At Dimitri’s wave, Katherine noticed the carriage parked behind her own and Vladimir stepping down from it to meet Alek’s nurse. Dear old Vladimir. Always there when needed, always resourceful. If not for him, Katherine would never have met Dimitri, never have borne Alek. And to think how much she had resented him at one time.
Dimitri said nothing until his carriage had driven away and then he turned to Katherine, his eyes expressing all the tenderness inside him. “I love you, Katya. Marry me.”
“I—”
His finger touched her lips. “Before you say anything, be warned, little one. If I don’t like your answer, you will probably find yourself abducted once again, you and the boy, and there will be no escaping me this time.”
“Is that a promise?”
He gave a shout and picked her up in his arms, swinging her once around before letting her slide slowly down his body and fastening his mouth to hers. In his kiss was all the aching loneliness of so many months. And as usual, there was no bed around.
Chapter Forty-two
Vladimir was waiting for them in the entryway when Dimitri returned Katherine to her home. In his exuberance Dimitri clasped his longtime servant in a bear hug, leaving the poor fellow breathless.
“She said yes, Vladimir!”
“I gathered as much, my prince. Congratulations, and to you, my lady.”
“Thank you, Vladimir.” Katherine nodded regally. “And you needn’t be so stiff. Just because I’m going to be your new mistress, doesn’t mean there will bethatmany changes. I’m a very forgiving sort, you know. I promise to have you whipped only on Saturdays.”
Dimitri chuckled at the slow flush creeping up Vladimir’s cheeks. “He doesn’t know you’re teasing, Katya. You really must choose your targets with more care.”
“Nonsense. He knows very well. He just has a guilty conscience. Isn’t that right, Vladimir?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Well, you can put it to rest, my friend.” She grinned at him now. “I have a lot to thank you for, if truth were known.”
Katherine turned away, removing her bonnet and gloves, and only Dimitri heard Vladimir sigh. He smiled to himself, shaking his head. His soon-to-be-wife was going to be a holy terror in his household. His people would never know when to take her seriously and when not, but it would certainly keep them on their toes. And then he realized the same went for him and his smile widened. He didn’t care. As long as she was always near and happy and loving him, she could tease to her heart’s content.
He turned to Vladimir. “The Duchess is expecting me for lunch. You’ll have to inform her… No, better yet, bring her here. Is that all right, Katya?”
She grimaced. “Of course, but I feel I should warn you, Dimitri. She isn’t going to be too pleased with your news. She and I didn’t get on too well together at our first meeting. I’m afraid I refused to let her see Alek, and she didn’t take too kindly to that.”
“You mean she knew?”
“She knew I came home with a son. She only suspected he was yours. Sonya had written her complaining about me, you see.”
He gave a short bark of laughter. “Why that old… I knew she was keeping something from me. But you’re wrong, you know. She greatly admires your spunk, as she calls it. And she was quite as determined as I was to see us reconciled. Now I know why. She wants to coddle her great-grandson.”
“Oh, it’s you, Kate.” George St. John appeared at the top of the stairs. “I thought I heard voices, but I couldn’t understand a word of such gibberish. Practicing your French again, are you?”
“Come down, Father. I want you to meet your future son-in-law.”
“The Russian?”
“Yes.”
“So itwashim,” George said with a smug amount of satisfaction.
“Yes, it was him.”
Katherine spared a glance at Dimitri to see if he was getting annoyed that they were speaking in English. He wasn’t. But this was going to get difficult. Her father didn’t speak French.
“Don’t know why it took you so long to own up to it,” George said when he reached the bottom of the stairs. “I could have got him for you sooner, you know.”
“I got him for myself, thank you, without any help.”
