Dimitri went no further than the doorway. There he leaned against the frame, crossing his arms over the wide expanse of his chest as he studied her thoughtfully.
She was flustered. Good. She was also nervous and perhaps a little frightened too, which gave him a sense of power he had not felt in her presence before. Was it possible she was as surprised as he was by her warm response to his kiss? Was she afraid now that it could happen again?
Little fool. Why was she so loath to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh? But he had learned something from this encounter that would satisfy him for the time being. She wasn’t indifferent to him after all. There was passion in this woman that needed no aphrodisiac to bring it to the surface. It just needed a gentle touch, and there would be other opportunities—he would see to that.
“Very well, Katya, you have convinced me of your abhorrence of kissing.” There was laughter in his tone, for they both knew how ridiculous that statement was. “Come along, then, and I will introduce you to my sister.” When she didn’t move, he added, “You aren’t really afraid of me now, are you?”
She bristled, because he hadn’t moved yet either. “No, but if you want me to come with you, it might help if you led the way.”
He laughed, but as she followed him down the corridor, she thought she heard him say, “You win this round, little one, but I make no promises to always be so obliging of your wishes.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Her, Mitya? You think I haven’t heard about her? You think I don’t know she is the little whore you picked up off the street that afternoon in London?Thisis who you give me for a maid?”
This is how Katherine was greeted by Anastasia Petrovna Alexandrovna after Dimitri had introduced them and explained Katherine’s presence. The younger woman had given her only a single glance before ignoring her and attacking her brother as if he had dealt her the most horrendous insult.
Katherine was the one insulted, and yet when she recovered from the shock of having her character maligned, she reacted to the Princess’s contempt in a most unusual way. She stepped in front of Dimitri, who was showing every sign of losing his temper in a matter of seconds, and now that Anastasia could no longer ignore her, she smiled.
“My dear young woman, if I weren’t a ladyandof moderate temperament, I might be tempted to slap you silly for your offensive manners, let alone your disparagement of me. But since you have obviously been misinformed about me, I suppose I must be tolerant and forgiving. But let us be clear on one point. I am not a whore, Princess. And I am not beinggivento you, as you so arrogantly put it. I agreed to help you because apparently you can’t seem to help yourself. But I understand that perfectly. Why, look at me. Without my own maid along on this voyage, I haven’t been able to do a thing with my hair, and dressing is most tedious without a little help. So you see I do understand your dilemma, and since I have nothing better to do…”
Katherine could have gone on with her subtle sarcasm, but she was too close to laughing at the Princess’s shocked expression, and besides, she had made her point. Whether it would do any good remained to be seen.
Behind her Dimitri leaned close to whisper, “Tolerant temperament, Katya? When do I get to meet this woman you have described?”
She stepped quickly away from him before turning to bestow on him the same false smile as she had given the Princess. “You know, Alexandrov, I don’t believe your sister is as helpless as you implied. She appears quite capable—”
“Do not be so hasty,” Anastasia cut in, fearing she had gone too far and was now going to lose a supposedly competent maid, which she did desperately need. “I thought I would have to train you, as I would Mitya’s servants, but if you are a lady, as you say, that won’t be necessary. I accept your help. And, Mitya… I thank you for thinking of me.”
It galled Anastasia to have to say even that much to either of them. She was still furious with her brother for dragging her home and for his threats about a future husband. Having to thank him for anything at this time went against the grain. And the Englishwoman! Anastasia’s blood boiled. Dimitri was no doubt tired of the little whore, and that was why he was foisting her off on her. Lady indeed! But it was possible that she knew more about attending a lady than Dimitri’s other servants, and so she could be useful. Yet Anastasia would not forget the insult she had been dealt by thispeasant.
“I will leave you, then, to become better acquainted,” Dimitri said.
Anastasia’s smile did not reach her eyes. Katherine’s expression would have been bland except for the tight line of her mouth. Dimitri knew his sister could be difficult to get along with. And Katherine’s temper he had witnessed firsthand. Perhaps he shouldn’t have brought these two together, but it was done. If it didn’t work, then there was still the second position for Katherine to fill.
The look Dimitri gave her just before he left warned Katherine of what he had been thinking. He wanted her to fail. He looked forward to it. The scoundrel! Well, she wouldn’t. If it killed her, she would be pleasant to this spoiled, unpleasant child who was his sister.
That determination wore thin after listening to the long list of duties Anastasia had in mind for her. She was to attend to the Princess’s bath, her toilet, her clothes, her meals. The girl wanted to monopolize her every waking moment, even—and Katherine was truly surprised at this—having her sit for a portrait. It appeared Anastasia considered herself a talented artist, and her painting was the only thing she had to keep herself occupied with on the voyage.
“I will call itThe Daisy,”Anastasia said, speaking of the portrait.
“You liken me to a daisy?”
Anastasia delighted at the opening given her, a chance to belittle the creature. “Well, you are certainly no rose. Yes, a rather sun-browned daisy, with that dull hair—but you do have nice eyes,” she conceded, seeing them widen.
She had beautiful eyes, actually, Anastasia admitted to herself, and a face that might not be pretty in the classical sense, but was certainly interesting. It would, in fact, be a challenge to paint. The more Anastasia looked at her with an artist’s eye instead of with rancor, the more excited she became by the challenge.
“Do you have a yellow dress?” she asked. “It must be done with a yellow dress, for the daisy effect, you understand.”
Keep your calm, Katherine. She’s goading you, and she’s not really very good at it. You’ve cut better than her down to size with little effort.
“No yellow dress, Princess. You’ll have to improvise, I’m afraid, or envision—”
“No, I must see it…but of course! You will use one of my dresses.”
She was serious. “No, I will not,” Katherine said stiffly.
“But you must. You agreed to let me paint you.”
