An Imperial Lover

An Imperial Lover by Mary Imlay Taylor

A French marshal, Philippe de Brousson, travels to Moscow in 1703 on a secret diplomatic mission for Louis XIV, ostensibly accompanying his Russian-born wife Zénaïde on a visit to her homeland and to attend to family estates. He brings with him his secretary and protégé, Guillaume de Lambert, a courageous young French soldier who had distinguished himself at the battle of Friedlingen. Shortly after their arrival at the transformed court of Czar Peter, where Western fashions and customs have replaced the old Muscovite traditions, Lambert encounters and falls deeply in love with Najine Zotof, a beautiful young noblewoman orphaned and raised by her uncle, the Councillor Zotof. The romance initially seems unobstructed, as the uncle appears favorably disposed toward the charming French soldier. Complications arise swiftly and multiply relentlessly when it becomes known that Czar Peter himself has fixed his imperial attention on Najine, intending to take her as his second wife following his forced divorce from the Czarina Eudoxia. The situation draws de Brousson into a dangerous web of court intrigue involving rival factions. The powerful favorite Alexander Mentchikof supports a rival candidate for the czar's affections, a vivacious Livonian peasant girl of remarkable beauty and ambition named Catherine Shavronsky, whom he is cultivating as a counterweight to the Zotof faction. Opposing them stands Prince Dolgoruky and Marshal Sheremetief, who prefer to see Najine elevated to the throne as a means of securing their own influence and protecting the interests of the Czarevitch Alexis. A further complication emerges in the person of Yury Apraxin, a hot-tempered young man who claims Najine as his betrothed through a childhood contract and nurses violent jealousy toward both Lambert and the czar, the latter having publicly slapped him for defending Swedish military honor. De Brousson navigates these dangers with aging but sharp diplomatic skill, aided greatly by Madame de Brousson's sharp social intelligence and her extensive contacts among the Russian women of the court. He intercedes repeatedly to protect Lambert, who acts with the reckless courage of a man in love rather than the caution his precarious position demands. Lambert is lured to a trap at a river bridge through a forged message purportedly from Najine and nearly killed by Apraxin, who stabs him before being driven off. A Swedish spy named Gustavus Lenk, whom de Brousson and Lambert had previously released from captivity out of sympathy, repays this generosity by intervening to save Lambert's life, deflecting the assassin's pistol at the critical moment. Catherine Shavronsky sends de Brousson imprudent letters soliciting his assistance in advancing Lambert's cause as a means of removing Najine from competition. One of these letters is intercepted and reaches Peter, who summons de Brousson to the Kremlin in a rage, believing himself betrayed by those closest to him. Peter's fury is temporarily redirected, but the episode damages Catherine's position severely. In a subsequent dramatic scene at a court entertainment, Catherine redeems herself partially in Peter's eyes through a bold public act of intercession, kneeling before the infuriated czar to beg clemency for the humiliated Apraxin after Peter strikes him. Peter responds with warmth and presents her with a magnificent ruby, suggesting his regard for her persists. Najine, kept under close surveillance by the Zotofs, manages a clandestine communication through a bracelet token, and Lambert attempts to maintain contact, including defying Peter's equerry at the Kremlin. The czar warns de Brousson directly to restrain Lambert and signals clearly that he regards the Frenchman as an unwelcome rival. Mentchikof privately warns de Brousson that if Najine cannot escape to France, she faces grave danger from his faction, hinting that those who stand inconveniently in the path of powerful ambitions in Moscow face consequences that may extend beyond mere political defeat. Matters reach a crisis when Najine herself, having evaded her guardians in desperation, arrives unannounced at de Brousson's lodgings seeking counsel and protection. Lambert returns while she is there, and the two lovers are briefly united. Before any plan can be settled, Peter arrives unexpectedly and nearly unattended, having apparently followed or been informed of Najine's movements. A tense confrontation ensues in which de Brousson invokes his status as a representative of the French crown to resist cooperating with the search, and Madame de Brousson, with remarkable composure, deflects Peter's demand to search her private apartments by reminding him that Louis XIV would not stoop to such an act, invoking his dignity as the first gentleman of France. Peter is momentarily arrested by this rebuke and withdraws without finding Najine, though he delivers a stern warning that Lambert risks his head if he attempts a clandestine marriage without imperial sanction.

By Mary Imlay Taylor · First published 1904 · Genre: Historical Romance, Historical Fiction, Romance · 30 chapters · 100,816 words

First lines

TWENTY years had passed since my last visit to Moscow, a visit made memorable by my marriage with Zénaïde Ramodanofsky. For many reasons we did not return to Russia until, in the spring of 1703, the King of France said to me: "M. de Brousson, there is no one else whom I care to send to Moscow on a delicate mission. You have married a Russian, you know Russia and the czar. In short, monsieur, I desire that you should go."

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historical fiction · historical romance · court intrigue · imperial court · monarchy · aristocracy · palace life · political intrigue · romantic relationship · forbidden love · power struggles · loyalty

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