Page 136 of The Unlikely Heir
I once thought Cliff was my friend, and look how that turned out.
But as soon as the thought swells in my mind, rational thought punctures it.
There’s absolutely no way Oliver could have faked this between us.
And okay, while I’ve sometimes questioned how the most amazing man on the planet loves me, all I have to do is think of the way he touches me, the way he’s so vulnerable with me, the way he looks at me when we’re alone together.
Even the best actor in history couldn’t fake that.
But knowing Oliver loves me is one thing. Does he love me more than his job? If he loves me as much as I love him, would he have called a referendum without discussing it with me first?
I bite the inside of my cheek.
“We need to decide on the investiture in light of the government’s call for a referendum,” Raymond says. “Is it worth igniting public backlash at this perilous time?”
My eyes shoot to the portrait of one of my ancestors hanging on the wall, watching our present-day drama unfold with centuries-old smugness.
“I think we proceed as normal. To cancel it now will send the wrong message. Besides, it’s a good chance to show the British public exactly what they will lose if they abolish the monarchy,” Clive says.
My grandmother raises her chin. “I agree with Clive.” She looks at me. “And Callum’s relationship with Oliver Hartwell must stay between us. Not even Nicholas and Amelia can know.”
The weight of everything presses down on me, and my chest feels like it’s been stomped upon.
I’ve been so naïve. So caught up in falling in love for the first time, so caught up in Oliver, that I failed to see the bigger picture.
This is so much larger than just two people in love.
Oliver’s actions today show he understands that.
And my failure to realize that could be my family’s downfall.
ChapterThirty-Seven
Oliver
I don’t think I’ve ever been more furious in my life. I’m livid, fuming.
One of my ministers obviously walked straight out of the cabinet meeting to leak news of the referendum to the press. But it’s not just an ordinary type of leak. This has unleashed floodwaters threatening to obliterate everything in its path.
Of course, whichever minister is responsible had no way of knowing the extra reason it was so important to me to give the palace a fair warning.
I wanted to tell Callum myself. I wanted a chance to explain.
Instead, I’ve been summoned to Buckingham Palace for an audience with the queen.
And when I dash up to my flat to check my personal phone, I already have a message waiting for me from Callum.
How could you do this?
Fuck.
It’s not just the queen I need to see when I go to Buckingham Palace.
My driver pulls through the gates of Buckingham Palace. The usual protesters and paparazzi scream at my car as it drives through the checkpoint.
It’s not what my thumping headache needs.
The car pulls around and parks in the quadrangle.
