Her next words gave him a nasty shock.
“Mike, when are we going to set the date?”
“Whenever you like, Dot. But I thought we decided to wait until we had the deposit for the garage.”
“I've changed my mind. I'm going to snap you up fast, before Bren gets her claws into you.”
“Aw, c'mon. You know I love you Dot. I couldn't care about anyone else, any more than you could.”
Dottie's voice was suddenly high and breathless. “Of course we couldn't, but let's not take chances. You-you never know what's going to happen.”
“All right. Whatever you say.”
“No, it shouldn't be just what I say. It should be what we say.” She sounded suddenly despondent. “Don't you want to marry me?”
“Course I do. I said yes when you proposed, didn't I? All right, don't hit me.”
From behind the tree Randolph could hear a scuffle and laughter that ended very suddenly. He resisted the impulse to lean out and see what was happening, but the silence went on longer than he liked.
“Are we going to have a honeymoon?” Mike asked at last.
“Sure. How about a Caribbean cruise?”
“Yeah, I'd like one of them.”
“Price no object,” Dottie said grandiloquently.
“Three thousand, four thousand, or there's a top flight cruise at seven thousand.”
“Let's have that,” Mike said. “Only the best for us.”
“Luxury class.”
“Money to burn.”
“Our every whim catered for,” she cried to the blue sky.
“We'll eat off gold plates.”
Hand in hand, they considered this for a moment.
“Unless you'd prefer a month in Hawaii,” Dottie offered.
“Is that the one where you get sexy maidens meeting you on the beach with garlands?”
“On second thought, forget Hawaii.”
Mike gave his easygoing chuckle. “Anything you say, Dot.” He squeezed her hand as they left the brightly colored dreams behind. “Mind you, if you go off the cruise idea, Uncle Joe's always said we could borrow his caravan for a long weekend.”
“That would be lovely,” Dottie said.
She sounded as enthusiastic about the cheap caravan as the luxury cruise that existed only in her lively imagination, and Randolph had to admire her spirit. It might be nice for a man to share his life with such a funny, gutsy lady. It was the same spirit that he admired in Sophie, he reminded himself. Not that Sophie's lofty mind would have indulged in that crazy fantasy.
With regret he remembered that Dottie's fantasies too, must be dispelled. He had lingered as long as he dared. Now it was time to claim her for his country, and her duty. He stepped out from behind the tree, treading on a twig, its snap making Dottie look up quickly.
“Are you following me?” she demanded.
Then Randolph, the severe and practical man, was truly inspired.
“Yes,” he said. “I am following you-both of you. I had to be sure that you were suitable for the prize. A stay in a luxury hotel as guests of the Ellurian gov-tourist authority.”
“Elluria?” Dottie echoed, wrinkling her brow. “That's the place you were telling me about.”
“We're trying to promote it as somewhere to take the vacation of a lifetime,” Randolph said. “It's never been done before, which is why so few people think of traveling there. But we have everything, magnificent scenery, great art, history-”
“Disneyland?” Mike asked eagerly.
“No,” Randolph was forced to admit, “we don't have Disneyland. But we have Lake Bellanon, with its beautiful beaches. I think you'll both like it there.”
“Us?” Dottie asked suspiciously.
“It's been my task to find two people who would make best use of the prize. It has to be a young couple, so that as well as enjoying our hospitality you can tell us what Elluria needs to attract other young people. It will be everything you've dreamed of-money to burn, gold plates, your every whim catered for.”
If only, he thought, Mike didn't say, “Eee, Dot!” But he did. Randolph ground his teeth.
“It's too good to be true,” Mike went on.
“Right! Too good to be true,” Dottie said, showing an astuteness that dismayed Randolph. “In real life, things just don't get handed to you on a plate like this. I'm suspicious.”
“He can't be stocking a harem, Dot,” Mike pointed out. “Not if he wants me as well.”
“You don't know that. He's probably covering all the angles.”
“Pardon?”
“Never mind,” she said hastily. Randolph's lips were twitching. He'd divined her meaning at once, while Mike was still floundering around trying to believe she'd meant what he thought she'd meant.
“I promise you, it's all on the level,” Randolph said smoothly. “Wouldn't you like a free vacation, spending money, new wardrobe?”
Dottie drew a long breath at the thought of new clothes, but she was torn two ways, trying to equate this with his behavior to her earlier. Randolph understood her perfectly and his conscience smote him.
“It could be our honeymoon,” she said at last.
“No,” Randolph said hastily, “we have to leave at once.”
“But if we got a special license…”
Seeing disaster staring him in the face Randolph became even more inspired.
“I must make a confession, Ms. Hebden. The fact is that you two are replacements. The original prize winners had to drop out at the last minute. The celebrations are all arranged. When I return to Elluria tonight I must take you with me or I'll probably lose my job.”
“Tonight?” Dottie squealed. “And what about our jobs?”
“I promise to settle everything with your employers. The Ellurian tourist authority will provide temporary replacements, at their own expense. Generous expense. Your employers will gain on the transactions.”
“But we don't have passports,” Dottie pointed out.
“You will travel on Ellurian diplomatic passports.”
“A whole month's free vacation,” Mike mused. “It's a pity it couldn't have been our honeymoon.”
“But it can,” Dottie said triumphantly. “We can get married out there. Think what terrific publicity for tourism that will be.” She beamed at Randolph. “You'd like that, wouldn't you?”
“Of course,” he said in a hollow voice.
It seemed that as he avoided one pitfall another opened at his feet. His conscience was troubling him more every minute. But he had no choice. At all costs, he had to get Dottie to Elluria, or his country would be at Harold's mercy, and that mustn't be allowed to happen.
“We can be married at once,” Dottie was murmuring, almost to herself. “Oh but look, it's nonsense. Things don't happen like this. We have to be realistic.”
“Perhaps you can be too realistic,” Randolph pointed out. “Take the chance life holds out to you.” The cunning of the serpent made him add, “Just think how mad Brenda will be when she finds out! Of course, by then it will be too late.”
“Oh, if only I could be there to see her face,” Dottie breathed.
“But you won't,” Randolph reminded her. “You'll be in Elluria, with Mike.”
“Let's go,” Dottie said at once. She jumped to her feet, her face shining with joy. “Oh Mike, Mike!”
She threw her arms about him and they hugged each other exuberantly. Randolph suddenly looked away. When he looked back he found Dottie regarding him, and he could have sworn there was accusation in her eyes.
Like all crown princes of Elluria, Randolph had spent some time in the army. There he'd learned lessons about tactics, strategy and intelligence gathering that stood him in good stead now.
Certain things were simple, like arranging two diplomatic passports. Sorting matters with Mike and Dottie's employers were tasks for embassy attachés. But keeping his two quarries in protective custody without arousing Dottie's suspicions further, demanded the skills of a policeman, a magician and a mother hen, and taxed Randolph's ingenuity to the fullest.