A Visitor at the Palace: The perfect feel-good royal romance to read this summer. Georgie Crawley

didn’t meet her gaze as he took the plate. ‘So?’ he asked, halfway through his first mouthful, spraying crumbs everywhere.

      ‘So … there’s a few changes to the plans for Christmas.’

      Claire looked up, alarmed. ‘Like what? No presents?’

      Of course that was her first concern. Amy sighed. ‘I’m sure there will be presents. In fact, you might even get the ones from your dad early. He’s coming by on Tuesday.’

      ‘Great!’ Whether Claire was more pleased about seeing Jim or the prospect of presents, Amy wasn’t sure.

      Jack clearly wasn’t happy about either of them. ‘I don’t want to see him. We have to go there on Boxing Day. Isn’t that bad enough?’

      Well, at least there was one part of the plan he’d be pleased with. ‘Actually, there’s been a bit of a change there, too. Your dad’s actually going away skiing for Christmas now, so we’ll have a bit longer together before you go to spend time with him.’ And Bonnie, she assumed. Not that they’d talked about it.

      They should, Amy knew. And soon.

      ‘Brilliant. Then I’ll be out on Tuesday and I won’t have to see him at all. Perfect.’ Jack shoved the last half of his mince pie into his mouth.

      ‘Jack …’ Amy started, but Claire spoke over her.

      ‘So, we’re not seeing him at all at Christmas?’

      ‘You’re seeing him on Tuesday,’ Amy said, brightly. ‘In fact, we could get his presents wrapped tonight, ready to give to him. We’ll put a Christmas film on, really get in the festive mood …’

      ‘Have you told him about Henry yet?’ Jack asked.

      Amy winced. ‘I haven’t actually spoken to him. He left a message on my phone.’

      ‘Meaning that you didn’t want to speak to him either,’ Jack said, astutely. ‘So how can you nag me about having to see him when you won’t?’

      She didn’t have a good argument for that, not really. Only a thousand emotions that battered her heart, none of which she could put into words.

      So instead, she said another true thing.

      ‘I’m still hoping Henry will have come home by the time we see Dad.’

      ‘Me too,’ said Claire, her voice very small.

      Jack looked away, and Amy saw his Adam’s apple bob, hard, as he swallowed. ‘Yeah. Me three.’

      Oh Henry, Amy thought. Where are you tonight?

       Day 3

      Monday 16th December

       HENRY

      I woke the next morning from a deep sleep, after doggy dreams about chasing rabbits through puddles of gravy.

      The other dogs were already awake, so I hopped down to stand beside Willow.

      ‘So?’ I asked, nudging her side to get her attention. Because even though they weren’t the friendliest I wasn’t ready to give up on finding some allies in the palace who at least understood me. ‘What’s the plan? You said you were going to let me join in with your Palace Dogs routine today, right?’

      Sighing, Willow turned slowly towards me. ‘Fine. But really, without Her here, it’s a pale imitation of the real thing.’

      ‘Well, I’ve never spent a day with Her Majesty, so I doubt I’ll really notice the difference.’ I was just excited to be included. I’d spent a lot of the previous day trying to imagine what the other dogs might be doing – what adventures they were having. Did they spend time chasing rabbits in the gardens? Or taste-testing the gravy? Were there Royal Pet duties I knew nothing about, like greeting important guests? Or special meals I’d missed out on somehow, like the afternoon tea Amy took Claire to with Father Christmas when she was smaller?

      I wanted to know it all.

      ‘First, we have breakfast,’ Willow said, turning away again. ‘I trust you can remember how that goes?’

      I did, and this morning, when a new housemaid came to feed us, I waited patiently for my turn before eating. I didn’t want to give Willow any excuses to shut me out again.

      ‘Now what?’ I asked, the moment the housemaid had gone.

      Willow, Candy and Vulcan all exchanged annoyed looks.

      ‘Are you going to be like this all day?’ Vulcan asked.

      ‘Like what?’

      ‘Vulgarly excited,’ Willow answered. ‘And yes, I rather suspect he is.’

      Candy rolled her eyes. ‘It doesn’t do, you see, to get too excited about things here in the Palace. Apart from anything else, you’re supposed to be used to this sort of life, remember?’