Lord Buckingham’s Bride (17 page)

The pontoon bridge was far behind them now and they were moving around the spit of Vassily Island, where the Neva was at its widest before parting into two of its main channels. The Peter-Paul Fortress was invisible to their right as the rowing boat moved
north-west
along the channel known as the Little Neva. Vassily Island was to their left now and Peterburg Island to their right. Nothing was
visible
in the mist, but the boatman still seemed to know exactly where he was, for suddenly he turned the boat to the right, rowing directly toward Petersburg Island. He was unerringly accurate, for the boat entered a narrow canal and then turned northward again, rowing between high embankments that were so close that they could be seen towering out of the water. Then, quite suddenly, they emerged from the narrow waterway into a broad channel. It was the Little Neva,
another of the four main arteries of the Neva. On the northern side of this, bounded to the west by the Gulf of Finland and to the east by Kamenny Island, where Czar Alexander had a private residence, lay Krestovsky Island.

As the rowing boat slid across the Little Neva toward a jetty that protruded into the water, voices drifted out through the mist.

Katya gave a quick gasp. ‘There are guards, Miss Clearwell.'

‘Can't we go ashore somewhere else? The island is surely as flat as all the others.'

The maid nodded and spoke swiftly to the boatman, who
immediately
maneuvered the boat to the west. The sound of the voices died away into the mist again, and they heard nothing more. Alison could hear the water lapping against the shore, and then she saw the island, a tree-dotted silhouette that was barely above sea level. There was a small creek, and the rowing boat entered it, nudging the shore close to some barberry bushes.

The boatman grinned at Katya in the darkness and muttered
something
as he jumped ashore to make the boat fast.

‘What did he say?' asked Alison.

‘That he knows the island like the back of his hand because he comes here to steal hares.'

As the boatman handed them both on to the land, he spoke again.

Katya turned to Alison. ‘He wishes to know if he is to wait for us, Miss Clearwell.'

‘Tell him that if we are not back in two hours, he is to tell Lord Buckingham where we are. He will be rewarded for his trouble.'

Katya did as she was asked, and the man nodded, but then
pointedly
held out his hand.

Katya was a little embarrassed. ‘He wishes to be paid now, Miss Clearwell.'

‘But he will still wait?'

‘Oh, yes, Miss Clearwell.'

Alison gave him some coins from her reticule, and then he pointed through the mist.

Katya followed the direction he was indicating. ‘The countess's house is that way, Miss Clearwell. He says that there is a path of sorts and that it will bring us to the edge of the countess's park. There are
guards since robbers broke in last summer and stole some of the countess's jewels. We must watch out for them.'

‘You can stay here if you wish, Katya, for it isn't fair that you should be put in danger as well.'

‘You are my mistress now, Miss Clearwell, and so I will go with you.'

‘If you're sure …'

Katya smiled. ‘I am sure, Miss Clearwell. Come.'

They followed the path through the misty darkness, their cloaks brushing against the barberry bushes that were so prolific on the island. Tall lime trees rose in the gloom, their trunks covered with moss, and from time to time they heard the call of a peacock from the estate that lay unseen in the night ahead.

Doubts beset Alison now that she was close to her destination. What if the countess wasn't alone? What if Nikolai was with her? The determination that had swept her along when first she had thought of her plan now began to falter, and she could only think of the many dire consequences that might result if this all went wrong. She was British, and she carried on her person some plans and other
documents
containing highly sensitive and secret Russian military and naval information.

The sea mist swirled and eddied, and briefly they glimpsed the lights of a large house a short way ahead. They walked more slowly, straining to hear any guards who might be near. Gradually the house became more discernible and Alison could make out a Roman portico of white columns, a green cupola, and a particularly handsome conservatory built against the wall. The conservatory was lamplit, the warm light shining through the abundance of tropical foliage inside.

They halted by some lilacs, from which they could observe the nearby house for a moment. As Alison gazed at the conservatory, she could hardly believe her eyes when she saw Irina herself enter it from the house. Nikolai's beautiful sister wore a flimsy, revealing,
low-necked
white muslin robe, and her magnificent red-gold hair tumbled freely about her creamy shoulders. She walked alone through the conservatory toward a secluded corner where a white wrought-iron table and chairs had been set out. There she picked up a small dish and began to feed tidbits to a monkey on a perch.

Alison stared at her. Would there ever be a more opportune moment than this? Irina was all alone, without even so much as a maid.

Katya touched her arm. ‘I do not know why you wished to come here, Miss Clearwell, but if it is to speak to the countess, then you must do it now. I will wait here.'

Alison's heart had quickened disagreeably and she felt very cold suddenly. Was it madness to proceed now? There was still time to turn back. She could return the document wallet to Francis and all would be well again … All would be well? No, it wouldn't be well, for Nikolai would still be an undetected traitor and Russia would still be in grave danger from Bonaparte.

Taking a deep breath, she slipped from the shelter of the lilacs, crossing the lawn toward the conservatory. She paused, listening again for any sign of the guards, but there was nothing. She reached the conservatory door, and as she put her hand on the handle, it turned easily. The door opened softly and the warm, humid air breathed over her. Then she stepped inside, closing the door quietly behind her.

T
he atmosphere in the conservatory was almost oppressive after the coldness of the night, and Alison could hear the gentle
splashing
of water. Moths fluttered among the leaves, and the scent of earth and exotic plants filled the air.

From the door it was impossible to see as far as the secluded corner where Irina was feeding the monkey. The light from a number of lamps cast leafy shadows in all directions, and high above, the glass reflected all the foliage, as if there was another conservatory
stretching
out into the night.

Tossing back her hood, Alison hesitated, unsure of how to approach Irina, but then she heard footsteps coming from the house, and with a gasp she hid among the leaves. A maid entered the
conservatory
, her starched white apron crackling as she walked. She passed within a foot or so of Alison as she went toward the private corner where her mistress was to be found. She paused respectfully before presuming to enter Irina's presence.

‘Begging your pardon, my lady,' she said in the French of a
true-born
Parisienne.

‘What is it?'

The maid entered the secluded little area and passed out of Alison's sight, but she could still hear what was said.

The maid spoke again. ‘Begging your pardon, my lady, but a
messsenger
has been sent from his imperial majesty.'

‘A messenger?'

‘Yes, my lady. His imperial majesty will be yet another hour.'

‘Very well.'

‘Do you require anything, my lady?'

‘No, I will take supper when his imperial majesty arrives.'

‘Yes, my lady.'

‘You may go.'

‘My lady.'

The maid's footsteps sounded again, and she reappeared through the greenery, retracing her path past Alison and returning to the house. Silence fell over the conservatory, and then Alison heard Irina's soft voice. ‘Well, Mischa, I must wait another long hour before I am with my love. I am unfortunate, my little monkey, but you are not, for now you can have more strawberries.'

The monkey chattered, and Irina laughed.

Alison remained hidden among the leaves, her nerve almost
deserting
her again. The czar would be here in an hour, which meant that it was possible for the documents to be given to him then. Oh, please, please let all this be the right thing to do.

Summoning the vestige of her courage and crossing her fingers, Alison emerged from her hiding place, stepping firmly on to the barely discernible brick path and walking slowly toward Irina.

The monkey stopped chattering suddenly, and as it did so, Alison's steps were plainly heard.

Irina turned, her green eyes raking the crowding leaves. ‘Who's there?'

Alison walked more quickly, pushing the overhanging branches aside and standing at the edge of the light from the lamp on the wrought-iron table. Irina stared at her and then became alarmed, reaching out for a little silver hand bell on the table.

Alison hurried forward to stop her, putting her hand over the bell. ‘Please, don't, for I mean you no harm,' she said in English. Then she repeated it in French, for she didn't know if Irina spoke English.

Irina froze, her eyes luminous in the light from the lamp. ‘You're English?' she asked in that language.

‘Yes, but I still mean you no harm.'

‘I've seen you somewhere.'

‘At the opera house, in Count Vorontzov's box,' replied Alison.

The green eyes hardened. ‘Ah, yes, you were with Lord Buckingham.' Francis's title was uttered with loathing.

‘I must speak with you, my lady.'

‘I have nothing to say to you, for I know that you are to marry Lord Buckingham.'

‘Why do you hate him so? What has he done to you?'

‘Come now, my dear, don't let's play games. You know perfectly well why I despise him, for he was at the Battle of the Nile and was on the very ship that sank the
L'Orient
, killing my husband.'

Alison stared at her. ‘That isn't so,' she breathed. ‘It simply isn't so.'

‘How very innocent you look, my dear. I can see why my brother thinks you are so desirable.'

Alison drew back. ‘I am not interested in your brother, my lady, for I love Lord Buckingham.'

‘I wish your handsome lord in perdition, my dear, and if you insist upon loving him, then you may go to perdition as well. I don't know why you've come here, unless it is to plead for your lord to be allowed an audience with the czar. You are wasting your time, for I have seen to it that Lord Buckingham is soon forced to leave St Petersburg
altogether
.'

‘Why? Because your brother told you a lie?' Alison asked quietly, suddenly knowing that it was from Nikolai that Irina had heard the tale of Francis's so-called part in the sinking of the
L'Orient
.

Irina was cold. ‘Have a care, my dear, for I love my brother very much.'

‘More than you love the czar?'

Irina's eyes flashed. ‘You are impertinent. Leave immediately, before I have you thrown out.'

‘Please, my lady, I am here because I believe you love the czar above all else, and because I think you will wish to do all you can to help and protect him. He is in the gravest danger, I promise you, and not from Britain.'

‘What nonsense is this? Do you honestly expect me to believe that you, a woman, would be sent on such an errand?'

‘I haven't been sent, my lady. I've come on my own accord, because I know that you love the czar. I know the risk I'm taking, because you might not be what I believe you to be, but for Russia's sake and the sake of all Europe, I must try to convince you. Lord Buckingham is
here in St Petersburg to give certain documents to the czar, documents that came into our hands from a British agent in Paris. Now that the audience with the czar is to be denied, he can't give him the
documents
himself, so I've taken them and brought them here to you. You must give them to him, my lady.'

‘Me? Assist the British? You've taken leave of your senses, my dear.'

‘Deny the czar the chance of seeing these documents, my lady, and you may be putting his life and the safety of Russia in peril. I'm not speaking theatrically, embellishing it all to impress you; I'm telling you the truth. There is a traitor here in St Petersburg, someone who is prepared to give Russia's military secrets to the French. That
someone
, your brother, was in Paris recently.'

Irina stared at her. ‘What are you saying?' she asked sharply. ‘Are you implying that Nikolai…?'

‘Yes, my lady.'

‘How dare you!'

Alison put the document wallet on the table. ‘These papers were in Bonaparte's possession, my lady. Please look at them.'

‘I have no desire to read your documents or to assist you in your machinations.'

‘If you love the czar, you will look at them,' replied Alison,
meeting
her gaze.

‘I love the czar and I love my brother.'

‘But does your brother share your love for the czar? Can you put your hand on your heart and swear that Prince Nikolai is loyal to the House of Romanov?'

Irina stared at her, more than a little shaken as an echo of
conversation
returned to her: ‘If it were not for the czar's intransigence, Irina, I would by now be married to the Grand-Duchess Helen. It is good enough for him to bed you outside his marriage, but it isn't good enough for me to make his sister my princess. That is an insult I cannot and will not forgive.'

Alison looked at her and saw that her face was suddenly a little pale. ‘You aren't certain of Prince Nikolai's loyalty, are you?' she said quietly.

‘Of course I am—'

‘No, my lady, you have doubts. May I ask if he told everyone here
that he was going to Paris? Or was it something that he confided only in you, so that you would know where to reach him?'

Irina turned away. ‘He was considering purchasing an estate in the Bois de Boulogne, but felt that it was prudent for the time being not to broadcast it too much, for the czar did not trust the French,' said Irina, her voice lowered almost to a whisper. She turned away, her hands trembling, and she went to feed strawberries to the monkey again. She was trying to distract herself, but the truth was beginning to stare her in the face, and she didn't want to recognize it.

‘My lady, please look at the documents in the wallet.'

‘No.'

‘For the sake of the man you love. You have the czar's love, and you will keep it if you do the right thing now. Do the wrong thing, and not only might the czar forfeit his throne with his realm, but if he should survive a French invasion, then he may well think that you were party to your brother's treachery.'

Irina turned quickly, the dish of strawberries falling from her fingers. ‘I would never be party to anything that—'

‘Then look at the documents, I beg of you,' cried Alison, pushing the wallet across the table.

Reluctantly Irina picked it up, taking the documents out and laying them carefully on the table. The oil lamp cast a revealing light over the detailed analysis of Kronstadt's defenses and over the intricate maritime chart of the approaches to St Petersburg. Irina stared at them.

‘You know what they are, don't you?' Alison said gently.

Irina nodded, ‘Yes, but I cannot believe that Nikolai—'

‘I cannot prove that he has done anything, my lady, but I tell you that it is true. He has been promised great rewards by Bonaparte, and for this he is prepared to sell the czar and Russia into French hands.' Alison looked sadly at her. ‘Forgive me, my lady, for the last thing I wish to do is make you sad, but somehow those papers have to reach the czar, and you are the only one who can see that they do. I know the sacrifice I'm asking you to make, but you will make a far greater one if you refuse to act. You've already loved and lost, so how much greater will the pain be this time?'

Had she gone too far? By reminding Irina of her husband, had she
tipped the scales the other way?

Irina touched the wedding ring on her finger and then looked at Alison. ‘You are either very brave or very foolish, Miss Clearwell.'

‘You know my name?'

‘Nikolai told me.' Irina still toyed with her wedding ring. ‘You are right, the pain would be intolerable if I lost the czar. I do love him, more than life itself, and if I can do anything to protect him, even if it means sacrificing Nikolai, then I will do it.'

An unutterable relief swept over Alison, and she had to steady herself on the table. She bowed her head for a moment and then looked at Irina again. ‘I'm so very sorry that I have had to bring this to you, my lady, for I know how you must be feeling now.'

‘Do you?'

Alison nodded. ‘We may be from different nations, my lady, but we are both women who have to make terrible decisions in the name of love.'

‘And what decision do you have to make, Miss Clearwell?'

‘The decision not to marry Lord Buckingham.'

‘Not to marry him? But why? If you love him—'

‘He doesn't love me; he loves someone else.'

Irina studied her. ‘Then why is he marrying you?'

‘To protect my reputation. He feels it is his duty to do the right thing by me.'

‘Are you quite sure he loves this other woman?'

Alison nodded, remembering how he had murmured Pamela's name in his sleep. ‘I'm quite sure.'

‘Perhaps I am the wrong person to speak to of reputations, Miss Clearwell, for I am the czar's mistress and the whole of Russia knows it. I don't have a reputation to protect.'

‘No, but you have the czar's love, and that is everything.' Alison glanced down at the documents and the wallet. ‘I will go now. Once again, I'm sorry for what I have had to tell you.'

‘I believe you are, Miss Clearwell.'

Alison smiled a little. ‘I pray only that the czar will be able to act upon the knowledge he is about to receive.'

Irina took a long breath. ‘He will act, Miss Clearwell. I will see to it that he understands fully what has been going on.'

Alison raised her hood and then paused before leaving. ‘Will you warn Prince Nikolai?'

‘No, Miss Clearwell, I will not, for if he is a threat to the czar now, then he will be again. He may be my brother, but he will never take precedence over the czar, any more than I believe I would ever have come before his ambitions. You have accomplished what you came for, and now I think you should go.

Alison nodded. ‘Goodbye, my lady.'

‘Goodbye, Miss Clearwell.'

Alison turned, but then Irina spoke again. ‘Miss Clearwell?'

‘Yes?'

‘Lord Buckingham is a fool if he doesn't love you.'

The cold night air came almost as a shock as Alison left the
conservatory
again and hurried back to where Katya was waiting by the lilacs. As they made their way back toward the creek, Alison knew that she had done the right thing by giving the documents to Irina. She had taken an enormous risk, but she had followed her intuition and in a short while now Alexander would be in full possession of facts that would enable him to save his realm and his throne.

St Petersburg was still enveloped in mist as the rowing boat returned to the jetty by the Admiralty. There was hardly anyone abroad as they walked swiftly toward St Isaac's Square and the pontoon bridge, so that it came as something of a shock when a tall man loomed out of the mist right in front of them and addressed Alison by name.

With a gasp, Alison came to an abrupt halt, staring at him. Then she gave a relieved smile. ‘Captain Merryvale?'

He removed his hat and bowed.

‘How good it is to see you again. I knew you were here in St Petersburg, for I saw the
Duchess of Clarence
at her berth.'