listened to everything I had to say about it, which was a great deal. He just wouldn’t agree with my opinion.”
“You could have warned me, Anna.”
“I’m your friend, darling, but you know my first loyalty is to your father.”
Alexandra did know it, and she had never resented Anna’s relationship with her father. She even hoped that Anna would give in one day and marry him, which she knew was his hope as well. And she should have known that Anna wouldn’t have approved of something as archaic as a betrothal, that she would have been on her side.
“I believe your father was afraid you would run away if you knew beforehand,” Anna continued.
If Alexandra had known and hadn’t run away, she would be wishing right now that she had, instead of wishing she’d been given that option. But she relaxed her tone and even offered Anna a smile. It certainly wasn’t the older woman’s fault that any of this had come about.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve already acceptedwhat I must do,” Alexandra said truthfully, since she wasn’t referring to getting married. “So take care of my papa.”
“You know I will.”
“You might also prepare him for my return.”
Anna was startled by that remark, but after a moment she laughed. “Now, why don’t I think that you are referring to a visit?”
All of the bitterness Alexandra had been feeling returned abruptly, and with an aching heart she promised, “If I do have to visit, Papa won’t be forgiven.”
“Oh, Alex.” Anna sighed. “He only wants what’s best for you.”
“Then it’s too bad we couldn’t agree on what that is, isn’t it?”
Anna shook her head sadly. “If you change your mind about dinner—”
“I won’t.”
But Alexandra did; at least she decided to make an appearance when it occurred to her that a little rudeness and a vulgar display or two, made in the presence of both the Cardinian and her father, would give Vasili the perfect excuse to protest this marriage. Of course, she’d do nothing too outrageous, nothing she hadn’t done before, so her father couldn’t claim her behavior was out of the ordinary just for their benefit, even though it would be. And it would also give her father the opportunity to see how Vasili disdained her and that whatever attraction Constantin had deluded himself into thinking Vasili had feltwhen he’d first seen her certainly wouldn’t withstand such disgust and contempt.
She couldn’t have asked for better timing. The lavish dinner that her father had planned in order to impress the Cardinian was well under way, the main course just having been served. Anna had donned her finest gown; Constantin looked grand himself in his formal evening wear. And Count Petroff—she was going to have to keep her eyes off him. One brief glance at that superb body, at that beautiful face, and she nearly forgot what she was doing there.
He was impeccably groomed, of course. She had expected nothing less from the fastidious popinjay. So was his companion, the one with the friendly blue eyes, who happened to be the first to notice her in the doorway. He didn’t appear shocked, merely surprised, that she hadn’t changed for dinner and was still in her work clothes, her hair even more straggly than before since she had purposely pulled loose a few more locks. But then, she wasn’t there to have dinner.
“Don’t mind me. I’ve just come for a bite to eat, since I don’t have time for dinner tonight.”
She hoped someone was embarrassed over that remark, though she didn’t look to find out. She strolled forward and snatched an already buttered slice of hot bread from the blue-eyed Cardinian’s plate. That she hadn’t been introduced to him made it all the worse,but she figured he was the only one there who wouldn’t say anything about her behavior.
A glance down at him showed him more on the shocked side now than surprised. She merely flashed him a smile in exchange for the food, then glanced across the
“You could have warned me, Anna.”
“I’m your friend, darling, but you know my first loyalty is to your father.”
Alexandra did know it, and she had never resented Anna’s relationship with her father. She even hoped that Anna would give in one day and marry him, which she knew was his hope as well. And she should have known that Anna wouldn’t have approved of something as archaic as a betrothal, that she would have been on her side.
“I believe your father was afraid you would run away if you knew beforehand,” Anna continued.
If Alexandra had known and hadn’t run away, she would be wishing right now that she had, instead of wishing she’d been given that option. But she relaxed her tone and even offered Anna a smile. It certainly wasn’t the older woman’s fault that any of this had come about.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve already acceptedwhat I must do,” Alexandra said truthfully, since she wasn’t referring to getting married. “So take care of my papa.”
“You know I will.”
“You might also prepare him for my return.”
Anna was startled by that remark, but after a moment she laughed. “Now, why don’t I think that you are referring to a visit?”
All of the bitterness Alexandra had been feeling returned abruptly, and with an aching heart she promised, “If I do have to visit, Papa won’t be forgiven.”
“Oh, Alex.” Anna sighed. “He only wants what’s best for you.”
“Then it’s too bad we couldn’t agree on what that is, isn’t it?”
Anna shook her head sadly. “If you change your mind about dinner—”
“I won’t.”
But Alexandra did; at least she decided to make an appearance when it occurred to her that a little rudeness and a vulgar display or two, made in the presence of both the Cardinian and her father, would give Vasili the perfect excuse to protest this marriage. Of course, she’d do nothing too outrageous, nothing she hadn’t done before, so her father couldn’t claim her behavior was out of the ordinary just for their benefit, even though it would be. And it would also give her father the opportunity to see how Vasili disdained her and that whatever attraction Constantin had deluded himself into thinking Vasili had feltwhen he’d first seen her certainly wouldn’t withstand such disgust and contempt.
She couldn’t have asked for better timing. The lavish dinner that her father had planned in order to impress the Cardinian was well under way, the main course just having been served. Anna had donned her finest gown; Constantin looked grand himself in his formal evening wear. And Count Petroff—she was going to have to keep her eyes off him. One brief glance at that superb body, at that beautiful face, and she nearly forgot what she was doing there.
He was impeccably groomed, of course. She had expected nothing less from the fastidious popinjay. So was his companion, the one with the friendly blue eyes, who happened to be the first to notice her in the doorway. He didn’t appear shocked, merely surprised, that she hadn’t changed for dinner and was still in her work clothes, her hair even more straggly than before since she had purposely pulled loose a few more locks. But then, she wasn’t there to have dinner.
“Don’t mind me. I’ve just come for a bite to eat, since I don’t have time for dinner tonight.”
She hoped someone was embarrassed over that remark, though she didn’t look to find out. She strolled forward and snatched an already buttered slice of hot bread from the blue-eyed Cardinian’s plate. That she hadn’t been introduced to him made it all the worse,but she figured he was the only one there who wouldn’t say anything about her behavior.
A glance down at him showed him more on the shocked side now than surprised. She merely flashed him a smile in exchange for the food, then glanced across the
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