Seized by Love by Susan Johnson

Author:Susan Johnson [Johnson, Susan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-57514-2
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2012-06-21T04:00:00+00:00

Nikki left the house in a high pitch of anger and spent the rest of the day at the Yacht Club rather moodily gambling.

Earlier that afternoon Prince Mikhail’s wife had arrived and, after seeing to her unpacking, had waited in the east drawing room for Alisa to present herself. Prince Mikhail had alerted his wife that this was not Nikki’s usual choice of paramour, and thus she was prepared to like and accept Alisa before even meeting her.

The ladies spent a delightful hour together—talking of their homelands, exclaiming over Alisa’s forthcoming child. When Alisa begged to be excused to rest for dinner, Princess Kaisa-leena went in search of her husband to tell him she, too, approved of Nikki’s choice.

That evening Prince Mikhail entertained both his wife and Alisa at dinner and explained to them that Nikki would join them for the Golchoffs’ party. Prince Mikhail received a note just as they were finishing the meal.

I have been unavoidably detained. Please accept my apologies. I shall join you at the Golchoffs’. N.

The note was a direct challenge. Nikki’s father smiled faintly. The boy had spirit—that he had known for years and was not naïve enough to anticipate a compliant, dutiful son. Nevertheless, he could afford to play a waiting game for the moment. One must not press one’s authority with foolhardy zeal. No doubt Nikki’s regard for his parents, or at least his consideration for Alisa, would overcome this initial resistance. Prince Mikhail felt sure Nikki would appear later in the evening.

“Nikki is detained and will join us later,” he noncommittally explained. “Ladies, allow me the pleasure of escorting two such charming beauties. We have time for a hand of cards before we leave.”

At ten-thirty the trio walked out of the drawing room into the hall and through the double doors swept instantly open by two footmen in Kuzan liveries. The tall, stately Prince in black evening dress, its severity relieved solely by the prestigious Order of St. Andrew suspended from its pale blue ribbon, was flanked on either side by a slender woman, each beautifully garbed in rustling silk, their dainty stature further enhanced by the majestic size of their escort.

The small “intimate” birthday celebration consisted of a crush of three hundred guests. Alisa, presented as a relative of the Prince, was accepted graciously by their host and hostess, ever ready to accommodate any of the whims of Prince Mikhail.

Gossip had, of course, preceded Alisa’s introduction into the restricted exclusivity of the crème of Russian society, and some disapproving glances were cast at the exquisite red-haired beauty, but no one dared cross swords with Prince Kuzan or his equally arrogant son. Their credit guaranteed every door would open to their protégé, and she was now surrounded by a veritable, if spurious, fog of respectability.

“A formidable assemblage of support, I’d say,” one guest sniffed. “Prince Mikhail hasn’t breathed the city air these three years past.”

As Alisa was being introduced to one rather erect, forbidding matron arrayed brilliantly, if not garishly, in purple silk and plumes, she had a taste of the old Prince’s commanding power.

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.