Rivals for Love (15 page)

‘He is really a very wicked man,' ruminated Elva. ‘I would not trust him not to cheat in this duel just to show off his superiority.'

As if thinking of Prince Ivor conjured him up, a minute later he made his appearance in the Bowling Alley with his seconds, who both seemed tired and bored with having to give up their sleep.

Prince Alexander now cordially greeted Prince Ivor who was obviously put out at seeing him.

“Why are you here?” he asked. “I thought Your Royal Highness disliked duels.”

“I dislike them very much indeed,” he replied, “but when Mr. Barnier told me you had challenged the Duke of Sparkbrook to a duel, I was apprehensive that you might be attempting to upset the friendly relations we currently enjoy with England.”

“This is very much a personal matter,” retorted Prince Ivor angrily. “It has nothing to do with politics or diplomacy.”

“That is where you are wrong,” came back Prince Alexander. “But since you have demanded a duel, I am prepared to be the Referee and see that it is conducted properly and without any hokey-pokey.”

He said the last words in a somewhat light-hearted manner.

Prince Ivor merely scowled and turned towards his seconds whilst Prince Alexander raised both his hands to address the two protagonists.

“Now let us waste no time. If you two gentlemen are determined to make fools of yourselves, let us get it over and then we can enjoy a good breakfast.”

“I am now ready, Your Royal Highness,” called the Duke.

He had taken off his coat and was now only clad in his shirtsleeves.

Elva was keenly watching every move from behind the bushes, thinking it was typical of the Duke to wear a white shirt as he would on any day.

Prince Ivor was wearing a black shirt which she knew was his own way of making it more difficult for his opponent to see him clearly.

‘I hate him! I hate him!' she told herself over and over again.

She sent up a fervent prayer to God to protect the Duke and not allow the evil Prince to harm him.

The Duke, looking exceptionally handsome, was talking in an animated way to Prince Alexander.

When Prince Ivor joined them, His Royal Highness said,

“Now you are both ready we will commence this tiresome duel. Please stand back.”

As he spoke Elva drew the little amethyst pistol from her pocket. She had already loaded it and she looked to see that the safety catch was off and everything was in place.

She saw that Danton was staring with surprise at what she was holding in her hand.

He did not make any comment, but merely stood back giving her room to move if she wanted to.

Elva could see that Prince Ivor was facing towards her as she was watching him and he would therefore move to her right when they set off. The Duke was facing to her left.

The seconds of the two opponents took up their places at different ends of the Alley.

“Now, gentlemen, both of you are familiar with the rules,” Prince Alexander was saying. “As I count to ten, you will walk ten paces away from me and turn when I call the number ten. You can fire immediately and when your honour is satisfied, we can all go home.”

The Duke and Prince Ivor were still back to back.

Prince Alexander began to count.

“
One – two – three – 
”

The Prince was taking long strides and Elva had to run through the bushes to keep up with him.

She stopped, breathing hard as Prince Alexander called,

“
Seven – eight – 
”

As if instinctively she did not trust the Prince, she raised her pistol.

As the Referee called, “
nine
,” Prince Ivor turned.

It was just what Elva feared he might do.

She realised that if he fired now, he would strike the Duke in the middle of his back, which would kill him or at the very least injure him for life.

At the very moment Prince Ivor turned she brought the amethyst pistol down level with his wrist and fired.

The shot rang out over the field.

As the Prince fell backwards clutching at his wrist, his finger had been on the trigger of his pistol.

The bullet flew up into the air.

“That was a foul!” shouted Prince Alexander.

Having heard the shots the Duke, who had his back to what was happening, turned round.

He could then see Prince Ivor's seconds running towards him and at the same time Elva stepped through the rhododendrons.

She walked towards Prince Alexander holding her pistol in her hand.

Before the Duke could reach her, Elva admitted,

“It was I who shot at him, Your Royal Highness, because I knew he was going to cheat.”

“I am appalled that anyone should behave in such a disgraceful manner,” fumed Prince Alexander.

The Duke joined Elva.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “And how could you have anticipated that Prince Ivor would behave like that?”

“I knew he was determined to hurt –
you
.”

The Duke looked at Prince Alexander.

“I feel, Your Royal Highness,” he said, “I should apologise for my wife. But if she had not intervened, I doubt I would have been able to make this apology.”

“That is quite true. I suggest, since the behaviour of my fellow countryman is something I deeply regret, that we all say nothing more about it.”

The Duke's seconds now appeared behind him and Prince Alexander turned to them to say,

“I know I can trust you in the British Embassy not to allow a word of what has occurred here this morning to go any further. Prince Ivor will not be particularly proud of his behaviour when his wrist has mended. I shall make it clear to the Empress that he is in disgrace.”

“I do believe, Your Royal Highness, it will make matters much easier,” said the Duke, “if my wife and I leave Russia immediately. It is something I had planned anyway as soon as this duel was over.”

“That is most sensible of you. At the same time I regret you are leaving St. Petersburg after so short a visit.”

“Perhaps we will come another time.”

Prince Alexander held out his hand to the Duke.

“
Bon Voyage.
”

Then he turned to Elva.

“I can only commend you, Duchess, for being such an extremely good shot. I hope you will come again and grace another ball as you graced the occasion last night given for our beloved Empress.”

Elva curtsied.

“Your Royal Highness is very kind not to be angry with me.”

“I should have been much angrier if your husband had indeed suffered as he undoubtedly would have done and given rise to an international incident.”

He looked at the two men from the Embassy as he spoke and they bowed.

Prince Alexander walked away towards the end of the Alley, whilst Prince Ivor, with blood pouring from his wrist, was being treated by his seconds.

He was groaning and swearing at the same time.

He sounded most unpleasant and even though he was prostrate on the ground, Elva still found him sinister and wanted to hurry away.

It was as they walked from the Bowling Alley that Elva realised Danton was not with them.

She was not really surprised when they reached the main entrance to find that he was waiting for them with two Embassy carriages, their luggage already piled into the second one.

Elva recognised that Danton must have arranged it with the servants, who were now standing in a row on the doorstep.

The Duke understood at once what was expected of him and he tipped them all generously and they went away smiling.

Elva climbed into the first carriage and because the trauma of the morning was all over, she suddenly felt limp and exhausted.

She leaned back on the seat and closed her eyes.

As she did so the Duke joined her.

Without asking questions the two diplomats had tactfully climbed into the second carriage with Danton and the luggage.

The footman closed the door behind the Duke and as the horses moved off the Duke put his arm round Elva.

“I have to thank you, my darling,” he sighed in a deep voice, “for saving my life.”

Then his lips were on hers.

Elva could hardly believe it was happening.

Yet as the Duke's kisses became more demanding and more possessive she felt her whole body come alive.

It was the most exquisite and wonderful sensation she had ever known.

She closed her eyes feeling that this was something so thrilling and so marvellous that it could not be true.

The Duke raised his head and for a moment he just looked down at her and then he said,

“Tell me now what you feel about me.”

“I – love – you.
I love you
, but I – did not – know that love – was like –
this
.”

The Duke did not answer but just kissed her again.

As he did so she knew she had really loved him for a long time.

She had loved him when they had first met at Aunt Violet's house.

She had loved him when they had argued.

She had loved him when they had been duelling with words on the
Sea Horse.

She had loved him when he had been so kind and thoughtful to her.

She had loved him frantically and desperately last night, when she realised he had to fight a duel with Prince Ivor.

It was
love
, she was sure, which had triggered her instinct that he was in danger.

Love, which had told her how to save him.

He was kissing her again and she felt they were flying up into the sky.

Only when at last the Duke raised his head did she manage to whisper,

“I have – loved you – for so long, but I did not – know it.”

“And I have loved you from the first moment I saw you,” the Duke told her tenderly. “But I fought it because I could not believe that anyone could be so beautiful and at the same time so perfect in every way.”

Elva could not answer him.

She could only look at him with love in her eyes.

The Duke knew there was no need for words.

He was holding her close in his arms and his lips prevented her from speaking.

So they now drove on in silence and it was quite a shock when they realised they had reached the Quay.

The Duke took his arms from around Elva as the horses came to a standstill.

The footman on the box jumped down and opened the door and the Duke jumped out and helped Elva to join him.

The other carriage from the Embassy carrying Mr. Barnier and Mr. Sharp had already arrived.

The Duke walked towards Mr. Barnier and asked him,

“Will you please now see that our luggage is taken aboard and inform the Captain that I wish to be put to sea immediately.”

“I will do so, Your Grace.”

There was a look of surprise in Mr. Barnier's eyes because the Duke was not going to issue his instructions to the Captain himself.

Then the Duke added,

“My wife and I are going into this Church.”

He next turned towards a small Russian Orthodox Church behind them.

The Church had actually been erected on the spot where Czar Peter, according to legend, had buried a casket containing the relics of St. Andrew and the ground had been blessed and sprinkled with Holy water.

Elva remembered reading this story.

The Duke took her by the hand and led her towards the Church.

She did not say another word, but because he was touching her hand again, she felt a flash of ecstasy spring throughout her entire body.

She sensed that he was feeling the same.

They then both walked into the Church, which was attractively decorated with a fragrance of incense in the air.

Kneeling in front of the altar was a Priest.

Elva next expected the Duke to walk into one of the ancient carved pews.

Instead he strode up to the altar steps where they stood waiting for a moment until the Priest rose.

As he turned round the Duke said,

“I would like, Father, to show my appreciation and gratitude to God and I feel sure you will put this to good use.”

He took a wad of notes from his pocket and Elva noticed that they were all high denominations.

The Priest turned and took a gold bowl from the altar and the Duke placed the notes in it.

“Thank you, my son,” intoned the Priest. “It is so good to remember God if God has remembered you.”

“He has been most kind to us, Father,” the Duke told him, “and as we are departing on a long sea voyage, I would be very grateful if you would not only give us your blessing but also
marry
us.”

The Priest looked surprised.

“If that is what you desire, my son, then I will join you as husband and wife with the blessing of God.”

He placed the bowl containing the money on the altar in front of the Cross.

At the same moment the Duke pulled the wedding ring from Elva's finger that had belonged to her mother.

The Priest asked their Christian names.

The Marriage Service was conducted in Russian and Latin, but Elva understood every word and so did the Duke.

At the right moment the Duke placed her mother's ring on her finger again.

Finally they knelt.

The Priest blessed them and Elva could feel a shaft of Divine light covering them both.

When they rose to their feet, the Priest was once again kneeling in front of the altar in prayer.

Without speaking to him the Duke drew Elva down the short aisle towards the West door.

She found it hard to realise that their marriage had really taken place.

She was now the wife of a man who had said he never wished to marry anyone.

‘
I love him
. I do love him,' she told herself, ‘and I must try to make him happy.'

They did not speak, but walked from the Church in silence and went back to the Quayside and the waiting
Sea Horse.

Again they were piped aboard and the Captain was waiting to greet them.