*Seventh book in the Royals Series*
Now a seasoned member of the British Royal Family and a mother of three, Jackie Baker's world is almost unrecognizable from what it was before she married her longtime friend, Prince Harry. Jackie's life changes w...
"Remember, if you need a break, just do the sign," Elizabeth said, fussing over the hem of Jackie's dress. She looked up. "Show me."
Jackie refrained from rolling her eyes, tugging at her earlobe.
Elizabeth gave a curt nod. "Good. Just make eye contact with me and do the sign and I'll pull you out."
It was October 24th. Jackie's first public engagement since her miscarriage and cancer diagnosis. She had just turned 32 the day before, the occasion marked by a tweet from Kensington Palace reading:
"Wishing The Duchess of Windsor a happy 32nd birthday and many more to come. She is spending the day doing the job she loves most -- being a mum. #HappyBirthdayHRH"
The tweet was accompanied by a photo Kate had taken of the Windsors in the sitting room at York Cottage when the twins turned 2 months old.
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Jackie celebrated her birthday with a session of radiation therapy and a quiet gathering at Kensington Palace. The Queen and Prince Phillip stopped by, along with Charles and Camilla and the entire Cambridge clan. It was impossible to ignore the air of sadness in the room. Jackie tried her hardest to be cheery, but everyone treated her as if the slightest bump would cause her to break.
Elizabeth stood back, chewing at her lip. "Do you think black was the right choice? Maybe you should change-"
Jackie sighed. "Elizabeth, you've had me change a hundred times. This looks wonderful."
Jackie was wearing a loose-fitting black dress and a white wool coat. There was a very limited number of outfits she was comfortable wearing. The ovarian cancer had caused her to lose some weight, dropping her back down to the size she was right around her wedding. Most of the clothes that fit her were snug, form-fitting dresses, and the tight material rubbed up against the irritated skin on her hips. So, she was forced to pick from a very small selection of dresses that didn't cause her pain.
"The black is just sort of morbid, don't you think?" Elizabeth asked.
Jackie shook her head. "The white balances it out. And I have on shiny earrings, my hair is down. I don't look sad."
Elizabeth didn't seem convinced, but dropped the subject. No matter what Jackie did, everyone still thought she was a sniveling mess. She hope that by taking on an engagement that day she would convince the general public that she was ready to move on.
Jackie was visiting a center in London that provided a community of support for sick children and their families. After her visit, Jackie would zip over to St. Mary's for her daily radiation treatment, moved back in the day to make room for her engagement. It was sponsored by Save the Children UK, one of Jackie's new charities. She'd been tempted to reschedule her appearance, but decided that the children and their families deserved her commitment.
Harry poked his head inside Jackie's walk in closet. "You look lovely."
