The earl didn’t answer. He waited for Arianna to pocket the pistols and return to his side before responding with his own question, “Where are you holding Fitzroy and von Wolfram?”
Prescott shook his head. “You’ve got it all wrong, Saybrook. I’m not the enemy. And neither is Katya.”
“And yet,” cut in the earl, “we just overheard the two of you making some unholy bargain—”
“No!” exclaimed Mrs. Schuyler. “I—I can explain.” Another sigh. “That is, if you’ll allow me.”
Arianna had been watching the American intently, and suddenly made up her mind. Tugging off her fur hat, she tossed it on one of the side tables. “Very well—we’re listening.”
A spark of shock lit for an instant in Mrs. Schuyler’s eyes, only to give way to a flicker of reluctant amusement. “I consider myself a good judge of character—my fortunes depend on it—but I thought you were bluffing about your life experiences, Milady. Clearly I was wrong.”
Her rueful smile struck Arianna as unfeigned. “Perhaps Tsar Alexander was right in calling us kindred souls,” added the American.
“If I were you, I would put aside such thoughts for now,” said Arianna. “And concentrate on convincing us that you’re not intimately involved in a treasonous conspiracy that’s already committed at least one murder to achieve its foul ends.”
“First of all, I’m innocent of any treachery against the Tsar.” Mrs. Schuyler made a wry face. “The truth is, I’ve grown quite fond of Alexander, despite his many faults.” She hesitated. “However, I do confess that I was approached by a man on my arrival at court and offered a great deal of money to steal a certain medallion that was kept in the Tsar’s private Jewel Room.”
A pause. “I imagine that my reputation as an adventuress led him—and whoever he represents—to think I would have no scruples against accepting the job.”
“Are you saying that you refused?” demanded the earl.
“No, not precisely,” answered Mrs. Schuyler. “I said I’d consider it. But even though I’m an adventuress, I’m careful to weigh the risks and rewards of any endeavor I undertake. After doing some sleuthing of my own, I discovered the meaning of the medallion.”
A frown thinned her lips. “I’ve no compunction about stealing from the rich, who can afford it. But the idea of creating havoc and bloodshed by overthrowing the ruler of a vast empire . . .”
“Get to the point, Madam,” pressed Saybrook, who looked unconvinced of the assertion.
“Yes, yes, I am, sir.” Mrs. Schuyler was quick to continue. “I admit that I did want to have a look at the medallion, so I borrowed the Tsar’s key one night while he was sleeping—he’s childishly trusting in confiding secrets he ought to keep to himself—and entered the Jewel Room. As it happens, it was already missing from its case—”
“When was this?” demanded Arianna.
“Around two or two and a half months ago.”
Time enough, she thought, for Baroness Gruzinsky to have gotten her hands on it and taken it out of Russia.
But to where?
“In truth, I was quite glad that I wasn’t faced with the moral dilemma of what to do. Still, I decided to have a look around, as one doesn’t often have access to a royal cache of jewels.” Mrs. Schuyler smiled. “I tried on a few tiaras and a very fetching emerald necklace. And then I had a look inside a small cabinet, which held an assortment of more modest baubles.”
She gave a tiny grimace. “I took a small diamond bracelet—after all, I need to think about my future—and then left and relocked the door.” A sigh. “But I should have known that intrigue within the Imperial Court would put the simple games within other European courts to the blush.”
“What happened?” asked the earl.
“My rooms were searched, and the bracelet was taken,” replied Mrs. Schuyler. “It’s now being used as a threat. I’ve been told that if I don’t deliver what they want, I’ll be revealed as the thief. Nobody else had access, so the Tsar would think me guilty of stealing both the bracelet and the medallion. And death is the penalty for stealing from the Emperor.”
“An interesting story,” said the earl. “But we overheard you and the major negotiating some sort of scheme—”
“Katya and I know each other from the past,” interrupted Prescott. “I served as a liaison officer with the Austrian army for a time, and we met in Vienna. We became friends—we both have a sardonic sense of humor concerning life and are used to being looked on as outsiders . . . the sort of people who are never quite accepted within the straitlaced confines of Polite Society.”
He glanced at her and gave a supportive smile before continuing. “She approached me and said she was in trouble, and asked if I would help her get out of the country.”
“Which you agreed to do, assuming she would help you,” said Arianna. “The question is, what favor did you need from her?”
“I can’t think of any reason that isn’t nefarious,” interjected the earl.
“I . . .” Prescott blew out his breath. “I haven’t been entirely forthright with you about the reason I’m here in St. Petersburg.”
“Your cousin . . .”murmured Sophia.
