Royal Holiday

by Guillory, Jasmine

  He saw in an instant he’d landed on the winning argument.

  “She’s never going to believe it,” Vivian said. A grin spread across her face. “I love it. Okay, fine. I’m terrified, but let’s do this.”

  Tim put a saddle on Polly, while Malcolm walked Vivian over to introduce her to Luka. A few minutes later, they walked back to Tim.

  “Now, I’ll hold her; just step up on the mounting block, hold on to the reins here, slip your left leg in the stirrup, then toss your right leg over her.”

  Vivian looked from one of them to the other, the panic back on her face.

  “Just like that? We’re not going to work up to this? Don’t I have to change, or get instructions about how to do it, or learn what to do with my hands and my legs or anything?”

  Tim shook his head.

  “All of that will come once you’re on the horse. Easier to teach it that way.”

  Vivian turned and stared at the side of the horse. She stood like that, without saying anything, for almost a minute. Malcolm almost stepped forward to tell her she didn’t have to do this if she didn’t want to, but something in her body language told him to stay quiet.

  “Okay,” she finally said.

  And then, before Malcolm could blink, she hopped up on the mounting block, slid her foot into the stirrup, swung the other leg over the horse, and sat down.

  She looked down at Tim and Malcolm, pride and fear both clear on her face.

  “Okay, now what? I’m on her back. What do I do next?”

  Malcolm smiled up at her and let Tim answer.

  “Good work. Now, loosen your grip. Just relax a little.” Her hands were taut on the reins. Luckily, Polly didn’t protest. With what looked like great effort, she relaxed them.

  “Good, good, just like that.”

  Another stable hand led Luka out, and Malcolm quickly mounted him. Vivian still looked nervous but already more comfortable than she had just a few moments ago.

  “What do you say to going for a little walk around with them?” he asked. Vivian glanced into the distance and tensed up again. “Just inside the fenced area, I mean. So you can get used to this.”

  Vivian made a face at him.

  “Do I have any choice?”

  He looked straight into her eyes and nodded.

  “Absolutely, you do. It’s completely your choice. If you’re not liking this, or if you want to stop at any time, just say the word, and we’ll get you off that horse and inside to drink some tea and eat some scones as soon as possible.”

  Vivian’s face softened.

  “Okay. But . . . one question: How do I get her to walk?”

  Malcolm grinned.

  “Don’t worry, she’ll follow me and Luka. Here, just hold on, and I’ll show you.” Malcolm nudged Luka with his knees, and he walked a few steps, and Polly followed them. “See? How was that?”

  Vivian smiled, but she still looked nervous.

  “That was okay.” She looked down at Tim. “Did that look okay?”

  Tim stepped back and nodded.

  “Well done. Polly likes having you up there, I can tell.”

  When they got a few lengths away, Malcolm turned to Vivian.

  “He’s not just saying that, you know. He really can tell. And if he thought the horse was unhappy with you on her, you would have been off that horse within seconds. Tim is a very keen judge of character.”

  Vivian nodded. He wasn’t sure if she believed him or not, but he was telling the truth. Her eyes didn’t budge from the back of Polly’s head, and he could tell it was taking a tremendous effort for her not to hold on tightly to the reins.

  “It’s okay to look around, you know,” he said.

  She glanced quickly at him and then back at the horse.

  “It just feels like if I look in any other direction, when we’re moving like this, I’ll go off-balance and fall off.” She turned her head again and looked at him for longer this time. “I’m sure that sounds ridiculous to you.”

  He shook his head. He was so pleased she was enjoying herself—despite her fear—that nothing she said would have sounded ridiculous to him.

  “I can definitely see how you’d feel that way, but you have a really good seat—how do you have such great posture, anyway?”

  She laughed.

  “Ballet lessons as a kid. I only took them for a few years, but the posture stuff all stuck with me. And I have a job where I walk around and talk to people a lot; it helps not to be hunched over a computer all day like so many people are.”

  He had to fight not to hunch over his computer—or his phone—on a daily basis.

  “See, you already have a natural advantage for riding. No wonder you’re so good at this. Do you want to learn a little bit more?”

  She took a deep breath and nodded.

  “Sure, okay.”

  He thought for a second.

  “What would you rather do, go faster—not much faster, mind you—or learn more about how to use the reins?”

  “Go faster,” she said right away. Then she laughed. “I don’t know why I said that; the idea of going faster makes me so nervous, but it also feels like the more fun choice. And I’m already up here. I might as well do it.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  “Of course I’m not sure. I’m not sure about any of this, but let’s do it anyway.”

  He grinned and relaxed his grip on Luka’s reins and nudged him again. The horse began to trot, and Polly followed his lead.

  “Now, the thing to get used to here isn’t so much the speed, because we really aren’t going that much faster, but it’s the different way you feel in the saddle. It’s a lot more bouncing, and it takes a little while for you to bounce in sync with the horse. It’s easier to just relax into it. You’ll get into the rhythm soon.”

  Vivian glared at him.

  “You know, that is a thing it would have been really useful to tell me before my poor butt started getting jolted like this. No wonder riding makes people sore. I’m going to have bruises everywhere.”

  He reached out to her, but she was too far away to touch.

  “I’m sorry, we can go back to walking again.”

  She shook her head and continued to bump up and down on her horse.

  “No, now I have to figure this trotting thing out. I can’t start it and then give up. Plus, I can’t be accused of not having rhythm!”

  He laughed.

  “Horseback riding is sort of like dancing, when you think about it. Every partner is different; it’s always better if the two of you work together.”

  She turned to him and opened her mouth, then closed it.

  “What were you about to say, Ms. Forest?” He couldn’t hold back his grin.

  “Nothing.” She looked straight ahead, but he could see the smile on her face. “Nothing at all.”

  They grinned at each other for a moment.

  “Now, just remember, relax into Polly’s rhythm here.”

  After a minute or so, she turned to him with a huge smile on her face.

  “That’s it! I got it!”

  He watched her and Polly ride next to him and Luka.

  “You got it!”

  She reached down and patted the side of the horse.

  It made him happy to see her smile like this as they rode together. He’d really wanted her to enjoy this trip to the stables—he’d hatched this plan to get her to ride on a whim, and he was so pleased it had been successful.

  They continued to ride around the perimeter of the pasture for the next twenty minutes until he saw Vivian shiver. The sun was about to set, and it was getting even colder out.

  “I think it’s time to go back in,” he said.

  She shook her head.

  “Just one more round?”

  He laughed.

  “An hour ago you absolutely did not want to ride a horse. Now you want just one more time around? But I saw you shiver just now. I think we
need to take you inside and get some hot tea—or maybe a hot toddy.”

  They turned their horses and rode back toward Tim.

  “Oh, hey, Malcolm?” Vivian had an odd look on her face. “One quick question I forgot to ask: How do I make her stop?”

  Right, right, he hadn’t mentioned that.

  “A gentle pull on the reins should slow her down, and a rough one should stop her. But she’ll stop when we get near Tim anyway.”

  Polly slowed down almost immediately, and just as they got abreast with Tim, she stopped.

  “Well done, Ms. Forest,” Tim said as he helped her down from the horse. “You and Polly got very comfortable together; good to see that.”

  “Thank you so much for your help, Tim,” she said. She patted Polly on the side again, and the horse turned to nuzzle her hand. “We had a very good time together, didn’t we, girl?”

  “I hope you can come back and see us before you return to America,” Tim said.

  Vivian glanced at Malcolm, then looked away.

  “I hope so, too, but if that doesn’t end up happening, please know that I had a wonderful time.” She laughed. “My friends are going to die when they hear this. Let alone my daughter!”

  Vivian shook Tim’s hand, and she and Malcolm turned to leave the stables. She still couldn’t believe she’d ridden a horse. Sure, she’d ridden it slowly, but she’d actually been on horseback. Ridiculous.

  She couldn’t wait to tell Maddie.

  She could feel the smile still on her face as she walked next to Malcolm. When Tim had said that thing about her coming again, she’d wanted to ask Malcolm if he would bring her back, but she’d stopped herself. She was having a great time hanging out and flirting with this tall, plummy-voiced chocolate bar, but he had a very important job, and must have his own family to spend time with during the holidays. She didn’t want to impose on him more than she already had.

  What was he even doing to celebrate Christmas, anyway? Where was his family? They’d talked a bit about his nephew and sister but no one else. Was Malcolm going to leave Sandringham soon to go to his family?

  Wait. Was he married?

  She turned to ask him.

  “Are you . . . ?”

  Her voice trailed away. Right in front of them was a short, elderly woman, wearing a very practical mackintosh, a black purse hanging off her elbow, and a scarf over her head.

  “Your Majesty.” Malcolm bowed. “May I introduce Vivian Forest? She’s a guest at Sycamore Cottage.”

  Without thinking about it, Vivian dropped into a quick curtsy.

  “Ms. Forest, a pleasure. I saw you out there earlier on Polly. Excellent seat.”

  Vivian swallowed hard.

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” What in God’s name was happening to her? Did she actually just address someone as “Your Majesty” for real? “I had a lovely time riding her; she’s a beautiful horse.”

  The Queen nodded.

  “She is indeed.” She turned to Malcolm. “Thank you for your note; we can discuss it in our meeting tomorrow morning.”

  Malcolm nodded again.

  “Thank you, ma’am.”

  The Queen lifted a hand in farewell and walked ahead of them out of the stables, back toward Sandringham House.

  Vivian hadn’t realized she was standing still and staring straight in front of her until Malcolm slipped his arm through hers and turned to lead her back toward Sycamore Cottage. They didn’t speak a word to each other until they were well out of the stables.

  “After all your scorn of the monarchy and making fun of people who bow and curtsy to them, who was it I saw drop into an impeccable curtsy just now?” Malcolm had an enormous grin on his face.

  Vivian threw her hands in the air.

  “I didn’t do it on purpose, okay? It just happened! It’s not every day in my life a queen just lands in my path as I’m walking out of a stable! I saw you bow and I just lost my mind!”

  He shook his head.

  “So many revolutionary ideals that came crashing to a halt!”

  The Queen. She had really met the Queen. Vivian laughed out loud.

  “I cannot believe that just happened!” She turned to Malcolm. “Did you know she was going to be there?”

  Had he brought her to the stables both to try to get her to ride a horse and to “accidentally” get her to meet the Queen?

  “I didn’t,” he said. “But you should be honored by her compliment on your seat; she would never say that if it wasn’t true.”

  Not only had she met the Queen, but the Queen had given her a genuine compliment on her horseback riding?

  She’d definitely fallen down a rabbit hole. None of this felt real.

  She stopped to look around.

  “What a strange place this is,” she said.

  Malcolm followed her glance, from Sandringham House to the stables to Sycamore Cottage to some of the other buildings in the distance.

  “Quite,” he said.

  She laughed out loud.

  “Maddie isn’t going to believe this,” she said. “I never even thought I might meet the Queen while I was here—I thought there was no way someone like me would be allowed near her. I did sort of hope . . .” She stopped herself. She didn’t need to admit that.

  Malcolm touched her elbow.

  “No, you can’t stop like that. What did you ‘sort of hope’?”

  She shouldn’t have started this, but now she’d have to finish.

  “This is silly, so please don’t judge me for it. But I did ask Maddie if we’d get to see some tiaras. I’ve never seen one in real life before. A real one, I mean.” She sighed. “But Maddie said no. Apparently, they don’t wear them that often.”

  Malcolm smiled at her and took her arm again.

  “No judgment here. The jewels of the royal family are really something to see in person. Some of them come out for the holidays, but your daughter was right; not the tiaras.”

  They turned back toward Sycamore Cottage. Vivian suddenly remembered what she’d been about to ask Malcolm when they’d been interrupted by the Queen.

  “How much longer are you at Sandringham? What are your plans for Christmas? Is your family expecting you?”

  He shrugged.

  “The timing all depends on work, but I’ll spend Christmas at my sister’s.”

  She had to just ask it. She was dying to know.

  “Just you? Are you married?”

  He looked taken aback for a moment but smiled at her.

  “No, not anymore. I’ve been divorced for . . . almost six years now.” His eyes crinkled at her. “And you?”

  She forgot that he might wonder that.

  “Oh goodness, no. I’ve been divorced for almost thirty years now!”

  They both laughed.

  “What does your family usually do for Christmas?” he asked. “I assume you would be with your family if you weren’t here?”

  She nodded.

  “I would be—we all go over to my aunt’s house. My aunt and cousins do a lot of the cooking, but everyone is in charge of something. I’m sure I’ll be homesick on Christmas Day, but I’m actually pretty excited not to have the same food and watch the same sports as I have all of my life. It’ll be fun to experience something different.”

  She was actually looking forward to trying all of the English Christmas foods she’d only read about in books. She really hoped Julia made mince pie—she had no idea what mince pie was even made of, but she wanted to try it.

  “What will you and your daughter do for Christmas here?” he asked.

  “For Christmas Eve, I think Julia is going to make a big meal for all of the staff at Sycamore Cottage, and though the Duke and Duchess have treated me and Maddie like guests, that includes us. I’m looking forward to that. I’m sure her cooking will be delicious. The Duke and Duchess will both be at Sandringham House that night, and again on Christmas morning and for lunch. So I think on Christmas Day, Maddie and I will just have a relaxing a
nd low-key day, which is very different from our Christmases with our family at home, so that will be a nice change. We leave for London the next morning to spend a few days there before flying back to California.”

  They walked up to Sycamore Cottage, and he released her arm right before they got to the front door.

  “Thank you for this afternoon,” he said.

  She smiled at him.

  “Oh no, thank you! I had a wonderful time.”

  He took a step back as James opened the front door.

  “As did I. Have a good evening.”

  When Vivian walked inside, it was to find her daughter looking at her with a huge grin on her face.

  “Okay, Mom. I need more details about what’s going on between you and that very attractive man.”

  Vivian smiled and shook her head.

  “I can’t imagine what you mean.”

  Maddie laughed out loud.

  “Oh really? I saw you two walking up here, arm in arm. Come on. Don’t worry, the Duke is out somewhere, and the Duchess is upstairs. You won’t have an audience.”

  Okay, fine, she had to tell her daughter something.

  “I’ll admit that he is a very attractive man. But I promise, nothing is going on there. I have a feeling he doesn’t see that many black people during the course of his job, which is probably why he gave me the tour of Sandringham yesterday. When we were there, we saw the stables out of a window, and I said something about them, so today we went to the stables. But that’s all—I probably won’t even see him again before we leave.”

  Though . . . she needed to find a way to ensure that part wasn’t true.

  She grinned at Maddie.

  “But that’s not important—listen to what happened when we were at the stables: I met the Queen!”

  Maddie almost dropped her wineglass.

  “WHAT? The Queen? The ACTUAL Queen? Tell me everything.”

  “Not only did I meet her, she gave me a compliment! She saw me riding—”

  “Wait, WHAT?” Maddie stared at her. Vivian steered her daughter into the sitting room so she could put that glass of wine down before she really dropped it. “You rode a horse? What is going on?”

  Vivian laughed.

  “Get me some of that wine, and I’ll tell you the whole story. Just wait until I tell Aunt Jo. She’s going to lose it.”