The Baron was smiling at her. His eyes were filled with unshed tears, and surely everyone in the room could see the dimple in his left cheek.
Christina concentrated on the scar beneath his right eye.
She stopped when she was just a foot away, then made a formal curtsy. And all the while she prayed her voice wouldn't betray her.
She knew she'd have to let him embrace her. The thought made her skin crawl. All the guests in the room had focused their attention on this reunion. She never took her gaze off the jackal and was sickened by the fact that everyone was probably smiling over the sweetly emotional reunion.
It seemed to Christina that they stared at each other for a long while before either spoke a word. She could feel Lyon by her side, and when he suddenly took hold of her hand, she recovered her composure.
Lyon was trying to give her his strength, she thought. 'Good evening, Father. It is a pleasure to meet you at last.'
Baron Stalinsky seemed to come out of his stupor then. He reached out to clasp Christina's shoulders. 'I'm overjoyed to meet you, Christina. I can barely think what to say to you. All these precious years wasted,' he whispered. A tear escaped from his thick lashes. Christina pulled her hand away from Lyon 's grasp and reached up to brush the tear from her father's cheek. The touch was witnessed by the guests, and Christina could hear their sighs of pleasure.
She let him embrace her. 'I thought you were dead, daughter,' he admitted. 'Do you know how happy I am to have you back, child?'
Christina kept smiling. The effort made her stomach hurt. She slowly pulled away from her father and moved next to Lyon again. 'I'm a married woman now, Father,' she announced. She quickly introduced Lyon, then prayed he'd take up the conversation for a minute or two. She needed to catch her breath.
'You cannot imagine our surprise to learn you were still alive, Baron,' Lyon interjected. His voice was as enthusiastic as a schoolboy's. He kept up the idle chatter until the other guests, led by the Porters, rushed over to express their congratulations.
Christina played the pretense well. She smiled and laughed whenever it was appropriate.
It was bearable only because Lyon stood by her side. An hour passed and then another before Christina and her husband were given a few moments' privacy with Stalinsky.
'Father, how did you come by that scar below your eye?' Christina asked, pretending only mild interest.
'A boyhood accident,' the Baron replied, smiling. 'I fell from my mount.'
'You were lucky,' Lyon interjected. 'You could have lost your eye.'
The baron nodded. 'I was thinking quite the same thing about your scar, Lyon. How did that happen?'
'A fight in a tavern,' Lyon said. 'My first outing as a man,' he added with a grin.
One lie for another, Christina thought.
Lyon gave Christina's shoulder a gentle squeeze. She recognized the signal. 'Father, I have so many questions to ask you, and I'm certain you have as many to ask me. Does your schedule permit you to lunch with us tomorrow?'
'I would love to, daughter,' the Baron replied. 'Daughter! It's a joyful word to me now.'
'Will you be staying in London long, Baron?' Lyon asked.
'I have no other plans,' the Baron answered.
'I'm pleased to hear that,' Christina interjected. She prayed her voice sounded enthusiastic. 'I've already sent word to my stepfather. When he receives my message and returns from Scotland, you must sit down with him and put his fears to rest.'
'Stepfather?' the Baron asked. 'The Countess didn't mention a stepfather, Christina. She led me to believe…' The Baron cleared his throat before continuing. 'It was a bizarre story, and one look at you would certainly make a mockery out of what she actually suggested… tell me about this stepfather. What fears does the man harbor, and why?'
'Father, first you must appease my curiosity,' Christina said. There was laughter in her voice. 'Whatever did the horrid old woman tell you?'
'Yes,' the Baron sighed, 'she is a horrid woman.' He made the remark almost absentmindedly.
'Do I detect a blush?' Christina asked.
'I fear you do, daughter. You see, I have only just realized how gullible I was. Why, I did believe her story to be true.'
'You've pricked my curiosity as well,' Lyon said. 'The Countess is very upset with Christina. She was against our marriage because of the matter of my wife's inheritance. The Countess seemed to think she'd control the money,' Lyon explained. 'Now tell us what fabrication she gave you.'
'I've been played for a fool,' the Baron returned, shaking his head. 'She told me Christina was raised by savages.'
'Savages?' Christina asked, trying to look perplexed.
'Indians of the Americas,' the Baron qualified.
Christina and Lyon looked at each other. They turned in unison to stare at the Baron. Then they both burst into laughter.
The Baron joined in. 'I really was naive to believe her fool's story,' he said between chuckles. 'But I had heard from the Countess-years ago, you understand-that Jessica had left with a newborn baby girl to join a wagon train headed through the wilderness.'
'She did do that,' Christina acknowledged. 'And it was on the way that she met Terrance MacFinley. He became her protector. Terrance,' she added with a soft smile, 'didn't know my mother was still married. She told him you'd died. My mother's mind wasn't very… strong.' Christina paused after making that comment, furious inside when the Baron nodded agreement. 'Terrance was a good man. He told me about my mother.'
'But what did you mean when you said I could put your stepfather's fears to rest?'
'Oh, it's a small matter,' Christina stalled. 'Jessica died when I was just a baby,' she continued. 'Terrance kept me with him. In one of my mother's sane moments, she made him promise to take care of me until I was old enough to be returned to England.'
'How did she die?' the Baron asked. His voice was low and filled with emotion. Tears had gathered in his eyes again. 'I loved your mother. I blame myself for her death. I should have recognized the signs of her condition.'
'Signs?' Christina asked.
'Of her mind's deterioration,' he explained. 'She was frightened of everything. When she realized she was going to have a child, I think it was all that was needed to push her completely over the edge. She ran away from me.'
'Did you go after her, Father?'
'Not right away,' the Baron admitted. 'There were business matters to attend to. I had a kingdom to run, you see. I abdicated three weeks later, then went back to England. I fully expected to find my wife with her father. Yet when I reached the Earl of Acton's home, I found out Jessica had fled again. She was headed for the colonies. I, of course, made the assumption she was going to her sister's home in Boston and posted passage on a ship to follow her.'
'Mother died of the fever,' Christina said.
'I hope she didn't have too much pain,' the Baron commented.
'It must have been terrible for you, searching in vain for the woman you loved,' Lyon stated.
'Yes, it was a bad time,' the Baron acknowledged. 'The past is behind us, Christina. I look forward to speaking to this Terrance. How long did he stay with your mother before she died?' he asked.
'I'm not certain of the exact length of time,' Christina said. 'One night, when the wagon train rested in the valley below the Black Hills, Jessica was awakened by a thief,' Christina said. 'The couple she was sharing her quarters with were both killed by the villain. Jessica got it into her head that it was you, Father, chasing after her.'
Christina paused to shake her head. 'She packed me up and ran into the hills. MacFinley saw her leave. He went after her, of course, for he loved her fiercely. I'll be completely honest with you, Father. I don't understand how Terrance could have loved my mother. From what he told me about her, I would think he should have pitied her.'
