Malice at the Palace Read Online Free PDF

is going to marry a German. How people can forget the Great War so quickly I just do not understand.”
    â€œI don’t suppose Georgie’s mum’s beau had much to do with the Great War,” Binky said in his usual affable manner. I didn’t like to say that I thought he had probably made a fortune in supplying arms. His industrial empire was certainly wide reaching. “So did you have a good time in America, Georgie? Were you there long?”
    â€œParts of it were lovely, thank you,” I said. “The crossing on the
Berengaria
—”
    â€œYou hear that, Binky?” Fig interrupted. “She sailed on the
Berengaria
—the millionaires’ ship, they call her. Something I’ll never be able to do. Obviously I went wrong in life. I should have become an actress and had dalliances with all kinds of men, like Georgie’s mother.”
    â€œYou don’t have the looks, old thing,” Binky said kindly. “You have to admit that Georgie’s mum is an absolute corker.”
    Fig went rather red and I tried not to choke on my coffee.
    â€œShe is little better than a high-class tart,” Fig snapped.
    â€œSteady on, old thing,” Binky said. “Georgie’s mum may have led a somewhat colorful life but she’s a thoroughly decent sort. Really kind to me when she married Father. She was the only one who could see I was miserable at boarding school.”
    Fig saw that this battle wasn’t going her way. “You were missed at Balmoral, Georgiana,” she said. “The king and queen both commented on your absence. Quite put out that you weren’t there.”
    â€œOh, I’m sure my presence hardly made a difference,” I said, secretly pleased that they even noticed I hadn’t joined the house party this year.
    â€œQuite put out,” Fig repeated. “The king actually said to me, ‘Where’s young Georgiana then? Had enough of putting up with us old fogies? Rather spend time with the bright young things, what?’”
    â€œAnd the little princesses missed you too, Georgie,” Binky said. “That Elizabeth is turning into a damned fine horsewoman. She said she was sorry you weren’t there to go riding with her.”
    â€œIt’s probably not the wisest thing to snub the king and queen, Georgie,” Fig said. “They are the heads of the family, after all. And you know how the queen absolutely expects one to show up at Balmoral.”
    That was true enough. It was hard to find any excuse good enough to get out of it. It was even reported that a certain member of the royal clan timed her pregnancies so that she could miss Balmoral biennially. Actually we Rannochs didn’t mind it. We were used to freezing cold rooms and the piper waking everyone at dawn, not to mention the tartan wallpaper in the loo.
    â€œWe had a lovely time there this year, didn’t we, Binky?” Fig drained her coffee and got up to help herself to a piece of toast.
    â€œOh rather,” he agreed. “Of course, the weather wasn’t too kind. Rained every bally day, actually. Missed every bird I shot at. Apart from that it was quite jolly. They’ve a new piper who plays at dawn.”
    â€œI’m sorry I had to miss it,” I said with a straight face. I turned back to Fig. “So I hear you’ve come into a legacy, Fig, and you’re having central heating put in.”
    â€œOnly a small legacy,” Fig said hurriedly. “My aunt lived very simply. No luxuries. She was very active in the Girl Guides until she died.”
    â€œAnd you’re just down here until the new boiler is put in?”
    â€œActually we thought we might as well keep on here until the wedding,” Binky said and got a warning frown from Fig.
    â€œThe wedding?” I asked.
    â€œThe royal wedding,” Binky said.
    â€œThe Prince of Wales is finally going to buckle down and get married?” I