LITMIR.BIZ

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he could say anything, he saw their eyes look to the doorway. Alex turned around in frustration to see who had interrupted them.

      “Hector?”

      “Forgive me, Your Highness. There’s a call for you from Argentum on an urgent matter that needs your attention.”

      Much as Alex hated to admit it, this had to be an emergency, otherwise Bari would have sent him an email. Barisou Jouflas was the head mining engineer on the island of Argentum and Alex’s closest friend since college. He always enjoyed talking to him and got to his feet, expecting an outburst from Zoe. To his astonishment, Dottie had her completely engrossed in the matching game.

      “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

      Dottie nodded without looking at him.

      “Bye, Daddy,” his daughter said, too busy looking for a matching card to turn her head.

      Bye, Daddy—Since when? No tantrum because he was leaving?

      Out of the corner of her eye Dottie watched the prince disappear and felt a twinge of disappointment for his daughter. They’d all been having fun and it was one time when he hadn’t wanted to leave, she felt sure of it. But there were times when the affairs of the kingdom did have to take priority. Dottie understood that and forgave him.

      He might be gone some time. Dottie still had other tests to do that she preferred to take place outside the palace. Now would be a good time to carry them out while Zoe was still amenable. Her speech was close to unintelligible, but she was bright as a button and Dottie understood most of what she was trying to say because of her years of training and personal experience.

      Once they’d concluded the matching game she said, “Zoe? Do you want to come down to the beach with me?” The little girl clapped her hands in excitement.

      “All right, then. Let’s do it.” Dottie got up and pulled a bag of items out of the bigger bag. “Shall we go down from here?”

      “Yes!” Zoe stood up and started down the stairs at the far end of the patio. Dottie followed. The long stairway covering two stories led to the dazzling blue water below.

      It was a warm, beautiful day. When they reached the beach, she pulled out a tube of sunscreen and covered both of them. Next she drew floppy sun hats from the bag for them to put on.

      “Here’s a shovel. Will you show me how you build a castle?”

      Zoe got to work and made a large mound.

      “That’s wonderful. Now where do you think this flag should go?” She handed her a little one.

      “Here!” She placed it on the very top.

      “Perfect. Make a hole where the front door of the castle is located.”

      She made a big dent with her finger at the bottom. Dottie rummaged in the bag for a tiny sailboat and gave it to her. “This is your daddy’s boat. Where do you think it goes?”

      “Here.” Zoe placed it at the bottom around the side.

      “Good.” Again Dottie reached in the bag and pulled out a plastic figure about one inch high. “Let’s pretend this is your daddy. Where does he live in the castle?”

      Zoe thought about it for a minute, then stuck him in the upper portion of the mound.

      “And where do you sleep?” Dottie gave her a little female figure.

      “Here.” Zoe crawled around and pushed the figure into the mound at approximately the same level as the other.

      “Do you sleep by your Yiayia?” “No.”

      “Can you show me where she sleeps?” Dottie handed her another figure. Zoe moved around a little more and put it in at the same height. Everyone slept on the second floor.

      “I like your castle. Let’s take off our shoes and walk over to the water. Maybe we can find some pretty stones to decorate the walls. Here’s a bucket to carry everything.”

      They spent the next ten minutes picking up tiny, multicolored stones. When they returned to the mound Dottie said, “Can you pour them on the sand and pick out the different colors? We’ll put them in piles.”

      Zoe nodded, eager to sort everything. She was meticulous.

      “Okay. Why don’t you start with the pink stones and put them around the middle of the castle.” Her little charge got the point in a hurry and did a masterful job. “Now place the orange stones near the top and the brown stones at the bottom.”

      While Zoe was finishing her masterpiece, Dottie took several pictures at different angles with her phone. “You’ll have to show these pictures to your daddy. Now I think it’s time to put our shoes on and go back to the palace. I’m hungry and thirsty and I bet you are, too. Here—let me brush the sand off your little piggies.”

      Zoe looked at her. “What?”

      “These.” She tugged on Zoe’s toes. “These are your little pigs. Piggies. They go wee wee wee.” She made a squealing sound.

      When recognition dawned, laughter poured out of Zoe like tinkling bells. For just a moment it sounded like her little boy’s laughter. Emotion caught Dottie by the throat.

      “Mrs. Richards?” a male voice spoke out of the blue, startling her.

      She jumped to her feet, fighting the tears pricking her eyelids, and looked around. A patrol boat had pulled up on the shore and she hadn’t even heard it. Two men had converged on them, obviously guards protecting the palace grounds. “Yes?” She put her arm around Zoe’s shoulders. “Is something wrong?”

      “Prince Alexius has been looking for you. Stay here. He’ll be joining you in a moment.”

      She’d done something wrong. Again.

      No sooner had he said the words than she glimpsed the prince racing down the steps to the beach with the speed of a black panther in pursuit of its prey. The image sent a chill up her spine that raised the hairs on the back of her neck.

      When he caught up to them, he gave a grim nod of dismissal to the guards, who got back in the patrol boat and took off.

      “Look what I made, Daddy—” His daughter was totally unaware of the byplay.

      Dottie could hear his labored breathing and knew it came from fright, not because he was out of shape. Anything but. While Zoe gave him a running commentary of their beach adventure in her inimitable way, Dottie put the bucket and shovel in the bag. When she turned around, she discovered him hunkered down, examining his daughter’s work of art.

      After listening to her intently, he lifted his dark head and shot Dottie a piercing black glance. Sotto voce, he said, “There are pirates in these waters who wait for an opportunity like this to—”

      “I understand,” she cut him off, feeling sick to her stomach. She’d figured it out before he’d said anything. “Forgive me. I swear it won’t happen again.”

      “You’re right about that.”

      His words froze the air in her lungs before he gripped his daughter’s hand and started for the stairs.

      “Come on,” Zoe called to her.

      Dottie followed, keeping her eyes on his hard-muscled physique clothed in a white polo shirt and dark blue trousers. Halfway up the stairs on those long, powerful legs, he gathered Zoe in his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the patio.

      “The queen is waiting for Zoe to have lunch with her,” he said when she caught up to him. “A maid is waiting outside my suite to conduct you back to your room. I’ve asked for a tray to be sent to you. We’ll talk later.”

      Dottie heard Zoe’s protests as he walked away. She gathered up the other bag and met the maid who accompanied her back to her own quarters. Once alone, she fled into the en suite bathroom

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