“It could, of course,” she said succinctly.
“Very well, you cunning minx.” He conceded defeat with a sigh. He would be a fool to walk into the poisonous atmosphere of the palace without all the information he could gather. “Tell me of these rumors.”
“The first is that Leonida was sent to England to discover whether an English suitor would appeal more to her than those Russian hopefuls that she has already rejected.”
A peculiar resentment flared through his heart. “Have there been many?”
Vanya lifted a silver brow. “Many?”
“Many rejected suitors?”
“More than a dozen that I know of, and no doubt many more who I do not,” she admitted, her tone casual
but her gaze piercing.
He clenched his jaw. Now was not the moment to dwell on the thought of Leonida being swarmed by anxious suitors. He had promised Boris he would at least attempt to remain civilized.
“Let us return to the rumors.”
Vanya’s full lips twitched. “Well, there are those who are speculating that Leonida found you no more pleasing than any other man and returned to Russia only to have you follow her in the hopes of changing her mind.”
No more pleasing? The woman had melted in his arms like warm butter.
“And what are the others speculating?”
“That you were the one to dislike the match and Alexander Pavlovich commanded your presence to bring you up to snuff.”
“So either I am a lovesick swain, or a marionette on the Czar’s strings? Lovely.”
Vanya toyed with a square-cut emerald that dangled from her ear. “What did you expect?”
“Can I not simply desire to visit my mother’s homeland without ulterior motives?”
Vanya’s laughter echoed through the large parlor. “My darling Stefan, you are in St. Petersburg. Nothing is done without ulterior motives.”
He could not argue with her logic. The royal sport in Russia was gossipmongering. How many noble families had been destroyed by stray whispers?
“So which rumor do you believe?” he abruptly demanded of his companion.
She studied him for a long, unsettling moment. “I believe that you are more confused than any of us as to your reasons for being here.”
The undeniable accuracy of her words wrenched a startled laugh from Stefan.
“Edmond always claimed that you were as crafty as a fox.”
“And a dependable friend.” Her expression softened as she moved to place a hand on Stefan’s arm. “Stefan, you must take care.”
He met the pale blue gaze, keeping his own expression guarded. He had told Vanya nothing more than the fact he had traveled to St. Petersburg to complete unfinished business between him and Leonida, but the woman was far too clever to be easily deceived.
She already suspected more than he desired.
“Am I in danger?”
Her fingers on his arm tightened. “My loyalty toward Alexander Pavlovich will never waver, but the Czar grows more unpredictable with every passing year. If he believes your arrival in St. Petersburg is connected with Miss Karkoff, he will demand to know your intentions.”
Stefan was not impressed. What father allowed his daughter to be sent to England without ensuring she was properly cared for?
“I did not realize he took such an interest in the young lady.”