Page 3 of You Belong to Me
“Because you have heard me speak so often of Simeon Petroff.”
“Ah, your good friend who died—what was it, thirteen or fourteen years ago?”
“Fourteen.”
When he said no more, she frowned again, this time in annoyance. Obviously she was going to have to drag the facts out of him bit by bit.
“Maria would be Simeon’s wife, or rather, his widow. What has she to do with Alex’s betrothal? And when did you arrange this?”
“Last week.”
She had hoped, for the sake of her mounting exasperation, that he would have answered more than one of her direct questions. “But you were here last week,” she pointed out. “And we have had no visitors—”
“The betrothal is with Simeon’s son. I reminded Maria of it, and suggested that it was high time she send her son to collect his bride—but not in those words. I was quite diplomatic about it, though the essence was the same.”
Anna was incredulous, more than incredulous, having never heard a word of this before. “Whydid you never mention this betrothal? I assume it must be long-standing, at the very least made before Simeon’s death. And why have we been pushing eligible men at Alex all these years, with the hope that one might interest her, when she is already bound in contract to this—he would be Cardinian, wouldn’t he?”
Again he answered only her last question. “Yes.”
She offered a smile. “So why the long face, darling? This match must delight you.” And then she paused, drawing her own conclusion. “Don’t tell me you actually forgot about it until last week.”
“No, it wasn’t forgotten.” Constantin turned to drain his glass and then poured in more vodka before he added, “It wasn’t even conceived.”
Anna gasped. “What are you saying?”
He wouldn’t meet her eyes again, and he had to take yet another swallow of his drink before he said, “What I wrote to the countess was mostly lies, with only a few truths thrown in. Simeon and I did discuss a betrothal of our children back when Alexandra was born. At least that is true. We discussed it at length. We both thought it was a splendid idea. But we never made it official. There were years to do so, after all. Alexandra was not even a year old yet; Simeon’s boy was only six. So—so now you know what I’ve done.”
Anna let out a sigh. It wasn’t nearly as bad as she had thought, and could be correctedwith another letter that could be dispatched immediately.
But just to be sure she understood the entire matter, she said, “You made claim to a betrothal that was never settled, and you did so because your friend is dead and can’t dispute it. Is that what you’ve taken so long to tell me?”
“I was drunk at the time I did it. It was the night you stayed in the village to help with that birthing. When it occurred to me, it seemed like the perfect solution for Alexandra. In fact, I have not the slightest doubt that had Simeon lived, our children would have wed each other seven years ago.”
“That may be so, but it didn’t happen that way, and your wishing it were otherwise is not going to make it happen now. You must write Countess Petroff immediately with the truth, before she does send her son here.”
“No.”
“No?”
“It is still a perfect solution.”
Anna’s eyes narrowed on him. “Sothatis why you are feeling so guilty? You have no intention of correcting what you’ve done?”
“That will be my cross to bear,” Constantin said with the stubbornness inherent in his family. “But think, Anna. What if they are ideally suited to each other? What if this one little lie—”
“Little?” she cut in.
“Harmless, then,” he insisted, continuing. “What if it brings together two people whowould never have met otherwise, and they are so taken with each other that they cannot help but fall in love?”
She shook her head. “You are dreaming. Or is it merely wishful thinking to absolve your guilt?”
“It’s not impossible—”
“WithourAlex?”
Her skeptical tone annoyed him. He, more than anyone, knew his daughter’s faults.
Ignoring those faults, he stressed the one thing in Alexandra’s favor. “She’s beautiful.”
