An Introduction to the Pink Collection (32 page)

When everyone gathered downstairs she waited for the Marquis to make some comment, but after looking her over he merely said coolly,

“My compliments on your appearance, ma'am.”

Lavina wished that she could explain that he had insulted her by coming to the edge of a declaration and then backing off; and that her snubbing of his gift was merely her way of saying that she was hurt that he could not trust her.

But since no such explanation was possible she was forced to keep her feelings to herself. She travelled the short distance to the McVein estate in disgruntled silence.

But it was impossible to remain disgruntled in the merry atmosphere she found when she got there. James had put himself out to entertain his neighbours.

The house was filled with light. The halls were hung with garlands of greenery and berries.

There were nearly a hundred guests, but the family from the castle were the guests of honour, and to James, it was clear, Lavina was the guest of honour.

Since he had invited her riding, and the Marquis had so effectively denied them privacy, he had made no open overtures to her, although he had usually been there at the dinners they had attended.

Now he came forward to greet her, hands outstretched, with a beaming smile.

“There's not a woman here who can hold a candle to you,” he said.

“Hush!” she said, putting her finger to her lips and giving him a sparkling smile. “Remember your duty to the other ladies.”

His reply was a wink.

“Good evening, McVein.”

The Marquis held out his hand to his host, greeted him blandly, then devoted himself to his host's mother.

The dinner table was a masterpiece of flowers and exquisite china, lit by candles. Smiling, James led Lavina to a place beside him.

As they ate a piper walked round the table, playing merry tunes on the bagpipes. Yet Lavina could still manage to hear James' chatter, which consisted mainly of jokes.

They were good jokes and Lavina laughed often. Her host's blatant admiration was like balm to her wounded spirit, and she almost forgot to eat.

The food, however, was delicious, so was the wine. It was a long time since Lavina had enjoyed a party so much.

Then James rose to his feet, raising his full wine glass into the air, and the toast of
Slainte Mhath
could be heard round the room.

It was all great fun and when the ladies left the dining room, Lavina found herself hoping the men would not stay long.

In fact, they joined them twenty minutes later to usher them into the ballroom, where a pipe band was waiting to play.

Soon it became clear that Lavina was the belle of the ball. All the men wanted to dance with her, and pay her extravagant compliments.

She passed from partner to partner, hearing the praise of all, until at last she found herself waltzing with the Marquis.

“Are you sure you can spare me a dance?” he asked ironically.

She had to admit to herself that she had avoided him, because she did not wish to feel his arms about her in the waltz, but she was too proud to let him suspect that.

“You've had no shortage of partners,” she told him coyly. “Don't expect me to pity you as a wall-flower.”

“I do not, but, as I told you once before, I expect you to behave properly.”

“And I do not believe I have offended against propriety,” she teased. “This is a ball, sir, and even an engaged woman is permitted to flirt a little.”

“Not if she is engaged to me,” he said firmly.

“But I am not engaged to you,” she whispered so that only he could hear.

His face darkened, and she was suddenly aware that this man hated any woman who even hinted at putting him second.

“No, you are not,” he said bitingly. “Do you wish me to announce that fact in this company?”

“No,” she said swiftly.

“Are you certain? Surely Sir James McVein would be only too glad to have me out of the way.”

She could not believe that he was being so unreasonable as to indulge in this violent over-reaction.

Could he not see that she was only flirting with other men because her heart was sore that he had neglected her.

“I have no interest in Sir James,” she said, now growing angry in her turn.

“You amaze me, madam, after the way you have lived in his pocket this evening.”

“How dare you! I have not lived in his pocket.”

“I say you have. I say also that if you make a fool of me again I shall walk out of this house and leave you to your own devices.”

“You are behaving abominably.”

“Do I have your word that you will respect my wishes?”

“You are being a tyrant – ”

“Do I have your word, or do I walk off the floor?”

Lavina pulled herself free.

“Let me save you the trouble,” she snapped, and walked away from him.

Unfortunately – or perhaps fortunately – the dance ended at that moment, so few people noticed her gesture, and the effect was lost.

After that she stayed with her father, ready to repel the Marquis if he should approach her.

But he did not approach her, and when they were ready to depart, Lady McEwuan said that Lord Elswick had made his apologies and gone home early.

*

Lord Elswick went out early next morning, so Lavina had no chance to make up with him. Her morning was one of pure misery, until a servant brought her a letter.

Eagerly she opened it. In a large, strong hand, it read,

Forgive me, and come to me quickly. There is so much
I want to say to you, that is only for your ears. Seek out the
cottage by the stream that runs through the wood. I'm waiting for you there. Hurry, my beloved.

Ivan.

“Ivan!” She said his name to herself. The Marquis had never asked her to call him by his given name, despite the fact that they were supposed to be engaged.

Yet now he asked her forgiveness, and used his name as a sign of intimacy. He had called her beloved, and chosen a remote spot where nobody would disturb them, because he longed to be alone with her.

Her heart overflowed with joy.

She sped up to her room to change hurriedly into riding clothes, then down again as fast as she could, then to the stables.

In minutes she was on her way, alone. Ivan would not expect her to take a groom this time.

In half an hour she had reached the wood and began to move through it. There was the stream and the cottage, just ahead. And there, just outside the cottage, was a single horse, tied to a tree.

She tied her own horse beside it and pushed open the door.

“Here I am!” she cried. “Here I am, my darling!”

The door slammed behind her.

She whirled round, smiling with the force of her joy.

Then her smile faded, and a look of revulsion took its place.

Standing there, leering at her, was Prince Stanislaus.

“You!” she cried with loathing. “What are you doing here?”

“I've hired this cottage. I thought it would make a good place for us to meet. So obliging of you to come in answer to my letter.”

“Y
our
letter? But – ”

She stopped. The hideous truth was becoming clear to her.

“Of course, my letter. How else could I have got you here?”

“You can't have written it,” she said, her breath coming in little gasps. “It started, ‘Forgive me.' You could never have known that we'd quarrelled.”

Stanislaus gave his strange, silent laugh, and it chilled her blood.

“My dear lady, I had no idea that you and Elswick had quarrelled until you told me just now. But if there's one thing I've learned about women in many delightful years spent pursuing them, it is that every woman thinks her lover is in the wrong.

“He can be a saint, it makes no difference. She is always sulky and petulant about something. So a clever man asks her forgiveness as a matter of routine. He can rely on her to supply the details.

“And I was right, you see, because now you are here.”

“And I am leaving immediately.”

“I'm afraid you are not. Your presence is important to me.”

Grasping her riding whip tightly, Lavina took a step forward, facing him and saying firmly,

“Get out of my way.”

Stanislaus merely laughed.

“How splendid you are! How magnificent! What a Princess you will make.”

“I will never be your Princess!”

“Oh but you will. You have no choice. I must have an English royal bride – ”

“I am not royal – ”

“The Queen has recognised you as part of her family. When we marry she will consider me a relative, and from that, many good things will flow.

“You see, it's not just protection against the Russians that I need. It's money. When I'm related to the British royal family, money will flow into my coffers.”

“For the benefit of your people.”

“But what benefits me, benefits my people. Naturally I am expected to maintain a splendid court. As my Princess you will be at the centre of luxury. You will enjoy it.”

“You are out of your mind. Even if I married you – which I won't – how could I ever enjoy luxury paid for by stealing from your people? The idea is horrible?”

“Do you think so? I find it rather sensible? How else could I pay for my little pleasures. Your scruples won't last. When I shower you with diamonds, you'll forget to worry about who paid for them.”

Lavina shuddered. His leering smile, his soft, lisping voice, was beginning to make her feel sick.

“Get out of my way,” she repeated. “I want to leave.”

“But you cannot leave. Here you are, and here you will stay.”

“Until what? Are you planning to produce a parson to force me into marriage here and now? Because if you – ”

“Good heavens no!” he said, genuinely shocked. “No hole in the corner business for us. To be any use to me our wedding must take place in the sight of the world. I need a great occasion, in Westminster Abbey, in the presence of the Queen and the Russian ambassador, with the ceremony conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

“And just how do you think you'll force me to go through with it?” she demanded.

“By keeping you here alone with me until you're so compromised that no other man will have you.”

“So you plan to turn me into damaged goods,” she said scornfully. “And what use will I be then as Princess of Kadradtz?”

He shrugged.

“Don't be so stupid! It doesn't matter to me if you're damaged goods, as long as you bring the money with you.”

A chill went through Lavina as she realised that this creature was right.

Nobody knew where she was.

He could keep her here for days without being discovered.

And who would want her then?

“Her Majesty will never allow you to do this,” she said desperately.

“Why not?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.

“When she knows how you kidnapped me – I shall beg her help.”

Stanislaus roared with laughter.

“You beg her help? After the way you spoke to her?”

He was right. She had thrown away all chance of the Queen's friendship, and now her position was truly desperate.

Suddenly she turned and began to run, heading for the far door. But she found it locked, and when she turned she saw Stanislaus coming towards her. He did not move hurriedly, for he knew that she was trapped.

“Let me go,” she said breathlessly. “I will not marry you.”

“Don't be ridiculous,” he said, abandoning his smile and showing her a cold face. “Of course you will. I want you. You are necessary to my plans. Forget Elswick. He won't want you when you've spent a few days in my company.”

“I am not going to spend any time in your company,” she said emphatically. “I am going to leave now.”

“How, I wonder?”

“I can't believe that you'll try to keep me here against my will.”

“My dear girl, I didn't take all this trouble to get you here simply to let you leave. I need you, I want you, and I always get what I want.”

“You won't get me.”

Lavina tried to sound firm, but her heart was beating with fear.

“Why, who do you think will help you?”

“My fiancé,” she said determinedly. “Lord Elswick, the man I am going to marry.”

Prince Stanislaus roared with laughter.

“Marry you? Have you deluded yourself with that idea? He has no intention of marrying you. Your engagement is false, a fantasy for my benefit.”

“That is not true,” she stammered.

“The Queen tells me that it
is
true. She never expected you to carry the charade this far. She thought, when her wishes had been made clear to you, you would obey them. But since you are stubborn, stern methods are needed.”

“Do you expect me to believe that the Queen actually supports you in abducting me? Never!”

“Well, I didn't exactly describe what I meant to do, but in general she supports our coming marriage.”

“
I will not marry you,”
she screamed.

“When we've been here alone for a few days, you'll be glad to marry me. Elswick won't claim you. Oh, he wants revenge on me, but not at the price of tying himself to damaged goods.”

“What – do you mean – revenge?”

“You didn't know? How charming. I shall have the pleasure of telling you. I was the man who enticed his bride away and left him looking foolish at the church, to the derision of his neighbours.”

Lavina stared at him, aghast.

“I don't believe you,” she whispered.

But she did. It made sense of everything, including the way the Marquis had behaved at their first meeting.

At first he had refused to help her, then her father had mentioned Kadradtz, and he had swung round from the window, alert at the name.

From that moment he had been determined to do everything in his power to make their betrothal convincing. The hastily arranged dinner party, the man from the newspaper, the family jewels, the kiss during the fireworks display – he had done much, much more than she had envisaged when she asked his help.