"My God, Jamie, look there!" Dmitri said.
Jamie glanced at the doorway. So did the twenty other guests scattered around the reception room in the Russian Legation. Conversation died then picked up. Angelique was coming in on the arm of Sir William. A long-sleeved and simple black dress that showed off the paleness, yet glow of her skin and set off the column of her neck to perfection, the cut perfect, her tiny waist and swell of her breasts presented modestly, perfect for mourning, but no doubting their hidden magic. Hair swept up. No jewelry except a thin gold necklace and wedding ring--Malcolm's signet ring now cut to fit.
"She's twenty-four carat."
"Yes," Jamie said. Then, feeling a new stir, looked around. Across the room Maureen was smiling at him, surrounded by men, Pallidar amongst them. He smiled back, liking what he saw, still dumbfounded by her arrival, and courage making such a formidable journey alone. What the devil am I going to do?
"Incredible about Hong Kong and Malc's funeral, huh?"
"You're right, Dmitri. I'd have bet Tess would never do that." What's she up to, he asked himself again, and what was in her letter to Angelique, no chance to ask yet, no clue from her appearance. His own had been illuminating.
Dear Jamie, Mr. Gornt has told me in detail what a good friend you were to my son.
I thank you with all my heart. But I still cannot forgive you for not complying with my wishes--company policy--for not diverting my son back to his duty and persuade him to give up his attention to that woman or, at the very least, to put her in proportion and to return here; cannot forgive you aiding and abetting him in his foolishness, particularly as I pointed out at length his minority and that while tai-pan in name he did not exercise those powers until formally installed, and that, to my regret, I did, temporarily.
I understand from Mr. Gornt you intend to try to form your own business. I wish you luck and thank you for your many years of fine service. In business Struan's will never be hostile. I enclose a sight draft on London for five thousand guineas. Please give my best wishes to your fiancee. I enjoyed meeting her.
Tess Struan.
He beamed at the thought of all that money. It made his company possible, small to be sure, but it gave him the time he needed, and also to ease forward with the shoya though how those ventures would prosper without Nakama/hiraga he did not know. He pitied him. And Tess. In her case he understood, and forgave her, not because of the money.
"What, Dmitri?"
"You've every right to be smug. Your Maureen's great."
"Oh! Yes. Yes she is."
"What about Nemi?" Dmitri asked.
Jamie's smile vanished, his discomfort returned, and he turned his back to the door.
"A bloody problem, Dmitri. I'd made a date to see her tonight."
"Jesus, in Struan's?"
"No, thank God. In our... in her place."
"Jesus, that was lucky. Are you going?"
"Yes, why not? Christ Almighty, I don't know... When Maureen arrived out of the dark... it's not that I don't like her, I'm still in a state of shock."
"Sure, but a good one--you're lucky.
Listen, we're old buddies and can speak straight. If you... if you decide to stop with Nemi, to pension her off, call it a day, whatever, may I ask that you let me know? She's a good sport, good fun and she speaks enough of our lingo."
"All right, but..." Laughter from the men surrounding Maureen attracted their attention there.
Then to Angelique. "Smashing, isn't she?"
Jamie said. "Angelique, I mean."
Angelique and Sir William were waiting for Zergeyev to join them. Tonight's dress and coiffure had been decided on earlier-- selected specifically for Tess and this soiree which was to have been their first battleground. Though her enemy had not arrived she resolved not to alter her plan, the effect was so pleasing. She had considered wearing the Imperial Jade ring that Malcolm had ordered from Hong Kong and had been delivered by mail ship a week after his death, causing her another flood of private tears. If Tess had been here she would not have hesitated. Without that reason the ring was wrong.
Actually I'm glad she isn't here, she told herself. Thank God Vargas warned me.
I need more time to prepare for that joust, person to person--ah time, am I or am I not bearing Malcolm's child... "Good evening, Count Zergeyev," she said with her gentle smile.
"Thank you for inviting me."
"You're so welcome, you've already made the evening a success. Evening Sir William. You both know everyone, except a new guest." In a sudden hush, everyone watching, comparing, Zergeyev beckoned Maureen from the circle of admirers, Marlowe amongst them now. "Miss Maureen Ross, from Edinburgh, Jamie's fiancee.
Madame Angelique Struan."
The moment Angelique had come in she had seen Maureen, instantly scrutinized her from nice head to neat shoe and decided she was no threat-- noticing Gornt in passing, but leaving him for later. "Welcome to the furthest British outpost in the world, More'selle Ross," she said pleasantly, wondering how old she was, and thinking, Yes, at night, in a muffler, this one could easily be mistaken for that woman--same tall, imposing way of standing; same direct gaze. "Jamie is very lucky."
"Thank you." The moment Angelique had come into the room Maureen had scrutinized her from shining head to tiny foot, recognized her beauty, and while instinctively liking her, decided at once she was a threat--her eyes had switched to Jamie to see his open admiration, and the men around him, no way of missing the general hum of appreciation--and she readied for battle.
"I'm so pleased to meet you and was awful sorry to hear about your tragedy, I'm so... everyone's so sorry." With genuine feeling, she leaned down and touched a cheek against Angelique's. "I do hope we'll be friends." A special smile.
"Please, let's be friends. I'll need a friend, dinna fear. Jamie said what a good friend you've been to him."
"No need for "please", Maureen--may I call you Maureen, and would you call me Angelique?" she said with a special smile, acknowledging and understanding the warning put nicely and without claws, that Jamie was personal property and not to be flirted with. "Good, it would be very good to have a girl friend. Perhaps we could have tea tomorrow?"
"Och, I'd enjoy that. Angelique, what a pretty name and pretty dress." Too severe, yet too hourglass for mourning.
"And so is yours, that color goes marvelously with your hair." Green silk, expensive, but English not Parisian and the cut old-fashioned.
Never mind. That can be improved, if she becomes an intimate. "Jamie was a great friend to my husband, and to me when I needed one badly. You are very lucky," she said truthfully. "Now where is your handsome fianc`e? Ah, there he is!"
Watched by all eyes she linked arms with her.
Everyone beamed at the Entente Cordiale and, still the center of attention, she guided Maureen to him.
"Be careful, Jamie, it's easy to see this lady is very precious--there are too many pirates in Yokohama."
Those around laughed and she left them and went back to Sir William, greeting Ketterer en route--a special compliment and smile to him, and later to Marlowe--as well as Settry Pallidar, resplendent and rivaling Zergeyev in his Cossack uniform. "La, Sir William," she said. "How lucky we are."
"To be..." Zergeyev stopped himself in time. He almost said, To be alive?
Instead he took a glass of champagne from a silver platter held by a liveried manservant and said, "To be in the presence of two such lovely ladies, we are lucky! Your healths."
Everyone drank, and continued to compare. Zergeyev was too worried to follow suit, much more concerned with what other foul news had arrived with Prancing Cloud, particularly for the other Ministers.
An urgent, coded dispatch from St.
Petersburg--three months old--had arrived.