Katherine pushed the woman’s hand away. “Very amusing. Is this little ruse supposed to make me change my mind? Even if that really were your Prince Alexandrov, my answer would still be no.”
“You are married?”
“No.”
“You have a lover then that you love very much?”
“Love is for idiots. I am no idiot.”
Marusia frowned. “Then tell me, please, why you say no. This is truly my prince.” She tapped the picture. “I would not lie, since you will meet him tonight. If anything, this picture does not do him justice. He is a man full of life, energy, and charm. And for all his size, he is gentle with women—”
“Stop it!” Katherine snapped, her control slipping. “My God, you people are incredible. First that brute who abducts me, now you! Can’t your prince find his own women? Do you realize how disgusting this is for you to pander for him, as if I were for sale? Well, I am not, and there is no amount of money that can buy my affection.”
“If it is the money you object to, you need only consider a man and woman enjoying each other’s company. And my master does usually court his own women. There is just no time today. He is at the docks, seeing that everything is in order with the ship. You see, we sail tomorrow for Russia.”
“I am delighted to hear it,” Katherine said dryly. “The answer is still no.”
Vladimir was right. The wench was worse than stubborn. She was impossible. Sweet Mary, she had the disdain of a princess but the stupidity of the lowest serf. No one in their right mind would turn down a night with Dimitri Alexandrov. There were women who would pay for such a privilege.
“You still have not said why you refuse,” Marusia pointed out.
“You people have made a mistake, that’s all. I am not the type of woman who would even remotely consider going to bed with a perfect stranger. I am simply not interested.”
Marusia let out a string of Russian words as she left the room, shaking her head. In the hall she met her husband, who was waiting expectantly. She hated to disappoint him, but she had no choice.
“It is no use, Vladimir. I think she is either frightened of men or she does not like them. But she will not change her mind. This I can swear to. You might as well let her go and inform Prince Dimitri so he can make other arrangements for tonight.”
“No, he will have his first choice,” Vladimir said stubbornly, handing her a little string-tied pouch. “Mix some of this in the food for her dinner.”
“What is it?”
“Bulavin’s magic potion. From what he claims, the Prince will be most pleased.”
Chapter Six
The bath was delivered late in the afternoon, or was it early evening already? There was no clock in the room. And the little watch Katherine always carried in her pocket was still in the morning gown she had tossed to Lucy so many hours ago.
She had watched warily as a trio of servants had come and gone. They had carried in the porcelain tub and filled it with steamy water and oil from a small vial, which permeated the room with the scent of roses. No one had asked her if she wanted a bath. She certainly didn’t. Not a stitch of clothes was she going to remove in this house.
But now Vladimir Kirov came into the room. He tested the water, smiled. Katherine did her best to ignore him. She sat stiffly in a chair, her fingers sounding an angry tapping on the arms.
He came to stand in front of her, his bearing as commanding as his tone. “You will bathe.”
Katherine slowly looked up at him, and then in the most condescending way, glanced away again. “You should have asked before going to all this trouble. I do not bathe in strange houses.”
Vladimir had had enough of her arrogance. “It was not a request, wench, but an order. You will make use of the bath on your own, or the men outside this room will assist you. While they might enjoy that, I do not think you would find it a pleasant experience.”
He was pleased to see how quickly he had regained her attention. Her eyes, large and oval, flared enormously. They were her best feature by far, brilliant in color. Beautifully unique, they dominated her small face, giving her a look of quaint innocence. Could that be what had appealed to Dimitri? But no, he couldn’t have noticed the eyes at such a distance.
The unbecoming dress would have to go. Its severe black washed out her coloring, leaving her face a sickly white. The pink tinge suffusing her cheeks at the moment was an improvement, but it wouldn’t last. She had good skin, smooth and unblemished, almost translucent, but she could benefit from a little makeup. He would order it if he didn’t think she would have to be restrained to have it applied. He wanted no bruises on her body that the Prince would object to.
The soft lighting and the lime green bed sheets would have to be her only enhancements. Vladimir was satisfied he had everything in order. The woman perfumed from her bath, drugged from her dinner soon to arrive, and left vulnerable without her clothing.
“Avail yourself of the water while it is still hot,” Vladimir continued with his orders. “I will send in a maid to assist you. Your dinner will arrive shortly, and this time you will eat, or you will be helped to do so. It is not our intention you go hungry while you are here.”
“And how much longer must I be here?” Katherine said through her teeth.
“When the Prince leaves you, I will have you taken wherever you wish to go. It would be unusual for him to require your company for more than a few hours.”
