He laughed once more and pulled her away from the door.
“Release me!” She was shocked that he would treat her so coarsely.
“If you will stay here.”
“I am going to be late if you don’t—”
“I don’t like being reprimanded at this early hour. Will you act reasonably?”
“Me?” She swallowed her rage as her voice broke on the single word. Taking a slow breath, she said, “Alexei, I am going to be late.”
“Do you think I intend to let you just wander about alone? You are in a strange village on the border of the Hapsburg Empire.”
Clenching her fingers on her reticule, she snapped, “I know the dangers, but I doubt I shall be accosted on my way to church.”
“Church?” He laughed. “I thought that was what you said, but I was still only half-awake.”
“Yes, I would like to go to church. If you will excuse me …”
“Sit.”
“I am not a child for you to order about.”
“Then act like a grown woman and sit while I get dressed. I don’t think you want me to accompany you with my shirttails hanging down out of my breeches.”
She flushed. Before she had met Alexei, she had not blushed more than a handful of times. As she dropped onto the chair, she watched as he went to the washtable.
When he poured water into the bowl and splashed it on his face, she wondered where he had washed since she began traveling with him. He had arranged for times for her private needs, but never spoke of his own. There were many things that had gone unsaid between them.
Lathering his face, he grimaced at the small mirror. “I assume this churchgoing is a habit.”
“Yes.”
“I should have guessed. Sophie said often that she wanted you to have a chance at a righteous life.”
“Righteous? What do you mean?”
He grinned at her through the soap. “Why are you asking me? You are the one who teaches in that convent.”
“St. Bernard’s School for Girls is not a convent.” She wanted to get up and walk out, but she was fascinated by how confidently he wielded the sharp razor so close to the vulnerable line of his throat. “Zurich is very Protestant. It was at the crossroads of the Reformation.”
“Crossroads of the Reformation? Must you sound like a schoolteacher all the time?”
“And can’t you ever be serious?”
Alexei yelped as he nicked the edge of his jaw. “You could be less exasperating while I am shaving.”
Michelle went to the bowl and dipped the end of a towel into it. Dabbing at the bloody spot, she ordered, “Put this against it. The water will cleanse it.”
“I guess I should say thank-you for your quick nursing.”
“No need. Just don’t talk and shave at the same time.”
“I didn’t realize you were such an expert on men shaving. Or have you left your school before for an adventure? Mayhap an amorous one?”
She whirled away. “You are disgusting. ’Tis just common sense not to run a sharp blade against a moving object. If you cannot keep your mouth closed, mayhap you should grow a beard.”
“I have.” He chuckled as he dropped the towel onto the marble washstand. “It looked horrible. All patchy and a dozen shades of blond and brown. I prefer the risk of cutting my throat in front of an exasperating woman.”
Michelle considered answering, but the sound of church bells reminded her of the passage of time. “Alexei, if we are going …”
“A moment.”
She was going to tell him that she did not have time to wait, but more quickly than she would have guessed possible, Alexei shrugged on his best frock coat. He adjusted his stock collar and the cravat closing it. Sitting, he pulled on his boots.
He looked up at her, and the gleam of amusement returned to his eyes. “Damnable boots! Hard to put on and harder to take off.”
“You do not have to wear them.”
He stood and placed her fingers on his arm. “I am afraid I cannot resist wearing the latest fashion, Michelle. After years of fighting in the mud, the idea of fine clothes is almost as enticing as waking to find your slender legs out from under the covers and so close to my face.”
Fire slapped her face. Um Himmels willen! He could be a gentleman and not mention such things. When he gave her a bold wink, she lifted her chin. She would not be intimidated by his crass comments. Quietly she said, “Alexei, need I remind you that we are on our way to church?”
“All the more reason to be honest.” He unlocked the door, revealing that she could not have left without his knowledge. “And allow me to be honest, Michelle. You are an incredibly lovely woman.”
“Which is why you chose me for your supposed mistress?”
He squeezed her fingers and chuckled. “Why shouldn’t I have a beautiful mistress instead of a plain one?”
“We shall be late,” she reminded him, unsure at the course of the conversation, for his eyes never hid his admiration.
As Alexei led her down the stairs and across the main room of the inn, he chatted as easily as if they took a walk every morning. The bite of the wind silenced him when it swirled through the door. Winter was greeting them here in the mountains.
Bowing her head to its icy caress, Michelle hurried with him down the steps. The brown grass in the center of the small village was lifeless. Only the pine remained green as everything waited for snow.
The church was a simple building. Gray stone edging the door and windows offered the only decoration amid shingles that needed painting.
Michelle adjusted her bonnet as they entered the chapel. Incense billowed out to lure them into the hush. Walking between two rows of stone pews, she admired the intricate altar. She saw the stares of the churchgoers, who must be curious about the strangers who had appeared in their midst.
“It has been a long time,” mused Alexei behind her.
“A long time?”
Instead of answering, he pointed to the right. “Over there. There is half a pew empty.”
When she heard a rumble from the people closest to them, she tensed. She hurried along the aisle before Alexei could say anything else. His accent identified him as a despised Russian.
Reaching the pew, she sat on the damp stone. He sat next to her and flashed her the smile that continued to disconcert her. When it dimmed and his eyes narrowed as he looked past her, she glanced to her right to discover that the three people who had been in the pew had risen and were leaving.
The Swiss could not forgive the Russians, who first had declared their friendship, then slaughtered the Swiss men conscripted into the French army. Although she empathized with their hatred, Michelle was embarrassed by it.
“You look unsettled.” Alexei’s fingers covered hers, drawing her hand within his arm. She tried to pull it back, but his fingers tightened on hers as he bent toward her to murmur, “I do not take the insult personally. Neither should you.”
“Me?”
“Are they disgusted because they do not want to be contaminated by a Russian or by a Swiss woman in the company of one?”
Michelle was saved from answering by a song from the off-key choir. How had Maman handled these complications? Throughout the service, Michelle tried to imagine how she could put her life back together after Alexei and his schemes were behind her.
Had he guessed this would happen? She saw his jaw work as a comment came from behind them, the voice just loud enough so he would not miss the scorn. Mayhap that was what he had been cautioning her about. If he spoke plainly just once instead of acting as if she could not be trusted with even the most basic truths, she would be amazed.
As Michelle came out of the church, she noted every hostile glower. Alexei had been right. They saw her as a traitor who had sold herself to the man who owned the wondrous carriage that was stopping in front of the church.
Alexei stroked her fingers, and she looked at him. His smile was gentle. In spite of herself and knowing she cond
emned herself further in the villagers’ eyes, she smiled back. Odd that this man her countrymen saw as an enemy was her only ally.
As he would be in Vienna.
What had her yearning for adventure gotten her into?
Michelle grimaced when Alexei opened the carriage door, and she saw Rusak inside.
Alexei handed her in and asked, “Is everything ready for the day’s journey?”
Rusak nodded.
“You packed all of Michelle’s things as well?” he asked as he sat opposite Rusak and slapped the wall.
“My things?” Michelle asked. She yelped as the carriage started. She fell backward onto Alexei’s lap.
“This is charming,” he said as his arm encircled her waist, “but I do believe there is enough room on the seat for both of us.”
“It is not charming,” she retorted as frostily as the ice that clung to the grass. “You should have given me a chance to sit before giving the signal to get under way.”
“Mayhap, but that does not lessen the pleasure of our current circumstances.”
She tried to slip off his knees, but his arms tightened around her. “If you want me to move, you must release me.”
“I don’t recall saying anything about you needing to move.” He glanced at Rusak. “Did I say that?”
Rusak grumbled something in his throat.
“He did not hear me say that, Liebchen.”
“Don’t call me that!” Fear erupted within her. Alexei had altered from the kind man who shared her disquiet to this haughty fool in a single heartbeat. Brushing away his fingers, which stroked her waist, she gasped when he tipped her face beneath his.
She stared up into his catlike eyes. Green and mysterious, they glittered with potent emotions. Her mouth was caressed by his warm breath as her own caught and burned away all thoughts of anything but him.
“Endearments are used by lovers,” he whispered. “You are portraying my mistress. What better way to show my devotion than by calling you Liebchen? ’Tis a part of our charade. Unless you prefer …?”
“No!” she cried as his mouth lowered toward hers. Pushing herself out of his arms, she struck the side of the carriage. When she heard Rusak’s guttural laugh, she added viciously, “Call me whatever you wish, but do not think you can take liberties because you are my employer. I shall not have you touching me, and I do not want him touching my clothes!”
“Don’t be ridiculous! Rusak helps me as you do. If you want to waste time on our trip, you must expect he will do what is necessary to get us on our way on time.”
She scowled. Their brief camaraderie had vanished as if it had never existed. Drawing her cloak around her, she looked out the window. She must remember that this was a job she had taken in order to see the world beyond Zurich. She must not let her longing for Alexei’s kisses make her forget that.
Chapter Five
A knock sounded at the bedchamber door. Hastily Michelle hooked what she hoped was the last button on the back of her gown. She glanced around, but all of her smallclothes were packed away, ready for when they left in the morning. As with each of her baths during this journey, she had not had enough time to soak in the warm water. Sharing a room with Alexei made it impossible. She changed behind a screen, but with only the thin material between them, she was too aware of every movement he made.
Hurrying to answer the door, she winced as a splinter cut into her foot. It was her fault for not putting on her shoes. This Gasthaus was not as pleasant as the other inns where they had stayed.
She turned the key and called, “Come in.” Then she limped to the room’s sole chair. The flimsy piece of furniture squeaked, but she ignored it as well as Alexei’s greeting. Tipping her foot up, she frowned at the small, brown sliver.
“What did you do?” Alexei asked.
Looking up, Michelle silenced her retort as his gaze moved along her bare legs beneath her raised skirt. When his eyes met hers, she forgot about her immodest pose. All she could think of was trying to breathe. His green eyes were a maze, daring her to try to solve the puzzles hidden within them. But one thing was clear: the desire she had tasted on his lips that first night glittered in his eyes.
She forced her eyes away. “I have a sliver in my foot.”
“Do you need help?”
She started to refuse, knowing the danger of letting him touch her even so chastely; then she nodded. She could not reach the small sliver.
When he squatted, he balanced her foot on the knee of his breeches, which were almost the same color as the splinter. He grinned. “Even your feet are slender and pretty.”
“My foot hurts. If you are going to babble, I will remove the splinter.”
“No, no, I shall pull it out,” he said with a laugh. “There.”
Surprised, she asked, “All done?”
He held up the sliver. “See? Here it is.” Tossing it aside, he cupped her heel. His thumb rubbed the curve of her instep. “Is the rest of you as soft as this is?”
“Really, Alexei!” She started to stand, but he refused to relinquish her foot and she dropped back into the chair. It wobbled and collapsed.
His arms caught her before she could land on the floor. When she struck his hard body, she wondered if she would have been better off hitting the floor. Her breath exploded out. A rumble sounded beneath her ear. Slowly she realized he was laughing. The infectious sound surrounded her, reaching into her, making it impossible not to laugh, too. As his arm slipped around her, she chuckled and looked at the broken chair.
“I shall have to take the chair’s cost out of your wages, Liebchen.” He laughed. “I suspect the innkeeper will charge highly for such an heirloom.”
She groaned with mock despair. “It shall take me years to repay it.”
“Yes, years.” His arm tightened around her, drawing her closer.
When her breasts brushed his firm chest, she laughed to pretend she was oblivious to the powerful emotions in his eyes—emotions she did not dare to explore, for they might entice her into discovering truths she had never guessed existed, such as how perfect his arms were around her.
Her voice barely quavered as she said, “I am surprised either Frau Herbart or I believed your tale that I would be back at St. Bernard’s before next term.”
He stroked her damp hair before his fingers curved around her nape. “But you came with me, Liebchen.” He caressed her gently, sending pleasure through her. “This seems as good a time as any to ask you to forgive me for lying.”
Softly, she said, “You have me in a difficult position to refuse your apology.”
“I don’t think this is a difficult position, Liebchen.” His lips brushed her cheek. When her hands gripped his sleeves, wanting to stay within this embrace of delight, he whispered, “I find this an incredibly fitting position to apologize.”
She rose before she gave in to the temptation to steer his mouth over hers. “Alexei, I meant only that I owed you a favor for pulling out the splinter.”
“And I wasted that favor on asking for an apology?” He chuckled and stood. “Stupid of me.” His finger outlined the shape of her lips. “I should have saved it for something much more delicious.”
Michelle picked up a towel. As if it were of the least concern, she asked, “Did you want something?”
“I shall not give you the obvious answer to your blatantly suggestive question.” He chuckled as he sat on the bed, making her too aware of how intimately they lived during this journey. “I thought you might like to join us for a drink before you go to bed. I know you think Rusak and I have ignored you the past few days.”
“No, no.” That was a lie. The two men had said barely a score of words to her in the past week as the carriage climbed slowly through the mountains.
“You should not have to hide here alone every night.”
“I do not want to disturb you two.”
“Liebchen, I would not call either Rusak’s or my reaction to you anything as tepid as disturbing.” His smi
le disappeared as he rose. “Come along. We need to speak of what awaits us in Vienna.”
“Why didn’t you say so instead of plying me with false compliments?”
His finger traced her cheekbone. “’Twas not false, Liebchen.”
She knew she should step away. She should fire some whetted comment at him that would remind him of his place and hers. When his finger slipped beneath her chin and tilted her mouth to his, she forgot all she should do and thought only of what she wanted to do.
“You look so lovely,” he whispered.
“Thank you.” Her breathless voice came from the depths of her heart.
“That was honest.”
“Yes.”
“And are you being as honest when you look at me with a craving to be kissed?”
“I am being nothing but myself.” She brought his lips to hers. She could not deny the longing that grew stronger each time he touched her, each time he teased her, each time she found a haven in his arms. Unhurriedly, delighting in every facet of her mouth, he lured her to soften against him.
Her hands slipped up his back to stroke the powerful sinews covered by his coat. When she touched his skin above his collar, its rough texture teased her fingertips to explore further.
Alexei muttered something and drew back, tugging her hands down to fold them between his. She regarded him with astonishment. She had not thought he would be the first to pull away.
“Alexei?”
“Turn around.”
“Pardon me?”
He spun her so she faced away from him. When his hands ran along the back of her gown, she gasped and jumped away. If he had stopped kissing her for this, he must be shown what a mistaken assumption he had made.
Before she could speak, he stepped in front of her. “Stop being a silly schoolgirl!” His laugh was serrated, cutting into her. “Your buttons are not done up correctly. Let me fix them. You certainly would not want anyone to think we had been surrendering to passion, although they are going to be curious after hearing that crash.”
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment, but she did not turn. What, she wondered with a pulse of cold dismay, if he redid her gown wrong simply to serve as “proof” of his tale?
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