"Are you going to run off with him now?" he asked dryly.
"What are you talking about?"
"I've only been back from the West Indies for a month. I'm not stupid. Before you've been much better about providing plausible deniability."
"Before… what do you mean?"
"The first one, I know he's mine. But the others… the girl, yes, they say she resembles her aunt. That's very convenient. The younger boy, though, do you think I'm blind? Do you think there aren't whispers among the staff?"
"Are you threatening me? I'm the Queen."
"Your condition is delicate, I can just wait.