Well, she hadn’t lashed out in a fit of rage yet. That was already an improvement, though Nikolai knew his daughter well enough—in spite of his weeks away—to tell that she was not rejoicing at this particular news.

“Ustinya and I were married before journeying back to Britain,” Nik explained slowly. “We became acquainted almost as soon as I arrived in Russia.” Even at that, it was sudden, he knew—but love was love.