Playing Dirty(114)
Rogers stiffened slightly. “She can be replaced too, your Highness,” he said in a tone that managed to be at once respectful and yet also reprimanding.
From that, it was becoming increasingly clear that my worst fears about why Keira had been replaced were accurate and, since Rogers clearly knew the reason, I pressed further than discretion ought to have permitted. “She’s very capable, Rogers, but I do wonder why Keira was replaced.”
Rogers paused a while before answering, seemingly to inspect my face for some sign of ill-intent. “Her Majesty requested it,” he finally replied.
I drew in a breath. My mother. Dammit, I should’ve expected that. After what Keira had told me yesterday, I should’ve damn well known that this would happen. My mother detested conflict and hated discussing unpleasant matters, so instead she simply took quiet action, cutting a problem out like a cancer and disposing of it. As a family we had long since ceased to communicate properly, and this was how we sent messages to each other, through early morning vacuuming and reassigned servants. It was childish in its way, but I got the message loud and clear: don’t fool around with the staff.
But this time the system had fallen down, and the message was not deserved. I wasn’t just ‘fooling around’ with Keira, I actually really liked her. If she’d been a casual fling like all the other women I’d had in my life previously, then the inconvenience of her no longer coming to my bedroom every morning would’ve been enough to make me give her up and move on to someone less contentious. But she wasn’t a casual fling.
She was Keira. My Keira.
“Thank you, Rogers,” I said, turning to leave with the intent of hunting down Keira.
But that intent was apparently obvious to Rogers. “Your Highness?”
I turned back.
“Please,” Rogers still spoke respectfully, but there was so much more buried in those clipped tones, “do not underestimate how much I care for my staff.”
I nodded. “Believe it or not Rogers, I care for them too.”
It was only a flicker, but for an instant, I was sure that an expression of understanding, and maybe even approval, pasted across the granite façade of Rogers’ features.
“Very good, your Highness.”
***
At the back of the palace lay Richmond’s stables, although the word ‘stables’ failed to adequately convey the scale of the set-up. There were barns and paddocks, hay lofts, offices and living quarters for the dedicated army of grooms, farriers and stable boys and girls who cared for the Queen’s horses, and it was into this little village that I now strolled. My presence here excited far less interest than it did below stairs; it was one of the strange inconsistencies in British nobility that the gentry were not supposed to know how a dustpan and brush works, but should be willing and able to muck out a stable if called upon.
At the far end of the little complex was the small tack room. Saddles, bridles and other associated equestrian paraphernalia were kept in the large tack room but brought to the small one when they needed polishing, and it was here that I found Keira, with a saddle across her knees.
“They seem to have put you as far away as possible.”
Keira started and a smile leapt across her face. The sight of that smile delighted me to my core; she was pleased to see me. But I also read relief into it and wondered if I’d been right, and she’d thought me responsible for her reassignment. I hoped not.
“I prefer it,” she said, still grinning. “There’s something almost zen about polishing a saddle. It’s certainly a hell of a lot better than cleaning your room.”
“You been around horses much?” I asked.
Keira laughed. “Nope. But I can more or less tell which end is which. If you give me a couple of guesses. But…I don’t know, it’s nice and peaceful out here. I don’t get to see the paintings as often, which is a shame, but there are advantages too.”
“You’re less likely to bump into members of my family?” I suggested.
“There is that,” Keira admitted. She looked coyly down at the saddle she was polishing. “I wasn’t sure I’d get to bump into you either.”
“You don’t have to bump into me,” I said, not taking my eyes off her for a second. “Wherever they move you, I’ll come looking.”
“Well, then,” Keira said, meeting my gaze. “I guess this job could be perfect. It’s usually empty in this tack room…”
I strode across the room and kissed her. I wasn’t sure if the moment was right but I couldn’t have waited any longer, and the saddle slid to the floor as Keira wrapped her arms around me, returning the kiss hungrily.