Page 30 of You Belong to Me
“Don’t be absurd,” she said irritably. “I only did it for his benefit.”
That got her a snort and a scoffing tone as he replied, “This is Stenka, Alex. I know just how possessive you can be. I was there, remember, when you took a horsewhip to that army lieutenant when he abused the horse you let him borrow. You never hesitated to light into Konrad with both fists whenever he made Nina cry with his teasing. You blistered my father’s ears the last time he took a strap to me—let me know when you’ve heard enough.”
That gothima scowl. “You and your family are different. So are my animals.”
“We are yours, and what’s yours is yours. Everyone who knows you knows that, Alex. And until one or the other of you breaks that betrothal, the Cardinian is also yours, so where is the difference?”
“The difference is, I don’t want him to be mine.” And then she looked at the rest of her friends. “Did at least one of you notice his reaction?”
“I did,” Konrad admitted, a partial grintouching his lips. “And it wasn’t shock he was experiencing. Anger was more like it.”
Alexandra still didn’t look for herself to see it, but she sat back, quite satisfied. “That will do just as well. I warned him what to expect. Now he knows I wasn’t spouting empty threats.”
“I’d say he’s figured that out,” Timofee put in with a chuckle. “It’s going to be interesting to see what he does about it.”
“What can he do?” she countered without concern. “We aren’t married yet.”
The three men just stared at her. Nina did the opposite and looked in another direction. Alexandra began to squirm in her seat.
“What?” she demanded.
“A betrothal isn’t like your usual engagement, Alex,” Konrad told her. “It’s damn close to actually being married. Sworn oaths were made. Even you gave your word you’d marry him, and your father likely apprised him of it. That gives the man some definite authority where you’re concerned, or didn’t you know that?”
“What kind of authority?”
Konrad didn’t mince words. “The same authority a husband would have.”
“Nonsense. I already told him he couldn’t dictate to me, and he didn’t try to prove otherwise.” She didn’t bother to mention that hehadinsisted that he could, in fact, do just that.
“You were still at home when you said it, under your father’s rule. Now you’re not.”
She really didn’t like the sound of this. “Itmakes no difference where I was,” she insisted. “He can rail at me and complain all he wants. I’m quite experienced by now at ignoring angry men.”
“An angry father, yes, but not an angry betrothed,” Konrad pointed out. “I hate to say it, Alex, but the two are not the same.”
“All right, damn it,” she practically growled. “Just what are you getting at?”
“What happens if he starts giving you some ‘or elses’ and backs them up?”
Her eyes narrowed at that, but her tone turned excessively dry. “You aren’t by any chance suggesting that the man might try to beat me, are you?”
“Actually—yes.”
“And you’d simply stand around and let him, I suppose? And Bojik wouldn’t rip his throat out if he tried?”
“Bojik isn’t going to be at your heels every moment of the day,” Konrad informed her. “Most nights he’ll be put in the stable, where he is now, since most inns won’t allow him inside. And we aren’t going to be at your side constantly either. We might be able to make the Cardinian regret whatever he does to you, but that would be after the fact. And a king’s cousin, regardless of the less-than-impressive title he carries, ranks higher than any of our princes, and you know how powerful they are. It wouldn’t be all that difficult for him to get us tossed in jail. Hell, he could have us shot, and no one would do anything to himfor it.That’sthe kind of authority he can wield.”
Alexandra was simmering by now. “Is there a point to all of this?”
Konrad finally grinned at her, now that he’d ruined her mood. “Just don’t get himtoomad, Alex. Find out your limit and don’t overstep it, even if you have to give in to his demands occasionally—and hopehehasn’t realized how much power he has over you now.”
It was too late to hope for that, she was almost certain. And if she had been naive in thinking her friends could protect her in any given situation, they were forgetting that she didn’t do so bad at protecting herself. Give in, indeed. She’d start carrying a horsewhip first.
13
The food had been served, but it sat untouched in front of Vasili. Lazar, who was sharing his table, had no trouble making headway through the plain but filling meal. Vasili was making headway through a bottle of vodka instead.
He’d been angry all day after being unable to get Alexandra to leave those damn wagons behind, but what he was feeling now was a bit more on the explosive side. His anger had escalated when the meal arrived, the girl delivering it barely looking at him, hurrying away, terrified that she might draw his notice. The other wench—he still couldn’t recall her name—had disappeared completely, nor did he expect to see her again. He recognized absolute fear when he saw it. At the moment, he’d like to see it on the face of his betrothed.
