32
Alexandra 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?”