Part 20 (2/2)
The second footman followed with, ”Your Royal Highnesses! The Duke and d.u.c.h.ess of Malvern.”
”Your Royal Highnesses! The Marquess and Marchioness of Basingstoke!”
And then, as her new friends stood with the ladies to the left, their husbands to the right, as though an honor guard of lesser mortals sent ahead of her, ”Your Royal Highnesses! Lady Magdalena Evinka Nadeja Valentin!”
Alina took five steps forward into the vast ballroom and raised her gloved hands to the hood of the cloak fas.h.i.+oned from a thin ivory whisper of silk and antique Austrian lace that had made her such a curious and intriguing sight to the others on the stairs.
The Duke of Ashurst himself stepped forward as she lowered the hood and untied the silken strings at her throat, lifting it all away from her shoulders to reveal what had been so well hidden.
Several gasps were heard, and a ripple of low whispers began spreading out across the ballroom. ”Who is she?” Alina heard. And ”My G.o.d-magnificent!”
Ah, if only Justin could be here beside her. He would be so proud. She also thought he would appreciate such a moment. He was so delightfully vain.
Alina's gown had been her greatest achievement in her purchases, other than the velvet, ermine-tipped cloak that she had once sworn she loved with all her heart.
She knew the material of her gown to be extraordinary, appearing as liquid gold, its simple bodice devoid of ruffle or sleeves. The bodice stopped at the high waist, accented by an intricate, braided knot of material, and the nominally full front piece of the skirt was seemingly made up of hundreds of pleats that ran vertically down to within a whisper of the floor. There were forty-two pleats, actually; Danica had told her that several times, having been the one who had to make them perfect with the pressing iron in an obscenely brief amount of time.
Emeralds and diamonds were everywhere. In Alina's dark hair, which was piled at least six inches high, with ringlets caressing her neck. In her ears, on her wrists, over top her long gloves...and in the heavy necklace that possessed the famed Valentin emerald at its center. How Aunt Mimi had coveted that necklace that was never truly hers.
In the midst of all the quiet, Alina heard what she thought might be something that sounded very much like coo from somewhere behind her. She had no idea what it might mean, but she decided she would choose to be flattered.
Her chin high, she surveyed the dockworkers and sailors and prost.i.tutes in her mind's eye and then took the arm the Duke of Malvern offered her and proceeded directly down the center of the enormous chamber, toward the pair of thrones sitting on a cleverly tiered dais. The royal princess Charlotte occupied the smaller throne, her father the monstrously large and overly carved creation beside it.
An Ashurst footman followed them, the velvet-and-ermine cloak cradled in his outstretched arms.
Her heart pounding, her expression one of the confidence she tried with all her might to believe she possessed, Alina dropped into a deep curtsy that spread the deceptive fullness of her gown into a graceful golden puddle. ”Your Royal Highness,” she said, holding out her right hand as she kept her chin high, refusing to lower her gaze as she knew she should. ”My affianced husband, Lord Wilde, sends his most abject apologies for his tardiness. He a.s.sures me he will be arriving shortly to apologize personally. And to thank you, as I do now, for being the wisest of men, who has in his infinite wisdom and charity bound our two hearts together. We are both of us now and forever your most grateful and loyal subjects.”
The world stopped, held its collective breath.
Alina remained deep in her curtsy, at last lowering her head, baring the nape of her neck, as if in supplication. Her outstretched hand remained steady.
Just as she thought she had surely failed, she heard the creak of bone stays. She believed she could sense the Prince Regent rising from his red-velvet-and-gold-gilt throne. A fleshy hand took hold of hers, and she was drawn to her feet.
He bent over her fingertips, not actually kissing them, but still quite graciously, as if acknowledging her extraordinary and faintly exotic presence.
And the world breathed again.
”The s.h.i.+mmer of your gown is as nothing when matched with the worth of the true gold I see in your eyes, madam. The emeralds, however, are astounding. You've brought a present for me? From your king?” the Prince Regent asked in a curiously high-pitched voice.
Alina carefully recited the words Lucas had also penned for her, working on the two short speeches, refining them again and again during their hurried journey.
”For Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte, sir, a gift from Lord Wilde and myself, if it pleases you. There is not another like it anywhere, as is proper, for only the daughter of the most beloved Florizel can do it justice. May she wear it in good health for the next fifty years.”
Rafe nodded to the footman, and he stepped forward so that the duke could lift the cloak and flourish it, the ermine tails showing to their best advantage.
From her throne, the princess inclined her head and smiled.
”My compliments, madam. You may inform your affianced husband that he has gained himself a most delightful and formidable advocate,” the Prince Regent said quietly.
There was the sound of some commotion at the doorway to the ballroom, and Alina hid a smile.
”I believe it may be possible that you might tell him yourself, Your Highness.”
She didn't turn to watch, even as another round of gasps danced about the ballroom, even as she heard and recognized the confident footfalls of her beloved approaching.
Only when she felt his presence beside her did she dare to look at him. Oh, he was such a handsome fellow in his finery. Even if his neckcloth was slightly askew, and his hair somewhat the worse for the hat that must have sat on it for several long hours. She bit back a smile. The man actually smelled a bit of horse. Poor Justin. How his consequence must be suffering, that he was not his usual pristine and perfect self.
And how important she must be to him.
”Justin,” she said quietly.
”Alina,” he drawled almost languidly, without so much as nodding his head in her direction. ”Imagine seeing you here. Was Basingstoke that much of a bore in my absence?”
Oh, dear. If he grew any more polite, she felt sure the pressure building up inside of him would soon have the top of his head exploding into pieces. He must be very worried about her.
”Your Royal Highness,” Justin said then, as he moved closer to the dais and bowed deeply to the Prince Regent, his voice so low, so intimate, that even Alina had difficulty hearing him. ”My betrothed means well, but she is not a part of this. I am here to tell you that I was wrong and present myself for punishment. What transpired between us the last time I was in this building was unforgivable, the worst of it being that I misjudged you, and that I likewise misjudged my deep love and devotion for this country. I offer no excuses. No apology, no matter how abject or sincere, can adequately correct the insult I have dealt you. I can only say that I will do anything you ask, Your Highness. I am yours to command.”
”How delightful, if difficult to believe. Yet rather easy to prove,” the Prince Regent said just as quietly. ”Would you give her up if I were to ask it of you-for love of Crown and country?”
At last Justin turned his head to look at Alina. His eyes widened slightly, which served to warm her heart quite a lot. He took her hand in his, which brought tears to her eyes.
Please, Lord, let him behave. Please make him be diplomatic. Please don't let him say anything witty and d.a.m.ning....
Justin turned back to the Prince Regent. ”No,” he said flatly.
The future king at last showed that he wasn't as shallow and perhaps even stupid as many of his subjects would believe. He nodded, smiled-he was really rather handsome when he smiled, Alina thought charitably-and said, ”Take her home, Wilde, now. Leave this very minute. Your lady, and your impertinent friends. We look forward to the pleasure of your company again in the spring. But not until then, not any of you. Do we understand each other?”
They were prepared for this. They knew this could be their very public punishment so that the Prince Regent might have his small victory. Say yes, Justin, Alina prayed silently. They're your friends, our friends. Take what they've offered. You're not alone. You'll never again be alone....
”Yes, Your Highness,” Justin said.
EPILOGUE.
ALINA RAN ALONG THE PATH that wound through trees just budding with bright, spring-green leaves, her muslin skirts hiked almost above her knees as she laughed, occasionally daring a glance back to search out her pursuer.
Just as she burst from the shade of the trees, into the gra.s.sy clearing that bordered one of the streams flowing through the country estate, she found herself caught up and swung high off the ground.
”Justin! How do you always do this?” she exclaimed, resting her hands on his broad shoulders. ”We always begin together, yet even when I manage to elude you, I can never arrive here first. You must know a secret path.”
He lowered her slowly, their bodies touching in that now-familiar and yet still so thrilling way, until their lips met in a brief kiss before he set her back on her feet. ”Perhaps I am a mullo, and flew here in the form of a bat,” he said teasingly as they walked hand in hand to the edge of the stream.
”No,” she protested, her good humor fled. ”Loiza has told me stories of these supposed vampires. To the Romany a mullo is a terrible dead person who returns only to do malicious things. You do good things. You gave Loiza some of your land.”
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