The man was waiting for her answer. He must be an extremely well-paid servant, for his coat and pants were of a superior quality. He was tall, middle-aged, and not bad-looking, with brown hair and pale blue eyes. What would Lucy reply to him? The girl would probably flirt a little to make her refusal more palatable. Katherine couldn’t quite bring herself to do that.
With an eye on Elisabeth, who had crossed the street, but had gone no further, she said, “I’m sorry, sir, but I don’t require an extra job.”
“If it’s a matter of money, the Prince is extremely generous.”
“I don’t need money.”
Vladimir began to worry. She had not been impressed by the Prince’s title. Nor did she seem even remotely interested in this honor being bestowed on her. If she actually refused—no, impossible.
“Ten pounds,” he offered.
If he thought that would conclude the haggling, he was mistaken. Katherine stared at him incredulously. Was he mad to offer such a wage? Or didn’t he realize the going rate for servants here? The only other possibility was that he was desperate. And she realized uncomfortably that there probably wasn’t a maid in the whole of England who wouldn’t quit her job to accept this one night’s work at such a price. And yet she couldn’t accept. He would no doubt thinkhermad.
“I’m sorry—”
“Twenty pounds.”
“Absurd!” Katherine snapped, becoming wary of this fellow now. Hewasmad. “You can hire a whole legion of maids for less than that. Now excuse me.” She turned her back on him, praying he would go away.
Vladimir sighed. All this ridiculous haggling wasted on a mistake. A maid? She had utterly misunderstood.
“Miss, forgive me for not making myself clear at the start. My master does not require the services of a maid. He has seen you and wishes to share your company for the evening, for which you will be generously paid. If I need to be more explicit—”
“No!” Katherine faced him again, her cheeks hot. “I…ah, quite understand now.”
Good Lord, how had she got into this insane position? Her instinct was to slap his face. The insult was extreme. But Lucy wouldn’t be offended. Lucy would be thrilled.
“I am flattered, naturally, but not interested.”
“Thirty pounds.”
“No,” she snapped. “At any price. Now do go away—”
A man’s voice interrupted. “I made it, gov’ner, if you’re ready to ride now.”
Vladimir glanced behind him to see the carriage only steps away. “Good. You will drive us around this block. I will tell you when to stop.” And with that he put his hand over the woman’s mouth and dragged her into the carriage. “A runaway servant,” he explained to the gawking driver.
“Run away? Now see ’ere, gov’ner, if she don’t want to work for you, that’s ’er business, ain’t it? You can’t force—” Several more pound notes shoved into his hand changed the driver’s tune. “Whatever you say.”
Katherine’s scream had died abruptly in her throat. Had no one witnessed this abduction besides the carriage driver? But there was no call to halt. The man had moved so fast, had taken only seconds to push her into the carriage, that it was doubtful anyone had noticed.
Her face and chest were shoved down onto the seat immediately. As the carriage began to move, her bonnet was yanked off and a handkerchief whipped about her mouth and tied behind her head. A hard elbow in her back prevented her from resisting, and then her arms were pulled behind her and held tightly at the center of her back with enough pressure to keep her shoved down against the seat. Twisted sideways in this position, she could barely move her legs, but a leg was thrown over hers anyway to keep her still.
The man was strong enough to hold her arms with only one hand, which he changed after a moment, and she realized why when his coat was draped over her. The windows, of course. The carriage might be enclosed and dark inside, but if it stopped, anyone walking past could see in through the windows.
She had been right to be wary of the fellow. He really was crazy. Things like this just didn’t happen to Katherine St. John. But as soon as she told him who she really was, he would be forced to let her go. He would, wouldn’t he?
He leaned over her, his voice coming softly through the cloth of his coat. “I am sorry, little wren, but you left me no choice. The Prince’s orders must be obeyed. He did not consider that you might refuse his request. No woman has ever refused him before. The most beautiful women in Russia fight for this honor. You will see why when he comes to you. There is no man like Prince Dimitri.”
Katherine would have dearly loved to tell him what he could do with this honor. No man like his prince indeed! She didn’t care if he was the most handsome man alive, she would have none of him. To listen to this man, she should feel gratitude for being abducted. The very idea!
The carriage stopped. She had to get away from this lunatic. He gave her no chance. His coat was wrapped around her rather like a sack, effectively locking her arms at her sides. He picked her up. He began walking, carrying her in his arms, one arm held tightly under her knees, keeping them firm against his chest and useless. She couldn’t see anything through the coat, which also covered her face.
She suddenly smelled food, however. A kitchen? So he was bringing her in through the back door, was he? There was hope in that. He didn’t want his prince to know what he had done. He had said this Dimitri hadn’t considered that she might refuse. A prince would never resort to such measures to obtain a woman. She wouldn’t have to embarrass herself by explaining who she was, after all. She had only to speak to the Prince and tell him she wasn’t interested. She would be released immediately.
His knees brushed her backside as he mounted stairs, and then more stairs. Where was she? The carriage hadn’t driven far, no farther than it would have taken her to reach home. Good Lord, was this some house in Cavendish Square near her own home? How ironic! But she knew of no prince who had moved into the neighborhood. Or did a prince exist at all? Was this just some wicked fellow who abducted young women for his own amusement, creating outlandish tales to make his task that much easier?
Her captor spoke again, but in a language she didn’t recognize, and she was familiar with nearly all the European languages. A woman was answering in the same strange… Russian! He had mentioned Russia. They wereRussians, the barbarians of the North! Of course—that country abounded in princes. Didn’t all of the old aristocracy there bear such titles?
