At last Randolph returned, to lead her into the cabinet room. It was lined with bookshelves weighed down by learned-looking tomes. In the center was a heavy table, large enough to seat fourteen people. Randolph led her to her seat, and when he had solemnly presented her he stepped back and to the side, moving his chair to where she could just see him out of the corner of her eye.
Durmand gave a speech of welcome, then he courteously asked if she had anything to say to her ministers.
“Yes,” she said. “I have. Please sit.”
When they were all seated she felt horribly exposed, the only one on her feet. Until today it had been a kind of game. Suddenly it was for real.
“I think none of us really expected this moment to come,” she said in a voice that surprised her by being steady. “I thought you would find somebody more suitable, and you must certainly have hoped for it.”
Perceiving that their sovereign had made a witticism the ministers permitted themselves a few smiles.
“But here we are, and must make the best of each other,” she continued. “I know I can rely on your loyalty both to me, and to Elluria. And you can rely on my loyalty to my new country.”
That pleased them and she was able to smile as she seated herself, asking, “What do we do now?”
It seemed there were many matters requiring her attention. Since it was her prerogative to appoint the cabinet every minister resigned and was immediately reappointed.
“But I may wish to make a few changes later,” Dottie observed. “I notice that there are no women here.”
“There are only six women in parliament,” Stern-heim noted caustically.
“And how many men?” Dottie wanted to know.
Sternheim gave a snort of impatience. “I don't recall the precise figure.”
“But you're my chancellor. If such a simple sum is beyond you, perhaps I should think again.”
There were smothered smiles. Sternheim snapped. “Eighty-two.”
“And only six women? Well, there'll be time for me to put that right.”
Bernhard Enderlin, minister of the Interior, coughed gently. “Strictly speaking, ma'am, that's my province.”
“Certainly it is,” Dottie agreed warmly. “I look forward to discussing it with you. Shall we say sometime next week? That will give you time to work out your plan. How lucky that I'm here.”
“I see that you believe in taking the bull by the horns, ma'am,” Enderlin said, accepting defeat with grace.
“Otherwise known as being a steamroller,” Dottie murmured. “Is there any other business?”
“The Korburg ambassador is agitating for his master to be invited for a private visit,” Enderlin said. “It hardly seems advisable in the circumstances.”
“I disagree,” Dottie said at once. “Do you want him to think you're so unsure of me that you're hiding me from him? Nothing could be more dangerous. Never mind a private visit. Let's invite him for a state visit.”
There was consternation around the table.
“The more fuss the better,” Dottie rattled on be fore anyone could speak. “Let him see that the throne of Elluria is occupied. That'll teach him.”
Consternation changed to smiles as her meaning got through, and there were murmurs of approval.
“Bull by the horns, gentlemen,” Dottie said. “Boldness is best. Harold and I can get a good look at each other. He'll spit feathers, I'll say 'Get knotted!' and that will be that. All right, don't faint any of you. I'll just smile sweetly and do my stuff.”
Everyone sighed with relief. Durmand, seeming to feel that the sooner the meeting ended the better for everyone's nerves, murmured, “In that case…”
“One moment,” Dottie stopped him. “I have another appointment to make. You all know how unprepared I am for all this. Some people think I'm no more than a 'stupid, ignorant foreigner.”' She waited for the nervous frisson to die down. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Randolph give a faint smile. “Maybe I am, but it's not all I am, and to prove that I need help. Nobody can help me better than Prince Randolph, which is why,” she took a deep breath, “I'm asking him to be my confidential, private secretary.”
There were smiles of pleasure and relief. Dottie turned to Randolph, expecting to see approval, perhaps even a smile, but at once she knew she'd misread him. Of everyone in the room, he alone was not pleased, although good manners prevented him from saying so. He inclined his head and murmured something about wishing only to serve her, but his heart wasn't in it.
On the journey home he joined her in the back, shutting the partition so that they could speak privately.
“You had no right to do that without consulting me first,” he growled.
“I only thought of it at the last minute. Besides, it's perfect. You can keep me from making mistakes.”
“Like the one you just made?”
“I'm sorry for the way I did it, but that's all.”
“Then let me give you my first piece of advice as your confidential, private secretary. Don't ever, ever take me by surprise again.”
His reaction gave her a sense of disappointment that cut sharply and made her snap back, “I'm the crown princess. I can do anything I like.”
“Not anything.”
“Yes, anything. If you don't believe me, read the constitution. And if you say another word I'll declare a state of emergency.”
That silenced him. They spoke little on the way back to the palace, and Dottie had supper alone, feeling let down. She confided in Aunt Liz, and was surprised when the older woman seemed troubled.
“You don't think I did the right thing?”
“It depends what you were trying to tell people,” Aunt Liz said cautiously. “Naturally you need Randolph at your side, but people were thinking… That is they hoped-”
“That I would marry him? Suppose I don't want to?”
“Then the sensible option is to keep him by you as a servant. Which is what you've done.”
Dottie's hand flew to her mouth in horror. “A servant? Oh no! That's not what I meant at all. I meant to honor him.”
“You think he's honored to be a secretary? A royal prince? Not that he's a royal prince now. Or any kind of prince.”
“What is he then?” Dottie asked curiously. “Surely he has some other titles?”
“He lost all his titles since he was illegitimate.”
“What, everything? And what about his estate? I know he still has that.”
“That was a personal gift from his father years ago, so it's safe. But it's all he has now, and it's a very small place. Just a retreat, really.” She considered Dottie before saying casually, “Of course, you could always make him a prince again. Not a royal prince, and it wouldn't make him legitimate, but you could give him a courtesy title that would make his life a lot easier.”
“Did he ask you to suggest that?”
“Oh my dear, if you haven't understood that he'd go to the stake rather than ask, even indirectly, then you haven't begun to understand him.”
“No, I suppose I don't understand him. But he doesn't want me to, I understand that much. He'd see it as a sort of invasion. Oh heavens! I've done it all wrong. I'm always going to do everything wrong. Why didn't I think? Because I never think. I'm an idiot, a clown. I have no right to be here. Oh damn!”
Of the twelve candidates to be her ladies-in-waiting, the only one Dottie knew was Jeanie, Countess Batz, whom she'd met when they'd all gone to the nightclub. The others had briefly passed before her and been lost in a blur. Dottie immediately picked her.
“A good choice as a lady-in-waiting,” Aunt Liz enthused, “although perhaps a little young to be your chief lady.”
“I suppose I'll see more of the chief lady than the others?”
“Certainly.”
“Then I'll have Jeanie. I like her. Besides, her English is perfect.”
“They all speak perfect English,” Randolph remarked from a nearby table, where he was making notes. He didn't raise his head or look at her.