Alec had decided he was going to take the next week off anyway since he had to prepare himself for the upcoming hearing but he sure hadn't planned on spending it with Rose Tyler as over lunch, she told him what she had planned and asked if he would mind going around with her.

Alec dropped his fork whilst eating his jacket potato with cheese and salad. ''Excuse me? You want me to walk around with you all weekend? Why would I want to do a stupid thing like that?''

Rose smiled. ''Because you could be my fiancé's double and the press will think we're really here looking for somewhere to get married and it will look so much better if you do. I take it you know the local press?''

Didn't he just? ''Yes, the local reporter is a total pain in the ass, he was watching us last night or rather he was watching you when you left but he won't be fooled into thinking I'm your fiancé so easily.''

''Well if you cut your hair and trim your beard, you'd pass as James but maybe lighten up a bit on the Scottish accent, don't mumble so much.''

''I do not 'mumble' as you so kindly put it, thanks very much and that's a great way of getting me to help you.''

Rose patted his arm. ''Well why don't you start by looking as though you're actually enjoying my company?''

''That's easy for you to say, who said I was enjoying your company?''

''A girl could get hurt by that remark, James.''

''Don't call me that, don't you have another name for him?''

Rose considered. ''Yes but I'm not telling you, I hardly know you and when I do call him that, let's say things get a bit intense.''

''Best not then but you won't get away with fooling the local reporter.''

''Let me take care of that, I'll pay them a visit and convince them you're him. All you have to do is be seen in the hotel with me or coming to collect me or even better, say you've just arrived and I've rented your chalet.''

''I'm not sharing my chalet with you, it's barely big enough for me.''

''Well you said it was full of case files, just tidy them away. Calm down, I'll still stay at the hotel, no-one will know about it, we'll just have a few drinks and leave together.''

''I'm not sure about this, what do I get out of it?''

Rose fluttered her eyelids. ''My company?''

Alec shook his head, he had to be completely mad to be even discussing this with her. While it was true she was stunning, very popular and any man his right mind would be clawing to get a date with her, let alone her asking them to spend the weekend with her but this? Her fiancé wouldn't be too happy.

''So let's say you convince the local paper, what about the fact I'm well known in the town, where am I supposed to just disappear to?''

Rose thought about it. ''You've got a hearing to attend the week after next, you said Exeter? Maybe you could say you're moving to be nearer then you could come back?''

''Who says I want to come back? Anyway your plan is flawed, the chalet is in my name, how would you explain that? Some people know I'm staying there.''

''Oh. Well in that case, we could bring the local press in on the game and I can promise them the exclusive on my actual wedding. Do you think they will play along?''

Alec had to smile at her persistence, she had nerve. ''Well the newspaper office is in the process of moving, I suppose the editor may be still at the old place but we'll try the new one first, just over the road, you can do all the talking and you're still not sharing my chalet.''

''Well you'll have to make it look like you're leaving the hotel with me and you did invite me over.''

''I was just being polite, I never said you had to take me up on the offer, did I?''

''Well come on then, no time like the present, let's make a start shall we?''

Alec knew he was going to regret this and if he thought he didn't need an operation for his heart, he needed a brain transplant. He led the way across the car park and over the road, the new office was just set back from the hotel Rose was staying in, next to an amusement arcade, the premises had been empty for a while and Alec wondered why the paper would want to take it over. He looked through the window but no-one was around.

''You're out of luck, we'll have to go up to the other office, where's your car?''

After pointing Rose in the right direction, she managed to find a space just below the newspaper office and they walked back. The place was in turmoil as things were being moved, the tourist office had already gone, relocated to the town hall, desks were stacked up and Alec wondered now if it was going to be a two person operation, how had it come to be as bad as this? The door was open and Alec led Rose in, Rose holding his arm and Alec trying to ignore the fact.

''Anyone at home?'' he called.

Maggie came out of the back. ''DI Hardy, I thought you'd left town?''

''Didn't Stevens alert you to the fact he saw me last night?''

Maggie was already looking at Rose since she had found an empty desk and was leaning on the corner.

''I see you brought a friend with you but it can't be who I think she is, what's she doing here in Broadchurch?''

Rose was tired of being ignored, even if it did actually make a change. ''I'm down here looking at wedding venues and I asked Alec to bring me here because I need your help.''

Maggie was curious. ''Well we're in the middle of moving as you can see and I'm not sure how we can help. Olly does most of the reporting online now, you need to speak to him but he's out.''

''Yeah, probably trying to spy on me since I was told he was in my hotel last night, watching me from the bar. I want word to get out I'm here with my fiancé looking for somewhere to get married so we can actually arrange somewhere we both want without the press being all over us.''

Maggie still hadn't caught on. ''So what can we do, where is your fiancé?''

''Over in Las Vegas but Alec here has agreed to help me out by pretending to be him, since they look alike.''

Alec didn't remember having agreed to it, he would get her back for that later. Maggie smiled.

''So, if we go along with this, what's in it for us?''

Alec figured it was more than he was getting, having to follow her around all weekend which he hadn't wanted to do in the first place.

''A press invite to my proper wedding and an exclusive interview with James and I when he gets back but it can't be published right away, only after the wedding and, how would you like to stay here?''

''I let all the staff go, well apart from Olly, it's all done online now and I'm getting freelancers to send me local news.''

''How about if I were to contribute to your new venture, give you a bit of a cash boost?''

''Go on. So you want us to do a story you and your fiancé are here in Dorset looking at wedding venues and you've based yourselves in Broadchurch? Isn't that asking for more press to descend on the town? There's a hearing coming up in just over a week, the press will be all over that.''

''Yes and that's why this is the perfect time, they'll come down, try to find out where we are staying, take a few photos then off for the hearing. Then I can get on with booking my wedding venue.''

Maggie smiled, the woman was devious, just how well did she know Hardy?

Rose drove them back to the hotel car park but as Alec was getting out, hoping he had got rid of her for the rest of the day, she asked him again if she could see his chalet. Knowing he wasn't going to get any peace until he did, he reluctantly led her over the footbridge and the side of the wooden building, Rose asking what it was and him saying it was a fish restaurant, then he led her though the gate but he hadn't noticed a figure over the other side of the river, watching him and Rose.

Alec had been right, the place was a mess when everything was out but he had locked up any vital case files in a bureaux and the rest on top.

''Make yourself at home, you seem intent on doing so. I'll make some tea though I could use something stronger but seeing I'm not allowed, tea will have to do. Let's get one thing straight, since you seem intent on going ahead with this ridiculous idea of me being your boyfriend, you should at least tell him, so he won't read about it first.''

''Of course, as soon as he calls me and I'll have to let my stepfather in on it, since my mother will have a fit if she thinks he's back in the country and I haven't told her. I'll have to make a donation to the newspaper anyway, though I usually get paid for interviews, not the other way around. Still, it's a small price to pay for the freedom of making my wedding arrangements in peace.''

''Well it had better all die down quickly and while we're at it, as soon as he comes back and you've got married, I want it known I played along to fool everyone.''

''Don't you just want to fade into the background? Why say anything?''

''I suppose you have a point but if that reporter comes round here, I'll throw him in the river if it's about you. You're free to leave when you've finished your tea.''

''Aw, I'm disappointed now Alec, throwing me so soon?''

''Don't get attached to me Rose Tyler, after the weekend, we go our separate ways, got it?''

He didn't even offer to walk her back to her hotel even though it was just across the footbridge. She expected she would be dining alone tonight but since nothing would be in the papers until Monday, all they had to do was be seen over the weekend in nearby towns and then Monday, like Alec had said, they went their own way. Alec didn't join her in the bar until around eight thirty and Rose thought he had baled out on their arrangement.

Olly was already seated in the bar, amused to say the least of the tale his editor had come out with and when Alec walked in, he had to look twice. Alec had been back up into the town, got his hair cut and his beard trimmed and could now truly be James Smith's double. Rose looked up from her phone, waiting for the real James's call when Alec stood in front of her, a green bottle in his hand.

''Wow, hi. You really went to all that trouble, for just the weekend?''

He sat down next to her. ''Don't get used to it, I'm only doing it to get you to leave me alone after Monday. Watch out, this is us.''

Olly made his way over to their table and sat down opposite.

''Miss Tyler? Have you got a few minutes to answer a few questions for the Broadchurch Echo?''

Maggie had filled him in on what Rose had asked them to do, follow her around a bit, interview her at the hotel she was staying at and maintain the pretence Alec Hardy was James Smith, the famous actor. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought the real thing was sitting opposite him, since Rose now had her arm in his and was teasing him by running her hand over his chin, something that was making Alec hot under the collar to say the least.

Rose had already called Pete, not wanting to face her mother and outlined what she had planned. Pete had laughed and said it was one of her craftiest ideas ever and wished her luck getting away with it and explaining it to James himself. He had said though if things got out of hand, a press embargo would be put on all reporting and told her to be careful, using a police detective inspector as a decoy was rather going a bit far.

Since James didn't normally call until almost midnight, Rose put her phone away after she had sent him a message saying she'd had this plan to warn off the press from where they would get married, hoping he would get it when he got off set. She didn't know though that James was having to sit in a hot trailer out in the desert because something had gone wrong on set, putting them behind schedule for a few days.

Olly got out his phone and began asking questions as if Alec really was James, asking their plans and where was likely they would be going after they left the area and what upcoming roles he would be taking. Somehow or another, Rose had managed to answer mostly for him, saying all his future roles were kept under wraps and where they were going next was back to their apartment somewhere in London.

Alec was relieved when Olly thanked them for their time but frowned when he asked for a photo of the couple. Rose just smiled, put her arm around his shoulder and kissed his cheek and Alec tried to smile, turning towards her and catching the side of her mouth. Satisfied and wondering if Maggie was having him on, Olly put his phone away and said goodnight, Alec was hoping Rose would let go of him now but she didn't.

He supposed that since people had seen them obviously being interviewed, they had to make it look good. He picked up the bottle of light lager and took a drink, Rose's glass was almost empty and she still hadn't bought him that drink from last night. When everyone's attention veered away from them, she moved away slightly but still holding his arm.

''Thanks for that, it was quite convincing. I'm expecting a call soon, I'll have to let the real James in on this, I already called my stepfather. Maybe we can discuss where we'll go tomorrow? Are there any really nice hotels or country clubs around here we could pretend to visit?''

Alec couldn't think of any off-hand but why would he know? ''Why don't you just look them up online and tell me or don't I get a choice?''

Rose smiled. ''Ok, I'll do that but it still means we have to be seen at one of them or nearby. I'll pick one out and we'll go there on Sunday, let them show us around and when it hits the headlines on Monday, we'll go back to Olly and tell him we're still deciding and it will do wonders for the actual place.''

Alec was wishing he'd never got himself into this, what had he been thinking when he'd agreed? Looking around a wedding venue for real with Rose Tyler? He just hoped her real fiancé was an understanding person or his hopes of getting back to work would be over and he would be forever teaching recruits. Either that or the man would punch him for daring to pose as him with his fiancée.

TBC