That meant the count intended to do nothing. Dimitri’s lip curled. “I don’t know how you can sleep at night.”
“I have no difficulty sleeping, and neither should you. You survived an ordeal few men could endure. You should count your blessings and celebrate. Marry that woman and resign yourself to a life of everlasting luxury here in America. You could do worse.”
“Thousands of villagers are dead, and you want me to look the other way.”
The count carefully set down his cigar, adjusted his vest, and leaned across the desk, piercing Dimitri with a cold glare. “I will destroy your ability to find a new life in America if you fight me on this. I can incinerate your reputation with a few carefully placed rumors.”
“I’ve already had my reputation torn to shreds in my homeland. I survived it once. I can do it again.”
“Then I’ll go afterher,” the ambassador said. “Women’s reputations are far more fragile, and the damage will last forever.”
Dimitri froze. Natalia was his greatest vulnerability. He’d already resigned himself to losing everything in Russia, but the prospect of Natalia’s ruination because of her association with him was unthinkable. “You must be a very small man if you need to wage war on women to achieve your ends.”
“I am asmartman,” Count Cassini asserted. “History is written by the winners. You can cooperate with the winning side and live a comfortable life in America ... or not. Your decision.”
Dimitri could not bargain while Natalia’s reputation was on the line, which meant that unless he devised a way to get the better of Count Cassini, the ambassador had him pinned.
23
Natalia didn’t like being separated from Dimitri. When Count Cassini lured him away to a private meeting, she initially feared for him but soon thought better of it. She had come to Washington because Dimitri needed guidance navigating the American government, but in dealing with a fellow aristocrat from Russia, he was the expert, not she.
Besides, perhaps she could take this opportunity to glean something from Count Cassini’s “niece.” At this point, it was impossible to tell if the young woman’s rudeness was calculated or simply stupid.
“Come meet my other dogs,” the girl said the moment they finished their tea. “They’re French spaniels, and I love them more than anything on earth.”
Natalia followed the countess through several twisting corridors, all of them lavishly decorated. Unsmiling Russian icons in gilt frames blanketed the wall of one hallway. Another was laden with antique firearms, battle-axes, and swords raised to form an archway down the hall. At last they entered a room at the back of the embassy covered entirely in blue-delft tiles where a cluster of yapping dogs climbed over each other in their eagerness for attention.
“My darlings!” the countess exclaimed as she dropped toher knees, letting the dogs swarm around her. They were small, each less than a foot high, and covered in long, silky white fur. Natalia slid toward the nearest wall. She didn’t mind dogs but had little experience with them.
The countess scooped one into her arms, kissed its snout, then rose to show it to Natalia. “Isn’t he precious? I find dogs so much more interesting than people, don’t you?”
Natalia silently wondered if the girl was meeting the right sort of people, but she smiled anyway. “They certainly seem to adore you.”
“Yes, they do!” the girl enthused. “They need to be taken outside for a walk. Let’s go.”
She opened a door leading to a walled courtyard, and the dogs bounded for freedom. A profusion of roses and viburnum shrubs lined the enclosed garden, but the ground was littered with dog waste and spots where they’d dug up the soil. Even now, one of them was joyously scratching at the ground and flinging sprays of dirt in Natalia’s direction.
“Stop that, Apollo.” Countess Cassini laughed but made no move to restrain the dog. She scooped up another dog to jostle like a child as she paced in the garden.
Natalia tried to initiate a discussion about life at the embassy, but the girl wouldn’t even look at her as she coddled her dogs.
“Ahem.”
Natalia turned to see an attractive middle-aged woman standing in the doorway. She wore a fine gown of indigo bombazine, but the apron tied around her waist indicated she was probably a servant.
“Yes, Mrs. Betz?” the countess asked.
“You are needed to approve the menu for the reception honoring the wives of the diplomatic corps.”
The countess sighed and set down her dog. “Must I? Those women are so tedious.” She turned to Natalia. “You should see the wife of the French ambassador. Last week she wore a gown so small it made the rolls of her neck look like a stack of sausages.” She proceeded to describe the rest of the woman’sappearance with savage delight. It took the intervention of the housekeeper to call the malicious commentary to a halt.
“Ma’am, the menu needs to be approved before we submit a list to the grocer.”
“Oh, very well,” the girl said in exasperation. She turned to look Natalia in the face for the first time since they’d left the tea table. “Not all the dogs are finished with their business, so you’ll stay and watch them, won’t you?”
She didn’t wait for a reply before following Mrs. Betz inside, the door slamming behind her.
Natalia was left alone with the dogs. She plopped onto a garden chair. Never had she been so thoroughly disrespected by two different people, all within the space of a few minutes. Although Natalia had been born into a similar level of opulence, her mother raised her to be respectful toward everybody. Galina was a gentle soul who had been born into poverty, and perhaps that was why she took such care to insist that Natalia see humanity in everyone, no matter their station in life. In the coming years, Natalia intended to do the same for little Alexander because she doubted Poppy would.
