The Secret Daughter of the Tsar

by Jennifer Laam

  “Take it easy,” he told her. “It’s not every day you hear you’re heir to one-sixth the earth’s surface.”

  “You think?” Veronica whispered. “I never even knew my father and now you’re telling me he was some lost Romanov?”

  Michael looked at her steadily and gave one firm nod.

  Veronica could manage no more than a shake of her head. “If that’s true, and I’m not saying I believe you, why did you wait so long to tell me? Why let me think you were the one?”

  “Remember I told you I’d been to a family reunion in Russia, last Christmas?” Veronica nodded. “While we were there, my mother and I learned Alexei Romanov had become involved with a dangerous group of people. He’s older now. Maybe he’s grown more desperate. Originally, I used a fake family tree to approach Alexei Romanov on behalf of myself and my family. I kept the lie to protect you, Veronica. I wanted his attention on me, not on you. We were afraid if he discovered the truth, you could be in danger. And we were sworn to protect you.”

  “Why tell me now?”

  “Alexei Romanov thinks he’s won. He’s proven I’m an imposter, so he can finally leave me alone. And telling you here, away from Los Angeles, felt right. My grandmother Lena was the one who insisted your identity needed to be kept a secret. But now is the time. She’d understand.”

  Veronica’s mind raced, her thoughts nothing more than a cluttered mess. “You really thought I needed protecting?”

  “Grand Duchess Charlotte was persecuted during the war. We think Luc—her husband, your grandfather—died because of it. Lena swore to Marie she would protect the grand duchess and keep the secret safe.”

  “And you?” Veronica said. “You felt you had to keep it from me?”

  Michael looked away, took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Then he turned back to her. “It’s important to believe in something bigger than yourself.”

  Veronica’s lip twitched. “Why should I believe any of this?”

  He held her gaze. “If you take a DNA test, you’ll see. I don’t want anything from you, Veronica. There’s no reason for me to make this up. If you don’t want to know, don’t take the DNA test. Do whatever you want. But I wasn’t going to walk away without letting you know, no matter what you decide. No matter what you decide about me.”

  A strange, tingling sensation sailed down her back. “Oh my God,” she breathed out. “But I don’t look anything like the Romanovs.”

  “That’s not true. The resemblance is there, especially considering the removal by several generations. I saw it from the beginning, but then I was looking.”

  “Why didn’t Alexei Romanov see it?”

  “He was focused on me, just as you were. That was the plan all along.”

  Veronica couldn’t form a coherent thought. Michael wound his fingers around hers. They felt warm and comforting.

  “So when you met Jessica and she talked about me?”

  “Meeting Jess was a happy accident. I knew you lived in Los Angeles. I’d always wanted to meet you. My mother found a couple of your articles on the Romanov family. I wondered how you’d grown interested in Russian history. I assumed Laurent told your mother and that sparked your interest. My mother and I thought you knew more. I thought maybe you knew about your father and his family history. Anyway, it seemed logical to meet you and see.”

  “Logical?” The word came choking out. “Even if all of this is true, how can I trust you? Maybe you just want to get close to the heir. Or you just came to me out of some archaic sense of duty.”

  “I care about you. I want to help you, regardless of what you decide to do with this news.”

  Veronica thought about this for a moment, gnawing on her lip. “The article in L.A. This Week … it embarrassed you?”

  He scratched his neck again and looked away. “Most of my clients are Russian. Some of them follow that stuff.”

  “So yes.”

  “Some of them found it strange,” he said carefully.

  “Have you lost clients?” When he didn’t answer, she added, “Maybe I should go public. I could explain why you did this. Maybe it would help.”

  “Veronica, my family has gone through so much to protect you. All I ask is that you give this decision some thought before you act. If you go public, you’ll have to deal with Alexei Romanov and Grigori and all his thugs.”

  “Remember what I told you before. I expect the truth. I expect it from myself more than anyone else. Your family protected me, but if all of this is true, I need to start taking care of myself.” She hesitated. “Charlotte isn’t still alive, is she?”

  He shook his head sadly. “She passed away shortly after Lena did.”

  “And Laurent?” She couldn’t bring herself to call him Father.

  “You can meet him if you want,” Michael said. “I think he would like that. I think you will like him, actually.”

  Veronica put her head in her hands.

  “You don’t have to decide right now,” Michael added softly.

  Veronica nodded, too overwhelmed to speak further. It was all starting to hit her now. She actually understood what he was saying.

  “It is true,” he added. “I understand you need more than my word. But it is true.”

  She felt the tears coming, and let them slip. “Then will you help me?”

  He smiled. “Help crown you Tsarina Veronica? Or do you prefer Empress?”

  She shrugged. “It’s not like I have anything else going on right now. Once my final set of exams are graded, my schedule is wide open.”

  “You can still work on your biography of Alexandra,” Michael said. “So what if it doesn’t go to an academic press. Think of all the material you’ll have to work with now.”

  Veronica turned back toward her cousin’s house. No one was spying from the kitchen window, but she would have to go back inside eventually. “Should I tell them? It’s not every day you find out your weird cousin is the heiress to the Russian throne.”

  “Maybe hold off on that.” He glanced at her seriously. “I think you should figure out where things stand before you make anything public, even within your own family.”

  Veronica felt her spirits rising. “Okay. Will you help me with this at least? I’ll keep the cross hidden.” She held out the necklace. Michael took it and lifted the soft strands of hair that grazed her neck. She shivered pleasantly. He shut the clasp on the chain and she tucked the orthodox cross under her shirt.

  “Perfect,” he said.

  Veronica remembered Abuela’s comments about her mother, how she’d suddenly been interested in Russian history when she returned from her semester abroad. “Did you tell my grandmother?” she asked.

  “I felt I should. I think she knows how to keep a secret.” He shook his head. “I know she didn’t think much of me at first, but I like your grandmother.”

  “You could help me then,” Veronica said. “A man who gets along with Abuela can get along with anyone. And I’ll need good advice if I’m going to navigate all this. Your family has a tradition of loyal servitude, after all.”

  “Loyal servitude,” he said. “You make it sound so grand.”

  “Come on, counselor. This could be fun.”

  “That’s all you want? An advisor?”

  Veronica stood up and offered Michael her hand. “You shouldn’t keep Abuela waiting. You’re her guest. She’ll want to fuss over you all night. And my cousin fries a mean turkey if you’re into that kind of thing. Significant cardiac event in a pan, I call it. I stick to the mashed potatoes and cranberries, but there’s plenty of that as well.”

  She saw the start of another smile play on his lips. “So you’re not going to answer my question.”

  Veronica helped him up from the porch. “We’ll see. For now, let’s just try to enjoy my family.”

  “If you’re really going to pursue this…” His fingers curled around hers. “… when do we discuss taking over the world?”

  “Not the whole world. Just Russia.
That’s only one-sixth of the earth’s surface, you know.” Veronica opened the front door. “We’ll talk about it tomorrow. But not until after I drive Abuela to all the Black Friday sales.”

  “Your priorities are clearly in order,” he said. “You’ll make a fine tsarina.”

  Veronica put her finger on her lips and led him inside.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  I am fascinated by the fate of the last Russian royal family and the subsequent string of claimants to the throne. In Anastasia: The Lost Princess, James B. Lovell discussed the case of Suzanna DeGraaff, a woman who once claimed to be a fifth daughter of Nicholas and Alexandra. Though Charlotte Marchand is fictional, Ms. DeGraaff’s story first inspired me to create a Romanov survival story that focused on a secret grand duchess.

  Numerous books and Web sites helped give me a sense of late imperial Russia, Paris during the Nazi Occupation, and family feuding between modern-day Romanov factions. Robert K. Massie’s The Romanovs: The Final Chapter and Carolly Erickson’s Alexandra: The Last Tsarina were particularly helpful during the early stages of this project. I got to know Jim Hercules, the real-life inspiration for Pavel/Paul, in Greg King’s The Court of the Last Tsar.

  I am indebted to my amazing agent, Erin Harris of Folio Literary Management, and my magnificent editor, Vicki Lame at St. Martin’s Press. I also want to thank my insightful and patient early readers: Melissa Jackson, Mary Pessaran, Lou Ann Barnett, Alan Klima, Kate Campbell, Deborah Grinnell, Caren Halvorsen, and Mary Anne Cox. Finally, thank you to my family—Karen, Jon, Brett, and Liz—for your love and support.

  SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

  Erickson, Carolly. Alexandra: The Last Tsarina. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2001.

  King, Greg. The Court of the Last Tsar: Pomp, Power, and Pageantry in the Reign of Nicholas II. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2006.

  King, Greg and Penny Wilson. The Fate of the Romanovs. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2003.

  Lovell, James B. Anastasia: The Lost Princess. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1991.

  Massie, Robert. The Romanovs: The Final Chapter. New York: Ballantine, 1995.

  Ousby, Ian. Occupation: The Ordeal of France 1940–1944. New York: Random House, 1999.

  Perry, John Curtis and Constantine Pleshakov. The Flight of the Romanovs: A Family Saga. New York: Basic Books, 2001.

  Radzinsky, Edvard. The Last Tsar: The Life and Death of Nicholas II. New York: Doubleday, 1992.

  Discussion Questions

  1. At several points in the story, Veronica feels drawn to Alexandra Romanov in an almost supernatural sense. Have you ever experienced a similar connection with a historical figure? A distant relative? What connects us to someone in the past?

  2. After her failed engagement, Veronica erects self-protective emotional walls. What qualities does Michael possess that break down these walls? What is his main appeal? To what extent is Veronica attracted to the world Michael represents?

  3. Veronica’s grandmother encourages her to prioritize professional success over romance. Why? Is Abuela’s opinion shaped more by Veronica’s intellectual talents or by her own experiences?

  4. Ultimately, is Michael justified in keeping his secrets from Veronica? Did he truly protect Veronica? Was this an act of self-protection on his part?

  5. At the end of the story, Veronica is presented with a potentially life-changing revelation. What do you think she will do next? What would you do in her place?

  6. Lena’s loyalty to Alexandra implicitly defies the political views of her brother. What did the Romanovs and the monarchy in general represent to someone in Lena’s position—security or tyranny? Both?

  7. Lena and Alexandra develop a bond that transcends class. Lena and Pavel’s attraction transcends the racial order of the time. Are the personal and the political intertwined? Do these relationships suggest Lena has a rebellious side?

  8. Lena has a strained and distant relationship with her mother, yet ultimately chooses to follow in her footsteps professionally. Why? Does she admire her mother on some level?

  9. After they leave Russia, what would life have been like for Lena and Pavel? What difficulties would they have encountered? How might they have dealt with these difficulties?

  10. Charlotte endures the Nazi occupation of Paris seemingly without protest, until there is a clear and present threat to her son. Is it natural for most people to keep a low profile during military occupation? Without the threat to Laurent, do you think Charlotte would have found ways to rebel against the occupation?

  11. Despite their estrangement, Charlotte remains attracted to her husband, Luc. Would she have felt the same way about Luc if they didn’t share a common interest in Laurent?

  12. Charlotte seems to feel her best days and her happiness lie entirely in the past. Was there more she could have done to embrace the present? Is it possible to find happiness in the present, even if you continue to dwell on the happiness of the past?

  13. When Charlotte learns her true identity, she remains more interested in protecting Laurent, and later her granddaughter, than in pursuing her claim. Why? What experiences shape her reaction?

  14. The narrative hinges on an alternate historical timeline. Outside of fiction, is there any reason to consider “what might have happened” historical questions?

  15. The last Romanovs remain a popular subject of fiction. Why do you think this is? Are we more attracted to their lives, or to the sordid way they died? Is there beauty in tragedy?

  16. To some extent, Veronica, Lena, and Charlotte all feel awkward and like outsiders in their respective worlds. In what ways? How do they deal with these feelings? Do their feelings about their relative places in the world evolve over time?

  For more reading group suggestions, visit www.readinggroupgold.com.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Jennifer Laam earned her master’s degree in history from Oakland University in Michigan and her bachelor’s degree from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California. She lives in Northern California, where she works in development for higher education. This is her first novel. For more information, please visit www.jenniferlaam.com.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  THE SECRET DAUGHTER OF THE TSAR. Copyright © 2013 by Jennifer Laam. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio

  Cover photographs: woman © Clayton Bastiani/Trevillion Images; palace © Dmitry Savin/Getty Images; snow © Shutterstock.com

  The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN 978-1-250-04091-6 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-1-250-02868-6 (trade paperback)

  ISBN 978-1-250-02869-3 (e-book)

  eISBN 9781250028693

  First Edition: October 2013