Read Online The Ice King by Dinah Dean - Free Book Online Page A

rose to his feet. "I'm due at the Palace in halt an hour, so I must take my leave," he said. "I look forward to seeing you tomorrow," and he went before Tanya could enquire what he meant.
    She watched him walk in a leisurely but purposeful manner across the room, pausing to confirm with Fedor an appointment to see the horse which interested him, to exchange a few words with Count Alexei, to pay some small compliment to Marisha, to kiss Irina's hand with proper ceremony, and to make his farewell to Countess Maria. Finally, he went out of the door with a pleasant acknowledgement to the footman on duty. Tanya had a peculiar feeling of mingled deflation and relief, and thought to herself that it was very strange how pleasant it was to talk with the Prince. Yet how selfconscious he made her feel, almost as if some invisible physical property in him could reach out to her and set her nervous and circulatory systems awry — rather like the crackling of one's hair and the odd sensation to one's skin before a thunderstorm. It was disturbing, and yet not exactly unpleasant.
    The game of Boston had ended and the players were chattering about something or other. Boris got up and strolled over to Tanya, and took the place vacated by Prince Nikolai. "I'm desolated not to have seen you for so long," he murmured, kissing her hand and gazing at her with anguished devotion.
    Tanya slid the mouse into her reticule and laughed. "Really, Count Boris! It must be quite eighteen hours since we parted!"
    “A lifetime!" he sighed.
    Tanya laughed again, and Boris abandoned his affectations and grinned cheerfully.
    “I can only stay a few minutes," he said. "We poor fellows in waiting lead a dreadful life, you know, always dashing off to one Palace or another to drink gallons of china tea and stand about for hours waiting for Alexander Pavlovich to do something or other. So tedious, when one might be in interesting company."
    “Isn't the Czar of all the Russians interesting?" Tanya asked, half-seriously.
    Boris wrinkled his nose. "Extremely, but not feminine," he said drily.
    “Ah, yes," Tanya nodded sagely, "that must make a difference."
    “How well you understand me!" Boris made effective use of his dark eyes again.
    “I hope I do," Tanya replied seriously, and deliberately looked towards Marisha. Boris followed her glance and said equally seriously, "It's a long wait, but not too much longer, I hope. She'll soon be seventeen.”
    Tanya felt decidedly relieved, and thought what a very pleasant young man he was. She found herself thinking much the same about Vladimir Karachev a little while later, when that gentleman arrived and ousted Boris in his usual forthright way by telling him to go and flirt with someone else.
    “Why should I?" Boris objected.
    “You know you prefer little blondes," the Colonel replied. "And in any case, I'm your superior officer."
    “Were, you mean, and that was ages ago."
    “Three years he was in the Army, and never rose above Ensign," the Colonel informed Tanya, "and his path across Europe was littered with little blondes! Go away and play!" The last was addressed to Boris, who saluted Prussian style and went back to Marisha in his usual agreeable fashion.
    “It's where he really wants to be," Vladimir said hesitantly, eyeing Tanya a trifle anxiously.
    “Yes, I guessed as much," she reassured him. "He's a very agreeable flirt, but I do hope that she understands that it doesn't mean anything. She's very young."
    “I think she decided to marry him when she was about ten," Vladimir replied, "and she should know him by now. He only does it to pass the time, and never with her."
    “And how do you pass your time?" Tanya asked.
    “Playing soldiers."
    “Playing?"
    “What else, in peace time? Not that I'm in favour of war, though! The trouble is, I'm the younger son, and in my family one boy in each generation goes into the Army." "And your brother didn't wish to?”
     
    “ Not at all. Vassily is very fastidious!