Chapter 9
“Do not go too far, Meredith!”
Anne’s words were caught in the wind, not reaching the young girl who was giggling wildly and skipping away, making deep tracks in the snow. The St. James’ Court servants had decorated outside here, too. Garlands of winter roses adorned every door they passed.
Shaking her head with a smile, Anne followed her from a slight distance. She should have known – knew better than anyone, in fact, that you simply could not tell a girl what to do and expect to be obeyed. Not when the child was so like her mother.
Meredith was twelve, almost thirteen. It would not be long, a few years perhaps, and she would be tugging at the bit, desperate to be out there at card parties, balls, catching the eye of a gentleman or two.
Anne’s jaw clenched for a moment at the very thought. Meredith, fifteen or sixteen years of age, smiling coquettishly at a soldier. If only she could prevent her from making the same mistakes as her mother…
“Whoops!”
“Be careful, Meredith!” Anne frowned slightly as she watched Meredith pick herself up from the snow and brush down her gown. “If it is too icy out here, we should go inside!”
Meredith completely ignored her, running with her skirts flying as the sight of her kitchen maid friend appeared around a corner, giggling in turn.
“Wait for me!”
Anne’s face softened. It was rare for Meredith to find a playmate she could lose herself with, and they would be gone in less than a week. Best to let her play, and get all that energy out of her system. She could not come to real harm, hopefully.
“Just do not go too far, Meredith.”
Meredith ignored her. Same old, same old, Anne thought with a wry smile. She should have known.
“That child is almost like a wolf, running wild,” said a voice behind her. “What a wonderful sight!”
Anne’s wry smile grew into a broad one. She knew that voice. It was Maxim, surely – and when she turned around, she was not only correct, but saw him in a thick woollen coat holding a gift.
“It is Christmas Day tomorrow,” she said lightly. “Do you not think that any more presents should wait until then?”
Maxim shook his head, his eyes bright. “No. I like giving gifts. You deserve them. It is simple to me.”
Anne rolled her eyes. Was he always going to be so…well, guileless? It was not that she wanted a more complicated man – someone perhaps more likely to hurt her. But Maxim was so uncomplicated. Sometimes she thought she could see right through him.
Her cold gloved fingers scrabbled at the brown paper around what appeared to be a jewellery box.
Her eyes widened. “More jewels, Maxim?”
He laughed and opened it up gently. There, resting on blue velvet, was a delicate gold necklace absolutely dripping with diamonds.
“Oh, Maxim,” she breathed.
“I knew you would like it,” Maxim said softly, picking up the chain that rippled like water, and placing it around her neck. “And it matches those earrings I – ah, I see you are wearing them.”
Anne’s fingers moved to her ears, her cheeks blushing. “Yes, they are so beautiful, I did not want to leave them in our rooms.”
“What are you wearing, Anne?”
A shy voice had piped up from just behind her. Anne started, turning to see Meredith staring at her curiously.
Her already pink cheeks darkened. A formal introduction with Meredith had been all the interaction Maxim had had, and this was not the time for further interaction – not when she was so close to their marriage day. What if Maxim did not like Meredith…or worse, what if she did not approve of him?
“Go and play with your friend, Meredith,” she said, far more firmly than she felt. As she said the words, she noticed that her kitchen maid friend had come.
“But I want to see,” Meredith insisted, her voice becoming a little stronger now. “Hannah had to go back, and I do not have anyone to play with. Please will you show me?”
Anne hesitated. Should she insist, send Meredith away? Was this really the time for Meredith and Maxim to become acquainted? If only her Father was here, he would be able to extricate Meredith and end this situation entirely.
“‘Tis a necklace,” said Maxim softly. Anne turned to him, and saw he was smiling as he continued, “A gold necklace, with diamonds from where I was born.”
Anne’s eyes darted down to look at the beautiful necklace, which had gained even more importance in that moment. “From where you were born?”
Maxim nodded, and Meredith reached up to touch one of the diamonds. “Truly?”
“Where I come from, there is snow almost all of the year,” he said softly, leaning on his haunches to be closer to Meredith.
“The sun sparkles down and makes the whole world glitter, and yet the snow does not melt. There is a fairy tale in my country that no matter how hard the sun tries, it can never melt the snow, because interspersed with the flakes of ice are diamonds.”
Meredith’s eyes were wide, and Anne smiled. Despite her advancing age, there was still much of the child in Meredith.
“Really?”
Maxim smiled. “Of course. But the really exciting part of the story comes later. Come, walk with us and I will tell you.”
Meredith’s gaze darted to Anne, who smiled. “Would you like to walk with us, Meredith?”
“Yes please,” the girl said, a little shyly.
Anne wanted to laugh, but forced down the merriment. “Then let us walk down this path, and Maxim can tell us both the story.”
She placed her arm into Maxim’s without even thinking about it, and seemingly just as unconsciously, Meredith slipped her hand in Maxim’s.
“Hundreds of years ago,” Maxim began as they started to walk together, “there was a fabulous queen in Russia. She laughed at the sun, and ordered her subjects to look for the diamonds hidden in the snow. She was determined to have them for herself, and no one else.”
“And did she find them?” Meredith’s eyes were wide, and Anne smiled. Seeing her and Maxim in this way, it made tomorrow all the sweeter.
“She did, and she made a glorious necklace of the very finest, on a gold chain,” said Maxim impressively, winking surreptitiously at Anne.
“She believed she could live forever when she put that necklace on, because something and someone so beautiful could surely never die. And that is why, two hundred years later, when I met her, she was still wearing the necklace.”
“You met her!” Meredith laughed with surprise. “No, you could not have!”
“Are you calling me a liar?” Maxim said in mock outrage.
“When I met this queen I could see that she was exceptionally beautiful, but she was also cold, and there was no joy or warmth in her heart. I knew she did not deserve the necklace, and one day, I would meet a woman even more beautiful, and this time with a beautiful heart. So I stole the necklace.”
“Maxim!”
“You really stole it?” Meredith sounded impressed. “But did the queen not have guards, and…and soldiers?”
“Hundreds of them,” said Maxim solemnly. Anne risked a glance at Meredith, who was utterly enraptured. “But I was pure of heart, and all they wanted were the diamonds. I escaped, and I have been holding onto that diamond necklace ever since, waiting for the beautiful woman who deserved it.”
Meredith glanced up at Anne, and said softly, “And now you’ve found her.”
Anne blushed as Maxim said, “Precisely. The moment I saw your sister, I could see her beauty, but as I have become more acquainted with her, I have seen and felt the real beauty of her heart. We are to be wed tomorrow, and I knew it was time to give her the necklace.”
Meredith stared at the two of them for a moment, evidently astonished at the story. “Is that true?”
Anne squeezed Maxim’s arm. “Of course it is. Why would Maxim make up such a story?”
“Meredith!” The call came from Sir Thomas, who had stepped out of a doorway and was waving at the trio. “Come on now, we must be going!”
“Coming!” Meredith let go of Maxim’s hand, but hesitated before running off. “Was there a second necklace that you stole from the queen?”
“Meredith!”
But Maxim laughed. “No, my child. I did take a bracelet from her jewellery box, and a wise hermit told me the true legend of it – but that is a story for another day. Go to your father.”
Anne smiled as the girl scampered away. “You should not tell her such stories, Maxim.”
“Why not?” He smiled, squeezed her hand. “She is a delightful child, and I like to tell wild stories. You never know, I might have been telling the truth.
Anne laughed. “A Russian queen that lived for hundreds of years? Diamonds in the snow? You, getting past hundreds of soldiers?”
“You do not believe I could do it?” Maxim protested with a smile. “Do not worry, I already have the bracelet wrapped. It was intended to be a Christmas Day present, and now it will be all the more delightful for her, I hope. You are fortunate indeed to have Meredith as a sister.”
Anne’s blood went cold, but Maxim did not appear to need a response. She bit her lip. Was now the time to tell him the truth? But it would hardly help him, and it would certainly not help her.
All the truth would do is confuse him.
“Alexei Dmitry Immanuil Maximilian Konstantinvich?”
They turned around to see a footman standing in the freezing cold, shivering.
“Yes?” Maxim said, clicking his heels and bowing. “That is I.”
The footman handed over a piece of paper without saying another word. Maxim read it, his dark eyes widening as he finished it, and then without saying a word he handed it over to Anne.
She read it carefully.
Alexei Dmitry Immanuil Maximilian Konstantinvich,
You have waited around for long enough, damn you. Come and find me in my rooms, and let us discuss this Czardom you claim.
His Royal Highness, the Prince Regent
When Anne looked up, Maxim was smiling broadly.
“This is the moment,” he said softly, as the footman looked away respectfully. “This is it, Annika. Today is the day that I am confirmed as Czar! And tomorrow, you will marry him.”