“Are you proposing marriage?” she challenged him.
“I cannot offer marriage at this time,” he said. “I want to become better acquainted with you, which I cannot do if you are betrothed to another man.”
“You want me to cancel my betrothal so that you can become better acquainted with me?” Samantha echoed, arching an ebony brow at him.
Rudolf nodded. “That is correct.”
“Your Highness, have you been indulging in spirits?”
“Help. . .”
Samantha whirled around and stared at the woodland behind the gazebo. She glanced at the prince, who was also staring at the woodland.
“Help. . .”
Samantha brushed past the prince and hurried as fast as her limp would allow toward the woodland path. Prince Rudolf was two steps behind her.
“You will wait here,” he ordered, grasping her upper arm.
Samantha shrugged his hand off and kept going. Twilight had already descended inside the dense woodland, and she could barely see where she was going.
“Help. . .” The cry seemed to be coming from behind them now.
Samantha whirled around in time to see an enormous man cock a pistol at Prince Rudolf. “No,” she cried, starting toward them. Someone grabbed her from behind, but she stomped her assailant’s foot with the heel of her boot.
“Oww, she broke my toes,” a man cried.
“For Gawd’s sake, she don’t weigh more than a few ounces,” a second man said.
“She weighs enough to make me a Hopping Giles,” the first man replied.
“Igor.” Samantha fixed her gaze on the giant with the pistol.
The giant flicked a glance at her and said to the prince, “Your ladybird remembers me.”
“You are not easily forgotten,” Prince Rudolf said. “Release the woman before you shoot me. She has no part in my disagreement with Vladimir.”
Igor remained silent for a moment. “I cannot release her now that she has recognized me, but I will not murder a prince, either. If Vladimir wants you dead, he will need to do it himself.” He gestured to the path, ordering, “Turn around and start walking.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Samantha cried, her panic rising. “I’m announcing my betrothal tonight.”
“I’m sorry,” Prince Rudolf said, “but you are not a princess. Igor would suffer no qualms about shooting you.”
Igor pointed the pistol at her as if to emphasize the prince’s words. Samantha curled her lips at him but fell into step beside the prince.
With the two men in the lead and Igor pointing the pistol on their backs, Samantha and Rudolf walked through the woodland. Her limp slowed them down, but fifteen minutes later they emerged from the woods and saw a coach waiting on the road. The sun had set outside the woodland, and dusk was rapidly darkening into night.
One of the men opened the coach door and gestured them inside. Samantha hesitated, saying, “I really must protest—”
Igor leveled the pistol at her, and Samantha climbed into the coach. The prince climbed in and sat beside her.
Igor slammed the door. A moment later, the coach started up.
“I’m sorry for involving you in this,” Rudolf said, putting a comforting arm around her. “I promise to rescue you from death.”
Samantha looked at him. His handsome face was barely visible within the darkness of the coach. “I’m getting engaged.”
“Not tonight.” Prince Rudolf gave her a satisfied smile.
Samantha leveled a disgruntled look on him and, whirling away, fell back against him.
She felt the prince’s arms going around her and jerked herself into an upright position. After giving him a warning look, she turned away. This time she held on to the edge of the seat lest she fall on the floor or the prince’s lap.
Samantha pulled her fur-lined cloak tightly around herself. How had she managed to get herself involved in this untenable situation? More important, how would she extricate herself?
She had passed her entire eighteen years living in the shadows cast by her talented older sister, who wanted revenge, and her vibrant younger sister, who wanted fun.
Nobody ever noticed her, and she had never thought she would be fortunate enough to marry and have her own family.
Along had come Alexander Emerson, who wanted to make amends for his father’s crimes against her family. Alexander didn’t love her, but he would have made a good husband.
And now? Even if she survived this, her reputation would be ruined. No man would marry her after she had disappeared with a Russian prince, not even Alexander Emerson. To think her dream had been within her grasp, and now it was slipping through her fingers . . .
Samantha lost control of her emotions. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and then a sob escaped her throat.