Doctor Who: BBC Past Doctor Adventures [019] - The Wages of Sin by David A. McIntee

Author:David A. McIntee
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Science-Fiction - Doctor Who
ISBN: 9780563555674
Publisher: BBC Books
Published: 1999-01-30T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

When the large car drew up in the Winter Palace’s courtyard, Liz had expected it to contain Kuznetzov. She was quite surprised when Prince Felix Yusupov emerged.

‘Miss Shaw,’ he said politely. She smiled at his charming air. ‘I wonder if I could press you to join me for a chat?’

‘Of course.’ She didn’t have much interest in hobnobbing with royalty even in her own time, but nor did she want to pass up the chance to learn anything; Kuznetzov was one of his friends after all, and perhaps a more oblique approach was wise. Perhaps that was what they thought too.

‘Miss Shaw… Academician Kuznetzov tells me – and I noticed myself – that you have no love for Grigory Rasputin.’

Liz began to get the uncomfortable feeling that at some point she had said something she shouldn’t. ‘That’s true…’

‘There are some of us who feel the same way,’ Felix said softly. ‘I’d like you to come and meet them, at the Moika.’

‘Now?’

‘No time like the present.’

Liz wondered how Felix would react if he knew how ironic that statement was. She was no expert, but she did know that Rasputin was fated to die within the next couple of weeks.

She was reluctant to agree, but also didn’t want to risk becoming a target by refusing. Besides, it might still lead her closer to both the truth and the TARDIS.

‘Very well.’ What harm could it do?

This time Felix showed Liz into a much more sumptuous drawing room, filled with treasures from Asia and the Near East. Felix made the introductions quickly, though Liz already recognised Dmitri.

Purishkevich reminded her vaguely of Lenin, though it was probably just his fashionable – for the era – beard and haircut. Sukhotin seemed the very image of a nineteenth-century Guards officer, lacking only the duelling scar.

Lazovert seemed nervous, and she suspected he was only involved because he was too scared too refuse. Kuznetzov wasn’t there, and Liz wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or disappointed.

Purishkevich laughed, waving his drinking hand around and almost spilling his vodka. ‘Sometimes I don’t know why she doesn’t just marry him as well, or at least make a public ceremony of handing over the keys to her bedchamber.’

Liz recalled the song that was just becoming popular back in her own time. ‘Lover of the Russian queen… That’s what they say, at least.’

Purishkevich fixed a drunken beady glare on her. ‘Of course, and it’s true. Why else would she be so desperate to keep her liaisons with him a secret?’ Liz had to admit that this was a bit of a mystery. Alexandra certainly seemed to be engaged in some sort of illicit relationship, and there was no smoke without fire… Purishkevich frowned momentarily.

‘Where is that letter that Felix had…?’ He put his drink down, and started raking through the papers in the desk drawer. ‘I’m sure it was here somewhere… Aha!’ He straightened, brandishing the letter triumphantly. ‘Let’s see what you make of this…’

Liz sat uncomfortably. Reading someone else’s mail was not

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.