The women wandered down the road, then the gate opened again and two more emerged, arm in arm. Straight away Dmitri recognised her: how could the guards not see? She walked differently from the other women. Even when wearing the plain bonnet and gown of a farmer’s daughter she was transparently a grand duchess. He felt as if he might faint, such was the mixture of excitement and terror that swirled in his blood.
Neither of the guards at the gate gave her a second glance and she walked down the road with her arm through that of another cleaner, presumably Yelena’s friend Svetlana. Only when she looked up and saw him could he tell she was terrified. It was an extraordinarily courageous thing to do, but Dmitri had never doubted she would manage. As she drew near, he took her arm and thanked Svetlana, who whispered, ‘Good luck! See you tomorrow.’ Tatiana’s whole body was trembling as Dmitri led her round a corner and down the street to where his horse was tethered.
‘I’m afraid I don’t have a side saddle,’ he apologised, his voice hoarse with emotion.
‘That’s all right,’ she said quietly, and mounted, adjusting her skirts. Dmitri mounted behind her, glanced back at the house, then they rode off without any further words.
Tatiana was free! Dmitri’s heart sang as he sat with his arms looped around her to hold the reins. She was here, with him, no longer a prisoner! He could feel the warmth of her flesh, and her hair blowing in the wind stroked his face. Behind them the road was clear apart from some peasants on horseback; there were none of the cars or trucks driven by Red Guardsmen. They’d got away with it!
Inside the cottage, she was still trembling when at last he enclosed her in his arms and held her tight. He unfastened her bonnet and caressed her as she clung to him.
‘Oh Dmitri,’ she cried. ‘Why have you done this? What will happen to the family if my absence is discovered?’
Dmitri explained that he was waiting for a merchant to arrive that day, and they hoped to spring her family from captivity that very night. If not, she would return to the house the following morning and the plan would be carried out at a later date.
She listened carefully, her eyes widening. ‘But how will you rescue them? Who will carry Alexei? Where will we go?’
He told her that these details had been worked out by his men, who were loyal retainers from the St Petersburg imperial guard.
‘And I am to stay here tonight? With you?’ She looked around.
‘Yes. I must go out this afternoon to meet the merchant and if the rescue is proceeding tonight I will join the men, but I will return to you immediately with news. You will be safe here. It is very isolated.’
She needed time to take it in and sank down on a chair, laying her hands flat on the table to stop them shaking. ‘It is as well you are doing this now. I did not like to warn you in a note but we all sense the end is near. The lack of respect with which the new guards treat us, the impertinence … We are an unwanted problem for the Red Guards. They resent the food we eat, the men it takes to hold us captive.’
‘You think they plan to move you again?’
She shook her head. ‘Perhaps. I don’t know …’
‘You are safe, Tatiana.’ He knelt at her feet and leaned his elbows on her lap. ‘Trust me. I won’t let anything happen to you now – or to your family.’
She stroked his hair. ‘My husband,’ she said, her voice husky with love. ‘I am so blessed.’
He had a little food in the kitchen but she said she was too anxious to take more than a cup of tea. They moved to the sofa and cradled each other, talking about all that had happened during the months of separation, about the lowest moments of despair, about her exhilaration mixed with fear when she read his note and realised he had a plan to free them.
‘There have been other plans too,’ he told her, and explained about Yakovlev’s scheme to get them to Omsk and Henry Armistead’s plan to get them to Murmansk. ‘The British consul is helping,’ he said, and that seemed to reassure her a little.
They exchanged long, passionate kisses that afternoon. There was a bedroom just through a doorway but Dmitri did not dream of trying to make love to her. There would be plenty of time for that in their new life. For now it was sheer luxury to hear her voice, taste her lips, feel the softness of her cheek against his, and wrap her in his arms, safe at last. They leaned their foreheads together and this time both were able to read each other’s thoughts because they were thinking exactly the same thing.
Time seemed to stretch, like a dream, but then Dmitri consulted his pocket watch and realised it was almost five.
‘I must go to the consulate now to see if Armistead has arrived. Whatever happens I will be back within the hour,’ he promised. ‘Bolt the door behind me and don’t open it again until you hear my voice.’
‘Please be quick,’ she pleaded, and he agreed, hand over heart.
‘Rest now, my precious,’ he told her with one last, lingering kiss. ‘We may not get much sleep tonight.’
When he arrived at the consulate, Dmitri was met by a very apologetic Sir Thomas. Malevich was already there, looking downcast.
‘I’ve just heard from Armistead,’ Sir Thomas told him. ‘He did his best to get through to Ekaterinburg but there are soldiers blocking all the access roads. You have no doubt heard about the advance of the Czech Legions through Siberia. Latest news is that they are less than a hundred miles away.’
Dmitri was appalled. ‘Armistead can’t let us down, not now. When will he come?’
‘Don’t you see? He may not need to come if the Czechs free Ekaterinburg. They are defeating the Bolsheviks wherever they go and have formed a provisional government in Omsk. At long last an effective White Army is fighting back against the Reds.’
This did nothing to lessen Dmitri’s panic. ‘But the Bolsheviks will move the Romanovs before they get here. They will never let the White Army claim such a prize.’
Sir Thomas had to agree this was likely, but had a suggestion. ‘When they are a little closer, your men can make contact and arrange to hand over the family to their safekeeping … I can see it will be fraught but it’s the only way to proceed.’
Dmitri paced up and down. ‘Can’t we go ahead with the rescue tonight? The Red Guard will become desperate as the Whites draw near. Anything could happen!’
Malevich intervened. ‘But where would the family go? There’s nowhere to keep them safe in this town and there are roadblocks all around. Wait a week, two at most. If there is any attempt to move them, we can intervene … It might prove easier to spring them loose while on the road than inside a heavily guarded house.’
Dmitri bit his lip. He wanted the rescue to proceed that night, but only because he couldn’t bear to let Tatiana return to the house now he had her safe. ‘Their lives are at risk. I can’t just sit and wait.’
Malevich patted him on the shoulder. ‘We will keep watch and move if we have to. Do not fear, Malama. Stay strong.’
Dmitri was close to tears as he rode back to the cottage in the dusk. He knew there was nothing he could say that would persuade Tatiana to abandon her family. She would have to be taken first thing the following morning to enter the house with the other cleaners. He couldn’t bear the thought of saying goodbye to her again, not knowing when he would next hold her in his arms. Oh, if only she would choose to stay …
As he rode into the lane that led to the cottage he could see from afar that the front door was open. What was Tatiana doing? He had told her not to open it to anyone. As he got nearer he saw it had been smashed and hung from its frame in splintered pieces. Fear gripping his heart, Dmitri leapt from his horse and rushed inside.