Seized by Love (27 page)

"You're all kindness,
to be sure, Monsieur," Alisa retorted angrily, "but I shan't be long
at Mon Plaisir. You can't make me stay."

With a husky laugh that
indicated that he thought otherwise, Nikki replied quietly, an ironic smile in
evidence, "I disagree, but do, by all means, put it to the test. In my
present humor," he went on grimly, "after having listened to your
insults for four days and five nights, I feel inclined to let my chivalrous
nature lapse momentarily. Even
my
benign patience is not
interminable."

The cold, steely look in
his eyes restrained the angry retort Alisa was about to make, and she lapsed
into silence. The rest of the journey passed in a frigid hostility. They
reached the estate late that afternoon.

In 1796 Nikki's grandfather
decided to build a wooden country villa on his forest tract far north of Lake
Ladoga, a retreat from the frenzied pace of court life. Using hundreds of
serf-artisans, this large structure was built completely of wood, with the ax
alone (saws, chisels, and drills were used only for decorative details), and
had not a single iron nail or other metal part. It was built "by the
eye" and became a remarkable demonstration of the spontaneous expression
of the folk genius.

The central
eighty-foot-long, three-story block was flanked by two wings extending the
overall length of the facade facing the lake to one hundred and sixty feet.
Elaborate open-work eaves projected over the log walls cut flat on both
exterior and interior. Intricately carved moldings framed each window and
doorway, vast carved panels were inset in walls, delicate spindle-railed
balconies projected from the second floor bedchambers, while a huge baroque
pediment flanked by carved whole tree-trunk pilasters distinguished the main
entrance doors.

By the spring of 1798 the
villa was completed, the interior as beautifully crafted as the exterior.
Chandeliers, mirrors, door frames, the parquet, were all made of wood, some gilded,
all of superb execution. The scrollwork on furniture, frames, and candelabra:
incredibly carved garlands, roses, cornflowers, figures, animals, all were made
of wood by men unable to write their own names.

The rooms all bespoke the
quiet charm of the hand craftsman; softly waxed floors, fur and woven rugs,
tapestries, handwoven linens, crocheted lace, embroidery in the traditional
tomato-red stitchery (in Russian, the words "red" and
"beautiful," both
krasnyi,
are identical), while fresh
flowers were arranged in huge vases throughout the house.

All these splendors were
only briefly glimpsed by Alisa as Nikki immediately carried her up to his
chambers in the

East Wing, laid her on the
bed, turned without a word, walked out of the room, and locked the door.

Returning back downstairs,
Nikki directed the servants and Katelina into the West Wing, where they were to
be housed. Seeing that the little girl was settled comfortably, he explained to
her as well as to Rakeli and Maria that Alisa wasn't feeling well because of
the arduous trip and she would remain in her room for a few days until she felt
stronger. He promised Katelina to take her riding the next day and told her to
come and see her mother in the morning and wake him up. The servants didn't
resist Nikki's suggestions that Alisa be afforded seclusion for a few days,
because he'd charmed them as well as Katelina and they didn't view him as
anything but kind and generous. He was courteous to them and politeness itself
to Alisa and Katelina in their presence. He'd even accepted Alisa's spiteful
remarks during the long journey with a benevolent, restrained calm.

In fact, Rakeli annoyed
Alisa by her constant praises of Prince Kuzan. He is so much nicer than old Mr.
Forseus, she would say with a completely unassailable simplicity.

Nikki returned to the
bedroom in the East Wing after having ordered some supper sent up. He found
Alisa pacing agitatedly back and forth between the huge bed and the bay windows
that overlooked the acres of lawn sloping down to the lake shore.

"Don't wear a path in
my Carabagh rug, love. You might as well relax. You're here for the
duration."

"How long will that
be, pray tell?"

"As long as I desire
your services. If you contrive to amuse me, I may let you out sooner."

Her mouth dropped open in
astonishment.

"You're going to keep
me locked up?"

"Precisely."

"You can't! I'll
scream, I'll tell Rakeli and Maria what a monster you are; I'll make your life
hell!" she cried in high dudgeon.

"Upon further
contemplation, my dear, I think you won't. Now," he said briskly,
"let's be practical. You're three hundred versts from the nearest town.
I'm the master of this estate and its employees. If you attempt to inform
Rakeli or Maria or Katelina or anyone else of your, shall we say, retirement
for health reasons, I'll lock you up in an isolated cabin that is two miles
deeper in the forest and inaccessible to anyone but me. I'll inform Katelina
and your retainers that you've returned to Petersburg for a short stay and
venture to entertain Katelina myself, which shouldn't be too difficult. You may
have noticed, we're great friends. After she goes to sleep in the evening, I
shall slip away to your forest cottage and have you entertain me for the
night."

Alisa's heart sank in
dismay as she listened to Nikki's voice explaining her alternatives.

"Now, if you should,
instead, choose," he continued amiably, "to remain here in this room
and obey me, I'll allow Katelina to visit you every morning as you are both in
the habit of doing and I'll also allow you to sit on the balcony outside the
bay windows and watch me tutor Katelina in riding and driving a pony cart.
She's delightfully pleased with both prospects. If you undertake to be biddable
and obedient, I'll permit you to see Katelina and your servants. If you disobey
me, you'll be locked in my cabin. I'm sure you'll agree to my terms when you
consider the great advantages to seeing things my way."

Alisa sat on the bed, her
mind racing to find some alternative, some way out of the trap she was caught
in.

"Really, dear, I don't
like to press you, but do come to a decision soon, for if you choose to be
obstinate, I must spirit you away to the cabin tonight. You understand, with
morning," he said deprecatingly, "the difficulties would be
endless."

She had no choice, Alisa
reflected bitterly. She couldn't think of a single pathway out of this tangled
web. If she stayed at the villa, at least her opportunities for escape would be
greater and Katelina would be close.

"Very well," she
said sullenly. "I'll stay here."

"Marvelous. I thought
you'd accede; after all, you're a clever woman. Now, unless you plan on
sleeping in your dress, I suggest you wash off the dust of the road and get
into something more comfortable."

As if on cue, a timid knock
was heard; Nikki unlocked the door and a procession of servants entered. Two
footmen carried an enormous ceramic bathtub which several more servants then
filled with steaming hot water. Stacks of linen towels were left on the dresser
and the cavalcade withdrew as silently as it had entered.

"Madame, please be my
guest," Nikki gestured grandly.

Alisa would have liked to
curtly refuse the offer, but after five days in a dusty, rocking carriage, the
temptation of a warm, soothing bath was too much to resist. One searching
glance around the room indicated neither dressing room nor screen. A mental
shrug dismissed the issue. Surely it was a little late to be unduly concerned
with modesty. Alisa kicked off her high-heeled yellow kid slippers and reached
behind her neck to undo the countless buttons marching down the back of her
lemon-yellow traveling costume.

"May I offer my
assistance as lady's maid?" Nikki drawled softly as he leaned back against
one of the enormous carved posts of the bed.

"Thank you no!"
Alisa snapped. "I'll manage."

Several minutes later,
despite her best efforts, she was unable to reach all of the succession of
minute covered buttons. Nikki watched her contortions, a slight smile play-ing
about his mouth. Alisa looked up once and shot him a murderous glance, whereupon
he quickly composed his features into a sham solemnity.

Several seconds later:
"Please, dear, accept my services or your bathwater will be disagreeably
cool. Since we must out of—er—necessity dispense with personal servants, I beg
you forget our differences and permit me to valet you these following days. I
hardly relish the idea of seeing you in that same dress day and night."

If looks could kill, he
chuckled to himself as he viewed the fuming, piqued woman opposite him.

Alisa didn't deign to reply
but merely turned around, offering her back to his ministrations. Several
minutes of cursing later, which uncharitably cheered Alisa, the tiny buttons
were all released.

"My God, Madame, those
hellish loops are surely not meant for masculine fingers. A greater deterrent
to lust I've never encountered."

"If I know you,
sir," Alisa said with sweet malice, "you wouldn't let such trivial
defenses arrest your passions."

"It presents a certain
dilemma, I will admit, and leaves one with only two choices. To make love to a
clothed woman or to send a lady back home with her dress ripped in two. Now,
the former course, unless excessively drunk, I abhor on principle—so very
crude—and the latter I abjure out of prudence, for husbands and servants are
apt to notice small matters such as tattered dresses when ladies return from
afternoon visits or rout parties."

"Surely, sir,"
Alisa couldn't prevent herself from saying, "you'll understand if I find
it singularly difficult to see you as either refined or prudent."

Not particularly goaded by
Alisa's acrid remarks, since he had her exactly where he wanted her, quite
literally under his fingertips, he yet had an irresistible compulsion to nettle
her as retribution for the five days of vituperation he'd suffered on their
journey north.

"Crude like this,
cherie?"
he impudently murmured, ripping the ties from her petticoats, which fell to the
floor on top of the folds of lemon-yellow silk.

She stiffened.

"Or imprudent like
this, Madame?" he softly whispered, slowly turning her around to face him.
One hand drifted from her arm over the swell of her breast, his slender fingers
slipping between her full breasts, then, firmly grasping the material of both
chemise and stays, he gave a firm wrenching tug, and silk and lace ripped from
top to bottom. They, too, joined the garments on the floor.

"Any more provocative
remarks, my dear?" he said with a lazy smile as Alisa stood crimson with
shock before him, clad only in delicate gossamer drawers. Then he laughed
softly, saying, "I see, my dove, your temper is at its usual fine pitch.
Have a pleasant bath." He flicked aside a red curl that had fallen across
her breast, bent over slowly, and sought a soft pink nipple between his
fingers. He pinched gently, then harder. A wild tremor drove through Alisa, and
Nikki smiled triumphantly, pleased with his power over her. "Reluctant as
I am to leave you just now, the dust of the road offends me, so I'm off to
bathe in the lake. In deference to your—ah—delicate condition, I knew the
forty-five-degree water temperature would not appeal to you."

With a blown kiss he was
gone, the quiet click of the lock echoing in the silent room. Alisa burned with
shame at her treacherous body and Nikki's recognition of her response.

Within the hour both Alisa
and Nikki were refreshed from their baths and together once again in the large
room, mauve and golden rays of the sun striking through the thick atmosphere of
silence. Nikki was sunk deep in a down-cushioned chair, calmly reading, while
Alisa moved restlessly about, her thoughts in a confused turmoil, her emotions
warring within her mind, all conflicting considerations ultimately overridden
by anger at Nikki's arrogant mastery over her. Damn him! There must be some way
out!

But the servants knocked on
the door soon after and dinner was carried in. Two footmen set it out on a
table near the tile fireplace.

"We will serve
ourselves, thank you, Anastasia," Nikki said courteously to the beaming
peasant woman who was directing the placement of the dishes.

"Is there anything
more your lordship will require tonight?" she asked.

"No, nothing. I'll
ring for you in the morning and Mrs. Forseus will select a menu for the
day."

The servants cast
surreptitious glances at the sullen beauty who was standing near the window,
tapping her foot in exasperation, scowling till her brows drew together over
dark, heavily lashed eyes. The door closed behind the retreating backs of the
cook and footmen. Nikki walked over to the door, locked it, and replaced the
key in his waistcoat pocket.

"Don't be so foolish
as to contemplate stealing the key while I sleep. I warn you, you'd find the
cabin extremely lonely when I caught you and brought you there. And catch you I
would; my Finnish trackers are nonpareil in their trade and have taught me
since childhood a certain degree of proficiency as well."