Love At Last Page 13

  “Someone, please, close that door,” she called out crossly. “We must try and keep the heat in.”

  The door was shut without comment.

  Cecilia looked up and there, standing just inside the doorway, was Prince Ivan of Rusitania.

  All she could do was to gaze at him.

  “Can I assist you?” he offered, coming towards her and taking off his heavy military overcoat.

  “What are you doing here, Ivan?”

  “I called to see you at Beaumont House and was told you had gone to your clinic. The Earl was about to send someone to collect you, but I said I would come so he gave me directions. The conditions out there are terrible.”

  Cecilia laughed out loud and her patient, who had been eyeing the two of them with interest laughed too.

  “You could hand me that bandage,” she suggested as, despite herself, a wild joy flooded through her.

  A few minutes later the young lad was strapped up, given a pair of crutches and instructions to be careful. He gave them a cheeky grin as he left.

  Cecilia stood up and eased her back.

  “Thank Heavens that was the last patient. I can leave the rest to such staff as are here.”

  “Excellent, in that case, let us be on our way. We shall be lucky to make it back before dark.”

  Ivan helped her into her coat and then put on his overcoat.

  Cecilia said farewell to the clinic staff and could feel their curiosity following her and Ivan as they departed.

  “I’ll never be able to explain your appearance,” she mumbled.

  “I think I may be able to suggest a reason you can offer them,” he said as they began to walk through a fresh fall of snow that had turned the grimy old buildings into a fairytale wonderland.

  He sounded tense.

  “A reason?” she asked him and suddenly felt afraid. “What sort of reason?”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Ivan walked with her in silence for several minutes.

  Cecilia’s feelings of impending disaster grew.

  The only bit of comfort for her was the touch of his hand beneath her elbow.

  “I have been doing a great deal of thinking since we parted at the station – ” Ivan began at last.

  Cecilia took a deep breath and prepared to hear him say that he now had to leave for Rusitania and she would never see him again.

  Then she had to hang onto his arm as she nearly lost her balance on a patch of ice.

  His strong arms helped her regain her balance, then he tucked her arm through his to give her extra support and Cecilia clung to his strength.

  It was as though she could feel his vigour pouring into her and it warmed her soul.

  “As you well know,” Ivan continued as they walked carefully through the snowdrifts. “I was certain it was my cousin Peter behind the murderous attempts we suffered. I don’t think, however, that I’ve told you I was set upon in Paris and I believe that he was behind that attack as well.”

  He was silent for a moment as though marshalling his thoughts and went on,

  “When I first had the idea it might be you, my dear Cecilia, who was the object of the attacks here, I tried to dismiss it because I could not think of any reason why you should be in danger. Yet I kept coming back to it because of strange circumstances and coincidences that I could not explain.

  “Even despatching me seemed a pointless exercise. By the Treaty Peter signed, whatever happened to me, he was barred from claiming the throne of Rusitania for five years. But if I remained a bachelor for that time, then there would be nothing to stop him claiming the throne if I died after that.

  “Then I realised that Peter believed I was suffering a broken heart from Natasha’s defection to him. He could be thinking I would not be looking for a bride to replace her. No doubt she failed to tell him that I had, in a most ungentlemanly manner, refused to marry her. But if I was no gentleman, she was no lady!”

  He laughed and Cecilia could not help smiling.

  Despite the snow and ice, she felt safe with Ivan.

  “Then, I believe that Peter received news that not only had I set out to search for a Princess, but I had found someone I thought would be a suitable bride. So if he was to prevent an heir being born before the five years were up, he had to act swiftly.”

  Cecilia clutched a little more tightly at Ivan’s arm.

  “But he could never have believed you might fall in love with me,” she said breathlessly. “You were looking for someone much younger and prettier.”

  Ivan laughed again.

  “What a fool I was! You gave me that delightful luncheon and I met the quite delicious Rosalind Dampier. I went back to the Embassy and told Yuri that I had found my Princess.”

  “Oh!”

  Cecilia suddenly felt the chill of the snow and the biting wind like the blade of a knife.

  Ivan did not seem to notice anything.

  “As, over the last few days I tried to sort out the events of my stay in London, I realised there had to be a spy in my camp, someone who was informing both Peter and Natasha of everything I was doing.

  “Then I remembered I had not actually mentioned the name of the girl I thought I was falling in love with. Stupid Yuri only knew that I had gone to luncheon with Lady Cecilia Beaumont.

  “And who should I ask to the steeplechase but Lady Cecilia. Any mention of Rosalind Dampier on that same expedition quite passed him by. And I remembered seeing Yuri in close conversation with Natasha when Peter and she came to sign the Treaty in my Palace.

  “Not only that, Natasha actually told me that she had introduced Yuri to Peter. They had obviously turned him into their spy, no doubt with large sums of money – Yuri is very greedy.

  “So,” Ivan continued, “I think the thugs who tried to beat me up in Paris was Peter’s first attempt. I wondered at the time why they didn’t shoot me. The idea, I am sure, was to leave me alive but injured so severely that there could be no possibility of marriage and children.

  “That did not work. So when he hears I have fallen in love and intend marriage, he decides to remove my bride before I can claim her.”

  “But he goes after me – not Rosalind,” said Cecilia in a sad voice.

  Ivan stopped and turned her to look at him.

  “The ironic thing is, by the time the attack at the hunt came, I had begun to realise what a fool I had been.”

  Hope flooded through Cecilia.

  “You mean – ?” she gasped straining to see his face in the fast fading daylight.

  “Was ever man so blind as I have been?” he sighed with such a tenderness that an incredible feeling began to spread through Cecilia’s veins.

  “The more I saw of you, the more I realised that I could never, ever, find a more suitable Princess. Much more than that, however, by the time you drove me to catch that damn train, I knew I was hopelessly in love with you.”

  Cecilia’s breath caught in her throat at the passion in his voice.

  “I so wanted, oh, how I wanted, to declare myself then and there. But I was so afraid that, even though I did not then understand why, you were the object of the attacks Peter was organising. You see, my darling Cecilia, I love you far too much to risk your life in any way.”

  His lips came down on hers as he drew her into his arms.

  Snow began to fall again, but to Cecilia it was as though fireworks were fizzing all about them, lighting up the sky with showers of golden light.

  As she was gathered against Ivan’s strong body, her bones seemed to melt and joy filled her soul.

  She was flying into the sky and touching the stars.

  She lost her hat and snowflakes settled on her hair as she lifted her arms and pressed her body against his until she felt they were actually one.

  It seemed they had left the frozen earth far below and were floating up to Heaven.

  After a long moment he drew away from her and murmured shakily,

  “Oh – my darling Cecilia! Do you really – love me?
”

  “Oh yes, Ivan, more than life itself.”

  Cecilia pressed herself against him again.

  Once again they kissed for what seemed an eternity.

  Finally Ivan lifted his head and suggested,

  “Perhaps we had better start walking again or we may turn into blocks of ice and Peter will have his wish!”

  He gently brushed the snowflakes from her hair and carefully arranged her hat and scarf back on her head.

  All the while she gazed up at him with adoration in her eyes.

  Then, wrapped up in a bubble of delight, they once again started off through the snow.

  The moment they entered Beaumont house, the Earl appeared.

  “My dear, are you alright? I have been so worried. I am very grateful to you, Prince, for bringing her safely back. She means everything to me.”

  “You may not be so grateful when you hear what I wish to ask you,” he replied, sounding uncharacteristically nervous.

  “Ah,” coughed the Earl and looked at him keenly. “I think you had better come into my study.”

  “I will now go and change,” muttered Cecilia.

  Then she reached up and kissed her father.

  “You know how much I love you, Papa. The fact I love someone else as well will never alter that – ”

  With a long look at Ivan, she disappeared upstairs determined to come down again as soon as possible – but looking as beautiful as she possibly could.

  *

  Half an hour later she descended dressed in black lace and around her throat was a three-row pearl necklace together with her pearl drop earrings.

  She knew that she looked her very best.

  As she reached the hall, the footman told her,

  “The gentlemen are in the drawing room, my Lady, and champagne has been ordered,” he added with a twinkle in his eyes.

  Excited beyond measure, Cecilia then ran into the drawing room to find her father and Ivan standing in front of the blazing fire with champagne glasses in their hands.

  The Earl put his down and came to meet her.

  “My lovely daughter, Cecilia, the future Princess of Rusitania. I shall miss you more than I can say, but I know that that is where your happiness lies.”

  Cecilia flung her arms around her father, then went and stood close to Ivan.

  The Earl gave his daughter a glass of champagne, looked at them both and proposed a toast,

  “To the future!”

  Then he turned to Ivan standing there in military uniform and ceremonial sword and scolded him.

  “I wish you would divest yourself of that weapon, I know it’s part of your uniform, but here surely we can be informal?”

  Ivan laughed,

  “It’s true it gets in the way, sir.”

  He unbuckled the belt and laid the sword on a chair.

  Then he looked at Cecilia.

  “I have explained everything to your father – ”

  “And I am extremely concerned for your safety, my darling,” added the Earl.

  “So,” continued Ivan, “we are agreed that the best and safest way is to travel immediately to Rusitania and be married there. My Praetorian Guard will keep you safe and as soon as we have a family, Peter will no longer be my heir and there will be no further danger to any of us.”

  Cecilia felt a surging sense of excitement.

  “Will you mind being married in Rusitania?” Ivan asked her anxiously.

  “I would not mind where we had our wedding,” she assured him breathlessly.

  “And if we travel out to Rusitania at once, Cecilia will really be safe from Prince Peter?” enquired the Earl.

  Ivan nodded.

  “I have told the little rat, Yuri, that I intend staying here at least another three weeks to woo another possible bride. If I know him, he will instantly pass this on to my cousin. Once he’s done so my Ambassador has instructions to arrest him and hold him incommunicado.

  “By the time the news gets out that we have gone, it will be too late for Peter to catch up with us. Can you leave tomorrow?” he asked Cecilia anxiously.

  Suddenly there was a thunderous knocking on the front door.

  “Good Heavens,” exclaimed the Earl. “Now who can this be on such a dreadful night?”

  There came the sound of a scuffle in the front hall and the footman cried out,

  “You can’t just come in here like that, sir.”

  Then there was a stifled cry.

  The drawing room door was flung open and Prince Peter entered.

  He, too, was in his military uniform and he looked exultant. He slammed the door shut, then placed a small wooden case on a table and opened it, revealing two long-barrelled pistols.

  And, as the Earl, Ivan and Cecilia looked at him in astonishment, he removed his heavy cloak with a sweeping gesture and flung it down.

  “You insulted me last time we met, Cousin Ivan,” he snarled with deadly intensity, his eyes cold as ice.

  Cecilia moved closer to Ivan and he put a protective arm around her.

  “I challenge you to a duel.”

  As Peter spoke he began to load the pistols.

  He spoke with such a calm authority that for a long moment no one said anything.

  Then Ivan gave a harsh laugh.

  “As usual, you talk nonsense, Peter.”

  The Earl held up his hand and took a step forward.

  “I need to point out that duelling is forbidden in this country, Prince Peter.”

  “Such trifles do not concern me. After I have killed Ivan and then taken Lady Cecilia to be my bride, I shall immediately return to Voskia. By the time the authorities have been told, it will be too late to hold me to account.”

  Cecilia gasped and pressed herself closer to Ivan, unable to believe her ears.

  “You are mad, Peter,” Ivan told him coldly.

  “I am, am I? Perhaps you think it would be better to go to the Voskian Embassy and we can have our duel there?”

  He levelled one of the loaded pistols and looked along its barrel to an imaginary target.

  “For Heaven’s sake, Prince Peter – please put that pistol down. I would rather not have my drawing room used – as a shooting range,” spluttered the Earl.

  “You speak of taking Lady Cecilia for your wife,” growled Ivan, his arm holding Cecilia ever closer to him.

  “What about Natasha? She has given up so much for you.”

  “Pah! Natasha bores me.”

  Still holding the pistol, Peter advanced on Cecilia and, pointing it at Ivan, ordered her,

  “Move away from him.”

  Terrified, Cecilia went to stand next to her father, who at once held her close.

  “I would rather not shoot you like this,” said Peter, keeping the pistol pointed steadily at Ivan.

  “The Officer in me prefers to act like a gentleman and kill you in fair combat, but if you try my patience, I will shoot you like a dog where you stand – at this distance I could not miss.”

  The Earl released Cecilia who then made a move towards Peter.

  The pistol was quickly swung towards Cecilia.

  “I would prefer this lovely lady to become my wife. Her inheritance would be most useful to my country, but there are other fish, as you say in England, in the waters. Move again, Earl, and I shoot your daughter.”

  The Earl stood quite still.

  Ivan, too, remained unmoving.

  “How do you think that you can overcome all the Beaumont servants, I fail to see,” he said conversationally.

  “Huh! The footman is out cold. I did not see any other servants.”

  Peter’s gaze never wavered from Ivan.

  “How did you know I was here?” Ivan demanded.

  “Your faithless servant Yuri told me. He heard it from your Ambassador.”

  Peter’s lip curled in a sneer.

  “He was so certain you were searching for a bride that he told everyone. It must be a bitter blow to you that someone so close as you
r valet could be so treacherous, hein?”

  Again that sneer.

  “He has long hated you for your privilege and the life you lead. I had only to suggest he inform on you and he jumped at the paltry sum I offered him. If I had such disloyal servants, I would deserve to die.”

  So intent had they been on Peter, only Ivan, Cecilia realised, had seen the drawing room door silently open.

  There was the Countess Natasha, a red velvet cloak thrown back from a red velvet evening dress.

  She looked magnificent.

  Before anyone could move, she reached the table where the pistol case lay, picked up the other weapon and released the safety catch.

  “You are the one who deserves to die and you will, Peter,” she cried. “I bore you, do I?”

  Peter laughed.

  “Put that down, Natasha, you have no idea how to use it,” he asserted contemptuously.

  “You always underestimate me,” Natasha screamed and fired.

  For a second he gazed at her in blank amazement, then, slowly, like a tree falling after it has been felled, he collapsed onto the floor, blood pouring from a hole in his chest.

  “Damn – you – Natasha,” Peter spluttered.

  Blood bubbled from his mouth, his legs twitched and then he was still.

  As the sound of the shot reverberated around the room, nobody moved.

  Then Ivan advanced towards Natasha, but she had already dropped the smoking pistol and reached for the one Peter had been holding.

  Tears poured down her face.

  Both her hands were trembling as she held the other pistol and pointed it straight at Ivan.

  “Neither – of you – ever valued me,” she yelled, her voice broken and catching.

  Cecilia stared at her in horror.

  In minutes violence had shattered her evening of happiness and now Natasha was pointing a loaded pistol at her beloved Ivan.

  Then she saw Ivan’s sword, resting where he had put it on a chair just a yard or so away from her – and right behind where Natasha was standing.

  Natasha now stood up straight.

  “You – rejected me,” she howled at Ivan. “Not – once but twice!”

  She took a deep breath and spoke more steadily.