To Charm a Prince (28 page)

“Really, Rudolf, you always had such discriminating taste in women,” the princess said, flicking a glance at Samantha. “Are you so desperate you would marry a pathetic cripple?”

Samantha stared at the blonde. An entire lifetime of pain, disappointment, and humiliation was nothing compared to this.

Please, God
,
send me a swoon
.
I cannot bear the pain.

She tried to yank her hand out of the prince’s, but he wouldn’t let her go. “This isn’t what you think,” Rudolf said. “Olga and I—”

Instead of the prince’s voice, Samantha heard the sound of ocean waves crashing in her ears. The floor rushed up to meet her as God blessed her with a swoon.

Chapter 15

“Is Samantha dead?”

“No, she’s breathing.”

“That swoon has lasted much too long.”

Surfacing from the depths of unconsciousness, Samantha heard her aunt’s and her sisters’ voices as if from a great distance. There was something she didn’t want to remember.

Moaning softly, Samantha opened her eyes and recognized her own bedchamber. What was she doing here? Why wasn’t she with her husband? And then she remembered. Harsh reality rushed back to her in a tidal wave of pain. The blond woman had said she was the prince’s wife.

“Welcome back, darling,” Aunt Roxie said. “You gave us a fright.”

Samantha looked at her aunt and sisters. Concern mingled with relief shone from their expressions. They pitied her.

A pathetic cripple
. That’s what Rudolf’s wife had called her in front of six hundred aristocrats.

“Why couldn’t you just let me die?”

“Darling, you have everything to live for,” her aunt told her.

Samantha rolled away and closed her eyes. She had nothing to live for. She wished she could go home to the cottage and live out her days there. Each time her dream was within her grasp, it slipped from her fingers. It was time to let go of the dream. Permanently.

“Listen to me,” Aunt Roxie said. “The prince loves you and intends to make you his wife. Grant and Drake and Zara adore you. Within the year, you will deliver your own baby. What else could a woman want except gowns, furs, and jewels?”

A ghost of a smile touched Samantha’s lips. She could always depend on her aunt to put a practical spin on an outrageous situation.

“Thank you for trying to cheer me.” Samantha sat up and leaned against the headboard. “Rudolf is married to another woman, and the children do not belong to me.”

“Their hearts belong to you,” Aunt Roxie said. “Let’s get you undressed. Victoria, fetch your sister’s nightshift.”

Samantha stood up slowly, so they could help her remove the wedding gown. Her aunt pulled the nightshift over her head and then helped her into bed again.

“Rudolf is beside himself with worry,” Aunt Roxie told her.

Samantha said nothing. Hot tears welled in her eyes, but she forced them back.

“Your prince insists he has documents to prove he is divorced,” Aunt Roxie added. “Without corroborating evidence, he needs to wait for his brothers to arrive in England to bear witness to the documents’ validity.”

“I don’t care,” Samantha said, and then sighed heavily. “I’m not going to marry him.”

“Of course you’ll marry,” her aunt said, holding her hands. “You are expecting his child.”

“I don’t want to marry the prince,” Samantha cried, losing control. “I can’t trust him. He led me to believe his wife was dead.”

“Listen to me,” Aunt Roxie said, irritation tingeing her voice. “Whether you trust him or not, you will marry him.”

“You can’t force me to the altar.”

Victoria leaped to her sister’s defense. “Samantha is correct, Aunt—”

“Keep those lips closed,” her aunt snapped. “Go to the kitchen and tell Cook your sister needs soup, toast, and tea.”

“Why do I always need to—”

“I’ll go with you.” Angelica slipped her arm through her sister’s.

“You will marry the prince even if His Grace and I need to drag you, kicking and screaming, down the aisle,” Aunt Roxie told her. “You will not embarrass His Grace and me by bearing a child out of wedlock. If you want to live apart from the prince after you’re married, that’s your business.”

“I don’t want to live separate lives,” Samantha murmured. “I want him to love me.”

“He does love you.” Aunt Roxie rose from the edge of the bed.

“I don’t want to speak to him.”

“When did you become so infuriatingly stubborn?” Aunt Roxie asked. “I would expect this recalcitrant behavior from Victoria, but never from you. Listen to what the prince has to say. You owe him that much.”

“I owe him nothing,” Samantha said. “Why can’t you leave me alone in my misery?”

Samantha rolled onto her side, tears streaming down her cheeks. First the balls, then the opera, and now a wife. How could she show her face in society?

*    *    *

Downstairs, Prince Rudolf sat in the study with the Duke of Inverary and the Marquess of Argyll. Drinking whiskey, the three men sat in silence while awaiting the duchess’s return from Samantha’s bedchamber.

“We should call a physician,” Rudolf said. “A swoon doesn’t last this long. Something could be wrong with the baby.”

“Women and babies are stronger than we men believe,” Duke Magnus said.

“Samantha has had a shock,” Robert said. “She’s not in any hurry to wake up.”

“The poor child was so nervous,” the duke remarked. “I had the devil of a time getting her down the aisle.”

Rudolf snapped his gaze to the duke’s. “She didn’t want to marry me?”

“Oh, she wanted to marry you all right,” Duke Magnus answered, “but didn’t want to limp in front of six hundred people. Finally, I told her the only way to reach you was down that aisle. She moved fast enough after that.”

Rudolf smiled at that and relaxed.

“Her hand shook like the palsy,” the duke told him, “but she desperately wanted to get to you.”

The three men fell silent again.

Though young and vulnerable, Samantha had an iron backbone. Because she loved him, she had faced her worst fear by walking down the aisle in front of six hundred wedding guests. This was how her bravery was rewarded. He couldn’t blame her if she didn’t want to do it again.

“Why would Olga do what she did?” Robert asked.

“Vladimir wants the Kazanov Venus that I took when I left Russia.” Seeing their puzzled expressions, Rudolf explained, “The Kazanov Venus is a gold medallion engraved with Venus holding her son’s hand. This has been in the Kazanov family for five hundred years and is always passed from father to firstborn son, which Vladimir contends should be his.”

“What is so important about this medallion?” Robert asked.

“Legend says that who possesses the medallion is blessed with prosperity and fertility,” Rudolf told him.

“Do you actually believe that?”

Rudolf shrugged. “What I believe is unimportant. Apparently, my brother believes the legend and is desperate to retrieve it.”

Duke Magnus cleared his throat. “I do believe my wife desires a union between Victoria and Alexander Emerson.”

Rudolf snapped his gaze to the duke’s. “Is she disappointed to get me as a husband for Samantha?”

“Victoria needs a man strong enough to control her,” Duke Magnus said. “As a matter of fact, Roxie never thought Alexander and Samantha would suit. She wanted Alexander for Victoria.”

As if speaking her name had conjured her, Roxie opened the door without knocking. Without saying a word, the duchess marched to her husband’s desk and grabbed his glass. She poured a splash of whiskey into the glass and gulped it down. Then she poured herself another.

“Problems, my dear?” Duke Magnus asked, laughter lurking in his voice.

“My nieces will be the death of me,” Roxie answered. “All three are determined to put me in an early grave.”

“How is she?” Rudolf asked.

“Samantha has regained consciousness,” Roxie answered. “And I wish to hell she had stayed swooned.”

The prince rose from his chair. “I must speak with her.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she warned him.

“Is she angry?” Samantha had every right to be angry. He should have told her he was divorced instead of letting her think death had claimed his first wife.

“I don’t know what the twit is,” Roxie said. “This whole day has upset her to the point where she doesn’t know what she wants. Cook is preparing a tray for her, but I cannot guarantee what your reception in her chamber will be like. You have your work cut out for you.”

Rudolf left the study. A few minutes later, he stood outside her chamber. He carried a tray with a bowl of broth, two slices of toast, and tea. Without knocking, Rudolf opened the door and stepped inside. Samantha was lying in bed with her back to the door.

Rudolf paused, his heart breaking, when he realized she was sobbing dryly. Her tears had been spent, but she couldn’t stop her involuntary sobs.

“Leave it on the table,” Samantha whispered on a sob. “I’ll eat later.” Another sob.

Feeling helpless, Rudolf set the tray on the table. He stood beside the bed and stared down at her. How could he possibly comfort her when she was so consumed by pain? What words would soothe her?

“Princess, let me help you.” Rudolf sat on the edge of the bed. “Your unhappiness will sicken the baby.” Over her protests, he gathered her into his arms and held her tight against his chest. “I wish I could take away your pain.”

Rudolf tilted her face up and winced at the sight of her swollen eyes. “Olga and I divorced when she learned that I am a bastard,” he told her. “Because of my origins, she has never taken an interest in Zara.”

“She’s very beautiful. You loved her.”

“I thought she was you,” Rudolf said. “Olga wanted to marry the heir and pretended to be everything you are—loving and caring and nurturing and loyal.”

With one hand, Rudolf tilted her face up, and his mouth descended to hers. His kiss was long, slow, healing. Aching love for the woman in his arms swelled in his chest.

Samantha gazed at him, all the love she felt shining from her eyes. “Don’t blame yourself for this. You couldn’t have known.”

Rudolf held her close. All she had ever wanted was his love. He was the prince who would rescue her from an unkind world, from a lifetime of pain. All he had managed to do was bring her more pain. Somehow, he would make this up to her.

“We will put this behind us when my brothers arrive and testify to the validity of my divorce papers,” Rudolf told her. “Perhaps I should give Vladimir the Venus and be done with it.”

A smile touched his lips. “You must eat now.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Rudolf dropped his hand to her softly rounded belly. “Please eat
.
The baby needs the nourishment.”

Samantha sat up and leaned against the headboard. Rudolf dipped the spoon in the soup and brought it to her lips.

“What are you doing?”

“I am feeding you.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“I want to do it.” When tears welled up in her eyes, Rudolf said, “I will not do it if it makes you cry.”

“I’m not crying.”

“You cannot imagine how proud I was when you walked down that aisle to me,” Rudolf spoke as he fed her. “Your courage to walk down the aisle in front of hundreds of guests was one of the world’s wonders.”

“My aunt was correct about one thing,” Samantha said. “We did have the wedding of the decade. No one will soon forget it.”

Rudolf smiled and offered her the tea. She took three sips and handed it back to him.

“I’ll eat more later,” she promised.

Rudolf sat beside her and leaned against the headboard. He took her into his arms and held her against his chest. “You are nobler than any lady sitting in that church. You retained your dignity in the face of extreme provocation.”

When she slept, Rudolf eased himself off the bed and gently laid her back. His heart ached as a sob escaped her in sleep.

An hour later, Samantha awakened with troubled thoughts. Though she’d encouraged the prince not to give his brother the Kazanov Venus, she feared what would happen. If he didn’t turn the medallion over, Vladimir might succeed in killing Rudolf. Olga might keep denying their divorce so the baby would be born a bastard. The woman must know how Rudolf felt about his own bastardy and siring a bastard.

She needed to give Vladimir the Kazanov Venus, but that meant betraying the prince. How could she give Vladimir the Venus without really giving it to him?

Samantha rose from the bed and crossed the chamber to the door. Opening it a crack she peered into the deserted corridor. Then she stepped outside and closed the door behind herself.

Praying that no one would appear in the corridor, Samantha hurried to the door of the prince’s chamber and pressed her ear against it. No sound came from within.

Samantha stepped inside his bedchamber and closed the door. She didn’t know how much time she had, only that she needed to be quick.

With grim determination, Samantha headed for the highboy. She checked each drawer but found nothing. Next, Samantha went into the dressing room. Staring at his clothing hanging neatly, she couldn’t help but remember how her own clothing had hung beside his when they shared a chamber in Scotland. The memory made her smile, and she touched his clothing as if that could bring them closer.

Samantha told herself that she was wasting time. Each moment’s delay could bring the prince back to his chamber. Then how would she explain herself?

Spying a leather case on the floor, Samantha dropped to her knees. She lifted his boots off it and opened the lid. Several documents lay on top of the contents; she lifted them out and realized they were written in Russian.

There was another case beneath the documents. Lifting its lid, Samantha spied several pieces of jewelry and a black velvet pouch. She opened the pouch and peered inside.

Samantha lifted the gold medallion out of the pouch. She stared at it for a long moment, unable to believe such a small ornament could create trouble.

The medallion didn’t cause the trouble, she told herself. The desire to own the medallion was the root of this trouble.