39
Vasili was waiting in the antechamber of the palace chapel for his bride to arrive, his friends keeping him company and ribbing him because he was there so early.
He didn’t say so, but he would have had the wedding yesterday if he didn’t think Alexandra would question such haste.
But it still couldn’t happen soon enough for him, and he wasn’t going to stop worrying until it was over.
He had managed to avoid Alexandra’s father thus far. With any luck…
Instead of Tanya entering to say Alexandra was on her way, Constantin Rubliov appeared in the doorway, his expression thunderous, his voice nearly as thunderous. “Where have you hidden my daughter?”
Vasili sighed. Luck just hadn’t been on his side, ever since he’d met the man’s daughter. But he was determined to change that.
He glanced at Stefan pointedly. “Would you mind leaving us alone?”
Stefan looked from the angry father, whose identity was pretty obvious, back to Vasili, and he raised a black brow. “Must I?”
“Dammit, Stefan—”
His cousin chuckled, and with one arm around a curious Lazar and the other around a puzzled Serge, steered them out of the room.
Alone with Constantin, who was now flushing with embarrassment because he had blustered in front of the King of Cardinia without realizing it, Vasili said, “Alex spent the night with the queen’s ladies. We’re about to be married.”
“Wasn’t she told I was here?”
“Yes,” Vasili said, then added reluctantly, “But I’m afraid she doesn’t want to see you, sir.”
Constantin’s embarrassment was abruptly forgotten. “Nonsense. My daughter and I happen to be very close. She—”
Vasili cut in. “Perhaps that’s why she was so hurt by what you did.”
Constantin’s furious expression crumbled. “Then she knows there was never any betrothal?”
“No, she doesn’t. She had already left when my mother told me about your confession. And I chose not to mention it to her. But the betrothal is no longer an issue. I’ve asked her to marry me, and she’s accepted.”
“Then she’s happy with you now?”
“She will be.”
This was said with such determination, Constantin couldn’t help but believe him. But he had misunderstood.
“Thank God,” he said. “After hearing what your mother had to say about her behavior, I was afraid Alex was never going to accept you, and that was why she finally left. But if she now wants to marry you—”
“I said she will be happy, Baron. At the moment, she’s still brooding over finding out that her sweetheart, Leighton, was a worthless bastard who never intended to marry her. I’ve allowed her time to get over him, but once we’re married, she’ll damn well forget him, I promise you that.”
Constantin was frowning by then. “Are you saying she is merely resigned to marrying you? After all the time you’ve had with her?”
“I’m afraid she and I didn’t get off to a good start,” Vasili admitted.
“She didn’t want to marry me; I didn’t want to marry her.
But after I changed my mind—I’ve spent my life seducing women, Baron.
I couldn’t bring myself to seduce the one I’m going to marry.
But after we’re married, I won’t be so constrained. ”
“If she doesn’t know that there was never any real betrothal, why doesn’t she want to see me?”
“Apparently she hasn’t forgiven you for throwing us together. I, on the other hand, couldn’t be more grateful—at least now. You took a lot upon yourself, Baron. If I didn’t feel the way I do about Alexandra, I would—”
Vasili didn’t get to finish. Tanya had appeared, and said, “She’s coming—oh, I beg your pardon.”
“That’s quite all right, Tanya. This is Alexandra’s father.”
The queen nodded, but asked, “And Stefan?”
“In the chapel,” Vasili said.
“Shouldn’t you be waiting at the altar yourself?”
“In a moment.”
With another nod, she left through the door to the chapel. Vasili was now in the uncomfortable position of having to ask his future father-in-law to leave. He didn’t want Alexandra upset again, if she should see him. But once again, his luck wasn’t working.
She was suddenly there, looking so stunningly beautiful in the ivory silk wedding gown adorned with white Belgian lace and tiny seed pearls that he’d ordered made for her, she took his breath away. She had no such difficulty. Noticing her father, she turned around and left before he had seen her.
“Alex!” Vasili called out and started after her. But Constantin was ahead of him. And since the damage was already done, Vasili waited, allowing the baron the opportunity to at least try to make things right with his daughter, and wishing him success.
Alexandra wasn’t going to stop. Those damn tears were threatening again, but she absolutely refused to let them fall this time. She wasn’t going to talk to her father, wasn’t going to…
Constantin caught up with her before she got halfway down the corridor.
He tried to take her in his arms, but she drew hers back and up as if to say, “Don’t touch me,” and in fact, she said, “Don’t!
” And then, with a glare, she fumed, “I can’t imagine why you’ve come here. You certainly don’t care enough—”
“My God, you know that isn’t true, Alex.”
His stricken look was choking her, but she wasn’t going to be swayed. “That I am here shows how much you cared. I don’t think I’ve ever been more unhappy, and I have you to thank for it.”
“I don’t understand. You and Vasili were extremely well suited. You were greatly attracted to him. Why didn’t you give it a chance?”
“Because I was in love with someone else—or thought I was. You, of course, will be delighted to know what a mistake that was, just as you always maintained,” she said bitterly.
“But even if that weren’t so, it would have made no difference between Vasili and me, since he was against the marriage from the start.
The only reason he’s reversed his opinion is because he figures he has to marry someday anyway, and he doesn’t want to have to bother courting some other woman—not that he ever bothered to court me. ”
“That isn’t the impression—I don’t think that’s why he’s marrying you, Alex. But what is more important here is, how do you feel about him now?”
“What difference can my feelings make when he doesn’t love me?”
“Then you don’t have to marry him,” Constantin said. “I’ll talk to him—”
“Don’t bother. His own mother told him he couldn’t marry me, but he wouldn’t listen.
He’s completely reversed his stand. And besides, it’s too late for you to break the betrothal, as you should have done.
I gave him my word I’d marry him, so the betrothal no longer has anything to do with it.
And I will marry him—just as soon as you leave. ”
“Alex!”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t forgive you for doing this to me. And—and I have nothing more to say to you.”
She turned her back on him and closed her eyes against the pain welling up inside her.
For a long moment there was silence, then his footsteps receding, and that was when the tears started streaming down her cheeks.
The lump in her throat felt as if it were going to burst, it was so huge. Oh, God, it was killing her!
Vasili was suddenly there, his arms gathering her against his chest, his voice at her ear, telling her, “I promise you, Alex, I swear it, you will be happy with me. And you’re going to want to thank your father one day for bringing us together, so forgive him now.
Tell him you forgive him. You won’t regret it. ”
She was crying loudly by then, and leaning back, she could barely see Vasili through the tears, but what she saw was such concern and caring and sincerity and…oh, God, what had she done?
She wrenched herself away from him to run down the corridor, shouting for her father to wait—he had nearly reached the end.
And when he finally heard her and turned, she saw that he’d been crying, too, and it tore a sound of anguish from her as she closed the distance and threw herself into his open arms.
“I’m sorry, Papa, I didn’t mean it—I didn’t mean any of it!” she wailed.
“I know, I know. Hush, Alex, it’s all right—”
“It’s not. I wanted to hurt you because I hurt, but it’s not your fault that he doesn’t love me.”
“I think he does, Alex,” Constantin murmured as he wiped the tears from her cheeks.
“He doesn’t—but he will,” she said fiercely. “I’ve been feeling sorry for myself when I should have been fighting for what I want.”
Constantin couldn’t help it; he laughed at that point. “That’s my girl.” And all the pain drained out of Alexandra, hearing it.
She glanced back to see Vasili standing where she’d left him, her golden Adonis, more handsome than words could describe—and he’d just promised to make her happy.
Her smile was nearly blinding when she looked back at her father. “Will you give me away, Papa?”
“Then you do love him?”
“Oh, yes, more than I can say.” And with a grin: “Certainly more than he deserves.”
“Then let’s not hold up this wedding any longer.”