Unregrettably Yours

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 -

A Double-Dose of Surprise Paired with a Side of Questions

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"Honey! Get down here! You might want to see this!" Lacey Richardson's mom shouted from the kitchen Saturday morning.

She immediately bolted down the stairs from her bedroom and saw the envelope in her mother's hands. "Is it from Parsons? Did they want to see my portfolio? Oh my God. Do they not want to see my portfolio?" Karen Richardson remained quiet. "Come on, Mom! You're killing me, here! If they don't like me, I can handle it. I swear. I just need to know."

"Lacey. Calm yourself. You're going to give yourself a coronary one of these days. You're going to give me a coronary!"

Karen was the only person who called Lacey by her first name. To everyone else she was Rich or Richie. Lacey was just too . . . girly for her tastes. If the name hadn't have been in her family for generations, she would have seriously considered getting it legally changed.

"Mom," she groaned loudly, exaggerating the vowel sound. "Please."

"It's not from Parsons," Karen explained, a smile widening on her face. "It's better."

"Better than Parsons?" Richie scoffed. "Unless it's the president inviting me over for tea, I highly doubt that."

"It's not the president inviting you to have tea, but it's about as close as you can get."

"What?"

"Here," her mom told her, handing the paper over. "I opened it accidentally not knowing what it was, but I promise I'll act surprised as soon as you read it!"

Dear Ms. Richardson,

On behalf of Great Britain's royal family, I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected to participate in the Abroad at Buckingham program for American students ...

"What!" Richie shouted loud enough to wake the entire street. She had only finished the first sentence of a three page letter. "This is a joke, right? Some sort of sick late April Fool's prank you and Dad are pulling, right? There's no way I got accepted. I didn't even apply!"

"You didn't?"

"Well, I guess that I technically did - but it was a joke! Natalie dared me to! I even said that in the stupid video that was required to be sent in. If you and Dad aren't behind this, she's got to be! Sending me a fake acceptance letter just to freak me out."

"Honey, this looks pretty official. I know Natalie has a fine brain, but this is a little too elaborate. Even for her."

Richie scoffed again. "Are you forgetting about The Great Chocolate Fountain Debacle of Freshman Year? She can do whatever she puts her mind to."

"Even forging the royal seal?" her mom questioned. "Even giving you an $826 first-class airline ticket to LA for a photo shoot with all the other admittees? Even providing a 3-night stay at a 4-star hotel?" She held out a few additional papers from the envelope.

Richie's eyes widened. "What? This is actually legit?"

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Elliot had had enough. The same two security guards, dressed in civilian clothes to make themselves less conspicuous, had been trailing him since 8:00 that morning when he had snuck out of the palace alone to try to get some privacy. His head of security was some guy named Jack whom he had never met, but as soon as Elliot returned home, he was going to have a serious chat with the guy about boundaries.