“Lady, your father wants to see you in his office,” the maid respectfully bowed before the young beauty.

“Yes, I'm going now, Maria,” Elizabeth waved off her maid, casually, whirling in front of the mirror and admiring herself.

“What did papa need?” Maybe he brought a gift? ”- Elizabeth wondered, without hurrying towards his father’s office.

- Papa, are you back? - Elizabeth joyfully ran up to her father, - I missed you so much!

- Hello, daughter! You're all good, my little bird, - the man gently smiled at his daughter.

- How was the trip, dad? - with genuine interest asked Elizabeth.

- Very well, Lisa! - quite smiling, he answered his daughter. “And I have news for you.”

- what are the same? - the girl's eyes lit up with anticipation.

- In six months you will marry, Elizabeth! - solemnly announced the man.

- Marry ?! Dad! I do not want to get married! - Elizabeth exclaimed, stubbornly squeezing plump lips.

- Everything is decided, daughter. In six months you will become the wife of a prince. And no whims! - stopped the man objections daughter.

Lisa's eyes filled with tears:

- I do not want to get married! I do not want! “She ran out of her father’s office.”

“Here is a capricious girl! Thought the annoyed father. - All the young ladies at her age dream of marriage, and she is unhappy. We spoiled her with her mother. Okay, let the countess herself deal with her daughter. ”

Having decided to tell everything to his wife, the count went to their joint quarters.

Countess Izmailova, his dearest husband, was just about to go down for breakfast.

“Olga, my dear, I have a serious conversation with you,” said the count instead of the greeting.

- Hello, Nikolay! Something happened? - his wife was worried.

“Sit down, the conversation will be long,” the Count sighed heavily as he sank into a deep armchair.

- Nikolai, you scare me! - the countess exclaimed, sitting down opposite.

- This concerns Elizabeth. Do not interrupt, listen to the end, - he said, opened his wife's mouth. - I found our daughter groom.

- Groom? But she is still so young, dear! Exclaimed the Countess.

- Olga! At her age, you were already pregnant with our firstborn. And I beg you, do not interrupt!

The Countess kept her words to burst from her lips, heeding the request of her husband.

- He is a Hungarian prince. The head of the family. Zoltan Kovac. Rich, handsome, quite young. He is 32 years old. He has several factories in Russia, a palace in Petersburg, an estate not far from ours. And in Hungary, extensive grounds, ancestral castle. We have common interests with him. Zoltan is fluent in Russian, educated, smart. And he wants to have a Russian girl in his wives. Elizabeth will be lucky when she becomes his wife. We have agreed on everything. In a couple of weeks he will arrive in Petersburg. At the Odintsov ball, I will introduce him to you and my daughter. In the same place we will make an official announcement of the engagement.

- Nikolay, I know how much you love Little Guy. Therefore, I completely trust you the choice of the groom for our girl. She knows?

Count Izmailov winced:

- Yes. I wanted to please my beauty, and she burst into tears, screaming that she did not want to get married. We spoiled her, Olga.

The countess smiled, gently clutching her husband's palm.

- I'll talk to her, dear. She will understand and make your decision. Let's go have breakfast.

****

The Countess managed to convince her daughter of the correctness of the choice of the graph. Elizabeth resigned, as befits an obedient daughter. The count did not stint on expenses, buying services of the most expensive tailors. The wife and daughter received new jewels daily. For fitting, a pile of gifts, the delights of her friends, Elizabeth stopped thinking that she was unhappy with her father’s decision. Although the groom perceived as something unreal, and his marriage was a very distant, fantastic event.

It was the day of the ball in the house of the Odintsov.Elizabeth was dazzlingly beautiful in a new dress of peach color embroidered with pearls and lace, the neckline beautifully emphasized her small chest, raised by a corset. A new precious pink pearl set harmoniously blends into its airy image. A scattering of dark brown curls emphasized the tender beauty of the face.

- Elizabeth! Daughter! You are my real princess! - exclaimed Count Izmailov, when the girl sedately descended the stairs. - Zoltan will be smitten!
- Dad! - embarrassed exclaimed Elizabeth. “I'm worried, don't tease me.”

“Daughter, you really are beautiful as ever,” said the Countess gently, embracing her.

“It’s a pity Alexander didn’t come,” the girl’s little face darkened.

“Liza, you know that my brother has an office, you just can't run away from there,” the Countess reassured her daughter. - He will definitely come to your wedding, honey.

- So, we go, we go, - has hurried the count of both his beauties.

****

Odintsov’s house shone with lights and crystal. There were a lot of guests. After greeting the hosts, the Izmailovs moved inland. Leaving his wife and daughter to talk with their mutual acquaintances, the count left, citing the owner of the house seen at the other end of the hall.

Elizabeth absent-mindedly listened to the chatter of women and girls gathered in a circle. She was more interested in the admiring glances of men thrown at her. And she tried to guess which of the unfamiliar men her fiance.

- Elizabeth! - mother, frowning slightly, pulled her dress. - Stop staring at men, this is not decent!

“Mom, I'm sorry, I'm just trying to guess who my fiancé is,” Lisa whispered confusedly.

“Calm down, daughter, his father will introduce him to us himself,” the Countess patted her daughter on the arm soothingly.

The major domo announced the start of the ball. Played charming music. The son of the owners of the house approached Countess Izmailova and her daughter:

“Countess, allow me to invite Elizabeth Nikolaevna to this waltz tour,” he asked, kissing the countess's gallantly.

“I allow, Alexey,” majestically, but with a smile, the Countess handed her daughter’s hand to the young Count Odintsov.

Elizabeth went after him. They whirled in a waltz. Gliding easily with the young man on the floor, Lisa was distracted from the thoughts of her fiance.

- Elizabeth, you are beautiful! - in a low voice said Alex. - You are like a fresh rose bud!

“Alexey, you flatter me,” the girl smiled coquettishly, blushing slightly from embarrassment.

- Not at all! All words are not able to describe your beauty! - the young man spoke admiringly.

Pleasing from compliments, the girl happily circled in the dance. When the music stopped, Alexey led Elizabeth to her mother, as decency demanded.

- Promise me at least one more dance, Elizabeth! - He asked the girl.

But she did not answer, fascinated looking at the man standing next to her father and mother. As if half asleep, she allowed Alexei to take herself to her mother. She did not hear the words of parting and gratitude for the dance from Alexey, only nodded absently.

“Zoltan, may I introduce you to my daughter,” said the Count, slightly bowing his head. - Elizaveta Izmailova. My daughter. Prince Zoltan Kovach. Your fiance

Liza, as bewitched, crouched in a curtsy.

When the man took her hand in his hands and kissed her, she pierced the girl like lightning. She looked helplessly at him and sank into the dark blue depths of his eyes.

- Elizabeth, you struck me in the heart! - in a velvety voice with a slightly noticeable accent Zoltan said, without releasing her hand from his palm.

Elizabeth could not say a word, flushing with embarrassment. Her future husband touched her unsophisticated girl's heart at first sight. An innocent girl did not notice the predatory sparks in the depths of the groom's eyes.

Parents smiled intelligently, looking at the beautiful couple. The eyes of all guests without exception were riveted to them, but Zoltan and Elizabeth seemed to be somewhere far away. Without looking up, Elizabeth’s green eyes looked into Zaltan’s thundery blue eyes. Past consciousness of the girl passed the announcement of their engagement with the prince. Absently, she received congratulations, smiling only to the prince.

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