Vida Anstruther? s father has gone missing on his latest secretmission, ostensibly to Hungary and her sixth sense tells her that hehas actually gone undercover to Russia and is in desperate danger, perhaps at the ruthless hands of the Czar? s Secret Police. Havinginformed the Marquis of Salisbury, the British Foreign Secretary, ofher intentions, she sets off under a false name, accompanied only byher faithful Nanny, Margit, and a Courier. Vida journeys into Russia, where she meets the supremely handsome notorious womaniser and ? pet? of the Czar, the playboy Prince Ivan Pavolivski, and instantlyfalls under his spell. Vida stays with the Prince at hisstunningly beautiful castle and she is tempted to trust him, but ishorrified when she overhears him talking with a Russian Secret Agentand it seems that the Prince is one of the enemy! But at least now she has learnt that her father is hiding in a nearby Monastery andflees the Prince? s castle to go to his rescue. Even as her heartswells with hope for Sir Harvey Anstruther, it breaks in the knowledge that the Prince she now loves is bent on betraying him.
