Scandalous Deception (Russian Connection 1)

She would be as notorious as Lady Caroline Lamb.

No. She pressed a hand to her tightly clenched stomach. She could not bear it.

“Being a lady of independence does not necessarily mean a tart with no morals. I should like to maintain a shred of respect among society.” She stiffened as his low chuckle filled the carriage. By God, satisfying this stupid bout of lust was not worth sacrificing her last shred of dignity. She would remain at Meadowland before she would return to being a source of mockery to others. “Edmond, I am quite serious. I have already endured the shame of being related to Thomas Wade, I could not…”

“No one will even know you are in my company.” He abruptly grimaced. “Well, perhaps Alexander Pavlovich, if he returns to St. Petersburg while we are there. He has become increasingly suspicious of others, and he does not take kindly to those who keep secrets from him, no matter how harmless they might be. I cannot afford to stir his ire during such dangerous times.”

She ignored the unnerving thought of being introduced to the Imperial Highness as well as Edmond’s reference to dangerous times. Instead, she concentrated upon the ridiculous notion that she could somehow become invisible.

“And how do you intend to hide my presence?”

“Quite simple. We shall both travel in disguise.”

“Disguise?”

“I am to be a wealthy merchant and you will be my devoted wife.”

“You a wealthy merchant?” She gave a short, disbelieving laugh. Edmond was a nobleman, from the top of his glossy curls to the tips of his champagne polished boots. He could be attired in rags, and no one would believe he was anything less than an aristocrat.

“This is absurd. You cannot travel about in disguise…” Her words trailed away as she was struck with a sudden thought. This had nothing to do with protecting her honor and everything to do with his mysterious determination to rid himself of her presence three days earlier. She had known that there was something afoot. “Oh, of course. What the devil are you scheming?” She narrowed her gaze as his lips parted to deny her question. “And do not try to convince me that you are willing to risk traveling about in disguise simply to have me with you. There is something you are hiding.”

His lips twitched as he reached out to part her cloak so he could run a teasing finger along the neckline of her French gray carriage dress.

“I am willing to bare all my secrets if you are.”

Her nipples hardened in anticipation as his finger slipped beneath the Brussels lace that edged her camisole. Oh, the man had surely bewitched her. How else could he manage to make her melt while they were rattling over the rutted road in a freezing carriage?

“No, I will not be distracted.” She reached to tug his fingers from her aching breasts. “Tell me why we are going to Russia.”

He heaved an exaggerated sigh. “You are a hard woman, Brianna Quinn.”

“Tell me.”

TOSSING HIMSELF BACK INTO the soft leather seat, Edmond grudgingly accepted he would have to confess at least a portion of the truth.

With a minimum of fuss, he revealed what he had discovered over the past few days and his plans to follow Viktor Kazakov back to Russia. Brianna listened in silence, but even in the fading light, Edmond did not miss the scowl that marred her brow. Predictable, of course. He could never be so fortunate as to have her simply fall in with his plans without questions or complaints.

“I understand your need to warn the Czar of his danger,” she said slowly, as if still sorting through his unexpected confession. “It is the duty of any citizen to protect their monarch. But why do you consider it your responsibility to put your life at risk by actually following this Viktor? Surely there are authorities that would be better suited to take command of the situation?”

Edmond grimaced. “There are an endless horde of authorities, ma souris. Unfortunately, Russian officials tend to be plodding, unimaginative souls who would not accept that there was a traitor in their midst, unless they actually witnessed the Czar being murdered.”

“Then what of the Emperor’s guards?”

“Those that are trustworthy are at his side as he travels to Prussia. Unfortunately, it is far more likely that the traitors will attempt to stir up trouble in St. Petersburg, where Alexander Pavlovich’s ministers are not quite so loyal as one would hope.”

“Good lord.”

He smiled wryly at her naive shock. How many years had it been since he believed that those in power were noble, self-sacrificing creatures who were blessed by God to protect the masses and that all who surrounded them were loyal to the death?

“Politics is a treacherous business that is practiced behind closed doors, ma souris. What the public is allowed to witness is a well-staged show that is orchestrated by powers that prefer the shadows,” he admitted. “And in truth, there are times when the Russian Court is embarrassingly similar to a nursery filled with vain, boorish, squabbling children.”

Her magnificent eyes were suddenly lit with an unnerving glitter of comprehension. “And you are one of those shadowy powers?”

Wondering why she looked like someone who had just grasped the answer to a particularly perplexing puzzle, Edmond shrugged.

“I have earned a place in Alexander Pavlovich’s most trusted circle because I have developed a vast number of associates who keep me informed of those who would desire to topple the Russian government,” he revealed, surprising himself. He never discussed his secretive work for the Czar. Not even with Stefan.

“Are there so many traitors, then?”