Page 78 of You Belong to Me
“But you’ll take him,” Stefan said in a tone that would brook no argument, “and an extra complement of men with him. There’s no point in inviting more trouble from our annoying friends in the mountains.”
“That’sifshe’s gone home,” Vasili said.
“What makes you think she hasn’t?” Serge asked.
“Because her groom wouldn’t give me a straight answer about it, even after I threatened to rearrange his face for him. And she left her trunks behind, every one of them. She’s traveling light this time, taking only the Cossacks and her maid with her.”
“Which could mean she’s merely in a hurry to get home,” Serge said.
“Then why not make arrangements to have the wagons follow her?”
“I wouldn’t say that’s conclusive,” Stefan pointed out.
“I know,” Vasili agreed. “Which is why I’ll be looking for her trail. I wish shehadtaken the stallions, though. At least people notice and remember them.”
“You’re not suggesting she knew you would follow her, are you?” Lazar asked in surprise. “That she’s going to be covering her tracks?”
“She knows we’re not finished. Maybe she won’t admit it, but deep down she—”
“Vasili, she doesn’twantto marry you,” Lazar cut in to remind him. “And she assumed you felt the same way, since that’s the only impression you’ve given her. If she’s thinking anything, it’s that your mother did you both a favor. That’s whatyouwere counting on, if you’ll recall.”
The reminder just got Lazar a glower, at which point Tanya asked, “Vasili, do you knowwhyshe didn’t want to marry you, even before she met you? I asked her, but she said the reason was too embarrassing for her to mention.”
Vasili was shaking his head, but Lazar supplied the answer. “She’s in love with some Englishman she met on her coming out in St. Petersburg—or at least she says she is.”
Vasili received that news with a mixture of incredulity and raging jealousy, and both had him shouting, “How thehelldo you know that?”
“Unlike you, I was curious why she didn’t fall at your feet the way most women do, so I asked.”
“Shetold you that?”
“Of course not,” Lazar replied. “You know she rarely even spoke to me in passing. No, I asked her maid, Nina, one day, and she treated the subject as if it were a long-standing point of contention.”
“Meaning?”
“Her disgust was pretty obvious. Nina thinks that whatever it is Alexandra feels for this Christopher Leighton, it certainly can’t be true love. And she’s of the opinion that it’s only Alexandra’s stubbornness that has had her maintaining loyalty to this fellow after so many years.”
“Did the maid give a reason for these opinions, Lazar?” Stefan questioned.
“Because Alexandra simply went on with her life, without a single bit of pining.”
“Just how many years are we talking about?” Serge asked next.
“Seven.”
“Jesus,” Vasili groaned.
“Well, that explains her embarrassment,”Tanya said. “And I’m inclined to agree with the maid.”
Vasili glanced her way. “Why?”
“Oh, just the impression I got,” Tanya said evasively once again.
“Now, don’t be giving my wife hot looks, cousin,” Stefan said, trying not to find any humor in Vasili’s predicament, though it really was priceless. The man who could have almost any woman he wanted couldn’t keep track of the one he had decided to settle down with, or get a declaration from her other than that shedidn’twant him. “If Tanya found out something in confidence, you can’t expect her to tell you about it.”
The hell he couldn’t. Vasili demanded, “Whose side is she on, anyway?”
“Yours,” Tanya assured him with a grin. “Which is why I’m delighted that you’ve decided you want to marry her. I think she’ll make you a splendid wife, Vasili.”
