You Belong to Me (20 page)

A
lexandra compromised. She was ready to leave at the appointed hour, but she was dressed in her usual attire. She had an excuse for Vasili which wasn’t exactly the truth, but she was sure she could make him believe it.

And she gave it to him the moment he arrived, before his expression turned too thunderous. “It’s your fault, Petroff.” Her tone was deliberately accusatory. “Not allowing me enough time to pack properly. It’s no wonder all my gowns are ruined. Even your mother was scandalized when I told her how you rushed me into leaving with less than a day’s notice. You owe me a new wardrobe.”

That bit about her telling his mother was an underhanded tactic and it actually had him blushing. Why had he never considered that Alexandra’s frankness could extend to his own outrageous behavior on the trip? She could, if she realized it, win Maria completely over to her side, and he’d never hear the end of it if that happened. But that wasn’t what
Alexandra wanted. She had to be aware of that.

For now, he addressed only her demand for clothes. “If you were hoping I would balk at supplying you with a new wardrobe, I’ll have to disappoint you. It will be my pleasure. But for today, couldn’t my mother give you something…?” At her lifted brow, Vasili was forced to correct himself. “No, I suppose you are too dissimilar in size.” But then he snapped, “Dammit Alex, stop looking so pleased about this! It doesn’t cancel your trip to the palace, not when the queen is waiting.”

“I didn’t imagine it would.”

“Then you’re probably thinking this is going to embarrass me, but you’re wrong,” he said as he ushered her out the door. “You’re the only one who is going to feel conspicuous, dressed as you are. I happen to enjoy looking at you no matter what you’re wearing.”

Vasili hadn’t meant to say that, couldn’t imagine where it had come from. But before he put his foot further in his mouth, he dropped the subject completely. And because Alexandra had been disturbed by his remark as well, both of them were silent during their trip to the palace, which was fortunately only a few blocks away.

Alexandra had been to a reception at the Czar’s palace in St. Petersburg, but nothing could have prepared her for the opulence of the Cardinian palace. It covered an entire city square and was three stories high; the halls alone contained more solid gold in frames
and statues than she’d ever imagined to see in a lifetime. Every floor was polished marble, every window adorned in rich velvet or silk, every wall lamp tiered with crystal, all in quiet elegance rather than the Russian preference for grandiose display.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if the long hallways they had to traverse had been empty, but they weren’t. Besides the liveried servants standing on duty outside doorways, there were courtiers in abundance, coming and going, gathered in groups talking, all in their fancy court finery. And every single one seemed to stare rudely at Alexandra, either in avid curiosity or in outright disdain.

But even that wouldn’t have been so bad if the ladies, one after the other, hadn’t greeted or hailed Vasili with such pleasure, and too many of them did so with an intimate familiarity that spoke of past association. Alexandra was able to remain quiet the first two times Vasili was stopped, because he broke away quickly with the excuse that the queen was waiting for them.

But the third time she saw a woman reaching for him to detain him, Alexandra stepped between them and declared, “He’s soon to be married, madam. You can still talk to him, but from now on you will refrain from putting your hands on him, however, innocent your intent.”

Vasili was whisking her away from the openmouthed woman before she had got the
last word out. “And here I thought you were actually going to behave yourself,” he said.

“It’s going to get worse if they don’t keep their hands off you.”

“I suppose you’re going to tell me now that only you have the right to touch me.”

“I see we understand each other.”

Then when the hell are you going to start?
he wondered, but to her, he kept in form by complaining, “You’re pushing it, Alex.”

“You were given fair warning, Petroff.”

“So were you,” he reminded her, and was pleased to note that whatever she’d been about to reply to that, she thought better of it. “And,” he added, “
you’ll
have to deal with my mother when she hears about this, and I can guarantee you that she will. I don’t think she’ll accept jealousy as an excuse for scandal.”

“You know very well jealousy doesn’t come into this,” Alexandra said crossly.

“Certainly, but no one else is going to believe that, sweetheart, least of all my mother. And she happens to be of the old school that agrees a wife should ignore her husband’s little indiscretions, and jealousy is the height of foolishness.”

“I’m not jealous!”

“I think enough people heard you—but they still won’t believe it.”

“Now who’s pushing it?” she gritted out.

He chuckled, amazed that he was actually enjoying this verbal battle, probably because, for once, he was coming out ahead with her.
“I would suggest you contain that temper of yours, Alex. You’re about to meet the queen.”

“Thanks to you, I’ll probably end up insulting her,” she retorted.

“I hate to say it, but what you’re
wearing
is going to insult her.”

“Damn you, Petroff!”

“Shh. We’ve arrived.”

They had indeed, and he apparently didn’t have to be announced, because he opened the door to the queen’s receiving chamber and walked right in, the guards at the door merely nodding at him. And since he was still holding Alexandra’s arm from when he’d forcibly pulled her away from that woman, she didn’t get the opportunity to hang back so she could try to compose herself.

The room wasn’t as large as she might have expected, and the three women in it were informally dressed in day gowns that were obviously of fine quality. Two of the women were Tanya’s favorite ladies-in-waiting, Alexandra was to learn, both married and in love with their husbands as the queen was with hers, which was probably why Alexandra sensed immediately that she wouldn’t have to do battle here, and she began to relax.

The two ladies merely nodded at Vasili and Alexandra on their way out, but Tanya hadn’t seen Vasili since his return, and her greeting in English was warm as she approached him with open arms. It was automatic for him to accept her hug, which he started to do until
he recalled who was with him and backed off in alarm.

Alexandra noticed, and said in English for the queen’s benefit, “She can.”

He didn’t have to ask her what she was talking about, but after the alarm he’d just experienced, he was annoyed enough to demand, “Why can she?”

“Because she’s happily married and doesn’t have designs on you.”

Tanya lifted her brows. Vasili said, “You don’t want to know, Tanya, believe me.”

Alexandra shot him a baleful look for that. Tanya laughed and said, “Maybe I don’t. So introduce us instead.” He did, and after a moment of studying Alexandra, she added, “You’re luckier than you deserve, Vasili. She’s beautiful.”

The statement made both Alexandra and Vasili uncomfortable. He knew Alexandra was beautiful, but he wasn’t about to own up to it in her presence. And she never did like hearing it.

But Tanya didn’t notice, and went on to say, “Come, I’ve ordered refreshments and—”

“We’ve both eaten,” Vasili said so fast, Tanya raised a brow again.

Alexandra had to bite back a laugh that he was so horrified at the thought of her eating in front of the queen, and she decided to tease him. “Actually—”

“You’re
not
hungry, Alex, believe me you’re not,” he stated emphatically.

At which point Tanya placed both hands on her hips and demanded, “
What
is going on?”

“Nothing, just a private joke,” he assured her, and to change the subject, he added, “I must say you’re looking pleasantly plump—quite different from the last time I saw you.”

It was a subject guaranteed to lighten the queen’s mood and she grinned. “I am, aren’t I? Which reminds me. Before I get any more plump, I want to arrange a ball to introduce Alexandra to—”

“No!”

He’d actually shouted, and Tanya said in exasperation, “Why ever not?”

He didn’t bother to prevaricate this time. “Because Alex would find some reason to show up just as she is.”

“Oh, come now,” Tanya scoffed, but she looked at Alexandra to deny it, and found an expression that was just too inscrutable. After a thoughtful moment, Tanya suggested, “Vasili, why don’t you go find Stefan? I believe he’s on the training field—and from what I’ve heard, you could use some practice yourself.”

“Lazar and his big mouth,” Vasili grumbled. “You make it sound as if I
chose
whips. And besides, I don’t dare leave you alone with—”

“Run along, Petroff,” Alexandra cut in dryly. “I’m not going to murder your queen, but
you
aren’t going to be so lucky if you say another word.”

He winced, and she was right. By trying to
keep her from embarrassing herself, he was doing it for her, which hadn’t been his intention.

He tried to make amends. “I’m sorry, Tanya, if I’ve given the wrong impression. She’s really very…” He had to pause to think of something nice to say other than “kind to animals.”

“Go!”

That from Tanya, in complete annoyance now, and he sighed and went. The two women shared a moment of silent communion, having found something in common—easy exasperation where Vasili was concerned. And yet they were still strangers, Tanya hoping to change that, Alexandra wary of trying.

Accordingly, Alexandra offered an innocuous subject as Tanya led them to a group of comfortable chairs. “You speak English very well.”

“I was raised in America. It’s pretty common over there. And you?”

“My tutor insisted I learn French and English, though my English was not so good until—much later.”

Tanya didn’t notice the pause and said, “What little French I know, I learned from the patrons where I used to work, though not enough to manage a decent conversation. But I’m delighted we won’t need an interpreter. So often I do require one, though I’m learning Cardinian. I understand it’s very similar to Russian, so you should have much less difficulty learning it than I.”

Alexandra had no intention of learning it, but she didn’t say so, and her curiosity had been aroused despite her determination to remain aloof. “You used to work?”

“Didn’t Vasili tell you? I was raised in a tavern without any knowledge of who I was. When Stefan and his friends found me and tried to convince me I was a princess from this country, betrothed from birth to the Crown Prince, I didn’t believe a word of it. I thought they were playing some elaborate practical joke at first, and then when they insisted I come along with them, I’m afraid I thought they were planning to sell me to some brothel. Such things were known to happen along the Mississippi.”

Alexandra’s eyes had gone wide during Tanya’s story, but now she burst out laughing. “A brothel?”

Tanya grinned. “I know how farfetched that sounds, but it happened to be much more believable than my marrying the king of some country I’d never heard of.”

“I see your point. What finally convinced you they were telling the truth?”

“When they had me on a ship bound for Europe, they finally admitted that Stefan was the king, rather than Vasili.”

“Vasili?”

Tanya snorted in remembrance. “That was Stefan’s idea. I was giving them trouble right from the beginning, and he thought I’d come along with them more willingly if I was told Vasili was the king I was to marry.”

“I can’t imagine why.”

“Neither could I. I positively detested the man at the time, he was so condescending and downright insufferable, but I have to admit I’m quite fond of him now.”

“You mean it’s possible to get used to his arrogance?” Alexandra asked doubtfully.

Tanya chose not to answer that, at least not until she had clarified what she had begun to suspect. “Can I ask you why he didn’t want you to eat anything?”

“Will my answer get back to him?”

“Not if you don’t want it to.”

“Very well. He didn’t want
you
to see me eat anything. He thinks I eat like a pig.”

She said it with enough amusement in her tone that Tanya felt free to ask, “Do you?”

“Only when he’s around.”

“I begin to understand. Lazar told us about the trip, but mostly about Vasili’s behavior. You really
don’t
want to marry him, do you?”

“Would
you
want to marry a lecher like him?” Alexandra countered.

Tanya laughed. “I agree he indulges in excess, but he’s too handsome for his own good, and women tend to make fools of themselves over him. I had intended to warn my ladies that he is no longer available.”

“Well, that will save me the trouble of cutting off any more ears.” Alexandra snorted.

Tanya was startled. Lazar hadn’t mentioned that, merely that there had been threats. “Would you really?”

“No, but women tend to prefer not to find out.”

Tanya laughed again. “I suppose not. But, you know, Vasili has never had a reason
not
to be a libertine. And as I understand it, you told him you didn’t want to marry him when you first met him, which wouldn’t have encouraged him to change
that
aspect of his nature.”

“I had only learned of this damn betrothal a few hours before I met him.”

“You must be joking!”

“Not at all,” Alexandra said in remembered disgust. “My father kept it a well-guarded secret. He was afraid that if he gave me prior warning, I wouldn’t be there to meet Vasili at all, which was likely, considering how furious I was.”

“Was that the only reason you didn’t want to marry him—because you were angry?” Tanya asked gently.

“No…but I’d rather not discuss the other reason.” Alexandra was already blushing, just imagining the queen’s reaction to someone’s waiting seven years for a man to get around to proposing. “It’s—well, I find it embarrassing.”

“Then don’t think of it. But I have to ask, since I’m so fond of Vasili, if you still feel nothing for him.”