Once a Princess (12 page)

Sasha handed him a towel to wipe the water from his face and eyes. When the towel was lowered, Stefan was looking toward the spot where Tanya had been standing. It didn't take him but a second to turn his head and find her in the chair. He raised a black brow at seeing her watching him. She lifted one of
her own. He laughed. She didn't. He stood up. She was positive she was going to faint. She wasn't that lucky.

Lord help her, he was raw masculinity, hard and splendidly formed, broad of shoulder, narrow of hip, thick of leg. And the root of his manhood…She closed her eyes. He laughed again, a wicked sound that mortified her. And she had thought she could play this out and embarrass
him?

He must have had a similar thought, for he said, “When it is your turn, Princess, I assure you I won't be so shy.”

She was never going to bathe again.

Tanya didn't know how she got through that next half hour, watching Stefan being dressed and groomed by Sasha. Mostly she kept her eyes averted, or on the little servant, who turned out to be amazingly bossy for a man a good inch or two shorter than she was.

Stefan had warned him to speak only English, and once Sasha started, Tanya got to listen to a whole stream of grumblings and complaints that only a servant of long standing would dare to voice. Stefan merely shrugged, or ignored, or teased—which was interesting. Tanya wouldn't have thought someone as unapproachable and as volatile as Stefan seemed to be would be the sort who teased. Playful just wasn't synonymous with diabolical. But hadn't she suspected him of teasing her a few times today, only to dismiss the idea as being too unlikely?

She didn't like seeing this other side of him that even included affection for a servant. And she really hated it when he smiled, for her heart did a double
beat each time, whether he was looking at her or not. He wasn't incredibly handsome like Vasili, but the more she looked at him, the more attractive he became, and that, for some reason, annoyed her the most. She preferred to keep their relationship black and white. Enemy—captive. No middle ground. Yet his kisses and the feelings they had evoked in her were never far from her mind. And the image of his naked body…She needed to get away from this man for more than just her freedom.

She breathed a sigh of relief now to see that he was finally completely dressed. The buff-colored trousers were too snug, if you asked her, and the forest-green coat was so well tailored it did nothing but accentuate his fine figure. The shirt he wore was identical to the one she now sported, with pleated cuffs, but the waistcoat wasn't as fancy, merely embroidered yellow silk. His offsetting red cravat was tied in the careless
primo tempo
style, and Sasha produced a tan top hat that took all of twenty seconds to be placed just so over his black hair.

He was definitely dressed to leave the cabin, and Tanya could only wish at this point that he would hurry up and do so. Except now that he was ready to, he turned his attention back to her, approaching her with a mirror in hand. She stiffened with an idea of what that meant. She wasn't far wrong.

“Wash the paint off or repair the damage,” he said, dropping the round mirror into her lap. “But do one or the other before we go to supper.”

She was actually being offered a choice? Yet it was an order, plain and simple, no matter how mild
the tone. And she simply hated orders these days.

She was about to hand the mirror back and tell him what he could do with it when she caught a glimpse of her reflection that made her gasp and cringe. He'd said she looked like a grubby urchin, but that wasn't even the half of it. Tanya looked as if she had stuck her head in a fireplace and had cold ashes blown in her face, then had merely dabbed at the mess. Lighter splotches were everywhere, on her chin from having it gripped, on her cheeks and forehead where she'd rubbed against Stefan's chest. How could she repair this mess when she didn't have her powders and creams?

As best as she could, that was how. She still wasn't willing to give up her camouflage without a fight. Stefan had been provoked to lust with her looking as she did. How much more difficulty would she be facing if he saw her as she really was? But there was a devil's voice whispering at her to show him, a bit of vanity that had never troubled her before. She very swiftly squelched it.

“Will this do?” she asked after a few moments of smoothing, blending, and borrowing from the thicker color still beneath her eyes.

“The tired hag again? I think I liked the dirty urchin better.”

Tanya gritted her teeth as she felt another urge to wash herself clean of her disguise. He suspected the truth anyway. But a suspicion was nothing compared to clear evidence. She resisted temptation again and changed the subject.

“Did you mention something about going to supper?”

“Unless you would prefer a tray brought to you here.”

“I wouldn't,” she quickly assured him, amazed that she was going to be allowed out of the cabin this soon. “But aren't you worried that I will enlist someone's aid, in particular the captain's?”

“You would only embarrass him and yourself if you did.”

Her green eyes narrowed. “What absurd lies have you told him about me?”

“Nothing too taxing on the imagination. You are my runaway wife. You deserted not only me but two small babies as well. I'm afraid you won't engender the least bit of sympathy if you try to tell anyone otherwise.”

He smiled, letting her know he knew how furious that would make her, so all she said was, “Did you have to make me sound so heartless? No one could blame me for deserting you, but babies?”

He didn't take the bait, possibly because her eyes were so hot with rancor. He chuckled, grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet, and started her toward the door.

On the way to the dining room, he asked, somewhat on the same subject, “How do you feel about babies, Tanya? You will be expected to give the king at least one heir.”

“Not according to him,” she snorted. “He doesn't intend to ever touch me, for which I am immensely grateful.”

“Most women adore Vasili. I assumed you would be pleased by the thought of marrying him.”

“You assumed wrong.”

“And if you had another choice?”

“That's the second time I've been asked that.
Do
I have another choice?”

He didn't answer. They had reached the dining room, small but comfortably furnished from what she could see through the open doorway. Serge and Vasili were already seated. Lazar was probably still cleaning up from his dunk in the river. No other girls were present at their table, but then if there were other girls like her, the men wouldn't allow them all to come together to compare fairy tales, would they?

Stefan paused before entering, holding Tanya back by her elbow. “We were discussing babies,” he reminded her.

“You were, not me.”

“You didn't say how you felt about them personally.”

“I'm afraid it's a subject I never gave much thought to, since I had never planned to marry.”

“And under these new circumstances?”

“I just told you Vasili said he wouldn't be sharing my bed, so I don't see how…wait a minute. Are you suggesting a bastard heir would be acceptable?”

“No! I mean yes—never mind.”

He propelled her into the room without another word. Tanya glanced sideways at him and saw that he wasn't just flustered, but quite annoyed for some reason. Now, what was she to make of that? Not that it mattered. If she could go to supper, then it was
likely that she could go to dinner that evening, too, and that was all she was interested in at the moment—another opportunity to escape.

So she behaved herself that afternoon, didn't argue, and refrained from any more caustic remarks, even toward Vasili, which was a major feat since he wasn't nearly as tactful. She also managed to ignore the disapproving looks that came her way, either because of the outlandish story circulating about her or due to her half-mannish attire, either reason sufficient to condemn her in the eyes of everyone there.

Instead she amused herself by watching every other female in the dining room trying to catch Vasili's eye, not just once, but continuously. Stefan was right in that respect. Most women seemed to adore him, and probably did—right up until they got to meet the insufferable peacock.

It was the same that evening, though even worse where Vasili was concerned, for several women managed to finagle introductions through the captain, who seemed so put upon, Tanya didn't even consider enlightening him with the truth about herself while she had the chance. It was perhaps because she did keep her mouth shut that when she confessed a need to use the convenience before their first course arrived, Stefan let her go without his escort, though she caught his nod toward Serge, which no doubt meant he was to follow at a reasonable distance. Of course, she would never have been allowed even that if Stefan thought she could swim.

Serge's unobtrusive presence on the deck was no hindrance to her plan, however, since he wasn't following
close enough to stop her. Tanya even had time to pick her spot to jump, which was an added bonus, for she could barely make out a bend in the river coming up. If she could jump just before it,
The Lorilie
would be around the bend and out of sight long before she reached the riverbank, so no one would see her leave the water, if they
could
see her in the dark.

Being unable to swim was the smartest lie she'd ever told, definitely worth a mental pat on the back. Now, if she could only find the convenience.

As soon as Tanya was out the door, Lazar leaned back in his chair and asked casually, “Do you think that was wise, Stefan, letting her go off on her own?”

Stefan's expression was devoid of concern. “Serge will keep an eye on her.”

Vasili wasn't so casual in his grumbled opinion. “He ought to keep a hand on her—or better yet, a chain.”

The suggestion wasn't taken seriously, but Lazar felt it necessary to point out, “It would take no more than a moment for her to jump ship.”

“That is at least one worry we won't have,” Stefan answered, adding, “She can't swim.”

“Who told you that?”

The dubious question broke through Stefan's confidence, the implication waking his lagging instincts. With a particularly foul curse, he shot to his feet and left the room. Lazar and Vasili exchanged a glance before swiftly following him.

Serge was just lighting a cheroot when they joined
him on the dimly lit deck. “Where is she?” was all Stefan asked.

Serge nodded ahead of them to where a door was just opening. There was no time to experience any relief, however, at finding Tanya still aboard, for there was a flash of white legs—her skirt had been tucked up into her belt—as she ran straight to the railing, vaulted onto it, and dived cleanly into the river—right in front of the paddle wheels.

Stefan would swear his heart stopped beating in that moment of fear and dread as he leaned over the railing, searching frantically for a sign that the girl hadn't been pulled in and ripped to pieces by the huge side paddle that was churning the water on that side of the riverboat to foam. And then it dawned on him that because of the paddle wheels, which gave them added speed on top of the current already propelling them downriver, Tanya would now be behind the ship—floating broken and lifeless, or swimming to shore. Drowning wasn't a possibility, after he'd witnessed how skillfully that dive had been executed. His own dive over the side wasn't nearly as well done.

The three men left standing at the rail held their breath until they saw Stefan clear the path of the paddle wheel. It was Vasili who broke the silence. “I don't suppose we could go on to New Orleans and simply wait for Stefan to join us there?”

Serge shook his head slowly. Lazar chuckled. Vasili groaned. A moment later three more bodies hit the water.

 

Tanya was struggling for breath by the time she crawled out of the water. She was a good swimmer, but she'd never tried it before with boots on, and definitely wouldn't try it again. And swimming against the current? Her muscles were screaming with strain, her legs and arms trembling. She couldn't have got up and walked away right then to save her soul.

Fortunately, she didn't have to try. A glance over her shoulder showed that
The Lorilie
was gone from sight around the bend in the river, just as she had counted on. She couldn't make out anything else in the water, not even floating debris. Of course, it was extremely dark now, a solid sheet of clouds obscuring moon and stars. That had been to her benefit in case anyone tried to “save” her, that and waiting for the boat to pass so she could swim to the opposite side of the river from which she had jumped into.

But if her luck held, Serge might not even have noticed her swift departure. And she couldn't quite picture him jumping in to rescue her anyway. He would have gone to fetch Stefan, and she would have “drowned” by the time he had removed his coat and boots to make the valiant effort.

So they would assume. However, that was an assumption on her part as well, and she wasn't going to be that careless again. After a few minutes' rest she would head inland, away from the river. She had an advantage over any of her pursuers even if Serge had followed her into the water, simply because of the distance she would have gained between her jump and anyone else's occurring farther downriver. Besides, what she couldn't see she could hear, and the
only noise, aside from her labored breathing, was the soothing river sounds of water rumbling past—until she heard a man's voice.

It was indistinct, but it could have been a shout for all she knew. Distance was deceiving. It could also have just been the wind, but Tanya wasn't taking any chances. She pulled herself out of the mud and scrambled up the riverbank, then had to stop herself from panicking and running pell-mell through the brush, thereby giving her own position away.

Although it was nerve-racking not to run when every instinct prompted her to, she managed to proceed quietly at a hurried walk. But uppermost in her mind was the blaring question: would they really come after her, strand themselves in the countryside without clothes or money, go through all that hardship, just to sell her to a brothel? The answer was no. They would find someone else to take her place. But if she were a genuine princess? Then yes—no! She couldn't let herself fall into the trap of believing their crazy tale. Besides, if she thought there was any truth in what they'd told her, especially that she would have to marry Vasili, she would run even harder to escape them.

Tanya made good headway considering the thickness of the wooded area she was presently passing through. But it wasn't long before she was wishing she had waited until after dinner to make her escape. As dark as it was, she couldn't even begin to look for food until morning. And unless she stumbled upon a plantation or other dwelling where she could beg a meal, she'd have to hunt for it herself.

But she did have her knife with her, so finding food wouldn't be too difficult, just time-consuming. She had tucked the weapon into the bottom of her boot so she wouldn't lose it in the river. But now she stopped long enough to empty her boots of water and put the knife back on the side where she usually wore it, using the time to listen carefully to the sounds around her.

If that was a voice she had heard earlier, it could have been on the other side of the river. That was why she had swum to the Louisiana shore, an added precaution she had decided on at the last minute, and just possibly a stroke of genius. With a river between her and any pursuers, she had very little to worry about. But that was another assumption, so she wasn't going to count on it.

On the negative side, she had stranded herself on the wrong bank of the river, with no money for the ferry to get back to Natchez. But before she considered swimming back across, which she wasn't at all sure she could manage, she would try bartering Stefan's fine waistcoat for the fare. She'd have to clean it first, for it along with the rest of her was coated with wet mud.

Being reminded of the condition of her clothes, Tanya headed back toward the river. She had walked a mile at least already, possibly two, so it should be safe enough to get near the water's edge for the few minutes it would take her to wash her clothes. Then she would have to find some place to get a few hours' sleep, for after the day she had been through, she was utterly exhausted in both body and mind, and
she couldn't afford to make any mistakes simply because she couldn't think clearly.

She found the perfect spot on the riverbank, with a fallen tree on one side holding back the river's full current, and a drooping tree on the other side, both thickly branched enough to block her from view up and down the riverbank. She had planned to merely dunk herself again, then leave the water more carefully this time, without getting muddy. But with the added concealment from the two trees, she decided she could spare the extra few minutes to scrub her clothes properly and wash herself more thoroughly, especially since she felt so uncomfortable and itchy she could barely stand it.

Scanning the opposite riverbank first, which was no more than a barely discernible black outline, then the area behind her, thickly shadowed but quiet, Tanya proceeded to strip off everything but her boots. And from long habit she was nothing if not efficient, even when she was tired. It took five extra minutes at the most before she was dumping the water out of her boots again, shivering but clean, and wishing she could take the time to let her clothes dry before putting them back on. But time she didn't have, and even though it was dark as sin in her little spot on the riverbank, she was too self-conscious to remain naked any longer than she had to.

She was squeezing a few more drops of water out of her skirt when she heard the crunch of leaves directly behind her and froze, praying it was an animal, a dog, even a wild one. But if it had to be a man, considering her present naked state, she hoped
it was only Stefan and not some stranger who might…Was she crazy? Stefan? Let it be Serge…no, not even him. Vasili. Vasili wouldn't give two hoots to see her naked, much less be tempted by it—oh, God, she wasn't thinking clearly! But the voice behind her was clear and familiar, and as cold as the river water still dripping from her hair.

“First the white shirt, now the beacon of your white body. If I didn't know better, Princess, I would think you wanted to be found.”