actress.” His gaze swept down her tiny form before returning to study the stubborn line of her jaw. “I find it difficult to imagine you ever allowing yourself to be so easily persuaded.”
She shifted, feeling awkward beneath his relentless scrutiny. “She is very young and gullible.”
“More likely she is vain and spoiled.”
She jerked at the unexpected attack. “You know nothing of Anya.”
“I know that a young lady with the least concern for her family does not abandon her home and allow herself to be carried off by the first gentleman to turn her head with a bit of flattery.”
The very fact he was right did nothing to ease her flare of anger. In truth, she was horrified that Anya had been so easily led astray, but she did not blame her younger sister. No. Any blame should be laid directly at her own feet.
“I have endured enough.” Blinking back hot tears of shame, Emma once again headed for the door. “I do not understand why you agreed to meet with me, but it is obvious you have no interest in helping me.”
She had managed to reach the hallway when a pair of warm, ruthlessly strong arms wrapped around her waist and tugged her back into the room. Bending his head, Dimitri spoke directly into her ear.
“You truly must learn to control that temper of yours, milaya.”
FOR A CRAZED MOMENT, Dimitri savored the sensation of her feminine body pressed against his arousal. Then with a curse at his deranged reaction to an ill-tempered spinster, he quickly released his tight grip, not at all surprised when she spun around to stab him with a furious glare.
“Are you going to rescue my sister or not?”
If he possessed a shred of sense Dimitri knew he should have allowed the woman to stomp away. Herrick Gerhardt could not expect him to force himself on an aggravating woman who was too foolish to appreciate his assistance. Instead, he met her glare with a ruthless smile.
“First we must discover the identity of the gentlemen who abducted her.”
Her glare remained, but she gave a grudging nod. “I can describe them if you wish.”
“There is a more practical means. You will accompany me this evening.”
“Accompany you where?”
“I own a number of gambling establishments that cater to the aristocrats of St. Petersburg. If the gentlemen who visited your inn are truly noblemen and they have returned to the city, then they will eventually make an appearance at one of my clubs.”
Her mouth fell open. “You intend to escort me to a gambling club?”
Thoroughly enjoying her shock, Dimitri shrugged. “I intend to escort you to several gambling clubs.”
“You must be jesting.”
“Tell me, Emma, when you came to St. Petersburg did you expect to discover your sister being kept hostage in a church?” he taunted. “Or perhaps awaiting you in the throne room of the Winter Palace?”
The ready color crawled beneath her cheeks. “Of course not.”
“Then why the maidenly outrage?”
There was a tiny pause before she was jutting her chin in a stubborn angle, her magnificent hazel eyes hardening with determination.
“I was merely caught off guard.”
With a silent curse, Dimitri spun away, disturbed by Emma’s combination of vulnerability and determination.
“If you wish to capture the dregs of society you must hunt them in the gutters,” he said, his voice unnaturally harsh. “Are you prepared to do what is necessary?”
“Yes.”
“We shall see.” Sucking in a deep breath he turned back to meet her guarded gaze. “Where are you staying?”
“Vanya Petrova was kind enough to offer her hospitality.”
Dimitri nodded, already having suspected that Herrick would turn to his dear friend to provide Emma a home.
“Then I will collect you at nine this evening.”
“Very well.” With a stiff nod, the woman headed for the door.
“Emma,” he called softly.
She froze, her hands clenching before she forced herself to turn and meet his brooding gaze.
“Yes?”
“Staid spinsters do not visit gambling clubs. If you wish to avoid unwanted attention you might consider a gown that does not smother you in wool.”
Her eyes flashed with the sort of fury that made Dimitri relieved that there was no knife at hand.
“I am not the one who needs to fear being smothered.”
EMMA PEERED OUT THE window of the carriage, allowing her maid’s incessant lecture on what happens to females who spend an entire afternoon in the company of known criminals to flow past her. She did not need to be reminded she had been a fool to meet with Dimitri Tipova. Or that she was an even greater fool to have agreed to his outrageous suggestion that she allow him to escort her to his gambling clubs.
For goodness’ sake, if she were recognized she would never overcome the scandal.
Whatever the dangers she fully intended to travel from one den of iniquity to another until she located the men who had abducted her sister. There was no point in dwelling on the insanity of her behavior.
Instead, she studied the overwhelming beauty of the city around her.
Over the past two days she had been too occupied with her troubles to truly notice its magnificence. Now she allowed herself to appreciate the stunning palaces that lined the narrow canals.
How odd to realize that such glory could rise from such brutality.
Her lips twisted as she recalled her history lessons. The cold-hearted Ivan and his private army, the oprichniki, who had terrorized the boyars until the Tatars attacked Moscow. Ivan had ordered any number of bloodbaths to maintain his ruthless rule until he had tumbled into utter madness and he was at last murdered by his own heir.
As much a monster as Ivan had been, however, the period of chaos that followed his death had proven the need for a strong leader to rule the vast empire. It had been the desperate Cossacks and outspoken Streltsi, and even a group of more prosperous peasants, that had demanded the zemsky sobor be called to name a new czar.
Eventually, Peter had come to the throne, his life already scarred by being forced to witness his closest family butchered when he was just ten years of age. Not that his years of being condemned to the remote hunting lodge on the Yauza River had been wasted. Indeed, they had offered him a rare opportunity for self-education.
Left to entertain himself, he studied with the local craftsmen to acquire skills in everything from blacksmithing to carpentry. He also gathered devoted friends
