She set down the still-warm firearm. “Thomas, kindly take this pistol to Mr. Egg and have him wrap it for me while I have a private word with the minister.”
“Y-Yes, Milady.” He quickly scuttled out of the shooting range.
“You, sir, are an unmitigated arse,” she snapped, once they were alone.
“So you said,” he replied with an infuriating smirk.
“How dare you send Richard Fitzroy to St. Petersburg when he doesn’t know the first thing about navigating through the treacherous waters of the Imperial Court?”
Grentham met her furious gaze with an unrepentant look. “Because when the best option isn’t available, one must improvise.”
“I don’t work for you,” retorted Arianna.
He acknowledged the statement with a polite nod. “But Fitzroy does.”
“That doesn’t make it right to send a lamb to slaughter.”
“Fitzroy might take offense at hearing you call him that,” said the minister. “He’s not as inexperienced as you seem to think.” A pause. “Paris was not his first mission.”
Arianna flushed, realizing there was still so much she had yet to learn about her half-brother.
“That said, I imagine he could use your help. The Russians have made an art form of betrayal—as you well know.”
“I . . .” Arianna studied Grentham’s face. When they had first encountered each other, he had been intent on squashing her like a bug, as she was an unwanted complication in one of his many intrigues. However, their mutual loathing was all in the past and she now thought of him as a friend.
But that didn’t mean she dared to trust him with her deepest vulnerability. He still had hidden facets—and hidden devils of his own. To hint that she may have lost her nerve . . .
“The fact is, I’m in no frame of mind for undertaking a long and uncomfortable journey to an exotic imperial court seething with treachery,” she said. “I have a very important book project that needs my full attention.”
“Ah.” Grentham made no attempt to hide his sarcastic sneer. “Writing out recipes and sorting through flowery engravings is indeed a worthy challenge for your talents.”
“I’mnotgoing to Russia.” Arianna lifted her chin. “And that’s my final word on the matter.”
“What a pity.” The minister brushed a bit of gunpowder off the barrel of his pistol. “Then we shall just have to hope that Richard Fitzroy proves a worthy match for Prince Dmitri Orlov.”
Orlov.
For an instant, Arianna felt a little light-headed, as if all the blood in her veins had suddenly turned to ice.
“Oh—did I neglect to mention that the Orlov family is like the Hydra from Greek mythology? Cut off one of its ugly heads and another one pops up to take its place.”
Unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing her swoon from shock, she willed herself to remain calm.
“It so happens that the faction of Russian nobles headed by Dmitri Orlov—who has taken over his late older brother’s leadership role—is one of our prime suspects as the force behind the plot to depose Alexander from the imperial throne.”
She drew in a shallow breath.
“By the by, Dmitri Orlov is said to be even more of a brute than his brother.”
This was all gut-wrenching news. But she needed time to think before reacting.
“Good day, Lord Grentham.” Arianna turned to fetch her pelisse and bonnet. “Enjoy practicing your marksmanship. However, as my carriage is waiting, you’ll have to turn your aim elsewhere.”
Chapter4
“Orlov?”Saybrook’s expression turned troubled as Arianna finished explaining what she had learned at Egg’s shop. “That alone is reason enough for saying no to Grentham. A mission turns even more dangerous when duty becomes entangled in emotions.”
“Oh, come. We can hardly claim that our last few missions were motivated by naught but dispassionate duty.” Arianna glanced at Sophia. She had invited her friend to come hear the latest revelation concerning Tsar Alexander’s request for help, and now that the earl had returned from the Royal Society, the three of them were having a council of war.
