She smiled.
“We’re back,” she said.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Rafe said.
“You’ll have to excuse me,” Perry muttered. “Got to say hello to some very big people. I’ll catch up with you later, Hannah.”
“Yes, you will,” she said very sweetly. “I’ll look forward to it.”
Perry hurried off into the throng.
“He doesn’t look real happy,” Rafe said. “What did you do? Step on his toes?”
“I’m saving that for later.”
Jed looked interested. “That sounds promising. Anything you want to tell the press?”
“Not yet, Jed.” Hannah smiled. “But stay tuned.”
“If we’ve got some time before the excitement starts,” Rafe said, “may I have the next dance?”
“You may.”
“Hannah!” A man’s voice rose above the din of nearby conversation. “Hannah Harte! Is that you?”
In the next instant, a small knot of people unraveled to allow Tom Lydd to pass between them. He had his wife, a wholesome-looking blonde, in tow. Both were smiling at Hannah with genuine delight.
“What a terrific surprise,” the young Mrs. Lydd said. She threw her arms around Hannah and then stepped aside so that Tom could do the same.
“Didn’t know that you’d be here,” Tom crowed. “This is great. Nice to see a familiar face.”
“I’m delighted to see you,” Hannah murmured. “Allow me to introduce Rafe Madison and Jed Steadman. Rafe, Jed, meet Tom and Julie Lydd. Fair warning—Jed is the editor of the Eclipse Bay Journal.”
“Not a problem. I’ve got no quarrel with the press. Always been good to Lydd-Zone.” Tom pumped the hands of both men with his trademark boyish enthusiasm. “Great to meet you both.”
“Any friend of Hannah’s.” Rafe slanted a quick glance at her. She winked at him. That clarified one thing, he thought. The Lydds were part of whatever plan she had concocted.
“Hannah is more than a friend,” Julie Lydd confided. “She was our wedding consultant. A true magician, as far as we’re concerned. Tom and I had a vision of what we wanted, but we didn’t have the vaguest idea of how to pull it off. Hannah made it all happen.”
“Everything went off like clockwork.” Tom beamed at his wife. “Isn’t that right?”
“It was amazing,” Julie agreed. “We wanted the whole thing staged on an alien world, you see. The one Tom created for his first big computer game.”
“We’re talking waterfalls, lagoons, architectural features, the works,” Tom continued. “Did the whole thing on our private island up in the Sans Juans. Hannah was brilliant. You can imagine the logistical nightmare involved. Very impressive organizational talents. After we got back from the honeymoon, I called her up and tried to hire her. There’s always room for that kind of management skill at Lydd-Zone.”
“I told him that if the bottom ever falls out of the wedding business, I’ll take him up on his offer,” Hannah said.
“Anytime,” Tom assured her genially.
Hannah smiled warmly. “I love doing weddings for couples who are matched by my sister’s agency.”
Jed cocked a brow. “Your sister’s a matchmaker?”
Julie Lydd answered, “Tom and I met through Private Arrangements. That’s the name of Lillian Harte’s agency. She uses a very sophisticated computer program to make her matches. Not everyone likes that approach, of course. A lot of folks think it takes the romance out of the process. But it appealed to both Tom and me.”
Rafe looked at Tom. “I hear you’re thinking of endowing a research fund here at the institute.”
“Looking into it,” Tom agreed. “I’m a big fan of the think tank concept.” He turned to Hannah. “You’re from this neck of the woods. What’s your take on the folks running this place?”
Hannah’s smile brightened to a blinding glare. “I’m so glad you asked, Tom. I do have some opinions on this operation. Why don’t we find a private place to talk?”
“Great.” Tom took his wife’s arm. “I noticed a small conference room just outside in the main hall. Doubt if anyone would mind if we used it.”
Jed watched the three vanish back into the crowd. He turned to Rafe, his eyes gleaming with interest. “What do you think that was all about?”
Rafe picked up a knife, dipped it into a bowl of what looked like cheese spread, and smeared some on a cracker. “How the heck should I know?”
But he had a pretty good idea, he thought. Hannah was making her move. He couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.
“What’s wrong?” Jed asked.
Rafe grimaced. “The cheese spread is bland. Could have done with some feta and walnuts.”
At ten-thirty Hannah emerged from the rest room in time to see Trevor Thornley take the podium to make his big announcement. The lights dimmed over the crowd. Onstage, the politician stood in the center of a dramatic spot. His wife, Marilyn, stood a little behind and just to the right, glowing with wifely pride.
Hannah had a hunch that Marilyn could take a lot of the credit for the fact that her husband was about to launch a campaign for the U.S. Senate. Marilyn had always been ambitious.
Trevor Thornley raised his hands for silence.
“I want to thank everyone here tonight, starting with the faculty of this outstanding think tank. The cutting-edge work done here at the institute in the areas of social and public policy has had a profound impact, not only on how the pundits discuss the issues, but, more importantly, on how politicians and voters think about the challenges that face our nation today.
“The greatness of this country lies in its people. I have always…”
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Hannah?” Perry’s voice hissed out of the shadows behind her. His hand closed over her arm. His fingers tightened painfully. He spun her around to face him. “I just got through talking to Tom Lydd.”
“Such a nice man. And so smart.” She smiled into Perry’s fuming eyes. “I like his wife, too, don’t you?”
“Lydd just told me that he wouldn’t even consider endowing a research fund here at the institute unless Professor Brad McCallister of Chamberlain College received a joint appointment to the faculty.”
Hannah widened her eyes. “That shouldn’t be a problem. I hear that Brad McCallister has already been nominated by the selection committee. He’ll make a terrific addition to your staff.”