Page 17 of Tabloid Princess

“I’m worried that she’s going to start realising that we aren’t a normal family, that I don’t even know how to give her a normal family.”

“I disagree. She’s always going to know her mum is totally kick ass.”

“I wish I’d kicked those women in the playgrounds’ arses.”

“You could have ‘em, babe. Your tits alone would cause some serious injury.”

I lifted my chest. “What do you think? I’m wearing that bra again.”

“I think we need to buy you about twenty of the bloody things.”

I laughed and wiggled my top half in a seated shimmy. “Post!” Shouted Paula just as Janine came out of her office followed by the leggiest, tallest, skinniest brunette I’d ever clapped eyes on.

I bet she didn’t have issues with needing scaffolding for a bra. Or even needed a bra.

Janine clapped her hands—I’d never seen her do this before yesterday—and pulled us to attention. “Everyone. Freya and I have been going through some plans of how things are going to go for the next couple of weeks in the run up to the fundraising ball.”

Couple of weeks? It was happening that soon?

Jeez. It took me three months to plan a birthday party for Daisy.

So this was Freya.

It was utterly irrational, but I hated her already.

Paula blocked my view for a moment as she dropped an envelope in my lap. I picked it up, pulling a face as I assessed the cream, thick envelope addressed to Bright Futures Marketing Manager.

Not so strange in itself; it wasn’t unheard of for a communication of some kind to come through snail mail. It was the fact it said Private and Confidential along the top that made my spine tingle.

My eyes lifted as Freya sashayed to the centre of the office. Her own team stared up at her as though she were God—I don’t know, maybe she was. I couldn’t help but notice her team involved a lot of rather attractive men all in their late twenties. Clearly, she had hiring criteria.

“So!” She folded her arms and looked at each of us in turn. “His Royal Highness is very excited for us to announce his official solo patronage.”

I literally couldn’t help myself. “Sorry.” I shoved my hand up above my head. “What does it mean to have solo patronage?”

The statuesque Freya turned her attention to me and then leant towards Janine, whispering. “Leia, I believe?” she said when she straightened back up.

“Yep.”

“Until earlier this year the Beaufort charities were tied together. To celebrate his thirtieth birthday next month, the prince has decided to branch out on his own. With Bright Futures as his first media-covered elective.”

Elective what? C-Section?

Freya didn’t look like she wanted to elaborate and began to talk to the group some more. I stared at the envelope, wishing they would all hurry up so I could go and open it.

It was impossible to ignore the part of me that wanted it to be from Prince Oliver himself. I shook my head at my ridiculous thought.

“So will his Royal Highness be coming back to see us before the ball?” It was Paula who asked the question, although there was no denying I held my breath to hear the answer.

Freya gave her a smile, although was it me or was there an edge to it? It didn’t reach her eyes that was for sure. “No. The Royal Family have a very busy schedule; every minute is precious and planned far in advance.”

I thought back to the man I’d sat next to yesterday. Her blanket statement didn’t seem to describe him at all.

“Now, we all need to crack on.” She turned to me. “Leia, I believe you are going to be focusing on setting up social media today with a relevancy for Bright Futures target investors.”

I bit my lip. “For the members of the public who need us, surely? Isn’t that what we need to do? Raise awareness of situations that people are living in so that should someone read it and realise they know it for themselves, they then know where to come?” My cheeks flushed with my overlong statement.

Freya’s returning smile was practically arctic. “Of course. I’m sure with your marketing credentials you know exactly what you are talking about.”