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Oh, dear. It was true. ‘The Duke?’ she said, in her best imitation of total surprise. ‘But monsieur her best introduced himself as plain “Calder”.’
‘It is his way, Captain Alexandrov. He is Dominic Aikenhead, fourth Duke of Calder. I fear he has played a trick on you.’
The Duke straightened, as if very much on his dignity, but there was a decided twinkle in his eye when he said, ‘I beg your pardon, Alexei Ivanovich. I supposed that we were going to have to work together during your Emperor’s visit. I thought too many “your Graces” might get in the way.’
‘Indeed, your Grace,’ Alex said, trying to prevent herself from smiling. ‘I will try not to allow too many “your Graces” to get in the way of our working relationship, your Grace. Will that suit your Grace?’
The Duke burst out laughing. ‘Confound the boy. He gives me back my own again.’
‘You deserve it, too,’ said Captain Wood.
‘Aye. Probably.’ He turned back to Alex. ‘We can agree, I hope, that I shall be plain “Calder” to you? And that you shall be “Alexandrov” or “Alexei Ivanovich” to me. Agreed?’
Alex felt the beginnings of warmth around her heart. ‘Agreed,’ she said.
Chapter Three
‘How are you now, Alexei Ivanovich?’
Alex was not at present on duty, and so she was standing near the front of the immense crowd, watching the proceedings. Had the Duke sought her out merely to ask after her health? Strange, if true. And yet another example of his kindness. ‘Better, thank you, Calder. Much better,’ she answered politely. ‘I find I like the steadiness of Dover very much.’
‘Have you eaten?’
‘No.’
‘Why not?’ he demanded sharply.
She bristled. She was grateful to him, but he had no right to order her life. ‘On board ship, I could not, even if I would have. And now that we are on land, there has been no opportunity. I must attend on his Majesty. I cannot take time out to fill my belly, however hungry I might be.’
Several voices hushed them angrily. The assembled dignitaries were now about to present their address, on behalf of the inhabitants of Dover.
Alex stood motionless throughout, trying to look blank. She understood it all, of course, though it was remarkably dull and pretentious.
The speech of welcome ended, and the Emperor stepped forward to reply. ‘Although I understand your language,’ he began, to murmurs of surprise all around, ‘I do not feel myself sufficiently acquainted with it to reply to you in English; and I must therefore request those gentlemen of the deputation who speak French to be my interpreters to those who do not.’ He then continued in French. His speech was received most warmly.
‘That was a considerable surprise, Alexei Ivanovich. Were you not aware of your Emperor’s talents?’
‘I…I have not been an aide-de-camp to his Majesty for very long, Duke. I…I have had no occasion to discover that he speaks English. How would I?’
‘How indeed? Do you tell me that no one in the Emperor’s suite speaks English?’
‘I think it was assumed that most of our hosts would speak French,’ Alex said, avoiding the question as best she could. Somehow she did not want to lie to this man. If she did, he would know it. She was sure of that.
‘Not everyone in England speaks French, you know, though most of the nobility does, I suppose. The royal family speaks German, so the King of Prussia and Marshal Blücher will be well served on that front. But if you, and others of the Emperor’s party, go out into London, you will not be able to make yourselves understood. That could be dangerous. Even for allies.’
‘Then we shall have to trust to our good-hearted liaison officer to rescue us, shall we not?’ she asked impudently.
He gave a snort of laughter. His eyes were dancing. ‘That, Alexei Ivanovich, is the sort of reply I should have expected from one of the sharp-tongued Cyprians of London, not from a battle-hardened cavalryman such as yourself.’
‘Don’t worry, Calder. I may not have your language, but I do have my sabre. I fancy it will be able to rescue me. Even if you do not.’
Major Zass, the Tsar’s principal aide-de-camp, smiled round at the group of young officers who were now assembled in the Pulteney Hotel. ‘That all went off very well,’ he said, ‘in spite of the problems on board ship.’
Alex felt the beginnings of a blush on her neck. He meant her seasickness. If it had not been for the Duke of Calder, it would have been even worse. He had been so very kind, so very thoughtful. Almost like a brother.
What a strange fancy to have. Was that how an elder brother would behave? She had no way of knowing. Her only brother was still a child. Yet Calder—
Zass was allocating various duties to his officers. ‘You, Alexandrov—’ at the sound of her name, Alex’s daydream evaporated and she came smartly to attention ‘—you will attend on his Imperial Majesty when he rides out on horseback and when he makes visits to the sights of London. We will not involve you in the balls and receptions, though. We all know, don’t we, gentlemen—?’ he cast a laughing glance round at the others, who were all smiling knowingly ‘—that Captain Alexandrov is no dancer. Indeed, I’d wager that he is actually frightened of ladies.’
Alex’s protest was drowned in the wave of laughter from her companions. There was no point in arguing. For it was true. She did avoid the company of ladies whenever she could. There was too much risk that they might see through her disguise.
‘More seriously,’ Zass continued, ‘you will all have met the Duke of Calder, who has been assigned to us as a liaison officer by the British Government. He appears to speak no Russian, only French and English. But it may be that he has some Russian, too. So no one—’ he looked sternly round at the assembled officers ‘—no one is to take any chances in his company. Do not assume he will not understand what you are saying. I trust I make myself clear?’
‘Sir!’ the officers said, in chorus.
‘Good. Alexandrov, you seemed to be particularly friendly with the Duke.’
‘Sir, it…it was simply that he was kind to me when I was ill on board ship.’
‘That may well be true, but—’ He stopped in mid-sentence, frowning. ‘I think I need a private word with you, Alexandrov,’ he said, beckoning her into an empty side-room. The other members of the Emperor’s suite were left to continue gossiping and joking together.
‘It would be particularly useful, Alexei Ivanovich, if you were to become friendly with the Duke of Calder. We believe he is not quite what he seems. Why, for example, is a duke, no less, acting as liaison officer? There must be many officers of the British army who speak French well enough for the task. It is beneath him. So, why does he do it?’
‘You suspect he is a spy?’ Alex breathed wonderingly. He had been so kind to her. She had accepted it, had even begun to return his warmth. Was it all just playacting, a means of gaining her trust? But why? She was the most junior member of the Emperor’s entourage. She knew nothing. Nothing at all.
‘It is possible. The English have stood alone against Bonaparte for many years, trusting no one. We may be allies now, but there have been moments…’
Alex caught her breath. Was Zass about to criticise the Tsar? Surely not?
Zass laughed harshly. ‘I am sure the allies did only what was necessary for the sake of their countries. As did our beloved Tsar. But from England’s point of view, it would not have seemed so. For them, all the allies were fickle, and unpredictable. The English have never trusted Russia. Which may go some way to explaining your Duke’s presence here.’
‘My Duke?’ Alex exclaimed. ‘I have only just met the man.’
‘He is yours, Alexandrov. His Majesty gives him to you. To find out everything you can about him. For your country. Is that understood?’
‘Perfectly, sir.’
‘Excellent.’ He made to leave, but turned suddenly. ‘The Duke does not know about your background, does he? I mean your command of English?’
‘No, sir. I have been taking pains to look particularly stupid and uncomprehending every time English is spoken.’
‘Good. Make sure it stays that way. I will expect your report, on a daily basis. Everything, you understand, no matter how trivial.’
‘Of course, sir.’
Satisfied, Zass left the room without another word.
Alex allowed her shoulders to relax. She let out the breath she had been holding. Zass made her nervous. His Majesty had promised that the secret of her real identity would be shared only with Court Minister Volkonsky. And yet, Zass was very close to the Emperor. He might even know—
No! There was absolutely no point in speculating. She had to behave as if she were indeed Alexei Ivanovich Alexandrov, commissioned officer in the Mariupol Hussars, and temporary aide-de-camp to his Majesty. A temporary ADC whose task was to spy on the Duke of Calder, and to discover as much as possible about the intentions of the British Government.
It was such a messy business. Her instincts had been telling her to trust the man, to offer him true friendship. But that was impossible now. The coldness of duty was fixing itself around her heart, freezing the warmth that had begun to settle there. Duty! Only duty! Emotion was for females!
So the Duke of Calder lowered himself to become a spy. Possibly. It sat uncomfortably with his exalted station. Spying was a very dirty business.
That last thought made her laugh aloud. If spying was a dirty business, Alex herself was now immersed in it. Up to her neck.
‘His Grace the Duke of Calder, sir.’ The waiter bowed low and then withdrew, his eyes goggling.
Zass stepped forward and bowed. ‘Your Grace,’ he said smoothly, in French, ‘we had not expected the pleasure of your company again this evening.’
Dominic smiled at the aide-de-camp and looked slowly round the room, marking each man. About half Zass’s officers were present, but there was no sign of young Alexandrov. A pity. He was an entertaining young cub.
‘I have come to serve as escort to his Imperial Majesty.’ No response. Dominic tried again. ‘For his Royal Highness the Prince Regent’s banquet. At Carlton House.’ There was something wrong here. Most of the officers were gazing at their boots. And Zass was avoiding Dominic’s eye. ‘Is there some problem I am unaware of, Major?’ Dominic asked coolly.
Zass licked his lips. ‘Perhaps you were not told, Duke. His Imperial Majesty plans to dine here. With his sister, the Grand Duchess of Oldenburg. I had understood that apologies had already been conveyed to the Prince Regent. The fatigues of the journey, you understand—’
‘Of course, sir. You need say nothing more.’ Dominic cursed silently. Fatigues of the journey, indeed! The Emperor’s energy was boundless. He was simply refusing to go. Prinny was already furious that the Emperor had declined the apartments in St James’s Palace. When he discovered that Alexander was refusing one of his sumptuous feasts as well, the Regent would probably sink into another childish sulk.
‘Thank you, Duke. I shall ensure that his Majesty is fully informed of what has happened. He will be very grateful to you.’
Dominic bowed his acknowledgement. But he was not so easily bested. ‘I have to tell you, Major, that no apologies have been conveyed to the Regent. Perhaps one of your officers… er…overlooked his task?’
Zass was looking thoroughly embarrassed now.
‘If the officer in question cares to present his apologies to me, I will convey them to the Regent. Along with those from his Imperial Majesty, naturally.’
Zass looked to be about to have an apoplexy. At that moment, young Alexandrov appeared, as if from nowhere. His slight form must have been hidden behind one of the bigger men. ‘Duke, it is my fault,’ he said simply, stepping forward to stand alongside Zass. ‘Major Zass tasked me with passing the Emperor’s apologies to you earlier today and I…I am afraid that I forgot. It must have been the seasickness. It… er…it put everything else out of my mind.’
The lad was not a very convincing liar, but Dominic knew he would have to pretend to believe him. Dominic was sure where the responsibility truly lay. ‘Perhaps, Major Zass, you would like to accompany me to see the Regent, to present the Emperor’s apologies in person?’ The man paled. Good. Dominic did not relish being made a fool of, especially with the connivance of a lad he had gone out of his way to help.
‘Captain Alexandrov will go, Duke,’ Zass said quickly, adding cruelly, ‘It was his mistake, after all.’
Dominic was appalled. That was no way for a senior officer to behave to his subordinates. But he said only, ‘Very well. When you are ready, Alexandrov, my carriage is at the door. We can ride to Carlton House together.’
Alex clattered down the staircase to the entrance hall, her spurs ringing. She settled her plumed shako on her head as she reached the last step. The Duke was standing by the main door, waiting for her. He was staring out into the street but, even from this angle, he looked magnificent in his full evening dress. Forbidding, too, she had to admit. He must have been very annoyed to discover the Emperor’s change of plans. As, no doubt, the Prince Regent would be also.
She had yet to have even the briefest glimpse of the Prince Regent, but all of Europe knew his reputation. Meg, Alex’s Scottish nurse, had said he was as handsome as a prince in a fairy tale, but that had been decades ago. He was no longer young, or handsome.
At that moment, Calder turned and saw her. She felt herself go bright red with embarrassment. She swore under her breath. Of all the difficulties of playing her role as a man, this was the worst. She had never been able to control it. And of course, this time, she had reason to blush. Calder was going to make her appear before the Prince Regent and take responsibility for the Emperor’s whims. Why had she put herself forward? There had been no real need, for Major Zass would undoubtedly have found a way out of the difficulty. But that might have involved some implied criticism of the Emperor. Such a thing was unacceptable.
‘There you are, Alexei Ivanovich. It is time we left.’
‘My apologies, Calder. My orderly had taken my shako away to brush it.’
Calder looked her up and down. ‘I must admit that the Hussar dress uniform is a most splendid one. Though perhaps,’ he added with a smile, ‘not the most practical.’
Alex relaxed a little. They were getting back to their earlier friendly banter. It felt very comfortable.
‘Come,’ he said briskly, ‘we had better go. The carriage had great difficulty getting here and may have even more in leaving.’ He shouldered his way through the press of people and flung open the door of his waiting carriage.
Alex had to admit he had remarkable presence in that powerful body. She followed in his wake, removing her shako. Its white plume was too tall to be worn inside the carriage.
‘Carlton House,’ Calder ordered sharply. ‘Quick as you can.’
The carriage moved off, but only slowly, for the crowds were in no mood to make way for anyone less than a visiting monarch. Alex glanced back at the hotel. The Tsar, his sister, and various of his officers were standing on the balcony. The crowd was cheering itself hoarse.
‘I fancy this may be quite a tedious journey,’ Calder said with a sigh.
Alex nodded and leaned back in her corner.
‘You will forgive my curiosity, I hope, Alexei Ivanovich, but I cannot help remarking that you are very young to have seen even one battle. Yet I know from the cross you wear that you must have done. It was won at Borodino, I was told.’
Alex launched into the answers she had long ago learned by rote. ‘I am not nearly as young as I look, Duke. I have been serving in his Majesty’s army for more than five years now.’
‘Borodino was not your first battle then?’
She shook her head. ‘I suffer from my lack of beard, but my comrades soon become accustomed.’
‘I’m sure they bait you unmercifully.’
She shook her head again. ‘The amusement soon palls. My youthful appearance has long been accepted. It is only when I meet new people, such as yourself, that it is remarked upon. What matters to my comrades is that I should be an efficient officer and that my soldiers should obey me without question. As they do.’
‘I’m sure they do. You seem to me to be a remarkably resolute young man.’
‘Not so very young, Duke. I am twenty-four years old.’
His eyebrows rose. ‘Indeed? Now that I would not have believed.’
She laughed. Usually, at this point in her recital, she would be feeling uncomfortable. But, with this man, it had not happened. Perhaps it was that brotherly kindness? She told herself that it could be nothing else.
The carriage stopped so suddenly that they were both thrown forward. The Duke swore. Then, letting down the glass, he stuck his head out to speak to the coachman. Returning, he said, with a grimace, ‘We are stuck here, I fear. Marshal Blücher has arrived at Carlton House. Even a man on horseback cannot get through.’
Alex picked up her shako. ‘Shall we walk, Duke?’ she asked, with a slight smile.
‘If you wish.’ He reached for the door handle. ‘But wearing that fine Russian uniform, you, too, may find yourself being mobbed.’
Alex put a hand to the hilt of her sabre. ‘Have no fear, sir. If you should be attacked, I will spring to your defence.’
The Duke looked down at her from his superior height. For a fraction of a second, he appeared totally thunderstruck. Then he burst into laughter. ‘With you at my side, Alexandrov, I do believe that anything is possible.’
At the gates of Carlton House, the crowd was enormous, the noise deafening. Dominic had had to use his height and weight to force a path through. For all young Alexandrov’s bluster, he would never have been able to do it by himself. He was fiercely proud, and as brave as a lion, but physically he was as slight as a girl. Such a strange combination in a young man. Yet an immensely likable character, nonetheless.
Dominic decided it was impossible to go any further by the direct route. The crowd was shouting for Blücher, with even more enthusiasm than their earlier huzzas for the Emperor, outside the Pulteney. ‘Come, Alexandrov. Let us go round by the stables.’
The young Russian nodded and followed, holding his sabre tight against his side so that it would not impede their progress.
‘At least I won’t lose you, even among all these people,’ Dominic shouted over his shoulder. ‘With that incredible plume, I could find you in a throng of thousands.’
