Page 48 of From London, With Love
The floor fell out from under him.
Gideon slowly sank into an armchair. He couldn’t even blame Alexandra for the void where his heart lay. He’d known she was destined for another. He’d known another man would end up with her hand—and hopefully her heart. She needed to marry.
And he could never be the one to take her to wife.
He was too human, his bloodlines virtually worthless. They had never stood a chance, and in his heart of hearts, he’d always known it.
But it was one thing to know it, and quite another to see it actually happening, right before his eyes.
“Sir?” Hansen murmured.
His fist curled around her letter. “Send for the carriages,” he said brusquely. “And then I shall get you to deliver a letter for me.”
One final goodbye to the woman he loved.
* * *
“Your Highness.”Malloryn lay in wait as the prince stormed up the stairs onto the balcony.
Prince Ivan turned on him, his lip curling and one hand dipping to his side where a weapon no doubt lurked. “You had a hand in this, didn’t you? What did you say to her? What did you do? She was mine, I know she was mine! She was ready to surrender!”
Malloryn merely arched a brow. “If you think Her Majesty was prepared to propose to you, then you are a fool. Her Majesty does notsurrender. Nor are her affections dictated by those around her. She is the Queen of Britain, and I am her servant, and nothing else. You would be wise to curb your tongue, for the sake of Britain and Russia’s abiding friendship.”
Ivan’s lip curled. “Perhaps that friendship will endure. Though whether the queen does, is another matter entirely.”
He moved to push past, but Malloryn grabbed his arm, his voice dropping to a lethal level. “What doesthatmean? Are you threatening Her Majesty?”
“Of course, I’m not. Do you think me a fool?” This time, it was Ivan’s turn to smile as he reached out and straightened the lapels on Malloryn’s coat. “I don’t have to do a thing. All I have to do is watch. Britain will fall, torn apart from within, and Russia—”
He slammed the prince back against the wall, one second away from doing violence. “You skate treacherously close to ruin, Your Highness. Have a care. Because I swear to you, that if the queen falls, then I will do everything in my power to ensure you are blamed for it.”
A hint of caution reared in Ivan’s dark eyes. “My hands are clean.”
“And yet, you know something. I’ll consider that akin to playing part in a conspiracy.”
Ivan curled his hands around Malloryn’s and eased them from his coat. “I saw a familiar face today. Think about it, Malloryn. Who has the most to gain from the queen’s death? Do you think they’re going to stop just because their first two attempts were foiled?”
“Who is it?”
Ivan pushed him away with a faint smile. “Oh, I’ll tell you. But that will take time, Malloryn. And right now, the queen is alone. You should never leave her alone. Not here, in this pit of vipers. It’s your choice. The truth? Or the queen’s life?”
He froze.
Gemma was trailing Her Majesty today. And Gemma was his best.
But doubt niggled. All it would take would be one stray bullet. A blink from Gemma. A moment of distraction.
“Curse you.” He started toward the gardens. “This conversation isn’t finished.”
Ivan smiled, as Malloryn reached the top of the stairs.
He almost slammed into Obsidian halfway down.
“The queen.” Malloryn demanded. “Where is the queen?”
Obsidian frowned. “She was heading toward the stables. Why?”
“Because I think our killer’s going to make another attempt.”
