After checking to see that they were alone in the corridor, Arianna continued to think aloud. “I don’t know if the countess was simply toying with me . . . or whether she was truly dropping a trail of crumbs that will lead us to the answers we need.”
“She strikes me as supremely selfish, so I wouldn’t wager on her being magnanimous,” said Sophia darkly.
“Yes, but her self-interest is aligned with Tsar Alexander. She holds a position of prestige and power right now. That could change in a heartbeat if he were to fall from grace.”
Sophia gave a grim nod. “I will try to learn more about the Orlov family from Prescott at this evening’s reception.” A pause. “And you need not remind me that I must do so very carefully. However, I have good reason to be curious, as his cousin is marrying into that nest of vipers.”
Arianna watched the glints of ice shards swirling in the currents of the dark water.
“I had better return to our townhouse and begin dressing for the occasion,” added Sophia.
“You go ahead,” she answered. “I think I shall pay a visit to the Mother Empress’s reception rooms and see whether I can gather any useful gossip from her crowd.”
Sophia hurried off toward the carriage courtyard, but Arianna remained staring out at the river. A silvery mist had begun to rise from the water, softening the scene.
Hiding all the sharp edges and dangerous eddies.
Steeling her spine, Arianna turned away, reminding herself that they had faced daunting challenges before—
“Lady Saybrook!” Hurried footsteps clicked over the polished malachite tiles.
She paused and waited for her brother to catch up. “Good day, Mr. Fitzroy.”
“What little there is of it,” he said wryly. “It’s only mid-afternoon and already dusk is falling.” He offered his arm. “Have you seen the Imperial collection of samovars in the East Display Galleries? They are really quite breathtaking.”
Arianna didn’t miss the spark of excitement in his eyes and quickly altered her plans. “Please, I should very much like to see them.”
They exchanged light pleasantries as they navigated through the busier walkways, but the crowd thinned as they entered the galleries. Art wasn’t nearly as alluring to the courtiers as the intrigues taking place in the myriad palace reception rooms.
Fitzroy led her through a quick circle of the Samovar Room to ensure they were alone.
“Did you have your meeting with Mrs. Schuyler?” asked Arianna, once they had taken up position behind one of the display cases.
“Yes—and whatever you said to her last night must have touched a raw nerve. She asked to meet me tonight. Not here in the palace, but—”
He drew a quick breath. “But I’ll get to that in a moment.” After darting another look around, he added, “Your friend Wolff is even more interesting than you indicated.”
Arianna had explained to him that Count von Wolfram was another of Grentham’s agents, a clever and resourceful fellow with whom she and Saybrook had worked on a previous mission.
“I got the feeling from some of the things he let drop that you’ve known him for quite a long time.”
Arianna hesitated. Her youthful struggles weren’t something she shared easily. Even Constantina, close as she was, didn’t know most of the details. The fight to survive hadn’t been pretty . . .
But Fitzroy was family, and if the two of them were ever to build a true bond, it meant they would have to start sharing their life experiences—even the less admirable interludes.
“If James Wolff hadn’t taken me under his wing in the dark days right after our father was murdered, I’m not sure what would have become of me.”
Or whether I would have survived.
“But . . .” His expression turned troubled. “But at the time of his death, you were barely more than a girl.”
“I was more experienced with the vagaries of life than most girls my age. But that still left me vulnerable in many ways. Wolffy gave me a home.” She explained about the traveling theater company.
“And he taught me far more important lessons about Life than I could ever have acquired at a fancy university like Oxford or Cambridge. I learned to be strong and resilient, as well as how to judge people’s strengths and weaknesses . . . and use those skills to my advantage.” A pause. “I’m not proud of all the things I did.”
Arianna met his gaze. “It might sound absurd, given that Wolffy is a master swindler, but he actually has an oddly strict code of honor—though he would never admit it. And so I also learned important lessons about fairness, friendship, and loyalty—and the importance of standing up for those who could not do so for themselves.”
“I . . .” Fitzroy blinked. “I am humbled to have you as my sister. Your strength, your courage.” He caught her hand in a fierce squeeze. “Ye gods, there is so much I don’t know about you.”
