally stop apologising for who she was and choose her own happiness.

“You really think so?”

“I know so.”