“Nice to know I rank in there somewhere,” she grumbled, but her furious anger had fled. “What’s our plan?”
“I have no idea, but find a way to get me out of here. I’ll take it from there. And can you get me my mobile? That would be great. And tell me Roger isn’t in jail or something stupid.”
“Roger?” Nadia frowned. “How many boyfriends do you have? Maybe you’re the one who needs to look into having a harem.”
“He’s on my security detail and came with me. He’s tall, pasty, and ginger. I imagine he’d stick out here like a sore thumb.”
“Oh, him. No, you’re fine. He’s outside your door.”
“Good. And Philippe?”
“With Mama, probably.”
“You can trust Roger implicitly. And probably Philippe. He wants what’s best for Yuri and that’s me. He should also help you. How about my mobile?”
Nadia shook her head. “I haven’t seen it. I’ll see what I can find out. Mama might know.”
Angelo yawned. Despite having done nothing over the past three days but lie on his back, he was exhausted. “Right. Can you get a message to Yuri for me?”
“I suppose so. What do you want to say?”
“Tell him that I’m coming for him, betrothal or not. He’s still mine.”
Nadia made a face. “Ew, but okay. I’ll find a way to get it to him. Rest. I’ll figure this out. If I can’t manage an escape plan then I’ll never be able to manage a kingdom. Leave things to me.”
31
Yuri Explains Everything
The first thing Yuri said to his father after arriving at the palace and being shown to his father’s study was, “It was Francis, not Angelo, and you could’ve listened to me for once.”
“You’re home, where you need to be,” the king said. “Now you may tell me whatever you wish and I don’t have to be further concerned about your safety.”
His mother, seated near her husband and working on some sort of embroidery project like it was still the Middle Ages, added, “We’ve been very worried about you, dear. I’m sure you can understand that.”
Alex, who had been standing next to Yuri, went and sat on an adjacent settee. “For the record, if my opinion carries any weight at all, I think you should listen to what Yuri has to say.”
Everyone looked at Yuri expectantly. He took a deep breath and started to speak. For himself, he’d never be able to say these words, but for Angelo, he’d do anything.
“It’s Lord Blackheath,” Yuri finally said. “He’s behind everything. He… I… god, this is so hard. He was very flatteringly attentive, at first. We went on dates and we spent hours talking in college. But then he was more possessive. He didn’t like me spending time with anyone who wasn’t him, including Jacki. He would punish me for perceived crimes. I did things that… and by the time I knew I was in trouble, I didn’t know how to get out. And one night it was so bad, Jacki wanted to take me to the hospital, which I knew couldn’t happen. She wanted to alert you, or Philippe, that I’d been… badly beaten, but I wouldn’t let her. So instead she convinced Angelo to come, and he saw what had happened, and he promised me it would never happen again.” Tears pricked at the corners of Yuri’s eyes and he swiped them away. “And it didn’t, I swear. That’s what that fight between them was about. Angelo was so angry that Francis had come back for me that he lost his head entirely. Blackheath’s father got him out of the country to stave off a diplomatic incident with Tanzhir and I thought that was it. But it wasn’t. He came back to Oxford. He said…”
Yuri’s voice failed him. He reached for a glass and the pitcher of ice water that sat on his father’s desk. He poured himself a glass and drank it all in just a few gulps.
“He said?” Queen Eleanor prompted gently.
“He said he had pictures. Of me. And of the things he’d done to me. And had me do. He threatened to send them to a tabloid. I… went running to Angelo because he… we…”
“I know you’ve had your fights, but Angelo has always been your friend,” Alex said, throwing him a lifeline. “The two of you were practically inseparable as kids. I imagine that the relationship solidified at school, then at Oxford.”
Yuri nodded gratefully. “Exactly. Angelo said he’d come and make sure I was safe. But even with his guard, Francis managed to stab him. I know the knife he used,” he said, wanting to stop but now that he’d gotten going, not able to do so. “He used to show it to me. He’d cut me, sometimes, with it. It was very sharp. He never cut deeply, but he knew it frightened me and… god, I’m so, so sorry.” His legs unable to keep him standing without wobbling, Yuri sank down into one of the chairs in front of his father’s desk.
“Sorry for what, dear?” His mother asked. She sorted out a length of red silk and attempted to thread her needle, but her fingers trembled so badly she pricked her finger then dropped it. “Damn.” She wiped her eyes and seemed to compose herself before going on. “Sweetheart, you’re not the first person to love unwisely. You certainly won’t be the last. I do wish you’d come to speak with us about it, however. We’re your parents, darling, and we will always help you. No matter what.”
“Your brother has… is… well, let’s just say very little shocks us at this point, son,” the king said.
“That’s Archie, not me,” Alex felt the need to point out.
“Yeah, we all know you’re perfect,” Yuri sniped at him. He turned back to face his parents. “I need to go back to England,
