He made a motion as if to pull her back into his arms again, but she pushed gently against his chest. “We should not.”
“Pippa.” There was pain in his voice.
How burdened he must be by this situation, this entanglement, by her. The desire to fulfil his father’s expectations, to honour his duty, which pressed upon him so relentlessly, and yet wanting to follow his heart.Her. Caught between obligation and love. It broke her heart to be the cause of such anguish.
“Let us run away.” Wild determination blazed in his eyes. “Tonight. Now. We can return to Tirol and live there for the rest of our lives. Away from the court and everyone’s watchful gaze. We can establish a village school and keep a farm with sheep and chickens, and we will have ten children and live happily ever after.”
Pippa pressed her lips together and shook her head.
“Pippa.” His voice cracked. “Please.” The look in his eyes held such unutterable sadness and longing that her heart twisted.
It was then, at that precise moment, that she nearly surrendered. She opened her mouth to say yes, let us go, somewhere, anywhere, let us flee, right now, far, far away—when the door opened, and the music and rumble from within the ballroom suddenly swelled. A babble of voices sounded as people emerged from within.
Pippa disentangled herself and stepped away from him as quick steps approached.
“Your Imperial Highness, I have been looking everywhere for you.” Kovacz’s voice was relieved.
“Not now, Kovacz,” Klemens snapped.
“But it is imperative. Your presence is required inside.”
Klemens turned to Pippa, but she had slipped quietly away into the shadows and out of sight.
The music had stopped;the dancers stood motionless on the floor while all eyes turnedtoward the raised platform where the chairs for the imperial family were arranged.
Pippa slipped back in at the rear and pressed herself against the marble urn beside the verandah door. Archduchess Mimi’s gaze swept the crowd, a sharp line drawn between her brows. She was looking for her.
Pippa took one cautious step forward, then froze as Metternich mounted the platform. Behind him came Klemens, a thunderous scowl darkening his brow.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Metternich’s voice rang out, smooth and commanding. “Pray allow us to interrupt the dancing for but a moment, for I have a most important announcement.” He paused deliberately, the faintest smile playing about his lips, and extended his hand toward the Grand Duchess, who stepped to his side.
For a heartbeat, all the color seemed to drain from Klemens' face. “What the devil are you doing?” he muttered.
“Trust me,” Metternich returned under his breath, before turning back to the assembled company.
“It is my great pleasure,” he proclaimed, “to announce a union most eagerly expected. A symbol of friendship between Austria and Russia: the engagement of Her Imperial Highness, the Grand Duchess Irina Tatjana Alexandrovna, to His Imperial Highness, Archduke Leopold Klemens Alexander.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
“I am so, so sorry,”Archduchess Mimi must have said at least ten times in the past hour alone, so that Pippa had the greatest difficulty preventing herself from screaming in frustration. “My poor, poor child.”
In truth, it was not her no doubt heartfelt expression of consternation that upset Pippa, but the underlying pity that she found intolerable.
Shortly after Metternich’s announcement, havoc broke loose. There were expressions of relief and celebration as well as dismay. The Grand Duchess’ face had been impossible to read; it had remained as smooth and impermeable a mask as always, smiling on serenely as if she had expected this. Yet Klemens’ face had turned to stone, so it did not appear this was a planned announcement at all.
The Russians cheered, the English expressed annoyance, the Austrians appeared sceptical and the French doubtful, at best.
Archduchess Mimi had looked at her brother withconcern, as had Kovacz, who at first had appeared to have wanted to intervene but held himself back at the last moment. Metternich looked satisfied as if he had accomplished a brilliant coup.
Then Pippa had seen nothing much at all, for the people had closed in on them, cheering, lifting glasses of champagne. The music had started again, and Klemens and the Grand Duchess were swept up in their engagement dance.
Pippa had turned away. She gave herself a moment to collect herself, flattened her dress with shaking hands, then made her way through the crowd towards the Archduchess, avoiding at all cost looking at the dancing couple, feeling nothing but numbness spreading inside her like black ink.
The Archduchess had taken one swift look at her and said, “Let us leave.”
They had returned to her apartment in silence, but as soon as the doors were closed, the Archduchess began raging against Metternich.
“How dare he? And without either the Kaiser or the Kaiserin present? How dare he? And Klemens, his hands were entirely tied. What was he to do?” She stopped pacing to take Pippa’s hands. “My poor, poor child. I am so very, very, very sorry!”
