When We Meet Again (16 page)

The sound of female voices drifted from the parlor and caught his attention. He drew his brows together in annoyance. So much for solitude. He rather expected Roman or Dimitri or both to join him shortly at the breakfast table, if they were not already there, but Lady Smythe-Windom did not strike him as the type of woman who would be about at this hour. Still, that was definitely her voice. He was not at all sure he was ready to hear just what new and diabolical schemes she had hatched during the night. She probably had him and her niece saying false wedding vows before a fraudulent minister to further this absurd scheme of hers. Why, before he knew it, there would be children frolicking about his feet. Still, children did require a legitimate wedding night and any number of intimate nights thereafter. He grinned. What a delightful thought. The least he could do for the lady who had put such a pleasant idea in his head and brightened his mood considerably so early in the morning was bid her a good day. He turned and stepped into the parlor.

Lady Smythe-Windom was dressed for an outing and accompanied by an exquisite young woman attired in a similar fashion. The two were perched on a sofa and engaged in lively conversation with Valentina, who was dressed for riding. Alexei stifled a laugh. Perhaps greeting the day in a timely fashion with a legitimate pursuit was part of her effort to change her ways. Of course, they had all retired rather early last night. There was simply little else to do.

Dimitri and Roman stood flanking the fireplace, the captain with arms crossed over his chest watching Valentina every second, and Roman, who observed the ladies with a definite air of amusement.

"Good day, ladies. " Alexei strode into the room. "You are looking lovely this morning, Lady Smythe-Windom."

"Your Highness. " Roman stepped forward. "Allow me to—"

"Am I, Your Highness?" Lady Smythe-Windom gazed up at him with an assessing eye and an amused smile. She extended her hand. "How lovely?"

He bowed over her hand, lifted it to his lips, and met her gaze. "Exceptionally."

"Really?" Lady Smythe-Windom's eyes widened innocently.

Valentina smirked. "Do you think she is lovelier this morning than she was, oh, say, last night?" Alexei laughed and straightened. "Most definitely lovelier." Lady Smythe-Windom's smile was decidedly smug. "And younger too perhaps?"

"The very breath of youth, " he said firmly.

"They say there is always a good twin and not so good twin. " An irate feminine voice rang from the doorway. Alexei turned to find Lady Smythe-Windom, or rather someone who looked exactly like Lady Smythe-Windom, or exactly like the lady seated in front of him, save for her dress, lounging in the doorway. "I was the good twin."

"Not for long. " The first Lady Smythe-Windom rose to her feet. "I daresay you've rectified that in recent years."

"You can be assured I have given it my very best efforts. " The newly arrived Lady Smythe-Windom moved toward her twin. "Still, I would never coerce a prince into saying I looked younger and lovelier than my sister."

The sister glanced at Alexei. "Do forgive me, Your Highness, if I coerced you in any way. Or if I deceived you. I am Abigail Effington. Lady Edward. Pamela's mother."

"Yes, of course. " He should have known the moment he realized there were two of them. She couldn't possibly be anyone else.

"Abigail. " Lady Smythe-Windom met her sister in the center of the room. Lady Edward eyed her twin. "Millicent."

The resemblance between the women was nothing short of remarkable. Alexei wondered if it went beyond appearance, although if appearance was any indication, the sisters did not seem especially pleased to see one another. A distinct tension hovered in the air between them.

"I wondered if you were ever going to return home, " Lady Edward said. Lady Smythe-Windom shrugged. "As did I."

Lady Edward narrowed her eyes. "Are you still as reckless, single-minded, and prone to doing precisely as you please as you once were?"

"Most certainly. " Lady Smythe-Windom studied her sister. "And have you remained as stubborn, arrogant, and convinced that you and you alone are right as you used to be?" Lady Edward nodded. "Absolutely."

"Good. I was afraid that you had changed."

"Never. " Lady Edward laughed and threw her arms around her sister.

The two women embraced amidst laughter and banter and the odd tear, each apparently trying to get years of conversation into a few bare moments. Alexei breathed a sigh of relief. What an odd relationship these Englishwomen had. A moment ago he was certain they would come to blows and had been prepared to throw himself bodily between them although he had not relished the idea. Fortunately, it was now obvious that they held one another in great affection.

Roman moved to Alexei's side. "I did try to warn you, Your Highness." Lady Smythe-Windom disentangled herself from her sister's embrace. "I should have warned you as well."

"I daresay I could have used a bit of warning. " Alexei smiled wryly. "It is rather frightening to discover there is more than one of you."

"I can see where it would be, but I meant that I should have warned you that Abigail would try to get you to say something terribly complimentary to her at my expense. " Lady Smythe-Windom cast her sister a long-suffering look.

Lady Edward laughed. "You would have done precisely the same thing if you had thought of it first."

"Yes, " Lady Smythe-Windom said smugly. "But I would have done it much better."

"Hardly. " Lady Edward laughed and took her sister's hands. "I understand you have taken exceptionally good care of Pamela."

"Of course I have. " Indignation furrowed Lady Smythe-Windom's brow. "I would never let anything happen to Pamela or Clarissa either for that matter."

"Of course not. I'm not talking about keeping her safe. I'm talking about... " Lady Edward nodded in a significant manner toward Alexei. "Him."

Alexei started. "Me?"

Lady Edward cast her sister a radiant smile. "You've done a splendid job."

"Have I?" Lady Smythe-Windom said cautiously.

"Prepare yourself, Your Highness, " Roman said under his breath.

"Indeed you have. Although, I do wish you had written me, at least of the possibilities. " Lady Edward shook her head. "We could be much farther along by now."

"I have written you faithfully once a month for most of my life. " Lady Smythe-Windom stared in confusion. "Farther along with what?"

"I have been telling her all about Pamela and Alexei, " Valentina said with a fond smile at Lady Edward.

"We have been discussing arrangements for the wedding."

"The wedding?" Lady Smythe-Windom slanted Alexei a quick look.

"You have?" Alexei stared at his cousin.

"Most certainly. " Valentina nodded. "Oh I know this will not be as lavish as a state wedding, but it is the joining of the House of Pruzinsky and the House of Effington—"

"I'm not sure that I'd call it a house exactly, " Lady Edward murmured.

"Family then. Regardless"—Valentina shrugged—"there should be some sort of celebration, and I for one intend to do all I can to assure that it goes well. " She leaned toward Alexei and met his gaze. "The very least I can do, cousin, is to help you start your new life in a splendid manner since I am, to a certain extent, responsible for your old life being a wee bit complicated now and again. You may thank me later."

"Thank you?" Alexei's voice rose.

"Think nothing of it. " Valentina smiled smugly.

"A bit complicated?" Dimitri scoffed. "Now and again?" Valentina ignored him. Lady Edward and Lady Smythe-Windom exchanged glances.

"I told the ladies it was perhaps a little early for wedding arrangements, " Roman said smoothly.

"Nonsense, " Lady Edward said firmly. "From what the princess has been telling me, His Highness and Pamela have waited far too long already."

"Yes, but, " Lady Smythe-Windom chose her words carefully, "they just saw one another again yesterday and immediately realized... that is, well... this has all happened so quickly—" The young woman seated on the sofa heaved a heartfelt sigh. "I think it's terribly romantic."

"As do I. " Valentina grinned at her cousin. "Terribly." The most absurd sense of panic twisted Alexei's stomach. Apparently it was not enough that he had lost his country. Now these women wanted to take away his freedom as well. It was one thing to pose as Pamela's fiancé but something entirely different actually to marry her as part of the act regardless of the considerable appeal of a wedding night and endless nights with her in his bed. The specter of frolicking children once again appeared about his feet.

No. The children vanished. He had spent his life knowing he would have little say in the selection of a bride. That had changed along with everything else, and he bloody hell would not be forced into a marriage simply because an absurd scheme went awry.

"Lady Edward. " Alexei fixed the woman with a firm look. "Before this goes any further, I feel I must inform you—"

"He must inform you... or rather... " Lady Smythe-Windom cut in, "your husband. Yes of course, that's it. Pamela's father. Edward that is. " Her expression brightened. "His Highness feels simply dreadful that he did not have the opportunity to do all this properly and ask for Pamela's hand. He should certainly do that before there are any actual wedding arrangements made. " She turned toward him. "Isn't that right, Your Highness?"

Alexei narrowed his gaze.

Roman leaned closer, his voice for Alexei alone. "Do keep in mind the bank, Your Highness." Alexei blew a long breath. "Indeed, Lady Smythe-Windom, I feel"—he gritted his teeth—"dreadful."

"I thought as much. " Relief flickered across her face, and she offered him a grateful smile. "And do call me Aunt Millicent."

"Not precisely the name I had in mind, " he said under his breath.

"Edward would quite like that. " Lady Edward nodded approvingly. "And I appreciate the gesture as well although I'm not entirely certain it's necessary given Pamela's age and well... " She waved dismissively. "It scarcely matters now I suppose. " Lady Edward favored Alexei with a glowing smile.

"Now that she has made such an excellent match and for love. I could not more delighted." Alexei sighed. "Lady Edward—"

"We are all delighted, my lady, " Roman said smoothly. "For the happiness of Miss Effington and His Highness."

"And we shall all be able to mark the occasion in a grand manner. Our timing is nothing short of perfect. Lady Edward's family is hosting a ball a scant two days from now. " Excitement sounded in Valentina's voice. "It will be the perfect place for an official announcement."

"What will be the perfect place to announce what?" Pamela stood in the doorway, staring in obvious confusion. She looked rather charmingly disheveled as if she had just been awakened and dressed hurriedly. Alexei had the most absurd desire to sweep her into his arm and carry her back to her bed.

"Whatever are you... " She stepped into the room and her eyes widened. "Mother? Amanda?" Pamela flew across the room and into the arms of her mother and the younger lady, no doubt her sister. The next few minutes were a repeat of the earlier greeting between the older ladies but louder and longer, and amazingly enough, with even greater enthusiasm. Especially as Lady Smythe-Windom—or rather Aunt Millicent—threw herself into the fray. Even Valentina seemed pulled toward the knot of excited women, who appeared to be something of a force of nature not unlike a whirlpool sucking in everything in its path.

"Dearest, you look wonderful. " Lady Edward held her eldest daughter at arm's length and considered her thoughtfully. "Travel obviously agrees with you."

"I've had a grand time. Mother " Pamela said. "But I am very glad to be home."

"But you're not home really. I mean you're here. " Lady Edward glanced around the room and shuddered. "In this place, Great-aunt Elizabeth's house—God rest her soul—rather than in our home. It's simply not right."

Apparently, Lady Edward was not aware that Pamela was a partial owner of the house.

"Right or not, this is where I shall stay. " Pamela shook her head. "I cannot go back to where I lived any more than I can go back to who I was."

"She is most welcome here, " Aunt Millicent said quickly. "I don't know what I would do without Pamela and Clarissa. Indeed, I think of them as more than mere nieces. They are as close to me as if they were my own daughters. " She heaved a deep sigh. "I was never blessed with children of my own, you know." Lady Edward snorted. "You were never especially fond of children."

"I find I quite like them once they've ended all that childhood nonsense, " Aunt Millicent said in a lofty manner. "When they've entered into adulthood they're very much like... people." Pamela laughed. "Thank you, Aunt Millicent. " She drew a deep breath and turned to Lady Edward.

"Mother, it is precisely because I am an adult that I would prefer not to occupy the very same quarters I occupied as a child. I know most unmarried women of my age do so. However, I have never wished to be one of them."

She looked her mother directly in the eye. "I fear I have become too... independent to return to the life I lived as a child, in the place where I resided as a child. It sounds silly, I suppose, and I do hope you understand but, well, there you have it."