Read Online To Love a Horseguard by Killarney Sheffield - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Killarney Sheffield
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before things are clear to me again.”
He gave a small snort of disbelief. “You cannot remember or just do not care to?”
Victor shot him a stern look. “It sounds perfectly logical.”
“This morning you failed to mention you were engag ed.” Dimitry’s eyes narrowed. “Any reason?”
His tone rubbed her already strained nerves. Was the man actually hinting she was faking her memory loss? “I—well, I just do not remember much yet.”
Dimitry scowled at her. “I see.” He turned his attention back to the second course being served.
Victor glanced at her, the small smile playing about his lips not quite reaching his eyes. “Well then, we will have to show you the sights of our great city, will we not Dimitry?”
Dimitry shoved back his chair. “No, we will not. I doubt she will be staying long enough to bother.” He stood, threw down his napkin and stalked from the room. She dropped her gaze to her plate. Have I done something wrong?
“You will have to forgive Dimitry’s lack of manners. He is not used to the role the tsar appointed him with or much company for that matter. You see—”
“I would like to return to my room,” she interrupted, without looking up.
Victor sighed and put down his fork. He carried her back to her room and left her in Anya's care.
She stared into the fire as the woman fussed with the blankets, smoothing them across her lap. “Prince Dimitry does not like me for some reason.”
The housekeeper patted her hand. “Nonsense, he doesn't even know you.”
Rose shrugged, letting a tear trickle down her cheek. “I want to go home, wherever that is.”
Anya sat on the edge of the bed and patted her hand. “In a few days you will remember everything, you'll see. Dimitry will send for your family and you will return home and all will be as it was.”
Doubt nagged at her mind. What if her family didn't come for her? What if she had run away because she had done something terrible? What if the prince knew or suspected what she had done, if she had done something... She was so confused. Why couldn't she make her mind recall the events that brought her here? Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to remember anything before awaking in the prince's tent. A costume. A room filled with people, and a man who…who I do not like, smiling at me. Cold water. Her heart leaped. I am drowning! She placed a hand to her head as it began to throb. It was no use. The puzzle of her memory had too many missing pieces for her to put them together. Perhaps the maid Dimitry said knew her could shed some light on the situation. “Is the girl who claimed to be my maid still here?”
Anya nodded. “She has been given a room in the servants’ quarters. I thought it best she rest for a day or two. Would you like me to fetch her?”
When Rose nodded, the woman hurried from the room.
A few minutes later a short red-haired girl arrived. She glanced at the bed, lowered her gaze and shuffled forward. “Can I be of service, my lady?”
“I was hoping you could answer some questions.” Rose patted the bed beside her. The maid stayed where she was, a flicker of fear passing over her face before she hid it. Why is the girl afraid? Am I awful to the staff? Something told her that this was not the case.
“What did you want to know, my lady.” The maid kept her eyes on her feet, her hands washing each other with obvious distress.
It suddenly occurred to Rose perhaps the girl was afraid of being blamed for her apparent kidnapping. “I want you to know I do not blame you for anything that has happened.”
The girl glanced at her, and then lowered her gaze back to her feet.
“Who am I?”
“Princess Elizabeth.”
Rose frowned. She was sure the woman was lying. “How did I come to be here in Russia?”
“A man named Sergi kidnapped you.”
“How did you come to be here with me?”
The woman's face visibly paled. “I was hired by Sergi to serve as your maid. I didn't know he was
He gave a small snort of disbelief. “You cannot remember or just do not care to?”
Victor shot him a stern look. “It sounds perfectly logical.”
“This morning you failed to mention you were engag ed.” Dimitry’s eyes narrowed. “Any reason?”
His tone rubbed her already strained nerves. Was the man actually hinting she was faking her memory loss? “I—well, I just do not remember much yet.”
Dimitry scowled at her. “I see.” He turned his attention back to the second course being served.
Victor glanced at her, the small smile playing about his lips not quite reaching his eyes. “Well then, we will have to show you the sights of our great city, will we not Dimitry?”
Dimitry shoved back his chair. “No, we will not. I doubt she will be staying long enough to bother.” He stood, threw down his napkin and stalked from the room. She dropped her gaze to her plate. Have I done something wrong?
“You will have to forgive Dimitry’s lack of manners. He is not used to the role the tsar appointed him with or much company for that matter. You see—”
“I would like to return to my room,” she interrupted, without looking up.
Victor sighed and put down his fork. He carried her back to her room and left her in Anya's care.
She stared into the fire as the woman fussed with the blankets, smoothing them across her lap. “Prince Dimitry does not like me for some reason.”
The housekeeper patted her hand. “Nonsense, he doesn't even know you.”
Rose shrugged, letting a tear trickle down her cheek. “I want to go home, wherever that is.”
Anya sat on the edge of the bed and patted her hand. “In a few days you will remember everything, you'll see. Dimitry will send for your family and you will return home and all will be as it was.”
Doubt nagged at her mind. What if her family didn't come for her? What if she had run away because she had done something terrible? What if the prince knew or suspected what she had done, if she had done something... She was so confused. Why couldn't she make her mind recall the events that brought her here? Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to remember anything before awaking in the prince's tent. A costume. A room filled with people, and a man who…who I do not like, smiling at me. Cold water. Her heart leaped. I am drowning! She placed a hand to her head as it began to throb. It was no use. The puzzle of her memory had too many missing pieces for her to put them together. Perhaps the maid Dimitry said knew her could shed some light on the situation. “Is the girl who claimed to be my maid still here?”
Anya nodded. “She has been given a room in the servants’ quarters. I thought it best she rest for a day or two. Would you like me to fetch her?”
When Rose nodded, the woman hurried from the room.
A few minutes later a short red-haired girl arrived. She glanced at the bed, lowered her gaze and shuffled forward. “Can I be of service, my lady?”
“I was hoping you could answer some questions.” Rose patted the bed beside her. The maid stayed where she was, a flicker of fear passing over her face before she hid it. Why is the girl afraid? Am I awful to the staff? Something told her that this was not the case.
“What did you want to know, my lady.” The maid kept her eyes on her feet, her hands washing each other with obvious distress.
It suddenly occurred to Rose perhaps the girl was afraid of being blamed for her apparent kidnapping. “I want you to know I do not blame you for anything that has happened.”
The girl glanced at her, and then lowered her gaze back to her feet.
“Who am I?”
“Princess Elizabeth.”
Rose frowned. She was sure the woman was lying. “How did I come to be here in Russia?”
“A man named Sergi kidnapped you.”
“How did you come to be here with me?”
The woman's face visibly paled. “I was hired by Sergi to serve as your maid. I didn't know he was
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