Harry groaned internally when her father went through the guest list for the weekend. Aunt Alicia, Uncle Thomas, the Buffington-Smythes who were horribly pompous and her cousin Barty who was thoroughly smitten with her and would resent any hint of a fiancé. He wouldn't accept his pursuit was fruitless and bombarded her with invitations which she ruthlessly turned down. And four corporate executives and wives who were booking the Hall for their annual, senior manager retreat.

She briefed Maria on dress code and even helped her choose a cocktail dress which she paid for and billed to Dempsey, his eyebrows shot up as he checked the amount.

They were sitting in the canteen when Harry presented him with the bill for the dress. 'You're kidding me, just for one dress?' He had a horrible feeling that Makepeace had gone to the most expensive place just to hit him in the wallet.

'What price your mother's happiness,' she responded in a sickly, sweet tone. 'And this is the one you bought for me, darling.' She handed him another even more exorbitant bill, 'you can pay me back in instalments if that would make it easier.'

'It'd better be hot,' he growled. 'I'll need to work some extra shifts.' He wrote her a cheque for his mother's. I'll get back to you on yours next month,' he gave her a wince of a smile. 'What's the guest list like?'

'Challenging,' Harry said in a dry tone. 'My least favourite Aunt and her equally annoying husband are going to be at Winfield Hall, another couple who've probably been invited to make up a foursome and a bunch of corporate executives. My cousin Bartholomew is also attending and he thinks he's my future husband so that should be interesting.'

'You're not dating him, are you?' Dempsey looked displeased at that thought.

'I'll only forgive you for that comment because you've never met my cousin Barty,' Harry retorted. 'I hope some of the corporate wives are jolly because we couldn't have picked a more gruesome party. Freddie tries to buddy people up with people like them which sounds all right but it can mean that the dinner conversation is rather heavy going.'

'I get that,' he shrugged. 'I can do my brash American that will give them all something to bond over,' he smirked at her. 'A couple of gruesome stories featuring the streets of New York…

'Y-e-s, I'd rather you were at your most charming,' her blue eyes flashed to his. 'Remember we're doing this for your mother and we don't want her feelings hurt if they look down their noses at you.'

'Okay, charming I can do that,' he smiled at her in a friendly manner. 'It's good of you to do this Harry, I appreciate it, I really do.' Makepeace always came through for him and that gave him a warm feeling of satisfaction.

'It may have one positive outcome,' she mused. 'If cousin Barty believes you are my fiancé he might look further afield for a future wife.' She saw Spikings come into the canteen. 'Bandits at three o clock,' she murmured.

Spikings came over and sat at their table and he had a fake, affable expression. 'Jane has just informed me that we have been invited to Winfield Hall this weekend. I can't tell you how pleased I am to hear that as I was going fishing with a couple of pals but apparently that won't do.'

'I am sorry, sir.' Harry looked horribly conscious of Freddie trying to bring in reinforcements to balance the party. 'My father probably thought that it would be a good idea.'

'Jane, will have to think you're engaged as she won't countenance any messing about. My wife is something of a romantic so make sure you're convincing.'

'Yes sir,' Harry groaned internally at the way this weekend was shaping up. She could see James swallowing hard as Spikings was added to the guest list.

'Call me Gordon when we're at your father's gaff, it will seem strange if you call me sir for the weekend or Chief,' he glowered at Dempsey. 'Are you wearing makeup Lieutenant?' He scrutinised the offending eye.

'It-is-not make-up it's called concealer,' the American protested. 'Mom's eye sight ain't that good and she hasn't noticed the eye so far.'

'For a minute I thought you were going to make another reveal,' the Chief Inspector growled irritably at which point Harry gave way to a peal of laughter.

'I think this weekend will be our most challenging con,' she picked up her tea and observed her partner with a certain amount of mocking amusement. 'It will be interesting to see if we can pull it off.'

-oOo-

'Do you think it's fading at all,' Dempsey asked Harry as he viewed the unconcealed eye in the bathroom of her home.

'No,' she closed her suitcase and slipped her shoes on. 'You'd better repair your makeup, I don't want to introduce my fiancé and have you looking like some old wino who's hit his head on a loo seat.'

'You paint a charming picture,' he remarked with sarcasm, 'and its concealer not make-up.'

'Potato, po-tah-to,' she quipped. 'And anyway, I never said I'd be a charming fiancée,' she gave him a wince of a smile, 'that wasn't in the job description. We'd better get a move on, dinner is at eight p.m. and we need to pick up your mother.'

'Spikings being added to the party was an act of evil genius, I'm beginning to think your Pop has a nasty sense of humour.'

'Freddie has his moments but in general he's very good natured and just wants to make people comfortable. He likes Chief Superintendent Spikings and thinks he's a good sort.' Harry picked up her bag and then put it down as after all there should be some perks to having a fiancé. 'Get that for me, will you. I'd expect a fiancé of mine to pamper me a bit.'

'I'd be delighted,' he said in a mock charming tone, 'anything else I can do for you, sugar?' She was back to being Ms Snippy and he hated that.

'Well, you can start opening doors, pull out my seat at dinner and generally act like you're making an effort to engage my affections.' Harry's instructions implicated that as a fiancé Dempsey fell short.

'Here,' he tossed her a ring box, 'with that and the dresses I ain't gonna be able to eat for a year and I'm thinking of advertising for a roomie.'

Harry caught the box and looked at it curiously. 'The props,' she said in a tight voice. She opened the box. 'It's surprisingly tasteful,' she slipped it on her finger and swallowed hard to bank down her hurt feelings. 'We'd better get on with it,' she muttered as she let herself out of the house and walked with a stiff spine towards the car.

Dempsey acknowledged that he could have handled the issue of the ring in a more sensitive manner but she'd annoyed him ordering him about like that. He sighed and followed her to the car. He opened her door first and then put her bag in the trunk. When he got into the car he reached over and picked up her left hand and viewed the ring on her finger. 'Sorry,' he said in a low tone, 'I didn't handle that well,' he raised her hand to his mouth and kissed the ring. 'Suits you,' he said gruffly as he put the key in the ignition.

'It's a nice ring,' she said in a strained tone, 'and yes you could have handled it better.' She put on her seat belt the activity allowing her a little time to pull herself together and to push away the hurt feelings.

'Ha-rry,' he appealed to her his voice like liquid gold.

'Don't,' she responded and looked out of her window on the passenger side shutting him out.

They picked up his mother and Dempsey kept the radio on. If Maria Dempsey thought they were a bit off centre she didn't mention it.

-oOo— (4)