To Love a Horseguard (13 page)

His breath tickled the back of her neck. “This used to be my favorite spot when I was a boy.”

“Umm,” Rose murmured. “I can see why, the view is beautiful.”

“So are you.”

She sat up. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

“What if I am?”

Rose twisted around to look him in the eye. “It will not work you know. I will not be easily swayed by false words.”

He looked at her, the lines around his eyes crinkling in amusement. “I never say false words.”

With an indignant sniff she moved out of his embrace. “Oh, but you just did.”

“I did?”

“Yes, you called me beautiful.”

“You are beautiful.”

Rose frowned. “I will caution you to keep your honeyed words to yourself.”

H
e smiled, raising the glass to his lips and took a slow deliberate sip.

Rose looked away.
The man is a rake in every sense of the word—a handsome rake.

Dimitry lowered his glass and reached into the picnic basket ag
ain. This time he pulled out a paper-wrapped parcel of cheese, sausage, and fluffy tea biscuits. He set the light meal down between them on the blanket and then took a small bowl out of the basket. He swept the lid off with a flourish.

“For dessert,” he said when she spied the chocolate dipped strawberries. “No self-respecting prince would seek to interrogate or seduce a lady without chocolate and strawberries.” He grinned.

She gave him a sour look and plucked a strawberry from the dish. The hungry look in his eyes made her shiver as she took a dainty bite of the sweet fruit. With a smile she licked the juice first from her top and then bottom lip.

He leaned forward. “Now who is seducing who?”

Her breath caught in her throat as he kissed the juice from her lips. She blinked when he moved away and popped another strawberry into his mouth.
Oh yes, the man is definitely a rake!

She
gazed out over St. Petersburg her thoughts and emotions muddled. Her feelings for Dimitry could not be ignored. At first she thought she was just attracted to him because he was handsome and strong, but deep down inside she knew there was more to it than mere attraction.
What am I to do?

“What are you thinking?”

“I was just thinking how unfair life seems.”

“Where does it say
life is supposed to be fair?” Dimitry asked with more than a hint of sarcasm.

He cleared his throat.
“What troubles you?”

“I am engaged to a man that I can neither remember or lik
e, it seems. Another man wants me for reasons I do not fully understand. Then there is the one I think I love who does not seem to be able to return my feelings. All in all, it does not matter in the scheme of things since the decision of who I am to marry lies in the hands of someone else. It just does not seem fair.”

Dimitry scowled at her. “Sergi wants you so he can blac
kmail your father, the king of England. As long as I have you and he does not, my country is safe. As for the man you think you love, he is in love with a lady whom he intends to marry one day when he has made his fortune.”

Rose’s heart sank.
Dimitry is in love with someone else?
Was that why he slipped them into the theater? Was he trying to hide her from a jealous lady love? He was just playing with her until he had enough money to satisfy his real love.

“It is time to go. I have a previous engagement this ev
ening,” Dimitry helped her up and motioned for the guard who was now awake to pack up the picnic things. They proceeded back to the curricle in tense silence.

Chapter Sixteen

Rose started up stairs with the intention of resting in her room. Her headache was back. As she climbed the first couple steps her head began to whirl and her vision blurred. She clutched the railing, afraid she was going to fall, and closed her eyes.

“Switch costumes with me, Rose.” A girl in a Little Bo Peep costume asked.

“Why?”

“Edward and I are going to elope.”

She clutched her head with her free hand. My name is Rose. I switched costumes with Elizabeth.

“Princess?”

Rose turned toward
the voice calling from the bottom of the stairs as everything went gray and fuzzy.

“Princess!”

When she regained consciousness she was lying on the floor at the foot of the stairs.

Victor knelt beside her, his expression worried, clutching her hand in his. “Princess?”

“I am not the princess. My name is Rose; at least I think it is.”

“Rose, like the flower?
” He helped her sit up. “Rose who?”

Rose put her hand to her aching head, “I am not sure. I switched costumes with Elizabeth.”

“Princess Elizabeth?”

“I think so.”

  Victor got to his feet and held out his hand. “What else do you remember?”

Rose shook her head and clutched his arm when the motion made her dizzy again. “Just that

Elizabeth was going to elope with Edward.”

He walked her up the steps supporting her with a strong arm around her shoulders. “Who is Edward?”

She could not help the sigh that escaped her lips. “I have no recollection of the man.”

Dimitry met them at the top of the stairs. “What happened?”

“She fainted on the stairs,” Victor explained. “She says she th
inks her name is Rose and that she switched costumes with Princess Elizabeth.

Dimitry frowned at her. “I have sent a
missive to the tsar. He sent a message to your king. Perhaps he can shed some light on the situation. Until then, or until you regain your memory, you will stay here.”

“—as your prisoner,
” Rose finished for him bitterly.

He glowered at her. “Would you prefer a cell in the tsar’s prison?”

“What about my reputation?”

“You are either a good actress and a spy, or a lady of gentle br
eeding who has already crossed an ocean in the company of a notorious criminal. Either way I am afraid your reputation is already damaged beyond repair.”

Rose realized he was right, either way her reputation no
longer mattered. They stopped outside her room. “What happens if you get no word back from the king?” 

He pondered at her for a
moment before he answered. “If you are found guilty of consorting with an enemy of the tsar, the sentence is death. As the head of the tsar’s army it would be my duty to have you executed.”

Rose gasped, a shiver of fright running up her spine.

“Dimitry!” Victor rebuked his cousin. “You can see the poor girl is upset, must you threaten her?”

“I was not threatening.” Dimi
try's eyes narrowed. “Rest well, Rose, and pray the rest of your memory comes back to you soon.” He turned and left them standing in front of her bedchamber door.

  “I do not know what has come over him,” Victor muttered. “R
est assured Princess, or Rose, whoever you may be, Dimitry will not execute you.”

Rose
could not help but doubt his claim as she entered her room.

Dinah was turnin
g back the bed covers when Rose closed the door and leaned against it, her terror making her knees weak. “Dinah, we have to get out of here.”

Dinah straightened. “Yes, P
rincess.”

“I am not the princess, Dinah. My name is Rose.”

  The maid's face took on a pale hue. “I know.” 

Rose star
ed at her. “You know who I am? Why did you not tell me?”

“I did not know who you were, just that you are not the princess.”

“Why did you fail to tell Sergi when he first kidnapped me?”

The maid looked down at her hands, twisting them together. “I was afraid miss, I thought if he knew the truth he might throw us both overboard to the sharks.”

“We have to get out of here.” Rose crossed to the bed and perched on the edge. “The problem is I have no idea how to accomplish that. I have no money with which to purchase passage on an English or French bound vessel.”

“Leave it to me, miss. A servant can go more places unnoticed than you would be able to.”

  Rose nodded and lay down to rest her aching head. She napped for the rest of the afternoon, and when she awoke her headache was gone. Unwilling to endure another meal with Dimitry, she asked for a tray to be sent to her room instead. She picked at the food until finally, with a sigh she pushed the tray away and snatched up her shawl. Perhaps a walk in the garden would settle her. She nodded to the guards as she exited the palace. She still had no idea how she was going to make her escape with guards stationed on every floor of Dimitry’s home. Two more guards nodded to her as she strolled past them onto one of the garden paths.

  The sun was going down
turning the sky beautiful shades of purple and blue. The last of the birds yet to retire for the night called to each other as she strolled and she inhaled the subtle aroma of flowers carried on the soft breeze. When she came to the bench beside the tiger’s cage she wrapped her shawl tighter around her and sat down. The feline looked at her with those strange eyes of his, his tail flicking back and forth in a way which made her think he was waiting for something. She shivered, still afraid of the large cat, but at the same time fascinated by him.

Leaning back against the bench she
watched him absently. Was her family looking for her? Would they know to look for her here? Surely when the tsar wrote to the king they would have already discovered she switched costumes with Elizabeth. Perhaps she had no family. Maybe she really was helping this Sergi character to take over the Russian throne. Could she be that deceitful? Before she could stop them, tears welled up in her eyes and she let them run unheeded down her cheeks. She was alone, confused, and frightened. For the first time she let herself sob. A noise on the path made her look up. Dimitry approached and she swiped the tears from her cheeks with her sleeve.

He handed h
er his handkerchief and sat down beside her. “Why are you crying?”

Rose stiffened regretting her short emotional lapse. “I do not know.”

The lack
of the light obscured his features. “One does not cry without reason.”

“If I cannot prove my innocence you are going to execute me.”

“Then tell me what I need to know and all will be well.”

“I wish I could.” Rose began to cry again this time not caring that he
saw her. “Do you not see? If I could tell you what you want to know I would, but I cannot. I do not even know who I am. I have no idea how I came to be here. I just want to go home, wherever that is.” This time the dam broke and Rose sobbed as if her heart would break. “I just want to go home.”

Before Rose knew what was happening she found herself cradled
in Dimitry’s arms.

“I am truly sorry,” he murmured into her hair as he held her. “I want to believe you.”

“No, you do not,” Rose wailed.

He
raised her chin so he could look her in the eye. “Yes I do, but I cannot. It is my job to protect the tsar and my country. Until I can prove to the tsar you are no threat to his throne I must keep you prisoner. I am sorry. I must keep you,” he repeated softly. His fingers stroked her cheek.

“Your grace, I…” Rose fell silent. Somehow she
forgot what she wanted to say.

“You are so beautiful,” he murmured.

Rose swallowed, his husky tone unnerving her. In an unconscious gesture her lips parted and she trembled waiting for his kiss. She closed her eyes as he drew her to him, gasping as their lips touched. Something akin to liquid fire raced through her veins.
I should not be out here in the garden alone with him.
Instead of drawing back, her body melded into his of its own accord. Her arms found their way around his neck as he threaded his fingers into her hair. His kiss deepened and his other hand slid down to brush the tops of her breasts. She sucked in a deep breath as they tightened in response to his touch.

  He groaned and released her. “Come, I had better take you back inside.”

Rose let out a shaky breath and shook her head. “I would like to stay out here for a while longer. I would not want everyone to see me with red eyes.” She sniffled, dabbing at the corners of her eyes.

“Very well.” He turned to leave. “Do not stay out too long, it gets cold quickly at night this early in the season.”

When she ignored him he shrugged and strolled back up the path. Rose wrapped her shawl tighter around herself and slumped back against the bench. Things were getting too complicated.

“Miss.”

Rose looked up as the maid hurried out from the shadows. “What is it Dinah?”

Dinah peered over her shoulder in the direction
the prince had taken. “Come quickly,” she whispered, “I have found a way for us to escape.” The maid shoved a wad of cloth into her hands. “Change into this maid’s uniform behind those bushes.”