Love and Splendor: The Coltrane Saga, Book 5 (37 page)

“Drakar, be serious,” she chided.

The light left his eyes. “I am serious. It doesn’t matter now what I ever felt for Dani. She hates me. That’s the way it is. But I’ve got to get my hands on that painting.”

Because she cared so deeply for him, wanted him to be happy, Jade said, “Can you really be so sure she hates you?”

“I’m sure,” he snapped. “Now let’s not talk about it. I’d just like to know what she and her brother are doing here, why Dani would leave Paris and travel with Arpel.”

He had confided to Jade about the painting, and she thought for a moment, then suggested, “Maybe he’s told her the story behind the painting and agreed to divide the reward for the egg with her if she’ll help him find it.”

“Good logic, but you don’t know Dani. Granted, she might go on a treasure hunt for fun, but not money. She doesn’t need it any more than you do.”

Jade’s expression did not change. It was common knowledge that, as a Romanov, she had a generous inheritance. She would never have to worry a day in her life over money; she even gave her meager earnings as a dancer to charity, for she did not need it. Material things had never been important to her, anyway.

She walked over to where Drakar stood staring pensively out the window into the night. Pressing herself against his back and wrapping her arms around his strong chest, she gently inquired, “Can I do anything at all to help?”

Drakar did not respond at once. He was wondering how to find a way to see Dani and finally confide everything. Then, if she were involved with Cyril in any kind of ploy to recover the egg from its hiding place, he might be able to change her mind and help him instead.

Slowly a plan began to form. Turning, he drew Jade over to sit beside him on the sofa. “I need to get to Dani, to tell her the truth about everything. Getting her away from Arpel is no problem. No doubt she’s staying at the French Embassy because of her father’s importance, and Arpel has his own place.

“The problem will be Colt,” he went on thoughtfully. “He’ll be staying nearby. That’s where you come in if you’re willing to play a little game.”

“Tell me everything, and then I’ll decide.”

He then explained what had happened his last night in Paris, how he’d tried to help Colt. “Now it seems from what you tell me, he’s soured on all women. What he needs is to become interested in a girl who, for all intents and purposes, is not wealthy. A hard-working girl, who would seem to have every reason to want him merely for his money, only,” he continued after flashing a mischievous grin, eyes twinkling, “the poor girl turns him down and says she doesn’t care how rich he is, she just isn’t interested.

“That,” he finished with a satisfied nod, “should show
Monsieur
Coltrane that not all women are alike, and then I won’t have to feel so bad about the way my other scheme turned out. It’ll also give me a chance to be with Dani. Will you do it?” he asked hopefully.

Jade did not have to ponder for long. It sounded intriguing. No one would get hurt. Colt would be disappointed, of course, when she had to tell him he just wasn’t the sort of man she could love, but ultimately he would be happier, have a healthier outlook concerning women. Besides, he seemed nice and was certainly attractive. But would he find her attractive enough for the scheme to work? She revealed her thoughts to Drakar, and he told her she was ridiculous.

“All men find you beautiful. Colt will be no exception, believe me.”

So they finalized their plans. Jade recalled that one of the students at the ballet school was having a romance with one of the couriers stationed at the embassy. So she was confident that, through her friendship with the girl, it could be arranged for her to pose as an embassy maid.

“Just leave Colt to me,” she finished confidently. “I’ll play the role of seductress yet restore his confidence in women so he won’t regard each one he meets as someone out to get his fortune.”

“But what about tomorrow night at the ballet?” Drakar was quick to point out. “If he sees you onstage, he might recognize you later.”

“No, that’s not a problem,” she said, waving away his fears. “My hair will be styled as it is now, and I’ll look quite different in costume than I will as a
femme de chambre
—starched uniform and cap, hair braided.” She gave a mock curtsy and winked.

He chuckled. “Very well. We’ll set things up for tomorrow night, when they return to the embassy after the Czar’s midnight supper. I’ll leave Colt to you, and I’ll slip into Dani’s room and attempt to make her believe me.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Dani was enthralled to actually be at the breathtakingly beautiful Maryinsky Theater and see the famed Russian ballet. The fact that she was sitting in the back row of the Imperial box was merely frosting on the cake, for it was grand enough just to be in attendance.

The audience glittered with finery and jewels in complement to the crystal-and-gold chandeliers sparkling throughout the hall. Dani’s own costume was in competition with Empress Marie herself. Fashioned of emerald velvet, the bodice was crusted with hundreds of tiny topazes. Impressed by his sister’s beauty, Colt had marveled at how the stones caught the happy glimmer in her cinnamon eyes that night.

The performance was
Coppélia
, which had been created during the Franco-Prussian War. Tears of joy had come to Dani’s eyes at watching Mathilde Kschessinskaya perform as the mischievous heroine, Swanilda.

Dani applauded with respectful delight at the introduction of Marius Petipa, the brilliant ballet master and choreographer of the Imperial Ballet.

The colorful costumes, the precision and lightness of the dancers, held her entranced throughout the performance. She could close her eyes, pretend it was actually her onstage so gracefully maneuvering the
battements
and
pirouettes
.

All too soon it was over, and they were at the Winter Palace once more. Supper was served in a long mirrored hall, the food displayed on damask-covered tables amid delicate carvings of ice. They enjoyed
bliny
—small pancakes served with caviar; fish served with melted butter;
pyelmeni
—meat dumplings;
borshch
—a beet soup;
stakan kiselya
—a dessert of thickened cranberry juice; and
marozhnoye
—Russian ice cream.

There was rich steamed coffee, unbelievably dark in color, as well as champagne, a variety of wines, and, of course, vodka. Dani had to stifle a sneeze at the taste of the
Ghorilka s pertsem
variety, Ukrainian in origin and seasoned with hot peppers.

Dani was not surprised when the Czar’s daughter Princess Xenia attached herself to Colt and made herself his unofficial hostess for the evening. She was pleased to see them walk together into an adjoining parlor to view some of the palace’s art collection.

She herself found the company of the Czar’s son, Nicholas, to be quite enjoyable. She was tempted to ask him questions about the dancer she admired, remembering Cyril’s gossip about the future Czar’s romance with Mathilde Kschessinskaya, but did not dare. She did, however, when responding to his polite inquiry as to how she’d enjoyed the ballet, enthusiastically comment, “All the dancers were good but none equaled
Mademoiselle
Kschessinskaya. She is truly wonderful.”

There was no missing the look of pride and affection in his dark, piercing eyes, as he agreed. “Yes, Mathilde is an artist Russia can be proud of.”

As Nicholas kindly took her on an intimate tour of one wing of the palace, Dani’s mind raced to think of a way to bring up the subject of Drakar. Just thinking of him brought bitter bile to her throat. Cyril had told her Drakar and Nicholas had once been close. Perhaps now that Drakar was no doubt back in Russia, the two had been in contact.

Suddenly, a large mural on the wall of a parlor caught her eye, and she cried in recognition, “The Alexandrovsky Palace.”

Nicholas was mildly surprised. “You recognize that?”

She mutely nodded, momentarily mesmerized.

A servant appeared with a tray containing glasses of champagne, and Dani absently took the glass Nicholas gave her. He was curious about her strange reaction and asked, “Then you’ve been to Tsarskoye Selo?”

“No.”

He emitted an astonished chuckle. “Then how did you recognize the palace?”

She decided perhaps this was an opportunity to let him know the painting had been found and to learn if he knew Drake was in Saint Petersburg. She related the story of her Monaco Find, how the crude rendering of the Alexandrovsky Palace had subsequently been stolen…but did not mention Drake.

The young man destined to be the next czar of Russia listened to her every word. When she had finished, he took a deep breath, feigned a sympathetic expression, and said, “How unfortunate, but you said yourself the painting was obviously worthless, so you really haven’t lost anything, have you?”

He did not give her a chance to comment, for he turned and began to talk of other things as he led her out of the room.

Dani did not miss the strange look that had come into his eyes, knew he had been startled by her story. Preoccupied with Nicholas’s reaction, Dani did not observe how the servant who had been hovering nearby had nearly dropped his tray when he’d heard her story.

Nor did she notice the way he turned to scurry away in the opposite direction, looking quite pale and shaken.

Colt reluctantly left Dani at the door of her suite. She was very depressed, for the opportunity had not arisen for her to ask Nicholas if he knew anything about his old friend’s whereabouts.

“Tomorrow,” she said with finality. “I am going to see Nicholas and come right out and ask him if he’s heard from Drake. I’ve got to find him,” she went on angrily. “I don’t intend to stay in Russia all winter like a frivolous debutante. I want my painting, and then I want to go home. I’ve a business to run.”

Colt kissed her cheek. “I’ll go with you if you want. I don’t have anything else to do. Now get some sleep.”

He left her, went to his own room downstairs at the rear. He liked the way the embassy was arranged. The business offices were situated in the middle of the square building while a hallway ran entirely around to separate the private residences and guest quarters from the offices. Colt had a bedroom, private toilet facilities, and a tiny parlor. The size suited him fine.

He unlocked his door, stepped inside, realized all the lamps were burning and wondered why. The evening maid usually left on only the night light in the parlor.

“Oh,
monsieur
. I am so sorry!”

He blinked at the sight of the young girl coming from his bedroom, carrying a bundle of bed linens.

She was almost trembling with her apology. “Please do not report me. I will lose my job. I should have been finished with my duties hours ago, but I was late leaving my other job, and I’d hoped to finish before you returned.”

A glance at the clock on a nearby table caught his eye. It was nearly four a.m. He eyed her suspiciously. “Maids don’t work this time of the night. I think I’d better call security.”

“No, please!” She dropped the bundle of linens and covered her face with trembling hands, peered out at him through her fingers. “No,
monsieur
. Please do not report me. I would lose my job, and I must have it to live. I have to help with my family, and—” She swung her head wildly from side to side, appeared to be sobbing as bright red hair came undone from pins beneath her white lacy cap to cascade downward and swing loose and free around her face and shoulders.

Even in his surprise, Colt had not missed seeing the rare beauty of this girl. Her green eyes, so wide with fear, looked like crystallized jade. She wore a white uniform, buttoned up the front to beneath her throat, but he could see the way her lush bosom strained against the fabric. The cotton skirt reached to the floor, but he had also noticed the curve of her rounded bottom.

She was gorgeous.

He walked to where she stood, pulled her hands from her face and held her wrists to force her to meet his stem expression. “Tell me the truth, girl,” he harshly demanded, “or I’ll call security right now. What are you doing in my room this time of night?”

Jade pretended to be terribly frightened, although she found it difficult to keep from laughing to think how good an actress she was. With great effort, she made her voice tremble. “I am telling the truth, sir, you must believe me. There are no jobs in Saint Petersburg for poor, uneducated girls like me. I can only find work as a maid, and I clean a mansion during the day for a Countess so miserly she will only pay for one servant, and I must do the work of many before I can leave. I don’t make enough money there, so I had to take this one at night, and they’ve been very understanding about my sometimes coming in late, as long as I don’t disturb any of the guests.

“Your room,” she rushed on, words tumbling on top of each other as she feigned near-hysteria, “has been last because you always come in late, but tonight I was much later than usual but dared to think I could finish before you returned. Please, sir, forgive me.”

She slumped against him then, laying her head on his shoulder as though completely exhausted, well aware that her breasts pressed against him intimately.

Colt’s breath caught in his throat. Damn, she was lovely, and he could feel desire welling…and something else…an unfamiliar tenderness.