and strode for the door.
Andiâs absence worried him. What if she really did leave? She was the anchor that kept the palace floating peacefully in the choppy seas of a changing Ruthenia. He could give her any task and just assume it was done, without a word of prompting. Her tact and thoughtfulness were exemplary, and her organizational skills were unmatched. He couldnât imagine life without her.
After a short walk over the recently installed plum-colored carpets of the west hallway, he glanced into her ever-tidy officeâand found it dark and empty. He frowned. She was often there in the evenings, which coincided with business hours in the U.S. and could be a busy time.
Her laptop was on the desk, as usual. That was a good sign.
Jake headed up the west staircase to the second floor, where most of the bedrooms were located. Andi had a large âfamilyâ bedroom rather than one of the pokey servantsâ quarters on the third floor. She was family, dammit. Andthat meant she couldnât pick up and leave whenever she felt like it.
A nasty feeling gripped his gut as he approached her closed door. He knocked on the polished wood and listened for movement on the other side.
Nothing.
He tried the handle and to his surprise the door swung open. Curiosity tickling his nerves, he stepped inside and switched on the light. Andiâs large room was neat and free of clutterâmuch like her desk. It looked like a hotel room, with no personal touches added to the rather extravagant palace décor. The sight of two black suitcasesâopen and packedâstopped him in his tracks.
She really was leaving.
Adrenaline surged through him. At least she hadnât gone yet, or the bags would be gone, too. The room smelled faintly of that subtle scent she sometimes wore, almost as if she was in the room with him.
He glanced around. Could she be hiding from him?
He strode across the room and tugged open the doors of the massive armoire. His breath stopped for a second and he half expected to see her crouched inside.
Which of course she wasnât. Her clothes were gone, though, leaving only empty hangers on the rod.
Anger warred with deep disappointment that she intended to abandon him like this. Did their six years together mean nothing to her?
She couldnât leave without her suitcases. Perhaps he should take them somewhere she couldnât find them. His room, for example.
Unfamiliar guilt pricked him. He didnât even like the idea of her knowing heâd entered her room uninvited, let alone taken her possessions hostage. Andi was a stickler forhonesty and had kept him aboveboard more times than he cared to remember. Taking her bags just felt wrong.
Sheâd said sheâd leave as soon as the party was over. A woman of her word, sheâd be sure to wait until the last guest was gone. As long as he found her before then, everything would be fine. He switched off the light and left the room as heâd found it.
He scanned the east hall as he headed for the stairs, a sense of foreboding growing inside him. The packed bags were an ominous sign, but he couldnât really believe sheâd abandon Rutheniaâand him.
âJake, darling, we were wondering what happened to you,â Maxi called to him from the bottom of the stairs. âColonel Von Deiter has volunteered to play piano while we dance.â She stretched out her long arm, as if inviting him to share the first dance with her.
Since coming to Ruthenia he sometimes felt heâd stepped into a schnitzel-flavored Jane Austen story, where people waltzed around ballrooms and gossiped behind fans. He was happier in a business meeting than on a dance floor, and right now heâd much rather be dictating a letter to Andi than twirling Maxi over the parquet.
âHave you seen Andi, my assistant?â
âThe little girl who wears her hair in a bun?â
Jake frowned. He wasnât sure exactly how old Andi
Andiâs absence worried him. What if she really did leave? She was the anchor that kept the palace floating peacefully in the choppy seas of a changing Ruthenia. He could give her any task and just assume it was done, without a word of prompting. Her tact and thoughtfulness were exemplary, and her organizational skills were unmatched. He couldnât imagine life without her.
After a short walk over the recently installed plum-colored carpets of the west hallway, he glanced into her ever-tidy officeâand found it dark and empty. He frowned. She was often there in the evenings, which coincided with business hours in the U.S. and could be a busy time.
Her laptop was on the desk, as usual. That was a good sign.
Jake headed up the west staircase to the second floor, where most of the bedrooms were located. Andi had a large âfamilyâ bedroom rather than one of the pokey servantsâ quarters on the third floor. She was family, dammit. Andthat meant she couldnât pick up and leave whenever she felt like it.
A nasty feeling gripped his gut as he approached her closed door. He knocked on the polished wood and listened for movement on the other side.
Nothing.
He tried the handle and to his surprise the door swung open. Curiosity tickling his nerves, he stepped inside and switched on the light. Andiâs large room was neat and free of clutterâmuch like her desk. It looked like a hotel room, with no personal touches added to the rather extravagant palace décor. The sight of two black suitcasesâopen and packedâstopped him in his tracks.
She really was leaving.
Adrenaline surged through him. At least she hadnât gone yet, or the bags would be gone, too. The room smelled faintly of that subtle scent she sometimes wore, almost as if she was in the room with him.
He glanced around. Could she be hiding from him?
He strode across the room and tugged open the doors of the massive armoire. His breath stopped for a second and he half expected to see her crouched inside.
Which of course she wasnât. Her clothes were gone, though, leaving only empty hangers on the rod.
Anger warred with deep disappointment that she intended to abandon him like this. Did their six years together mean nothing to her?
She couldnât leave without her suitcases. Perhaps he should take them somewhere she couldnât find them. His room, for example.
Unfamiliar guilt pricked him. He didnât even like the idea of her knowing heâd entered her room uninvited, let alone taken her possessions hostage. Andi was a stickler forhonesty and had kept him aboveboard more times than he cared to remember. Taking her bags just felt wrong.
Sheâd said sheâd leave as soon as the party was over. A woman of her word, sheâd be sure to wait until the last guest was gone. As long as he found her before then, everything would be fine. He switched off the light and left the room as heâd found it.
He scanned the east hall as he headed for the stairs, a sense of foreboding growing inside him. The packed bags were an ominous sign, but he couldnât really believe sheâd abandon Rutheniaâand him.
âJake, darling, we were wondering what happened to you,â Maxi called to him from the bottom of the stairs. âColonel Von Deiter has volunteered to play piano while we dance.â She stretched out her long arm, as if inviting him to share the first dance with her.
Since coming to Ruthenia he sometimes felt heâd stepped into a schnitzel-flavored Jane Austen story, where people waltzed around ballrooms and gossiped behind fans. He was happier in a business meeting than on a dance floor, and right now heâd much rather be dictating a letter to Andi than twirling Maxi over the parquet.
âHave you seen Andi, my assistant?â
âThe little girl who wears her hair in a bun?â
Jake frowned. He wasnât sure exactly how old Andi
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