Seized by Love (36 page)

Nikki was considerate of
Katelina in every way, bringing her lavish quantities of toys and giving every
attention to her dialogue. When it was time for Katelina's lessons in the
morning, Nikki would retire to his bedchamber and sleep the day away, rising in
time to join Alisa and Katelina for dinner in the enormous formal dining room.
Dressed once more for an evening out, he would gossip cheerfully with Katelina
while talking with a polite civility to Alisa. Once Katelina was tucked in bed,
he disappeared for the night without a word of explanation.

One evening at the dinner
table, Alisa gathered her courage to ask Nikki if he would be available for a
dancing party she was giving at the end of the week. He hesitated briefly,
asked again what day it was to be held, and then said with his customary cool
voice, "I'll contrive to attend, Madame. Please remind my valet the
morning of the occasion to wake me in time to dress."

Alisa was dressed and
waiting in the drawing room the night of the party when Nikki sauntered into
the room at ten o'clock, carrying a glass of brandy, already his fourth since
putting Katelina to bed. He was attired with his usual negligent elegance in a
superbly fitted brown velvet suit that showed his magnificent body off to
advantage. An enormous turquoise and diamond pin fastened his carelessly tied
cravat and sparkled in the brilliantly lit room. Alisa couldn't help herself as
a press of confusing emotions smothered her. Nikki's presence still took her
breath away, and she was conscious of an unavoidable stirring of admiration.

Casting one desultory
glance at the splendid exotic floral arrangements that graced the room, he
walked across the polished parquet, stopped halfway into the room, and in a
slow drawl remarked, "May I compliment you on your toilette, Madame? You
are shown off to excellent advantage this evening."

A warm glow blazed through
Alisa at these first complimentary words she had heard from Nikki in weeks. Was
he really proud of her good looks? In the fifth month of her pregnancy, Alisa
was wearing a slightly Empire gown of emerald-green satin with niching and
ruffles of green velvet and embroidered Byzantine brocade decorating the
flounces of green satin and outlining the decolletage. Her beautiful breasts
now further enlarged by pregnancy were swelling magnificently above the green satin
bodice. Nikki's emeralds rested on the soft mounds of flesh while the enormous
pendant hung suspended in her deep cleavage. A wreath of white violets and
green velvet ribbon was woven into her fashionable upswept curls.

Alisa's warm glow was
short-lived as Nikki tartly said, "However, may I caution you not to bend
over too far, or you may fall out of your gown." A slow anger rose in him
at the sight of so much of Alisa's flesh exposed to the public eye, but he
restrained his waxing jealousy and tossed off his brandy instead. Walking over
to a side table, he refilled his glass, then perched on the edge of the table,
idly swinging one velvet-clad leg.

"Decolletage is
fashionable, as you well know," Alisa coolly replied.

"Indiscretions are
fashionable too, Madame, but that doesn't mean you're allowed one," Nikki
insolently retorted.

Receiving no answer save a
narrowed glance from hot violet eyes, Nikki continued. "May I offer you a
brandy, Princess. Personally, I find a need to fortify myself against the coming
ordeal."

"If you please, Lord
Prince," Alisa retorted formally. "I, too, feel the need of a
drink."

They sat for twenty
minutes, drinking their liquor in a strained silence before the first guests
arrived, walking up the grand marble stairway flanked by twenty-four footmen
wearing the Kuzan livery, and were announced by two chasseurs at the doors to
the ballroom.

Alisa, frustrated by
Nikki's contemptuous stares, drank rather more than usual and was soon flirting
outrageously with several of the young gentlemen who paid her court. She was
constantly being complimented as the most beautiful woman in Petersburg, and
tonight she was in a dangerous mood to accept the flattery as she danced with
the young officers and drank champagne with the ardent gentlemen surrounding
her.

She even greeted Major
Cernov cordially as he came over to pay his compliments and gaze down her low
neckline. Alisa smiled at him sweetly, thinking how easily men could be
diverted by a pink expanse of bosom.

Nikki stood apart with some
of his friends from the

Yacht Club, pouring brandy
down with great regularity and only occasionally listening to the conversation
concerning the merits of the two new
danseuses
in the
corps
dramatique.
His eyes followed Alisa around the room, and his temper rose
as the evening progressed. He watched Alisa darting flirtatious glances at
young gallants, thinking she was his wife, dammit, and he put away some more
brandy as he considered the infamy of her actions.

When Cernov began bending
rather too closely to Al-isa's dainty ear while leering down her cleavage,
Nikki took a drunken resolve.

Vile little slut, teasing
Cernov with your heaving bosom. He excused himself from his friends with a
studied politeness and slowly sauntered across the room toward Alisa and
Cernov, followed by several curious eyes in the group he had just quit.

"Good evening,
Gregor," Nikki said quietly, breathing brandy everywhere.

"We will not detain
you, Cernov," he said in a cold murmur. "I'm sure you're eager to
join your friends." With a short nod he dismissed him. With the
immeasurable arrogance instilled in a thousand years of Kuzan nobility, Nikki
turned his head the merest fraction and a footman came scurrying out of the
noisy crowd.

"Princess Kuzan is
feeling indisposed and desires to retire to her apartments. Please escort
her."

Alisa had no choice. If she
refused, Nikki was entirely capable of provoking a scene in front of her three
hundred guests. She went, her anger blazing high.

Experienced host that he
was, Nikki signaled the musicians to begin again, abruptly breaking the still
hush of expectancy that hung in the enormous ballroom. Nikki left immediately
after, taking himself to the Kirgiz cafe, while the guests continued to dance
without either host or hostess, and only a delicious scandal to occupy them.

Early the next morning, as
the horizon lightened to a shimmering pink, feeling mildly apologetic for his
drunken peremptory conduct the evening before, Nikki woke up a furrier on his
way home and purchased some gifts for Alisa and Katelina. He'd promised himself
last spring he'd dress Alisa in sables, and the weather was coming on winter.
Snow could be expected in a few weeks.

When Katelina and Alisa
arrived in the morning room for breakfast, Nikki occupied his usual comfortable
chair by the fire, still dressed in brown velvet. Katelina scrambled onto his
lap and began exclaiming over all the flowers still decorating the palace and
Chefs promise to serve party food for breakfast.

"Come, Uncle
Nikki." She paused. "I mean—Isa," she remembered quickly. Nikki
had insisted on adopting her. Strong-arm methods, in addition to a small
fortune, had persuaded Forseus to sign the consent papers. He'd explained to
Katelina in the Finnish language Katelina preferred to speak that she was to
call him "Father" now that he had married her mother. Katelina had
gaily clapped her hands in delight and remembered on most occasions to make the
change from uncle to father.

"Come, Daddy,"
she implored him, "and eat some party food with me."

"Look first at the
presents I have for you and your mother," Nikki insisted.

"You should eat some
breakfast, Nikki," Alisa suggested as she sat across the room, noting his
appearance. He looked pale, more fatigued than usual.

"Very wifely, I'm
sure," he commented ironically, but ignored her suggestion. "Bring
those to your mother." He handed two enormous boxes to Katelina. She
brought first one and then the other to Alisa, who was seated at the table,
watching Nikki and Katelina. Why can't Nikki share some of that kindness and
love with me? she thought sadly.

He blames me for the
marriage, but if I had known how miserable he was going to be, I would have
refused. We were so happy those few weeks in the country. Now she was like some
alien presence in his town palace, an albatross of duty around his neck.

Katelina was tearing off
the silver wrapping and pulling out a gorgeous ermine cape with matching hat
and muff trimmed with white velvet ribbons. Nikki helped her put on the new
ermine finery, and she whirled around the room, jumping on a chair to gaze at
her image in a mirror, then ran out of the room, looking for Rakeli to show off
her new outfit.

Alisa slowly unwrapped the
largest box and exclaimed in wonder at the splendid sable cape ensconced in
silk tissue. Nikki lounged in his chair, watching her.

"Try it on," he
ordered quietly, and Alisa's momentary happiness was shattered by his tone of
command, however softly spoken. "I want my wife to be adequately
dressed," he added.

That's all he cares about,
she thought hotly, remembering her unhappy departure last evening from her
own
party.

She tossed the cape around
her shoulders and sullenly turned around, the superbly soft fur whispering as
it twirled.

Nikki smiled faintly. He
preferred her petulance to the moroseness she'd affected lately. "Open the
other one," he prompted her.

Alisa ripped the wrapping
violently aside and lifted out a short, snug-fitting, waist-length jacket of
ermine trimmed with seed pearls.

"I can't wear
it," she said with malicious delight at being able to refuse his gift.
"It's too tight. It won't fit while I'm pregnant."

"Forgive me, a man's
unpracticed eye, I'm afraid. Such a pity. Perhaps you can save it for Katelina
when she grows older, for it won't fit you next winter either."

"It certainly will,"
Alisa replied waspishly. "I haven't gained that much weight. My figure
will be quite returned by next winter."

"So sorry to
disappoint you, Madame, but my father is so set on legitimate heirs, I intend
to punctiliously demonstrate my filial piety and keep you pregnant. If he wants
heirs, he shall have heirs."

"You aren't going to
use me for a brood mare!" Alisa exploded angrily.

"I'll allow you a
two-month rest after the birth of this child, but," he warned, "I
shall plant my seed in you once again."

"The only part for
which you are providentially qualified, no doubt," Alisa said scathingly.

"No doubt," Nikki
agreed equably, "and a gratifying part, I might add, with your soft,
luscious body as participant. Ah," he sighed lightly, a smile playing
across his handsome face, "I quite look forward to my duties as stud for
the Kuzan family and intend to pursue my function with great assiduity. If you
do your part, Madame, little Kuzans should arrive with punctual
regularity."

And so in this acrimonious,
malevolent atmosphere of wedded bliss, the young Prince and his wife continued.
As the weeks flew by, Alisa became ungainly and awkward as the child grew. She
relinquished most of her social activities and remained home with Katelina and
occasionally Aleksei for company. Nikki persisted in his carefree bachelor
life, solicitous to Katelina, but indifferent to his wife, now great with
child.

Prince Mikhail, with his
usual host of reliable informants, was kept apprised of the movements of his
son and family. He was told that Nikki was living like there was no tomorrow,
drunk or sleeping most of the hours of the day and night, while he and his wife
had no more than a nodding acquaintance. Prince Mikhail wondered how long it
had been since Nikki was sober. The old Prince viewed the situation with
deepening, grievous concern. Not sure of his son's reception, he had
Kaisa-leena write to inquire whether they would be welcome for Christmas and
received from Nikki a polite but clear "no," explaining Al-isa's delicate
health made entertaining impossible as she approached the end of her term.

Prince Mikhail, now greatly
distressed, decided to wait until after the birth of the child, and if the
marriage didn't improve and Alisa was genuinely unhappy, he would offer to help
her in obtaining a divorce. The procedure was eminently simplified by his
friendship with the Emperor. He simply couldn't have Alisa's wretched misery on
his conscience. He'd foolishly hoped for a reconciliation between his son and
Alisa, but Nikki stubbornly refused to give up his licentious living. He would
leave the choice to Alisa. Whatever she wanted, he would support her decision.

Nikki, Alisa, and Katelina
spent a quiet Christmas. Nikki indulged Alisa's request to celebrate the
holiday in the Lutheran fashion, since Katelina was familiar with those
activities, so the festivities lasted many days, beginning with Christmas Eve
on December 24 and continuing through the Russian Christmas on January 6.
Katelina was deluged with enough gifts to fill a room and accepted the largesse
with equanimity.

Nikki presented Alisa with
a three-strand necklace of extremely rare black pearls. The black pearl, the
jeweler had explained, was now the summit of every
elegante's
am-bition, and due to its rarity was the most expensive jewel to adorn a lady's
jewel case.