From Governess to Countess (Matches Made in Scandal #1)(40)
*
The day of the picnic at Peterhof dawned unseasonably warm for late September, with the sun splitting a clear blue sky in which no cloud dared to trespass. Most likely, Allison thought, on orders from Tsar Alexander himself, who was nominally the host, even though he was still abroad and would not attend in person.
It was to be a simple, rustic affair, Aleksei had informed her, information which she took with a very large pinch of salt, having a fair idea by now of what the Romanov court considered understated. Her gown was white, the skirts consisting of layers of plain muslin, but the bodice was intricately pleated and trimmed with pretty white lace. The long sleeves were full, like a man’s shirt, but gathered and tucked into the same lace at the shoulder, elbow and wrist, ending in a wide flounce. A blue sash the colour of the sky overhead formed the only other decoration, the same colour as her reticule, and the trimming on her bonnet. With Natalya’s help, Allison had purchased a sky-blue silk wrap to drape around her shoulders, although in the growing heat of the day, she had little need of it.
Catiche and Elena, also thanks to Natalya, were dressed in matching white trimmed with sky blue. ‘Though our dresses are far nicer,’ Elena announced guilelessly, ‘I think you look very pretty.’
‘Elegant,’ Catiche corrected her. ‘Miss Galbraith is too old to be pretty.’
Which backhanded compliment, Allison decided, biting her lip to hide her smile, was progress of a sort.
‘Good morning.’ Aleksei appeared, wearing his dress uniform. There really was something quite shockingly appealing about him in that uniform, the way it drew attention to his physique, the fit so perfect as to be almost breathtakingly tight. Allison could almost see the flexing of his thigh muscles as he moved. And she should most decidedly not be looking at his thigh muscles. His shoulders instead then...
‘Uncle Aleksei, I have a uniform too,’ Nikki said, thankfully distracting her. ‘Papa had it made for me specially, so I could be one of your soldiers.’
The little boy saluted then stood to attention. Return the salute, Allison begged Aleksei silently, but there was no need. He did so in all seriousness, before telling the child, much to his delight, to stand at ease. ‘You will meet a great many soldiers today. I hope you will salute them all as smartly. Now, shall we show these lovely young ladies the way?’ he said, sweeping Nikki up on to his shoulders and heading for the boathouse.
*
The jetty where the boat moored at the end of their brief river journey was at the mouth of a long narrow channel of water which led the eye naturally up to the Peterhof Palace, sitting atop a small rise. Painted straw and white, the palace was gracefully symmetrical and extremely beautiful.
‘They say it is modelled on the French palace of Versailles,’ Catiche informed Allison as they docked, ‘but naturally, Peterhof is superior.’
‘How so?’ Allison asked.
The girl looked somewhat surprised at this question. ‘Because it is Russian,’ she said, as if this was self-evident.
‘I have visited Versailles,’ Aleksei said. ‘It is vast. The courtiers are forever getting lost, and have to climb out of windows into the gardens, simply to get their bearings.’
‘That is preposterous.’ Catiche eyed her uncle uncertainly. ‘Are you teasing me?’
He looked at her blandly. ‘Why would I do that?’
‘I don’t know. You have never done so before, but I think—when Papa teased us, his eyes crinkled at the corner just as yours have just done, so I think you must be.’
Though the girl turned quickly away, she failed to hide the sheen of tears which welled up in her eyes. ‘I don’t look at all like Michael,’ Aleksei whispered to Allison, looking rather dumbstruck.
‘Actually, you do a little. Catiche has a miniature portrait of him, and there is as she said, a strong similarity about the eyes.’
‘What is Catiche doing with a miniature?’
‘It belonged to her mother. I believe she took it from her room.’
‘Why on earth would she do that?’
‘Honestly Aleksei, isn’t it obvious? She has a miniature of her mother, too. They are keepsakes, to have something close at hand to remind her of her parents.’
‘She ought to have asked permission.’
‘Please don’t even think of chastising her,’ Allison whispered urgently under her breath. ‘She trusted me enough to show them to me and I don’t want to risk betraying that trust. You have to appreciate that she’s at that awkward age for a girl, laughing one minute and in floods of tears the next. She is even ambivalent about her debut children’s ball, which is fast approaching, occasionally excited but mostly adamant she does not want to attend. And on top of all these emotional dramas every girl her age goes through, Catiche has recently lost her parents. She misses them dreadfully, Aleksei, they all do. I know you don’t want to hear this, but like it or not, you are all they have now. You are their closest relative in the world, and you are their father’s brother.’
‘But I am not their father. And they won’t have me for much longer. Weren’t you the one who told me that it might be for the best not to get too close to them? You know that this arrangement is not permanent.’
Allison flushed. ‘I was referring to myself.’
‘Are you implying that it would be best if I remained here as their permanent guardian?’