To Charm a Prince (3 page)

I picked pockets until two weeks ago.
Samantha looked at the prince and said, “I play the violin.”

“Will you play for me sometime?”

“I would be honored.”

“How about that glass of champagne, my Bulgarian rose?” Rudolf asked.

“I would like that very much.”

With her hand in his, Samantha walked toward the mansion. At the door, they met Angelica and the marquess on their way into the garden. Her sister appeared none too happy and cast her a look that said Aunt Roxie was displeased with her behavior.

Samantha cared not a whit. Her future loomed long and bleak in front of her. She knew the prince could never be interested in her, but he had given her an evening to remember. Perhaps more suitable gentlemen would follow the prince’s lead and become acquainted with her instead of dismissing her because of her flaw.

“Rudolf, I need to ask you a question,” Samantha said, pausing in the foyer. When he inclined his head, she dropped her gaze to his chest. “Why did you single me out tonight?”

“I love the way you look at my chest,” he said in a husky voice.

Samantha lifted her gaze to his face. He was laughing at her.

“You are a desirable woman,” Rudolf told her. “Why should I not be attracted to you?”

His answer surprised her. “But I—”

A gunshot boomed from outside the mansion. Sounds of alarm reached them.

“Stay here,” the prince ordered, heading for the door.

“I’m coming, too.” Samantha followed him outside.

They started down the street where a crowd had gathered. In the distance, Samantha saw her sister and the marquess.

“Oh,” she cried when an enormous man, dressed in black, stepped from the shadows and blocked their path.

“Good evening, Your Highness.”

“Good evening, Igor,” Rudolf said. “How is Vladimir?”

“Return Venus to her rightful owner or suffer the consequences.” With those words, the man disappeared into the night.

“What was that about?” Samantha asked.

Ignoring her question, Rudolf lifted her hands to his lips, saying, “I must take my leave now. May I call upon you?”

Her smile lit the night, and hope swelled within her breast. “Yes, Rudolf, you may.”

The prince gifted her with a devastating smile and then retraced his steps down the street. Samantha watched him disappear inside one of the coaches.

He never called upon her.

Chapter 1

Winter, 1813

“Alexander Emerson is so boring,” Victoria said. “I don’t understand why Samantha wants to marry him.”

“That’s a terrible thing to say,” Angelica scolded her youngest sister.

Samantha stood at the window of her second-floor bedchamber at the Duke of Inverary’s country estate. She stared at the curving brick drive and the courtyard’s three water terraces.

Tonight was a special night. Not only would her family celebrate the New Year but would also announce her betrothal to Alexander Emerson. Why didn’t she feel happy?

You don’t love him.

Samantha silenced that disturbing inner voice and sent it back to the suburbs of her mind. Turning away from the window, she said, “I want to marry Alexander Emerson because he
is
boring.”

She had passed a soul-searching week alone at the old cottage, trying to decide what to do. Her decision had been relatively easy, though, because a woman who limped wasn’t exactly the height of fashion.

“You should have gone to Sweetheart Manor instead of the cottage,” Angelica said, as if she sensed her doubts. “Robert spent a fortune restoring and renovating it, complete with staff, awaiting a visit from the Countess of Melrose and her husband.”

Samantha looked at her older sister knitting a bunting for the babe she expected in four months. “The cottage at Primrose Hill is closer than Scotland.”

“A complete change of scenery would have been good for you.”

“You may have arrived at a different decision,” Victoria said. “You don’t love Alexander.”

Her sister’s remark surprised Samantha. Was it that obvious?

“Father and Mother would never have expected you to marry a man you don’t love just so their bodies can rest on Douglas land,” Victoria added.

“Out of the mouths of babes comes wisdom,” Angelica said.

“Almost seventeen is
not
a child,” Victoria informed her sisters. She looked at Samantha. “Too bad Prince Rudolf never called upon you.”

Samantha kept her face expressionless, but her stomach knotted at the sound of his name. “Tory, you cannot have believed that a man of his esteem would call upon me.”

“You don’t need to marry a man you don’t love because you fear no other man will ask you,” Angelica told her.

Samantha lifted her chin a notch. “I fear nothing, especially spinsterhood.”

“Hello, my darlings,” called a voice from the doorway.

The three sisters watched their aunt cross the bedchamber. Aunt Roxie sat on the settee in front of the hearth. “Is everyone excited about tonight?”

“I can hardly wait for the midnight fireworks,” Victoria said. “His Grace certainly knows how to celebrate New Year’s.”

“Yes, he certainly knows how to celebrate,” Aunt Roxie drawled in a suggestive tone.

Samantha and Angelica exchanged smiles. Their wonderful aunt had recently made the duke her fourth husband, and the two seemed to spend a lot of time closeted within their bedchamber.

“Be careful,” Angelica teased, “or you’ll find your belly as big as mine.”

Aunt Roxie laughed. “Swallow your tongue, child.”

“You look young enough to become a mother,” Samantha said.

“Bless you, darling.” Aunt Roxie reached into her pocket and produced a necklace, a ruby pendant hanging on a gold chain. “I’ve brought you a gift.”

Samantha let her aunt place the necklace over her head and then looked down at the ruby. “Thank you, but what did I do to deserve this?”

“Darling, you deserve to be drenched in jewels for being your wonderful self,” Aunt Roxie said smoothly. She gazed into her niece’s blue eyes and told her, “This necklace possesses powerful magic.”

Samantha managed to keep her expression serious and the laughter out of her voice. “What kind of magic?”

“Legend says the star ruby will darken to the color of blood if its owner is threatened,” Aunt Roxie said.

“I will keep a guarded eye on it,” Samantha promised, a smile flirting with the corners of her lips.

“Remember, child,” Aunt Roxie said, putting her arm around her, “life doesn’t always turn out as planned.”

“Did you have another vision?” Victoria asked. “Can you tell me which gentleman will invite me to supper?”

“Tory, you are beginning to give me a headache.” Samantha said, rising from her chair.

“I need some fresh air.” She donned her hooded, fur-lined cloak over her blue dress and grabbed her special violin case with the wide leather strap that hung over her shoulder.

“Darling, have a wonderful time,” Aunt Roxie called. “Remember, your ruby will warn you if danger threatens.”

Samantha paused at the door. Her aunt sounded as if she was going on a trip instead of the gazebo to play her violin.

“I won’t forget.” Armed with her violin, Samantha walked down the corridor to the curving staircase. She paused when she reached the foyer and looked at the duke’s statuary of the Three Fates.

What did the Fates have planned? Whenever her aunt behaved mysteriously, something unexpected happened, and the unexpected was always a turn for the worse.

A crisp afternoon greeted Samantha. The sun warmed her face as she crossed the expanse of snow-dusted lawn nearest the mansion.

Samantha opened the iron gate that separated the lawn from the garden. The fine hairs on her nape prickled. Feeling like she was being watched, she paused and glanced around the area. Nothing seemed amiss.

Flicking her cloak open, Samantha looked at the placid star ruby. She shook off the uncomfortable feeling and continued on her way past the maze and across another, larger expanse of lawn.

The gazebo stood beyond the lawns at the edge of the woodland. Samantha sighed and seated herself inside. Scented with woodsmoke from the fireplaces within the mansion, the afternoon was a gem of blue sky and sunshine.

Why didn’t she feel happy and lighthearted? Alexander Emerson was intelligent and kind and possessed blond good looks. He was excellent husband material, and she intended to be the best wife ever.

The image of the Russian prince stepped from the shadows of her mind. Her heart ached for what could never be. Why had he asked to call upon her? If he’d said nothing, she would never have expected to see him again. Instead, she had waited weeks for a visit that never materialized.

Samantha told herself she should be grateful for that one enchanted evening. Many women never had that much. Opening her instrument case, Samantha lifted her violin and bow. Then she began to play a haunting melody that mirrored her feeling of loneliness.

*    *    *

Two pairs of eyes watched Samantha crossing the grounds. Robert Campbell and Prince Rudolf stood at the window in the duke’s study and watched the petite, ebony-haired woman walking toward the gazebo.

“Samantha Douglas is a lovely woman,” Prince Rudolf said, breaking the silence.

“Yes, too bad about her limp,” Robert replied.

“Limp?” the prince echoed, glancing sidelong at the other man. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Robert gave the prince an amused smile but made no reply. He walked away for a minute and returned to hand him a dram of whiskey.

“I would prefer vodka if you have any,” Rudolf told him.

“I’m sorry,” Robert said with a shrug.

“I’ll send you a supply at first opportunity.” Prince Rudolf downed the whiskey in one gulp and added, “Vodka is a man’s drink. Save the whiskey for the ladies.” He returned his attention to the young woman sitting alone in the gazebo. She appeared as lonely as he felt.

“Samantha will be announcing her engagement to Alexander Emerson tonight,” Robert told him.

“Wasn’t there trouble between the Douglases and the Emersons?” Rudolf asked, his gaze on the woman in the gazebo.

“Alexander is determined to make amends for his father’s misdeeds.”

“Samantha deserves a husband who loves her,” Rudolf said.

“I spoke those very words to my wife this morning,” Robert agreed. “However, unless that man makes an appearance within the next few hours, both Samantha and Alexander will be bound to spouses who don’t love them.”

Rudolf turned to meet the marquess’ dark gaze. “Samantha does not love him?”

“I think not.”

Turning his back on the window, Rudolf scanned the duke’s study filled with mahogany furniture and bookcases built into the walls. Though his gaze was on the study, his thoughts were on the woman sitting in the gazebo. Samantha Douglas probably despised him for not calling upon her, but what could he do? Other, more important obligations had demanded his attention. Perhaps if circumstances had been different—

The door swung open at that moment, and the Duke of Inverary walked into the room. Magnus Campbell was an older version of his son—tall and well-built, black eyes, black hair beginning to silver at the temples.

“Shall we get down to business?” the duke said, gesturing toward his desk.

Prince Rudolf inclined his head and sat in one of the chairs in front of the desk. The marquess sat in another chair while the duke took his place behind the desk.

“We haven’t seen you about town for several months,” Duke Magnus remarked, a polite smile appearing on his face.

“I’ve been rusticating on my new estate,” Rudolf told him.

“Where is that?” the marquess asked.

“Sark Island in the Channel,” Rudolf answered. “I settled my mother and daughter there and decided to stay for a prolonged visit.”

“You have a daughter?”

Rudolf heard the surprise in the other man’s voice and knew he was probably thinking about his young sister-in-law. “I lost my wife.”

“I’m sorry.”

Duke Magnus cleared his throat. “Your English is perfect, no trace of an accent.”

“My mother is English,” Rudolf told the older man, watching his expression. “Elizabeth Montague. Perhaps you remember her?”

Rudolf noted the flicker of recognition in the duke’s dark eyes. Within an instant, the older man had shuttered his expression.

“I never had the pleasure of making her acquaintance,” Duke Magnus said, shifting his gaze away from him.

The duke was lying. That much was obvious to Rudolf. Had his mother spoken truthfully about the Duke of Inverary? She did have many lucid moments.

“What can we do for you, Your Highness?” Duke Magnus asked.

“I have come to do for you.” Rudolf looked from the duke to the marquess. “I am not in accord with my brother. Last summer, my agents pirated a ship they thought belonged to Vladimir. Unfortunately,
The Tempest
belongs to you.”

Rudolf reached into his jacket pocket, produced an envelope, and placed it on the desk. “I am an honorable man with more money than I could hope to spend. Here is a banknote for the money my agents stole. With interest, of course. I hope you won’t press charges.”

Both the duke and the marquess sat in stunned silence for a long moment. Finally, Duke Magnus said, “We’ll call it a misunderstanding.”

“I appreciate your generous spirit,” Rudolf said.

Your brother and you play roughly with each other,” the marquess remarked.

Rudolf rose from his chair and looked out the window again at the woman sitting in the gazebo. Without thinking, he told them, “Vladimir wants me dead.”

Silence greeted his revelation. Apparently, he’d shocked the Campbells again. These descendants of Highlanders thought they were strong, stalwart men but could learn real brutality from his own countrymen.

Duke Magnus cleared his throat. “You’ll stay for tonight’s celebration, of course.”

The last thing Rudolf wanted to witness was Samantha Douglas becoming engaged to Alexander Emerson. “I haven’t brought evening attire with me,” he said in refusal. “As a matter of fact, I rode alone from London, so I could complete the round trip in one day.”