“Have you met Lady Huntley?” Emily asked. When Antonia shook her head, Emily said, “You’ll adore her. She’s quite clever, and very kind.”
“I’m certain I’ll enjoy her company.”
“Miss Winter’s sisters plan to visit her this afternoon as well,” Robert said.
“How splendid,” Emily said. “How many sisters do you have?”
“Two. I’m the eldest of the three, and then comes Evalina. Stephanie is the youngest, but she’s also the tallest. She takes after our father. Other than height, we’re all fairly similar in appearance. Brown hair, brown eyes.”
“Brown hardly begins to describe the color of your hair,” Emily said. “It has glimmers of a warm, coppery hue. It’s quite lovely.”
Antonia felt herself blushing. “How very kind of you to say so.”
“And your complexion is so pale and smooth. It’s like porcelain. But you’re blushing. Am I embarrassing you?”
Robert snorted. “Of course you’re embarrassing her. How else would she react?”
“Please forgive me. That wasn’t my intent.” Emily seemed flustered. “I suppose I'm overly excited at the prospect of having guests and I was trying too hard to make you like me. You do like me, don’t you?”
Antonia stifled a bubble of laughter and instead squeezed the younger woman’s hand. “Of course I like you,” she said with a grin. “And wait until you meet my sisters. I’m certain one of them will say something quite mortifying within five minutes of entering the house.”
“Oh! Then we’ll get along splendidly,” Emily said. She gave a sharp nod of affirmation. “I do that all the time.”
Robert’s butler arrived at the entrance.
“Yes, Landon?” Robert said.
“Lord and Lady Huntley have arrived.”
“Show them in,” Robert said.
The gentlemen rose to their feet as Lady Huntley swept into the room followed by her husband. He was tall and imposing, but Lady Huntley’s warm smile immediately put Antonia at ease.
Robert quickly made introductions.
“Thank you for agreeing to serve as my chaperone, Lady Huntley. It was very generous of you.”
“You must call me Catherine. I insist.”
“Then you shall call me Antonia.”
“What a lovely name,” Catherine said, sitting on the sofa between Antonia and Emily. “One doesn’t hear it very often.”
Antonia smiled. “My mother chose names that reflected her Russian heritage. My name is an anglicized version of Antonina. My sisters are Evalina and Stephanie, which are also variants of Russian names.”
Robert returned to the fireplace and gently placed a log on the smoldering embers. Lord Huntley crossed the room to join him there.
“Those are beautiful names. Daniel and I have been discussing names as well. For our baby. I’ve been suggesting family names, but Daniel thinks we should start with a clean slate so that our child doesn’t feel weighed down by expectations.”
Her husband raised one eyebrow. “You’re being diplomatic. I believe I said I’d never saddle my child with my father’s name. That had more to do with my dislike for the man than weighty expectations.”
“You’re right,” Catherine said. “I was trying to be diplomatic. Much good it did. Now Antonia knows that you bear animosity toward your late father.”
“Everyone knows I dislike my father. It’s a well-known fact. There’s no reason she shouldn’t know it too.”
Antonia noticed the way Robert and Lord Huntley exchanged grins.
“I thought you were trying to distance yourself from your past and from him,” Catherine said. “If you keep mentioning your animosity, it stays fresh in people’s minds so they can’t forget about it.”
Daniel swayed his head from side to side. “Touché. I concede your point.”
Catherine gave him a serene smile. “Thank you.”
“But I still refuse to saddle my son with his name.”
“As do I,” she said agreeably.
“Then why in blazes are we discussing it again?”
“Daniel, I never said I wanted to name our son, should we have a son, after your father. Surely there are other names from your family or my family you might consider.”
“Ah. Perhaps Solomon.”
“Hmm,” she said, tapping her chin. “I was thinking of something more along the lines of Henry. Or perhaps Richard.”
“Richard. I like Richard. It’s settled.”
Catherine raised her eyebrows. “Like that? No further discussion?”
“Or we could discuss it further,” he agreed cautiously, obviously confused by her reaction.
Catherine grinned at Antonia. “He’s great fun to tease,” she murmured. “And he takes it so well.”
“Miss Winter,” Lord Huntley said, clearly trying to change the subject. “Robert filled us in regarding the attack last night. Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I detest kidnappers.”
Catherine tensed. “Yes,” she said. “We’ve had our own bad experiences along those lines and wouldn’t wish them upon anyone.”
Frederick rose to his feet. “You’re both quite kind to offer your support to her, but I’m not certain it will be necessary.” He locked gazes with Robert as he stalked across the room. “Because if I don’t hear a reasonable explanation for why you’re harboring a criminal within the next five minutes, I’m having Miss Winter arrested for treason.”
Robert’s jaw tightened. He pulled back his arm and launched his fist directly at Frederick’s face.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Compromise is the best and cheapest lawyer.
- Robert Louis Stevenson
Frederick stumbled back, narrowly avoiding the punch.
Robert closed the distance between them. He was furious.
“How dare you threaten her?”
Frederick’s eyes widened in shock. He opened and closed his mouth in surprise.
Daniel lurched forward, grabbed Robert by the shoulder, and pulled him away. “Step back,” Daniel ordered.
When Robert moved around Daniel to glare at his brother, Antonia moved directly in his path. She flattened her palm against his chest.
“Don’t hit him. He’s your brother.”
It took a moment for Robert to process her words, and then he simply gaped at her. “You’d defend him? After what he just said?”
“You’re brothers. You can resolve this amicably. I’m certain of it. Talk to him.”
Robert’s anger still raged, but he pushed it down, suppressing it as he had so many other times in the past. The heat of Antonia’s palm against his chest helped him focus. He looked down into her eyes— into their tranquil depths. Her serenity was like a lifeline in a storm.
“I know you and your brother respect one another. From what you’ve told me, he’s a fair and reasonable man. I’m sure you can reach an agreement. I have confidence in both of you.”
At her words, a sense of calm descended on him. He could do this. He could make his brother see reason. He closed his hand over Antonia’s on his chest and nodded.
Her slow, soft smile warmed him. She slid her hand away and stepped aside.
Frederick had heard everything, but as he gazed at Antonia, he looked confused.
Robert moved closer to his brother. “I’m sorry, but what you said about Antonia— I lost my temper. Helping her is the right thing to do. If you understood why she needs the book, you’d support me in this.” He took a deep breath. “But I understand your point of view. The circumstances make this look bad. Very bad.”
“Then give me an explanation,” Frederick pleaded, revealing a crack in his resolve as he glanced first at Robert and then at Antonia. “Tell me what’s convinced you to champion her interests.”
He quickly ran through Antonia’s situation, but Frederick’s frown persisted.
“I commend you for wanting to help someone in such a dire situation,” Frederick said, “but the
Queen needs that church register too. That book isn’t some insignificant item. Something on those pages can incite a war. Surely that trumps Miss Winter’s claim. She needs to turn it over for the greater good.”
Antonia stepped forward, shaking her head as though stunned. “I love my country, but you’re asking me to make an enormous sacrifice. I need to prove my parents were legally married and that my sisters and I are their legitimate children. I shouldn’t be sent to prison for that. Are you saying you’re willing to turn me in for treason for the sake of the greater good? Would you be so willing to sacrifice yourself if the situation were reversed?”
Frederick couldn’t have looked more stunned if she’d slapped him.
Robert narrowed his eyes. “Her words have more bite to them than she can possibly guess. Our family has secrets as well. You and I are simply fortunate we don’t have a greedy relative who is willing to sacrifice us for his own gain.”
“But turning over the church register to the Queen would be for the greater good,” Frederick said. But his voice lacked conviction.
“What is this ‘greater good’?” Robert asked, frustrated. “You’ve never been willing to tell me why Queen Victoria wants the book. How can you expect me to make this decision if you aren’t willing to explain things to me?”
“It’s not your choice to make,” Frederick insisted.
“Don’t be naive. I know you said the request came from the Queen, but unless you’ve been hiding something from me, you know nothing more about the significance of this book than I do.”
Frederick glanced away and remained silent for a heartbeat too long.
Robert’s jaw tightened. “You don’t know, do you?”
“I follow orders, which is more than I can say for you.”
“You blindly follow orders, you mean,” Robert spat back.
“That’s insulting.”
“It was meant to be.”
“You’re intentionally goading me when I’m trying to help you? Why?”
“Because someone stole that seemingly insignificant book from a Russian Orthodox Church, burned down the building, and murdered a woman to hide the crime. It appears to have been stolen to conceal Antonia’s parents’ marriage, but both the British and Russian governments want it as well. What is so blasted important about a list of weddings?”
Frederick sighed. “It contains information about births and deaths as well.”
Robert narrowed his eyes upon hearing the cryptic reply. “Are you saying this book is important because it records someone’s birth or death?”
Frederick hesitated and then nodded. “Actually, it records both a birth and a death. And that information is enough to topple a government, or at the very least, to start a civil war within Russia.”
“Go on.”
“I wish I could, but that’s all I know. The book’s secret is too big to entrust to me.”
“But all of those births and deaths took place in a minor Russian town— hardly more than a village,” Antonia insisted, tightening her grip on Robert’s arm. “How could one insignificant person’s birth or death affect an entire government?”
Robert scrubbed his face with his hands. “This makes me even more concerned about Antonia’s safety. Based on what you’re saying, the Russians would be willing to kill to keep it hidden.”
“If it’s wielded properly, our government might be able to convince the czar to pull his troops from the Crimean Peninsula and stop threatening the Eastern regions.”
“So it’s back to the Eastern Question again?” Daniel blurted out. “Every problem around the world seems to have its root in the fall of the Ottoman Empire.”
“The Ottomans provided stability,” Frederick said in a tone that made it sound as though he’d made the same statement many times before. “With them gone, other governments are moving in to fill the void.”
“They’re all scrambling for power,” Antonia said.
Frederick gave her a suspicious look. “You’re well-informed.”
She shrugged. “It’s all I ever see in the newspapers these days.”
Frederick let out a heavy sigh and dropped back into the chair where he’d been sitting earlier. “If England can’t convince the czar to withdraw from the peninsula, the Queen will ally with France and declare war on Russia.”
Robert nearly sighed with relief at seeing his brother relax, and he eased into the seat next to Antonia. “That’s because if Russia controls that waterway, it will give them power over the trade route.” How many other people were currently repeating this same debate all over England? “We can’t let that happen. We all understand what’s at stake.”
“In that case, you must realize why we need to turn over the book,” Frederick said. His expression was stark. Pained. He understood the price Antonia would have to pay, but it was obvious he believed his logic was sound. Irrefutable.
“Wait. Hear me out,” Robert said. “The register contains the proof Antonia’s parents were married, and she must have it to claim her inheritance.”
“All I need to do is show it to a judge,” Antonia said. “Once he’s seen it, I’ll be able to recover everything my uncle stole from us.”
“A judge?” Catherine asked.
“But why can’t you turn it over to the crown first?” Robert asked. “If Miss Winter’s claim is as valid as you say, our government could still allow her to use the book to support her case.”
Robert raised one eyebrow. “Can you guarantee that? The Russians already stole it from her once. I stole it from the Russians. And the original thief not only stole it from a church but also committed both murder and arson to obtain it— too many people are after it.”
“Did you say you need to show it to a judge?” Catherine asked.
“Which proves how important it is,” Frederick said, ignoring Catherine. “Letting you keep the book is simply too risky.” He turned to face Antonia. “You need to turn it over to me for safekeeping.”
Antonia shook her head. “I can’t. I don’t have it anymore.”
“What?” Frederick lifted his head, genuinely astounded.
“She turned it over to someone else for safekeeping just hours after she took it from me,” Robert said. “It was gone by the time I tracked her down.”
Frederick widened his eyes in dismay. “Who has it?”
Antonia glanced at Robert. “I’d rather not tell you who he is. He put himself at risk simply by helping me, but I promise, it’s safe with him.”
Robert took her hand in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I don’t know the man’s name,” he said to Frederick, “but he helped her locate the book in both instances. She trusts him to keep it for her until she presents it to a judge.”
“A judge. Exactly my point,” Catherine said. “Now—”
“I assume you believe she’s in danger because of the kidnapping attempt,” Frederick said.
Robert nodded.
“Then the Russians know Antonia has it?”
That was the question, wasn’t it? Robert pondered it for a moment. “I don’t know, but I think they must. Why else would they try to abduct her?”
Antonia seemed to stiffen. “When those men were chasing me, one of them kept trying to reassure me that they only wanted to talk to me. I didn’t believe him.”
What if he hadn’t been there? Would the Russians have taken her?
Antonia met his gaze as she caught her lower lip between her teeth. “If I stay here, won’t that arouse their suspicions regarding your involvement?”
“It’s possible.”
“We need to make sure no one knows she’s here.” Frederick rubbed his chin. “We can’t afford to have her taken.”
Robert felt a flicker of hope. Frederick said “we,” not “you.” That was a good sign. “We weren’t followed last night. I’m certain of that.”
“You’re committed to protecting her. I can see that.” Frederick’s unfocused gaze stared at nothing while he pinched his lowe
r lip between his thumb and forefinger. “What if Antonia asks her accomplice to give us the book?”
“Why would she do that?” Robert asked.
Frederick’s eyes darted from side to side as though envisioning all of the steps needed to put his plan into action. “You can tell your friend you were attacked and ask him to give you the book so you can trade it for the protection of the British government.”
“Protection? You mean, to protect me from the Russians?” Antonia asked.
“It would make Antonia the Queen’s ally and eliminate the risk of having her charged with treason,” Robert said.
Antonia shook her head. “That won’t work. I need the book to prove my parents were legally married. I can’t simply hand it over to the Queen.”
“Excuse me,” Catherine said. She had crossed the room and now pushed forward, forcing the others to look at her.
“Is something wrong?”
“There certainly is. I’ve been trying to point out a perfectly obvious solution for the past two minutes but none of you will listen to me.”
They all remained silent, waiting for her to speak.
“That’s better.” She met Robert’s gaze. “I’m certain you remember meeting young Imogen this morning.”
Daniel’s eyes widened and he smacked his palm against his forehead. “Lord Tidmore. Of course.”
“Tidmore the Tyrant?” Frederick asked.
“You know him?” Catherine asked.
“Everyone knows him,” Frederick replied. “He keeps his court running efficiently and won’t brook any disrespect.”
“He speaks and reads Russian. Fluently.” Daniel added.
“He may be harsh at times, but I always found him to be fair,” Robert said.
“Harsh? Are you suggesting I go before a harsh judge?” Antonia asked, her face pale.
“You’re in the right,” Robert replied. “You aren’t asking for something that isn’t yours. You have a solid case and you have the proof your father’s inheritance should have gone to you and your sisters.”
Daniel nodded. “He’d be an excellent choice. He’s known for dealing with tricky problems expeditiously. Given the situation, I’m certain he can be relied upon for both discretion and a speedy decision.”
Once Upon a Spy: A Secrets and Seduction Book Page 25