Page 98 of Trained Royal

“I can see why you said they were perfect for each other,” he said to Kieren.

“Yes. No one else could put up with either of them.” Kieren nodded solemnly.

“Aww, babe. He said we were perfect for each other,” Viv said.

Zane rolled his eyes. “Anyway, are you ready for your best man’s speech?”

“What?” Kieren asked.

“If you had been at the wedding, you would’ve been my best man.” He gestured around them. “Wedding reception, therefore, speech. Good luck.” Zane clapped him on the shoulder again and wandered off, dragging Viv behind him.

“Shit.”

Patrick pulled out his phone and dialled. “George, we need your help. Quick.” He explained the situation and then passed the phone to Kieren, who took it with a frown. He answered the questions George threw at him and then handed it back to Patrick.

“Give me half an hour,” George said.

“Thanks.” He ended the call. “In half an hour, you should have a speech.”

“How?”

“George is an anonymous speechwriter. He has written a hell of a lot of speeches for people, famous and not famous, though no one knows it’s him. It’s all done anonymously through Randall.”

“How the hell did he keep that quiet?”

Patrick smirked. “How can we keep the club quiet?” He stared at Kieren, letting understanding wash over him.

“Understood.”

Patrick chuckled. “Shall we get a drink?”

“I think I’m going to need one.”

Several of the guests accosted them as they made their way to the bar, asking for photos or signatures, and they gave them, not wanting to put a dampener on Zane’s day. They did it quietly, without fuss, then grabbed some drinks and found a corner to sit in, away from the crowds.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to this,” Kieren said, his arm around Patrick’s shoulders.

“What? People thinking we owe them a photo and information about our private lives? Yeah, me either.” He sighed. “It’s too much sometimes.”

“I’m assuming it’s worse for Freddie?”

Patrick nodded. “He’s in the limelight all the time. Every move is photographed and pulled apart for hidden meanings. It’s awful, but he does it all with a smile. He’s braver than all of us.”

Patrick’s phone rang. “Hi.”

“Check your emails. I’ve sent it. Get Kieren to check through it and change things as he sees fit.”

“Will do, thanks.”

“Welcome.”

Patrick pulled up his emails and copied and pasted it into a note app, then passed it to Kieren. “See what you think.”

Kieren read through it, his lips moving as he read the words silently. He smiled and nodded. “This is amazing.”

“Change anything that needs it because I don’t think you have long,” Patrick murmured.

He kept quiet while Kieren worked on Patrick’s phone, people-watching and drinking his beer. When Kieren sat upright, he peered at him. “All done,” Kieren said.