Page 87 of You Belong to Me
“Dammit, Stefan—”
His cousin chuckled, and with one arm around a curious Lazar and the other around a puzzled Serge, steered them out of the room.
Alone with Constantin, who was now flushing with embarrassment because he had blustered in front of the King of Cardinia without realizing it, Vasili said, “Alex spent the night with the queen’s ladies. We’re about to be married.”
“Wasn’t she told I was here?”
“Yes,” Vasili said, then added reluctantly, “But I’m afraid she doesn’t want to see you, sir.”
Constantin’s embarrassment was abruptly forgotten. “Nonsense. My daughter and I happen to be very close. She—”
Vasili cut in. “Perhaps that’s why she was so hurt by what you did.”
Constantin’s furious expression crumbled. “Then she knows there was never any betrothal?”
“No, she doesn’t. She had already left when my mother told me about your confession. And I chose not to mention it to her. But the betrothal is no longer an issue. I’ve asked her to marry me, and she’s accepted.”
“Then she’s happy with you now?”
“She will be.”
This was said with such determination,Constantin couldn’t help but believe him. But he had misunderstood.
“Thank God,” he said. “After hearing what your mother had to say about her behavior, I was afraid Alex was never going to accept you, and that was why she finally left. But if she now wants to marry you—”
“I said shewillbe happy, Baron. At the moment, she’s still brooding over finding out that her sweetheart, Leighton, was a worthless bastard who never intended to marry her. I’ve allowed her time to get over him, but once we’re married, she’ll damn well forget him, I promise you that.”
Constantin was frowning by then. “Are you saying she is merely resigned to marrying you? After all the time you’ve had with her?”
“I’m afraid she and I didn’t get off to a good start,” Vasili admitted. “She didn’t want to marry me; I didn’t want to marry her. But after I changed my mind—I’ve spent my life seducing women, Baron. I couldn’t bring myself to seduce the one I’m going to marry. But after we’re married, I won’t be so constrained.”
“If she doesn’t know that there was never any real betrothal, why doesn’t she want to see me?”
“Apparently she hasn’t forgiven you for throwing us together. I, on the other hand, couldn’t be more grateful—at least now. You took a lot upon yourself, Baron. If I didn’t feel the way I do about Alexandra, I would—”
Vasili didn’t get to finish. Tanya had appeared, and said, “She’s coming—oh, I beg your pardon.”
“That’s quite all right, Tanya. This is Alexandra’s father.”
The queen nodded, but asked, “And Stefan?”
“In the chapel,” Vasili said.
“Shouldn’t you be waiting at the altar yourself?”
“In a moment.”
With another nod, she left through the door to the chapel. Vasili was now in the uncomfortable position of having to ask his future father-in-law to leave. He didn’t want Alexandra upset again, if she should see him. But once again, his luck wasn’t working.
She was suddenly there, looking so stunningly beautiful in the ivory silk wedding gown adorned with white Belgian lace and tiny seed pearls that he’d ordered made for her, she took his breath away. She had no such difficulty. Noticing her father, she turned around and left before he had seen her.
“Alex!” Vasili called out and started after her. But Constantin was ahead of him. And since the damage was already done, Vasili waited, allowing the baron the opportunity to at least try to make things right with his daughter, and wishing him success.
Alexandra wasn’t going to stop. Those damn tears were threatening again, but she absolutely refused to let them fall this time. She wasn’t going to talk to her father, wasn’t going to…
Constantin caught up with her before she got halfway down the corridor. He tried to take her in his arms, but she drew hers back and up as if to say, “Don’t touch me,” and in fact, she said, “Don’t!” And then, with a glare, she fumed, “I can’t imagine why you’ve come here. You certainly don’t care enough—”
“My God, you know that isn’t true, Alex.”
