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CHAPTER TWO

DOTTIE stayed in her room for part of the day, fussing and fuming over a situation she could do little about. I haven’t excused you yet, Mrs. Richards.

The mild rebuke had fallen from the lips of a prince who was outrageously handsome. Tall and built like the statue of a Greek god, he possessed the inky-black hair and eyes of his Hellenican ancestry. Everything—his chiseled jaw, his strong male features—set him apart from other men.

Even if he weren’t royal, he looked like any woman’s idea of a prince. He’d stood there in front of his country’s flag, effortlessly masculine and regal in a silky blue shirt and white trousers that molded to his powerful thighs.

He’d smelled good, too. Dottie noticed things like that and wished she hadn’t because it reminded her that beneath the royal mantle, he was human.

Already she feared she might not be the right person for this job. Dr. Rice, the head of her department at the Stillman clinic, had said he’d handpicked her for this assignment because of her own personal experiences that gave her more understanding. Fine, but in order to give herself time to get used to the idea, she should have been told she was coming to a royal household before she boarded the jet in New York.

The atmosphere here was different from anything Dottie had known and she needed time to adjust. There was so much to deal with—the stiffness, the protocol, the maids and nannies, the teachers, the tutors, a prince for a father who’d been forced to obey a rigid schedule his whole life, a princess without a mother… .

A normal child would have run into the room and hugged her daddy without thinking about it, but royal etiquette had held Zoe back from doing what came naturally. She’d appeared in the doorway and stood at attention like a good soldier.

The whole thing had to be too much for a little girl who just wanted to be a little girl. In the end she’d broken those rules and had taken off down the hall, her dark brown curls bouncing. Despite his calling her name, she’d kept going. The precious child couldn’t handle any more.

Dottie’s heart ached for Zoe who’d ignored her father’s wishes and had run out of his office with tears flowing from those golden-brown eyes. She must have gotten her coloring from her mother, who’d probably been petite. His daughter had inherited her beauty and olive skin from her father, no doubt from her mother, too.

The vague images Dottie had retained of him and his brother through the media had been taken when they were much younger, playboy princes setting hearts afire throughout Europe. In the intervening years, Zoe’s father had become a married man who’d lost his wife too soon in life. Tragic for him, and more tragic for a child to lose a parent. Unfortunately it had happened.

Dottie was the enemy of the moment where Zoe was concerned, and she’d would have to be careful how she approached her to do the testing. Soon enough she would discover how much of Zoe’s problem was emotional or physical. Probably both.

With a deep sigh she ate the lunch a maid had brought her on a tray. Later another maid offered to unpack for her, but Dottie thanked her before dismissing her. She could do it herself. In fact she didn’t want to get completely unpacked in case she’d be leaving the palace right away. If the little princess had a problem outside of Dottie’s expertise, then Dottie would soon be flown back to New York from the island.

At five o’clock the phone rang at the side of her queen-size bed. It was Hector. The prince wished to speak to her in his office. He was sending a maid to escort her. It was on the tip of Dottie’s tongue to tell him she didn’t need help finding the prince’s inner sanctum, but she had to remember that when in Rome … Already she’d made a bad impression. It wouldn’t do to alienate him further, not when he was so anxious about his daughter.

She thanked Hector and freshened up. In a minute, one of the maids arrived and accompanied her down a different staircase outside her private guest suite to the main floor. The prince was waiting for her.

Out of deference to him, she waited until he spoke first. He stood there with his hands on his hips. By the aura of energy he was giving out with those jet-black eyes playing over her, she sensed he had something of significance to tell her.

“Sit down, please.”

She did his bidding, anxious to hear about the result of the examination.

“Once we could get Zoe to cooperate, the doctor found an inordinate amount of wax adhering to her eardrums from residual fluid. She hated every second of it, but after they were cleaned out, she actually smiled when he asked her if she could hear better. The audiologist did tests afterwards and said her hearing is fine.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful news!” Dottie cried out happily.

“Yes. On the way back to the palace, I could tell she did understand more words being spoken to her. There was understanding in her eyes.”

Beneath that formal reserve of his, she knew he was relieved for that much good news. A prince could move mountains and that’s what he’d done today by getting her into an ear specialist so fast. In fact, he’d made it possible for Dottie to come to Hellenica instead of the other way around. What greater proof that the man loved his daughter?

“This is an excellent start, Your Highness.”

“When do you want to begin testing her?”

“Tomorrow morning. She needs to have a good night’s sleep first. After what she’s been through today, she doesn’t need any more trauma.”

“Agreed.” She heard a wealth of emotion in that one word. Dottie could imagine the struggle his daughter had put up. “Where would you like to test her?”

Since the prince was still standing, Dottie got to her feet to be on par with him, but she still needed to look up. “If you asked her where her favorite place is to play, what would she tell you?”

After a moment he said, “The patio off my bedroom.”

That didn’t surprise Dottie. His little girl wanted to be near him without anyone else around. “Does she play there often?”

She heard his sharp intake of breath. “No. It’s not allowed unless I’m there, too.” Of course not. “My work normally goes past her bedtime.”

“And mornings?”

“While we’ve been at the palace, I’ve always had breakfast with her in the queen’s suite. Zoe’s the most comfortable there.”

“I’m talking before breakfast.”

“That’s when I work out and she takes a swimming lesson.”

Dottie fought to remain quiet, but her impulse was to cry out in dismay over the strict regimen. “So what times does she get to play with you on your patio?”

He pursed his lips. “Sunday afternoons after chapel and lunch. Why all these questions?”

She needed to be careful she didn’t offend him again. “I’m trying to get a sense of her day and her relationship with you. When is her Greek lesson?”

“Before her dinner.”

“You don’t eat dinner with her, then?”

“No.”

Oh. Poor Zoe. “You say she was attending a preschool until two weeks ago?”

“Yes. The sessions went in two-hour segments, three times a week. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. But lately I haven’t insisted for the obvious reasons.”

“When does she play with friends?”

“You mean outside her school?”

“Yes. Does she have friends here at the palace?”

“No, but we normally live on Aurum where she has several.”

“I see. Thank you for giving me that information. Would it be all right with you if I test her out on your patio? I believe she’ll be more responsive in a place where she’s truly happy and at ease. If you’re there, too, it will make her more comfortable. But with your full schedule I don’t suppose that’s poss—”

“I’ll make time for it,” he declared, cutting her off.

No matter how she said things, she seemed to be in the wrong. It wasn’t her intention to push his buttons, but she was doing a good job of it anyway. “That would be ideal. It’s important I watch her interaction with you. Before you come, I’d like to set up out there with a few things I’ve brought.”

His brows lifted. “How much time do you need?”

“A few minutes.”

He nodded. “I’ll send a maid to escort you at eight. Zoe and I will join you at eight-twenty. Does that meet with your approval?”

Eight-twenty? Not eight-twenty-one? Stop it, Dottie. You’re in a different world now. “Only if it meets with yours, Your Highness.”

This close to him, she could see a tiny nerve throbbing at the corner of his compelling mouth. His lips had grown taut. “If I haven’t made it clear before, let me say this again. My daughter is my life. That makes her my top priority.” She believed him.

“I know,” Dottie murmured. “While I’m here, she’s mine, too.”

A long silence ensued before he stepped away. “I’ve instructed Hector to make certain you’re comfortable while you’re here. Your dinner can be served in the small guest dining room on the second floor, or he’ll have it brought to your room. Whatever you prefer. Anything you want or need, you have only to pick up the phone and ask him and he’ll see to it.”

“Thank you. He’s been so perfect, I can hardly believe he’s real.”

“My brother and I have been saying the same thing about him for years.” The first glimmer of an unexpected smile reached his black eyes. He did have his human moments. The proof of it set off waves of sensation through her body she hadn’t expected or wanted to feel.

“If you’ll eat your eggs, I have a surprise for you.” Zoe jerked her head around and eyed Alex in excitement. “I’m going to spend time with you this morning and thought we’d play out on my patio. That’s why I told Sofia to let you wear pants.”

She made a sound of delight and promptly took several bites. The queen sent him a private glance that said she hoped this testing session with the new speech therapist wasn’t going to be a waste of time. Alex hoped not, too. No one wanted constructive feedback more than he did.

After Zoe finished off her juice, she wiggled down from the chair and started to dart away. Alex called her back. “You must ask to be excused.”

She turned to her grandmother. “Can I go with daddy, Yiayia?”

The queen nodded. “Have a good time.”

Alex groaned in silence, remembering the way his daughter had flown out of his office yesterday after one look at Dottie.

Zoe slipped her hand into his and they left for his suite. She skipped along part of the way. When he saw how thrilled she was to be with him, he found himself even more put out with Stasio.

As soon as his brother got back from Vallader, Alex planned to take more time off to be with his daughter. While he’d had to be here at the palace doing his brother’s work plus his own, he’d hardly had a minute to spend time with her. Maybe they’d go on a mini vacation together.

The curtains to the patio had been opened. Zoe ran through the bedroom ahead of him, then suddenly stopped at the sight of the woman sitting on the patio tiles in jeans and a pale orange, short-sleeved cotton top.

“Hi, Zoe,” she spoke in English with a smile. Dottie had put on sneakers and her hair was loose in a kind of disheveled bob that revealed the light honey tones among the darker swaths. “Do you think your daddy can catch this?” She threw a Ping-Pong ball at him.

When he caught it with his right hand, Zoe cried out in surprise. He threw it back to Dottie who caught it in her left. Their first volley of the day. For no particular reason his pulse rate picked up at the thought of what else awaited him in her presence.

“Good catch. Come on, Daddy.” Her dancing blue gaze shot to his. “You and Zoe sit down and spread your legs apart like this and we’ll roll some balls to each other.” She pulled a larger multicolored plastic ball from a big bag and opened those long, fabulous legs of hers.

Alex could tell his daughter was so shocked by what was going on, she forgot to be scared and sat down to imitate Dottie once he’d complied. Dottie rolled the ball to Zoe, who rolled it back to her. Then it was his turn. They went in a round, drawing Zoe in. Pretty soon their guest pulled out a rubber ball and rolled it to his daughter right after she’d sent her the plastic ball.

Zoe laughed as she hurried to keep both balls going. His clever little girl used her right and left hand at the same time and sent one ball to Dottie and one to him. “Good thinking!” she praised her. “Shall we try three balls?”

“Yes,” his daughter said excitedly. Their guest produced the Ping-Pong ball and fired all three balls at both of them, one after the other, until Zoe was giggling hysterically.

“You’re so good at this, I think we’ll try something else. Shall we see who’s better at jumping?” She whipped out a jump rope with red handles and got to her feet. “Come on, Zoe. You take this end and I’ll hold on to the other. Your daddy’s going to jump first. You’ll have to make big circles like I’m doing or the rope will hit him in the head.”

“Oh, no—” Zoe cried.

“Don’t worry,” Dottie inserted. “Your daddy is a big boy. It won’t hurt him.”

So their visitor had noticed. Was that a negative in her eyes, too?

Zoe scrutinized him. “You’re a boy?”

“Yes. He’s a very big one,” Dottie answered for him and his daughter laughed. Soon Zoe was using all her powers of concentration to turn the rope correctly and was doing an amazing job of it. After four times to get it right he heard, “You can jump in anytime now, Daddy.”

Alex crouched down and managed to do two jumps before getting caught around the shoulders. He was actually disappointed when their leader said, “Okay, now it’s Zoe’s turn. How many can you do?”

She cocked her dark brown head. “Five—”

“Well, that’s something I want to see. Watch while we turn the rope. Whenever you think you’re ready, jump in. It’s okay if it takes you a whole bunch of times to do it, Zoe. Your daddy isn’t going anywhere, right?”

She didn’t look at him as she said it. He had a feeling it was on purpose.

“We’re both in your hands for as long as it takes, Dorothy.” He’d read the background information on her and knew it was her legal name.

“I never go by my given name,” she said to Zoe without missing a beat while she continued to rotate the rope. “You can call me Dottie.”

“That means crazy, doesn’t it?” he threw out, curious to see how she’d respond.

“Your English vocabulary is remarkable, Your Highness.”

“Is she crazy?” Zoe asked while she stood there, hesitant to try jumping.

“Be careful how you answer that,” Dottie warned him. “Little royal pitchers have big ears and hers seem to be working just fine.”

Alex couldn’t help chuckling. He smiled at his daughter. “She’s funny-crazy. Don’t you think?”

“Yes.” Zoe giggled again.

“Come on and jump.” After eight attempts accompanied by a few tears, she finally managed a perfect jump. Dottie clapped her hands. “Good job, Zoe. Next time you’ll do more.”

She put the rope aside and reached into her bag of tricks. His daughter wasn’t the only one interested to see what she would pull out next. “For this game we have to get on our tummies.”

The speech therapist might as well have been a magician. At this point his daughter was entranced and did what was suggested without waiting for Alex. In another minute Dottie had laid twenty-four cards facedown on the floor in four rows. She turned one card over. “Do you know what this is, Zoe?”

His daughter nodded. “Pig.”

“Yes, and there’s another card just like it. You have to remember where this card is, and then find the other one. When you do, then you make a book of them and put the pile to the side. You get one turn. Go ahead.”

Zoe turned over another card.

“What is it?”

“Whale.”

“Yes, but it’s not a pig. So you have to put the card back. Okay, Daddy. It’s your turn.”

Alex turned over a card in the corner.

“Tiger, Daddy.”

Before 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 and took a shower to wash off the sand and try to get her emotions under control.

No matter how unwittingly, she’d endangered the life of the princess. What if his little daughter had been kidnapped? It would have been Dottie’s fault. All of it. The thought was so horrific, she couldn’t bear it. The prince had every right to tell her she was leaving on the next flight to Athens.

This was one problem she didn’t know how to fix. Being sorry wasn’t enough. She’d wanted to make a difference in Zoe’s life. The princess had passed every test with flying colors. Dottie was the one who’d never made the grade.

After drying off, she put on a white linen dress and sandals, prepared to be driven to the airport once the prince had told her he no longer required her services. As she walked back into the bedroom, there was a knock on the door.

Dottie opened it to a maid who brought her a lunch tray and set it on the table in the alcove. She had no appetite but quenched her thirst with the flask of iced tea provided while she answered some emails from home. As she drained her second glass, there was another knock on the door.

“Hector?” she said after opening it. Somehow she wasn’t surprised. He’d met her at the airport in Athens for her helicopter ride, and would deposit her at Hellenica’s airport.

“Mrs. Richards. If you’ve finished your lunch, His Highness has asked me to take you to his office.”

She deserved this. “I’m ready now.”

By the time they reached it, she’d decided to leave today and would make it easy for the prince. But the room was empty. “Please be seated. His Highness will be with you shortly.”

“Thank you.” After he left, she sat on the love seat and waited. When the prince walked in, she jumped right back up again. “I’m so sorry for what happened today.”

He seemed to have calmed down. “It’s my fault for not having warned you earlier. There was a kidnapping attempt on Zoe at her preschool last fall.”

“Oh, no—” Dottie cried out, aghast.

“Fortunately it failed. Since then I’ve tripled the security. It never occurred to me you would take Zoe down that long flight of stairs, even if it is our private beach. We can be grateful the patrol boats were watching you the entire time. You’re as much a target as Zoe and you’re my responsibility while you’re here in Hellenica.”

“I understand.”

“Please be seated, Mrs. Richards.”

“I—I can’t,” she stammered. Dottie bemoaned the fact that earlier during the testing, he’d called her Dorothy and had shown a teasing side to his nature. It had been unexpected and welcome. Right now those human moments out on the patio might never have been.

He eyed her up and down. “Have you injured yourself in some way?”

“You know I haven’t,” she murmured. “I wanted to tell you that you don’t need to dismiss me because I’m leaving as soon as someone can drive me to the airport.”

His black brows knit together in a fierce frown. “Whatever gave you the idea that your services are no longer required?”

She blinked in confusion. “You did, on the beach.”

“Explain that to me,” he demanded.

“When I swore to you that nothing like this would ever happen again, you said I was right about that.”

His inky-black eyes had a laserlike quality. “So you jumped to the conclusion that I no longer trusted you with my daughter? Are you always this insecure?”

Dottie swallowed hard. “Only around monarchs who have to worry about pirates and kidnappers. I didn’t know about those incidents and can’t imagine how terrifying it must have been for you. When you couldn’t find us today, it had to have been like déjà vu. I can’t bear to think I caused you even a second’s worry.”

He took a deep breath. “From now on, whether with Zoe or alone, don’t do anything without informing me of your intentions first. Then there won’t be a problem.”

“I agree.” He was being much more decent about this than she had any right to expect. A feeling of admiration for his willingness to give her a second chance welled up inside her. When their eyes met again, she felt something almost tangible pass between them she couldn’t explain, but it sent a sudden rush of warmth through her body, and she found herself unable to look away.