Her face was turned to his, her dark eyes seemed enormous and filled with happiness, her hair streaming over her white shoulders.
“You are beautiful!” he exclaimed. “This is how I wanted to see you!”
He stood looking at her, realising that last night, when she retired to bed, she had washed away the dark powder and cream that she had put on her skin in order to disguise herself as an Indian Prince.
Now she was very pale and her skin had that translucent quality that reminded him of a pearl.
She was slim, but her breasts curved beneath the soft material of her nightgown and, when she smiled, her whole face was radiant with an expression that he had never seen before.
He looked at her until she dropped her eyes before his and murmured,
“You make me – feel – shy!”
“I adore you when you are shy!” he answered, “and may I say again, my sweet, I so much prefer you as a woman rather than a man!”
“But I must go on disguising myself,” she said, knowing that the note in his voice made her quiver.
“I cannot allow that,” he replied. “I want to look at you as you are!”
She raised her eyes again to his enquiringly.
Lord Athelstan sat down beside her on the mattress and took her hand in his.
“I intend to have you to myself – and as a woman.”
“How is that possible?” Natasha enquired.
“I have told Hawkins to proceed at once to Batoum with most of the luggage and to hire a ship for our exclusive use that has neither a Russian nor a Turkish crew. There are always ships of all nations coming to Batoum. It should not be hard for him to find one.”
Lord Athelstan paused and raised Natasha’s hands to his lips as he added,
“He has left with us just enough of his picked men whom he can trust not to talk. The others he will dismiss at the Port and they will return home, most of them having to travel to Persia.”
Natasha was listening intently as Lord Athelstan went on,
“Hawkins will also send back a carriage for you. You will step onto the ship as a woman and that is how you will remain until we reach – Constantinople.”
He had said the dreaded word and for a moment neither of them spoke, until he said quickly, as if he could not bear to think of what would happen when they arrived there,
“Go and dress. Have you anything to wear besides the Prince’s clothes?”
“Yes, I have something in my luggage,” Natasha replied.
Lord Athelstan bent forward and took her into his arms.
He kissed her gently and then rose to his feet.
“Breakfast will be ready when you are,” he said.
She left the tent, as she had come into it the night before, by slipping underneath the canvas.
In her own tent she saw that Hawkins had put out water for her to wash in.
Then she unpacked the rolled bundle that she had brought with her from Dargo-Vedin.
*
Breakfast was on the table and there was the smell of fragrant coffee when Natasha joined Lord Athelstan.
He looked up at her and was surprised to see that she was wearing the costume of a Daghestan gentlewoman.
Loose flowered-silk trousers were almost hidden by a full-skirted, tight-waisted tunic with wide flowing sleeves and elaborate fastenings of silver braid.
She was wearing a fine muslin veil around her head together with a coloured silk kerchief that accentuated the darkness of her hair and the clearness of her skin.
She looked very beautiful and very Oriental as she smiled at Lord Athelstan’s surprise.
“Aminette, Shamyl’s youngest wife, gave me this to wear when my disguise was no longer necessary,” she explained.
“You look very lovely!” Lord Athelstan said and she saw the admiration in his eyes.
Natasha seated herself at the breakfast table and the servants came in with hot dishes.
They were obviously well-trained for they showed no surprise at her appearance. Lord Athelstan could not help wondering how many of them, including perhaps Hawkins, had known the Rajput Prince was really a woman.
It was true that Hawkins had expressed no astonishment when Lord Athelstan had told him this morning that he was travelling with a lady.
Not that there was anything particularly unusual about that. But Hawkins must have realised last night, when he heard Lord Athelstan tell the Colonel that Prince Akbar had left them at Tiflis, that there was some reason for the lie.
Hawkins had been with him too long and was too well-trained to do anything except what he was told to do.
Lord Athelstan knew that just as he trusted Hawkins, Hawkins trusted him.
There was a camaraderie between them, after travelling so many miles together and in so many different countries, that could never be expressed in terms of Master and servant.
It was almost as if they were partners and Lord Athelstan well knew that without Hawkins he would find his life very much more difficult and complicated.
They had finished their breakfast when Hawkins returned galloping back into the camp with an assurance that told Lord Athelstan clearly that his mission was successful.
He knew Hawkins as well as he knew himself and there was no mistaking the slight jauntiness in his walk or the glint of triumph in his eyes when he succeeded in what he set out to do.
But his manner was quiet and respectful as he came to the side of the tent.
“Well, Hawkins?” Lord Athelstan asked, “what have you found?”
“I think it will be exactly what you requires, my Lord. A Greek yacht, The Corinth, very luxurious and extremely comfortable!”
Hawkins paused to allow Lord Athelstan to appreciate the full significance of his words before he went on,
“Its owner has gone to Moscow, my Lord, and the Captain is only too delighted to charter the yacht to you for what appears to me to be a quite reasonable sum.”
“You have put the luggage on board, I imagine?” Lord Athelstan asked him.
He knew that in the circumstances Hawkins would think it quite unnecessary to ask his permission.
“I have, my Lord, and the carriage for her Ladyship should be here within a quarter of an hour.”
“Thank you, Hawkins,” Lord Athelstan said. “The men were pleased with what you gave them?”
“Delighted, my Lord! I only hopes them harpies hangin’ about Batoum don’t get it all off them before they start on their journey home!”
“They seemed a sensible lot,” Lord Athelstan remarked.
“It’s been a long journey, my Lord, with no female companionship.”
Without waiting for his Master’s reply Hawkins moved away to start packing up what was left of the camp.
Lord Athelstan looked at Natasha and smiled.
“As Hawkins says, it has been a long journey,” he said quietly.
“But now you have – female – companionship,” she replied.
Their eyes met and she knew that there was no need for either of them to express their love in words.
She had not seen that look in Lord Athelstan’s eyes before and she saw that it transformed his face, sweeping away the coldness that made him at times seem too reserved, too detached from ordinary people.
Now he looked much younger and there was an eagerness about him. It added to his attraction, making him, she thought, quite irresistible!
She had no idea how lovely she herself looked with her big eyes filling her face, her lips parted and her breath coming a little quickly through them because of the intensity of her feelings.
“You are so beautiful!” Lord Athelstan said, “but I don’t like your wearing clothes that have come from Daghestan. Amongst my luggage there are some things that I was given by the Shah and I will ask Hawkins to find them. I want to see you in them.”
“I will wear anything you wish me to,” Natasha answered.
As she spoke, she heard the carriage approaching and they looked out
to see a closed vehicle drawn by two horses coming along the dusty road that led to Batoum.
It turned round outside the tent and now Hawkins and the other men were placing Natasha’s tent and Lord Athelstan’s luggage on the backs of what packhorses remained.
“You go ahead, my Lord,” Hawkins said to Lord Athelstan. “I will meet you at the ship. It will not take long to dismantle your tent.”
“Thank you, Hawkins,” Lord Athelstan replied.
He helped Natasha into the carriage.
The coachman whipped up the horses and they set off, bumping slightly over the rough surface of the road.
Lord Athelstan took Natasha’s hand in his.
“Does this still seem to you an adventure?” he asked.
“A very exciting one!” she replied. “It was clever of you to think of hiring a ship with sailors who would not be Russians or Turks.”
“I wanted to be alone with you without being afraid of prying eyes or gossiping tongues,” Lord Athelstan replied.
“That is what I want too,” she answered. “It’s only now it’s over that I realise how afraid I have been that people might be suspicious of something I did or said.”
Lord Athelstan smiled and she continued,
“I feel goose pimples all over me at times when I think how nearly I betrayed myself in the Palace, and last night, when that Russian Colonel came, I thought that there would be no escape.”
Lord Athelstan’s fingers tightened on hers as she said,
“You were very clever with him. Never once did you lie and yet you convinced him that he was mistaken!”
“It is always unwise to lie unnecessarily,” Lord Athelstan replied.
He spoke absent-mindedly, as if he was thinking of something else.
Suddenly Natasha slipped her arm through his and put her head on his shoulder.
“If only our ship could carry us to the end of the world!” she sighed.
“Let’s pretend for the moment that is what will happen,” Lord Athelstan replied. “We must not spoil our time together by worrying about what lies ahead.”
That was sensible, Natasha thought, but she knew that every second she was with him however wonderful, however precious, there was always the dreadful feeling that she could never have it again.
The sands of time were running out.
It was, however, inexpressibly wonderful to know that she would be close to him, to feel his hand holding hers.
They reached Batoum and drove to the quay.
It was easy to recognise The Corinth because it looked so much smarter, more luxurious and more expensive than any other ship in sight.
The Captain was waiting to welcome them aboard and, when they inspected the vessel that Hawkins had chartered for them both, Lord Athelstan and Natasha were delighted.
It had not been built for very long and had the latest steam engine besides two masts.
The cabins were fitted out in exquisite taste. There were two Master cabins side by side and, what was extremely unusual, a bathroom opening out of each of them.
The one Natasha chose had jade green walls with a draped bed of coral silk.
It was so pretty and, when she exclaimed at its loveliness, the Captain replied,
“My mistress, who is very beautiful, is known to have the most exquisite taste in all Athens! She personally designed the decorations in The Corinth!”
“They are certainly very lovely!” Natasha said and the Captain was obviously pleased at her appreciation.
The second Master cabin was a more masculine room. The Saloon in white and gold had deep sofas upholstered in brocade and gilt mirrors that reflected the light from the portholes.
“It’s fascinating!” Natasha exclaimed when the Captain had left and she and Lord Athelstan were alone.
“And so are you!” he answered and held out his arms.
She ran towards him and he kissed her as if they had been apart for a long time and he had missed her unbearably.
“Darling! Darling!” he murmured. “How can I tell you how much this means to me?”
“I think I understand,” Natasha answered, “because when I am in your arms it is to me all the wonder of the world.”
“Do you mean that?” he enquired.
“You know I – mean it!”
He held her tighter still, kissed her until her lips were warm and red and her eyes were shining like stars.
They only separated because Hawkins had boarded The Corinth and the engines had started up.
There was so much to talk about, so much to discuss, that the hours seemed to slip past almost too quickly to be credible.
The food was Greek but very delicious. The chef had taken on fresh stores at Batoum and the owner of the yacht kept a good cellar.
Natasha had little idea what she ate or drank. She only knew it tasted like ambrosia and nectar because she was with Lord Athelstan.
Everything seemed touched with magic and every second they were together her love for him seemed to intensify and grow more vivid.
On Lord Athelstan’s instructions Hawkins unpacked the Shah’s presents from Teheran.
Natasha found that they included the most exquisite caftans in brocade, lamé and gauze, some of them embroidered with precious stones and there were even some lined with sable.
There were scarves and muslins embroidered with real gold and silver thread, belts and slippers sparkling with gems of every colour.
When she came into the Saloon before dinner, Natasha was wearing a caftan of rose-pink silk embroidered with turquoises and pearls.
Her hair hung down her back to well below her waist and she wore a wreath of turquoises and pearls to match those on her caftan.
Her feet were encased in embroidered slippers that turned up a little at the toe.
She stood inside the door waiting for Lord Athelstan’s approval.
“You look as if you had just stepped out of a Fairytale!” he said. “You are the Princess of Beauty and the Queen of my heart!”
Natasha gave a little laugh of sheer happiness and ran across the room towards him.
He held her close for a moment and kissed her forehead.
“I am afraid you might vanish!” he said. “I feel as if you belong to an ancient Persian manuscript rather than to the modern world!”
“How could you be so clever as to have such lovely things for me to wear?” she asked.
“The Shah was quite certain that if I had not a wife to wear them I would surely have a dozen mistresses who would appreciate such gifts!” Lord Athelstan answered.
“And – have you?”
He shook his head.
“There is no one! No one in my life except you!”
“And I would – like to be your – mistress,” Natasha whispered.
He drew her to one of the sofas and sat down beside her.
“Do you really think,” he asked, “that that is what I want of you? Natasha, will you marry me?”
She turned to look at him her eyes very wide as he went on,
“I have never, and this is the truth, my darling, never asked a woman to be my wife. I have never before met anyone I felt I could be happy with or who could take my mother’s place.”
He paused.
“Not until I found you!”
Natasha looked at him and then she jumped to her feet.
“Please! Please!” she begged. “Don’t – ask me. You know what the answer must be! I cannot – bear to say – it!”
“My precious heart, try to be sensible,” Lord Athelstan pleaded. “How could it be possible, now that we love each other, for me to let you go to your death?”
“I have to! Can you not – understand? I have to!”
She turned to face him and she saw the tears in her eyes.
“I love you! I love you – desperately with every nerve in my – body and with every – breath I draw!”
There was a throb in her voice, but before he could speak, she continued,
“But do you think either of us could spoil the love we have for each other or find any happiness together, if our lives were built on – dishonour? If the price we had to pay to be – together was my brother’s – freedom?”
Lord Athelstan drew a deep breath.
Then, as he bent forward, his eyes on the floor as if he could not bear to look at her, Natasha ran to him and knelt down at his side.
“Let us be happy! Please, let us be happy these hours and days we have with each other. If we torture ourselves it will only spoil our memories and even damage the perfection of our love.”
She had put her hand on his knee as she pleaded with him and his fingers closed over hers, crushing them almost bloodless.
“You are right!” he said with an effort. “I will try to forget what lies ahead, forget that all I want is that you should be my wife. But it will not be easy!”
“It will be – hard for me – too.”
She lifted her face to his and he kissed her, but without passion.
It was as if already the darkness of the future was encroaching upon them, to stifle them with its evil.
Lord Athelstan made an effort during dinner to amuse and interest Natasha and, because they could never talk together without stimulating each other’s minds, it was easier than they had expected.
The chef excelled himself with the excellence of the meal.
When they had finished, they went up on deck to find a warm starlit night, the waters of the Black Sea calm, phosphorus gleaming on the waves in their wake.
It was a night for romance, a night for lovers, and they stood for a long time under the stars before Lord Athelstan drew Natasha downstairs to their cabins.
She undressed and climbed into bed, sure in her mind that, while the surroundings were very different from last night, he would still come to her.
When he opened the door of her cabin, she was waiting and impulsively she held out her arms.
He sat down facing her and then he took both her hands in his, kissing one after another each of her long fingers.
His lips lingered on the softness of her palms and then the little blue veins on her wrists.
“I love you!” he said again in his deep voice.
She felt herself vibrate to him as if there was music in the very tone of his voice.
As Eagles Fly Page 14
