All Her Men (The Queen's Men Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

she could not help being worried about how the world would see her. Her hair was probably sticking out at all ends. Its curly behavior defied all odds, especially when it was mad at her.
    “No, the outfit suits you just fine! Do not worry about it. Everything will be fine.”
    Sure, she wasn’t the one being put on display. “So what will happen next?”
    “The SNP Leader will ask you to pledge yourself to protect and defend Scotland. He will also ask a few other little questions. Then your guards will kneel in front of you and promise to protect you, to keep you safe for Scotland.”
    “That’s it?” Edith made it seem so simple. Maybe she was not a mind reader. She certainly seemed oblivious to the turmoil rolling through her. Maybe that was for the best though. Then Amelia could enact her plans to run away. Just had to make it to the market for shopping. Surely no one knew what she looked like yet. She could just slip away, like a thief in the night, while they were focused on something else.
    “That’s it.”
    Taking a calming breath, she straightened her shoulders. This was doable. It wasn’t scary at all. Nope, not one bit.
    Fuck, who was she kidding? Her knees were shaking, her stomach was rolling, and her head was spinning. If she didn’t end up embarrassing herself by puking on her own shoes or the SNP Leader, then she would believe she was doing good and that all this was ‘doable’.
    “Oh, then you will give a small, short speech to Parliament. Parliament will have been convened downstairs, while the coronation is taking place. In fact, they have already started gathering.”
    “Parliament?” Was Edith serious? “Are you shitting me?” Edith’s eyes opened wide at her words. “So that’s a yes?”
    “Yes, I’m serious. Also, you will want to refrain from using words like shitting from now on, please.”
    Amelia grinned madly. “You don’t cuss often, do you?” This woman was as straight-laced as they come. Even Edith’s button up shirt was buttoned all the way to the very top, the collar taunt against her skin.
    “No, ma’am, I do not.”
    It even went to the woman’s speech. “You also don’t use contractions.”
    “No, ma’am, I do not.”
    “I think we’ll get along quite well.” They would too. Straight-laced Edith was there to keep her out of trouble. Her of all people — the rebel American. They had no idea what she was capable of.
    They were going to learn.
     

 
    Chapter 6
     
    A man that had been introduced to Amelia as Thomas Cornwell, the Leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party, held a Bible in front of him, clutching it to his chest as if it was a lifeline. His eyes were coal black, his hair was a dirty blond, and his appearance was meticulous. His suit looked as if it had been tailor made just for him, and from the look of his hands, it probably was. They looked soft, having never seen a day’s work. The British accent he spoke with as he introduced himself gave her pause. She had assumed that the SNP Leader would be Scottish, not British. “You’re British.”
    “Of course I am not British. I was sent to boarding school in London as a boy and went to Cambridge. Unfortunately, in order to get ahead, I had to lose my Scottish accent.”
    “So you didn’t get ostracized?”
    The smile he gave her seemed slimy, seedy. It was as if he resented her. It was as if he hated her. Maybe even hated that she had found his weak spot within seconds of meeting.
    “My dear, there is something that you must understand… You will be queen. You will be essentially a mere figurehead. Parliament will make decisions for Scotland. You are just a stand in, someone to do what they are told. Learn that quickly and we will get along famously.”
    She felt her temper flare. This man had secrets that he held dear, but that didn’t mean she would let him harass her. “And if I don’t?”
    “My dear, I believe it is time to begin.”
    As Amelia gazed on him from the side, it became