Lord Buckingham’s Bride (8 page)

Francis took her hand and squeezed it gently. ‘I can see the
problems
as clearly as you, Alison,' he said softly. ‘Indeed, perhaps I can see them even more clearly.'

‘What do you mean?'

‘It doesn't matter for the moment. What does matter is that we carry this off with style now. Naryshky's creature can only report that we've billed and cooed appropriately since leaving Stockholm, and that he went through our cabins with a fine tooth comb and found nothing.'

‘Went through our cabins?' she gasped.

‘Yes. I noticed that things in mine had been disturbed, and then I actually saw him leaving yours when you were up on deck. He won't have found anything because the documents never leave my person. So, all we have to do is continue our loving display when we go on board the
Irina
. What happens in St Petersburg is a bridge we'll cross as and when we come to it, for I must take everything step by step and be careful at all costs to protect my real purpose. The documents I carry with me are of the utmost consequence in all this, and I have no choice but to put their safety before everything else. Just bear with
me, Alison, stand by your promise in Stockholm, and I will do the right thing by you.'

‘The right thing? I don't understand.'

He smiled, taking her face in his hands for a moment. ‘No, I really don't think you do. You are the sweetest of innocents, Alison Clearwell.' His lips brushed over hers.

Her heart turned over with the surge of feeling that rushed through her, and all anxiety and fear fled into the cold, almost arctic air. Stand by her promise to him? She would stand by him no matter what, because she was beginning to fall in love with him. He would never be hers – he belonged to Pamela – but she, Alison Clearwell, wished to her very soul that it could be otherwise.

Sergei alighted from the rowing boat as it nudged the steps against the
Irina
's hull. Pausing for a moment to adjust his uniform, he then went quickly up to the shining, spotless deck and along toward the stern of the vessel, where he knew Nikolai's private quarters were to be found.

He stepped through an elegant doorway into a
sandalwood-scented
passage and then halted as he saw the prince coming toward him wearing a peacock silk floor-length dressing gown over his white shirt and uniform breeches, for he hadn't dressed properly since being awakened the moment the
Pavlovsk
had arrived. His blond hair was tousled and uncombed and his valet had yet to shave him, but his dark eyes were sharp and alert.

‘Well, Sergei Mikhailovich, what have you to report concerning our two lovebirds?'

‘Simply that in my opinion that is exactly what they are, sir,
lovebirds
.'

‘Sir? But we are still friends Sergei. Now, then, what makes you so certain about Lord Buckingham and his ladylove?'

‘Everything about them. Nikolai, before they came down to
breakfast
at the Dog and Flute they indulged in a very public embrace that only a fool would think was a pretense, and on the
Pavlovsk
they've spent every available moment together.'

Nikolai pursed his lips thoughtfully. ‘Did you manage to search their belongings?'

‘Yes.'

‘And?'

‘And nothing. I found absolutely nothing.'

Nikolai smiled a little. ‘No loving mementos?'

‘No.'

‘And you don't think that that is a little odd?'

Sergei drew a long breath. ‘Well, possibly, but—'

‘There's no “possibly” about it, my friend,' interrupted Nikolai, ‘it's very odd indeed as far as I'm concerned. Here we have two passionate lovers, and yet they have no love tokens, no love letters to read and read again, no miniature of their sweetheart's face, and no lock of hair to place in a locket. They may have gulled you into
believing
them, Sergei, but I am not so easily convinced.'

‘But why are you so interested in them Nikolai?' asked the other, his curiosity suddenly getting the better of him.

‘That is no concern of yours, especially if you wish to see the end of your IOUs.'

‘Forgive me,' said Sergei quickly. ‘Is there anything else you wish me to do for you?'

‘Well, since I am now going to be in St Petersburg myself, I mean to attend to most things personally, but there are still two particular tasks I require of you.'

‘Yes?'

‘One of my tenants at Novgorod, Leon Razumov, has a daughter named Natalia who about a year ago married Thomas Clearwell.'

‘Clearwell? Is he a relative of…?'

‘The Miss Clearwell on the
Pavlovsk
? Yes, he is her uncle. As soon as you arrive in St Petersburg, I wish you to inform the new Mrs Clearwell that I wish to see her without delay. I will give you the time and place.'

‘Very well.'

‘Do it as quickly as possible, for I don't want any unnecessary delay, and see to it that she says nothing to anyone. When I've finished with her, she'll gladly tell me everything she knows about our two so-called lovebirds.'

‘I'll do as you ask.'

‘I'm not asking, my friend, I'm ordering,' said Nikolai quietly.

‘I understand.'

‘See that you do, or it will be the worse for you.'

Sergei nodded. ‘Shall I return to the
Pavlovsk
now?'

‘Not so fast, my friend, for I haven't finished yet. There is still the small matter of seizing Miss Clearwell for me.'

Sergei's heart sank, for he had been hoping against hope that the abduction would no longer fall to him. ‘Nikolai, I—'

‘Don't be foolish now, Sergei, for it will not do for you to try to get out of this. I intend to have her, and you are the instrument I mean to use. There is no longer any need to remove her to my summer palace. All you need do now is bring her on board the
Irina,
which will lie at anchor on the Neva directly opposite English Quay. I don't care how you go about kidnapping her, just as long as you're discreet. There mustn't be any hint of my involvement, I just want her to mysteriously disappear.'

‘But Nikolai, it's so very risky,' pleaded Sergei, sick with anxiety.

‘Not so risky as having to survive once I call in your debts, my friend. Now you may go back to the
Pavlovsk
.'

Resignedly Sergei inclined his head and then turned to retrace his steps out on to the deck.

Nikolai followed him to the doorway and then stood watching as he went down to the waiting rowing boat. As the little craft pulled away from the schooner, Nikolai drew a long and very thoughtful breath. He hoped that Sergei was right and that Miss Clearwell and her lord were all they professed to be, but he still couldn't run the risk. Lord Buckingham must not be allowed to speak privately with the czar; indeed, he mustn't get anywhere near the czar, just in case that clerk in Paris had dispatched his information before meeting his death in the Seine. It wouldn't do to take any chances just yet, not when plans were still in their infancy. The truth would come out in the end, but only when it was too late for Alexander, Czar of All the Russias, to do anything but surrender.

Nikolai's face was cold and bitter. The day Alexander had taken the Countess Irina von Strelitz as his mistress had been the day he had made an implacable and unforgiving enemy of Nikolai Invanovich Naryshky, for by that single act the Romanovs had declared to the world that a daughter of the house of Naryshky wasn't good enough
to be the czarina, but was good enough to be the czar's whore. And this had been after he, Nikolai, had been turned down for the hand of the Grand-Duchess Helen, Alexander's beautiful eighteen-year-old sister. That refusal had stirred resentment; the resentment had become hatred when Irina had been taken to Alexander's bed. No man, not even the czar, could be allowed to deal so many monstrous insults, and now Alexander would pay dearly for his actions. The new czar would have been better advised to show appreciation for the loyalty and support he, Nikolai, had given, but in the absence of such appreciation, there was another who was more than prepared to bestow favor where it was due. Bonaparte knew how to reward those who deserved it, and no one had rendered more service recently than Prince Nikolai Naryshky of the czar's Preobrazensky Regiment.

Nikolai looked away from the rowing boat toward the massive fortifications of Kronstadt. His gaze encompassed the batteries and harbor, the naval base, and the fleet of warships lying at anchor among the merchant shipping. What price all this when the French possessed all the necessary knowledge to crush it? Eh, Alexander, my czar? And all because you thought a Romanov grand-duchess was too good for a Naryshky, but a Naryshky princess by far too inferior to become a Romanov. Nikolai smiled coldly to himself, for no one, not even Irina, knew how he really felt. They would know in the end, though. Oh, yes, they would know in the end.

T
he rowing boat's oars dipped strongly into the clear Baltic water as Alison and Francis were conveyed toward the
Irina
. Nikolai's schooner looked almost seductively beautiful, her white and gold hull shining and her crimson sails furled tightly as if slumbering.

A sailor was waiting to conduct them up to the deck, and they followed him through the same doorway where earlier Sergei had gone to report on them. At the end of the passage there was another door, this one inlaid with silver and mother-of-pearl, and the sailor opened it and then stood aside for them to enter. When they had done so, he closed the door behind them and they were alone.

They found themselves in a very warm, deserted stateroom of such sumptuousness that it might have been removed in its entirety from an Oriental potentate's palace. Rich folds of crimson and gold damask had been draped against the walls, and there were brightly colored carpets on the floor. The chairs and ottoman couches were
upholstered
with sable and quilted gold satin, and there were low tables with tops of chased silver. In one corner there was a high gilded cage containing a brightly plumed macaw, and nearby there was a
sideboard
on which had been placed an array of exquisite refreshments, from bottles of champagne, vodka, and ruby-red wine, to caviar, walnut cheese, candied fruit, nuts, and other delicacies. The room was very efficiently warmed by an ornate black stove that stood in the center of the floor, with a chimney pipe that passed up through
ceiling
.

There were two other doors apart from the one through which they had entered, and both were closed. A line of splendidly glazed
windows afforded a prime view over the crowded water behind the schooner, and beneath them there was a long window seat that was liberally scattered with crimson and gold silk cushions.

Alison glanced around in admiration, for she wouldn't have believed such luxury could exist on board a ship. The air was so warm that she had to toss back her hood, and as she did so, she became aware of the scent of roses from an open potpourri jar standing on the floor next to the stove.

Francis removed his greatcoat and then teased off his gray kid gloves, dropping them into his upturned top hat and then placing the hat on the window seat with the greatcoat. Then he too paused to glance around, toying with the frill of shirt that protruded from the cuff of his sage-green coat. There was a simple gold pin in the knot of his neckcloth, and the frill on the front of his shirt disappeared into his lilac paisley waistcoat. His long legs were immaculately clad in tight cream cord breeches, and the shine on his boots was very commendable indeed, considering he was traveling without a valet.

One of the other doors opened suddenly and two rather strange figures entered. One was a dwarf, extravagantly clad in a golden robe and plumed turban like a tiny sultan, and the other was a
tremendously
tall muscular black man who wore baggy white pantaloons and a crimson sleeveless jacket. They both remained absolutely silent and took up positions on either side of the only door that had yet to open. They stood with their arms akimbo, gazing straight in front of them.

Francis had turned to observe them the moment they entered, but Alison, who had been standing much closer to them, found their
presence
a little disturbing, and she moved instinctively toward him. He smiled reassuringly and relieved her of her cloak, for the heat from the stove was almost unbearable. Suddenly the macaw gave a series of earsplitting shrieks and Alison started so much that Francis quickly put an arm around her waist.

‘Courage now, for it's only a dratted bird,' he murmured.

Somehow she managed to smile at him, but then the other door opened and Nikolai entered. He wore his uniform, and at his side, held by a golden chain and a collar studded with amethysts, was a lynx with tufted ears, spotted fur, and cold amber eyes.

Alison had never seen a lynx before and she shrank still closer to
Francis, her gaze fixed upon the animal.

Nikolai smiled a little. ‘Khan will not harm you, Miss Clearwell, but if he frightens you, I will have him removed.' He handed the chain to the black man and the lynx was led away. Nikolai turned to her again. ‘I was forgetting that the lynx is no longer to be found in Britain, and so you will not be used to such things.'

Relieved that the animal had been removed, Alison summoned the will to smile a little foolishly. ‘You must forgive me, sir, for in England a gentleman might be seen with a dog or hound, but never with a wild animal.'

He came toward them. ‘It is you who must forgive me,' he murmured, and then inclined his head. ‘Welcome on board my
palais flotant
, my friends. I am only sorry that King Gustavus Adolphus's illness came too late to spare you the rigors of five days on a vessel like the
Pavlovsk
.'

‘The king is ill?' asked Francis.

‘I fear so, and the talks have been postponed for the time being, which leaves me at liberty to extend my hospitality. Please be seated, my friends.'

Francis conducted Alison to one of the couches and then waited for a moment in order to sit down at the same time as Nikolai, who was at pains to be the gracious and attentive host.

‘Have you breakfasted yet?' he asked.

Francis nodded. ‘Yes. At least we took what passes for breakfast on the
Pavlovsk
. I fear that cold pork sausage, goats'-milk cheese, and vodka are hardly appetizing first thing in the morning, especially to a lady.'

Nikolai smiled. ‘I can well imagine. Allow me to provide you with something more suitable.'

‘I'd appreciate a cup of coffee,' said Alison quickly, for in truth the breakfast had put paid to her appetite for the time being.

The prince nodded and then looked enquiringly at Francis. ‘And for you, my lord?'

‘Coffee would be most agreeable,' he replied.

Nikolai clapped his hands to the dwarf, who immediately hastened away.

Alison glanced out of the line of windows and to her surprise
suddenly realized that the
Irina
was already under way. She hadn't heard the sound of any running feet or shouted orders, she hadn't even detected the rattle of the anchor chain, but nevertheless the schooner was gliding away from Kronstadt and a white wake was beginning to foam behind her. As the island slipped farther away astern, the schooner's sails suddenly caught the westerly breeze and she seemed to leap forward eagerly, skimming over the water toward St Petersburg.

Prince Nikolai watched Alison as she gazed at the scene beyond the windows. His glance took in the sweetness of her profile, the soft silver-fair of her hair, and the slenderness of her figure, outlined so perfectly by the soft folds of her black-and-white wool gown. She still seemed so untouched, like a rose that was about to uncurl its
matchless
petals to the sun, and yet she had lain in Lord Buckingham's arms and allowed him to possess her. Was it really possible that she wasn't to be trusted? Could someone of such angelic and virginal beauty be the accomplice of a British agent, or even be the agent herself? Dear God, how he would like to know whether that clerk in Paris had died too late. If only information had still been forthcoming from the British embassy in St Petersburg … But there hadn't been anything useful from there for months now. Every instinct told him something was wrong, but when he looked at the exquisite loveliness of this young Englishwoman, he found it impossible to believe that there was anything amiss at all.

If it hadn't been for that one small discrepancy in the story she and her handsome lord had told in Stockholm, he, Nikolai, wouldn't suspect anything at all. Now there were other things, such as the strange absence of any mementos in their belongings and the fact that while Lord Buckingham had all along been booked to sail on the
Pavlovsk
, the fascinating Miss Clearwell's name hadn't appeared on the manifest until after the sinking of the
Duchess of Albemarle
. If the Englishman and his lady were trying to pull the wool over his eyes, then they would pay the price of their folly. The lady would pay another price first, however, when she was forced to submit to advances that she had repulsed in Stockholm.

Realizing that he'd been studying her a little obviously, Nikolai suddenly turned to Francis. ‘Tell me, my lord, will you and Miss
Clearwell be marrying as soon as you reach St Petersburg?'

Alison looked around quickly.

‘Yes,' Francis replied in an even tone, ‘for Miss Clearwell's
reputation
has been compromised enough by the simple fact of our
elopement
. She will become Lady Buckingham as soon as I am able to arrange the necessary special license.'

Alison marveled at how matter-of-fact and convincing he sounded. It was as if they were indeed about to become man and wife.

Nikolai smiled. ‘I trust that you will invite me to the ceremony, my lord?'

‘We would be honored to do so, sir.'

The dwarf returned with a silver tray upon which stood a Turkish coffee pot and some delicate gold porcelain cups and saucers. He placed the tray on a table and proceeded to pour the coffee, bringing them each a cup in turn, commencing with Nikolai, to whom he bowed very low indeed.

The dwarf then retreated to his position by the door, where the black man had also reappeared. Standing with their arms akimbo again, they commenced to stare straight ahead as if they were statues and could not hear a word that was said in the stateroom.

Conversation didn't again touch upon anything concerning wedding plans, but ranged instead upon topics concerning Prince Nikolai himself. He told them of his magnificent summer palace on the coast of the Gulf of Finland, some fifteen miles west of St Petersburg, of his town residence in the capital itself, and his meteoric career in the famous Preobrazensky Regiment. They also learned that his family possessed a castle near Florence, a villa in Fiesole, and an estate of many thousands of hectares in Finland. It wasn't by accident that the conversation centered upon Nickolai, for Francis saw to it that the prince's immense vanity was constantly flattered. Alison knew why Francis was doing it, for while Nikolai was waxing lyrical about himself he couldn't ask awkward or downright difficult
questions
about anyone else.

Their conversation was interrupted at last when the schooner's captain came to the stateroom to say something to Nikolai, something they didn't understand because he spoke in Russian. When he had withdrawn, however, Nikolai explained. ‘Come to the windows, my
friends, for I wish you to see my summer palace. We're passing very close to the shore now.' He got up, beckoning them toward the windows.

Alison rose in some surprise and spoke without thinking. ‘Close to the shore? But isn't the gulf far too shallow for a vessel like this to risk sailing near the coast?' As the words slipped from her lips, she knew she had made an error, for it wasn't expected that a lady should be so knowledgeable.

Nikolai paused, looking a little curiously at her. ‘How very well informed you are, Miss Clearwell. I confess I'm surprised to find a lady who is so aware of things nautical.'

For the space of a heartbeat she was at a loss, but then she smiled. ‘You shouldn't really be surprised, Prince Nikolai, because when I was on the
Duchess of Albemarle
Captain Merryvale himself told me that the gulf is so shallow at times that only the very lightest of vessels can sail right up to St Petersburg, and then only under the guidance of a pilot. He said it more than once, even hinting that the
Duchess
might have to halt at Kronstadt and transfer her cargo and passengers, well, passenger, to a galliot.' She knew that yet again she had managed to sound completely plausible.

Nikolai smiled a little. ‘Ah, yes, Captain Merryvale and the
Duchess of Albemarle
. But tell me, were not both you and the earl to have sailed on to St Petersburg on that unfortunate ship?'

‘Yes.'

He smiled a little and went to the windows without saying anything more.

She guessed that she had said something else wrong, and glanced uneasily at Francis. His rather troubled eyes were already upon her. She had somehow made another error, and he knew what it was. She could have bitten her tongue out for allowing herself to be drawn too much, but it was too late now, and what was done was done.

With a heavy heart she allowed Francis to assist her from the couch, and although he squeezed her fingers reassuringly, she still felt wretched. What had she said?

Francis drew her hand over his arm as they joined Prince Nikolai by the windows. The schooner was making speed now, the wake stretching far behind her, and sea gulls swirled excitedly, dipping low
over the water and then soaring high again. The southern shore was only about two hundred yards away, and Alison could clearly see the shingle beaches with fringes of birchwoods, and the hinterland of undulating tree-covered hills. It was very lovely countryside, and obviously very fashionable, for dotted among the trees were many fine mansions and summer palaces. Some were classically elegant, taking their inspiration from France, Italy, and England, but others were much more Russian, with gilded domes and cupolas. From time to time there were glimpses of armorial gates and magnificent parks that swept right down to the water's edge. There were formal gardens that rivaled Versailles itself, and everywhere there were fountains, cascades, waterfalls, and ornamental lakes. Little hermitages and pavilions had been placed facing the sea, and they seemed much resorted to even this early in the morning, for frequently she saw carriages waiting by them or saddle horses. In England at this time of year all the flower beds would be bright with wallflowers, petunias, polyanthus, and lilac, and the first roses of summer would be budding, but here there was nothing, just the delicate white of
thousands
of snowdrops growing in sheltered spots.