The Price {Completed}

Chapter Eighteen

The woman from the front desk escorted us back out and I barely registered her good wishes and farewell while Mr. Lennox pulled me close and wrapped me up in my furs while I fought against my stupor.

The driver must have been told to circle the block until we came out. We only had to wait a few minutes before he showed up around the corner, pulling slowly to a stop in front of us. The same man and the same car. He jumped out and opened the door for me, and closed it behind Mr. Lennox before climbing back into his seat and pulling away from the court house. It wasn't until we were back on the road that I realized we were not alone in the car interior.

Directly across from me, General Masha, dressed in full Common Army uniform, steepled his fingers and stared at us. Mr. Lennox frowned.

"May I ask why you are in my cab?" Mr. Lennox asked. "I don't remember inviting you along."

General Masha sighed and leaned back. "I went looking for you at your apartment, but you weren't there. None of your girls knew where you might have gone, either. I finally got out that one of the girls saw Nadia in a white dress and I guessed the rest."

"Yes, well, now you've just intruded on our wedding day," Mr. Lennox said, his grip tightening on the silver raven of his cane.

"Well, had you let us know ahead of time, it wouldn't have come about that we scheduled a meeting between the Common Army and Greghom's minister and staff," General Masha said, the annoyance not anywhere near disguised in his voice.

"What is Greghom's minister doing in Rumonin?" Mr. Lennox asked, forgetting that he was angry at General Masha for butting in on our wedding.

"They are the closest country of any useful size, and we are hopeful that an alliance might be formed. They are already in the kind of political position that we would wish for our new state, and being able to join forces with them to take over Lenostkaya and Prest to recreate the Rumoni Empire is our goal."

"What does this have to do with me?" Mr. Lennox said. "I trust you wouldn't have taken all this time to track me down only to let me into the inside news. You need something from me, and you might as well just outright and say it."

General Masha leaned forward again. "Doctor Alkaev wants you back at the theater to put on a performance for the Greghom minister." He held up his hands, preempting any backlash I or Mr. Lennox might throw at him. "I was not the one who wanted it this way, but we must all serve the greater cause. Doctor Alkaev knows that the Greghom minister is a great admirer of dance and music, and he thinks this will do something to endear us to him. You've danced it enough that you needn't have rehearsals, correct? It is a simple performance and then you are free to leave. We won't keep you behind for the party afterward if you do not wish to attend."

"I don't," Mr. Lennox said. "Greghom is a country of barbarians, and their minister is one step away from a wild board snuffling around in the leaves. However, if Doctor Alkaev wishes me to perform for him, then we cannot refuse."

"I'm glad," General Masha said. "I did not relish telling Doctor Alkaev that you refused."

So, on the day that I was married, I was now also dancing a ballet that might well tip the balance of power in one direction or the other. I felt like a pair of socks hung too close to the fire. Flushed, scorched, and stretched. I placed my head in my gloved hands and tried to not think of all the dancing that I would do that evening. Not to mention Ferdinand seeing me for the first time as Mrs. Lennox...

I quickly turned my thoughts away from that particular thread.

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