Liz turned her face to kiss the palm of Pavel's hand, brushing her lips back and forth across his skin and kissing it again and then nuzzled her cheek where her lips had been.  "If they try again, I may get to them before Alexei does."  She vowed only half teasing.  A genteel woman by most standards, when pushed to far she would fight back and trying to take her away from her family was pushing her too far.<br/><br/>Pavel was her life, and without him she didn't know if she would be able to go on, and prayed to God that she never had to find that out.  It was good that they would present a united front at the dinner that night, show the enemies that they would not succeed in their attempts to drive a wedge in their marriage or their family.   "I won't be parted from you."  She said softly, but whether she was making a statement or trying to reassure herself even she wasn't sure.