Authors: Stella White
''So, here we are in London, Octavia said, as she poured herself a coffee. What have you got planned for me?'' she asked eager to know what secret Slava had been keeping from her.
''It's twelve o'clock, let me get a shower and then we'll be on our way.''
''Okay, I'm coming to watch you in the shower. Will
you,...
you know......?''
''If you want me to,'' he said, eagerly.
*****
''Slava, please tell me where we are going. We've been driving for hours.''
The man from the luxury limousine hire
company
had told Slava he would send his finest limo and driver. It seemed he had kept his promise. They were sitting
in
a top of the range Mercedes with leather seats, a
TV,
and mini bar. As Slava sipped his iced water, Octavia eye's drank in the English countryside.
''It's very green isn't it? Quite beautiful. Unlike anything I've seen back in the States.''
''Or in Russia. I suppose it's all the water that falls from the sky. Look at that green field there, it
really
is bright green,'' Slava replied.
After two hours, they arrived at their destination. Octavia was extremely
puzzled;
they were in what seemed like a village, in the middle of nowhere. The driver pulled up, got out and opened the door at Octavia's side.
''Slava, if you don't tell me where we are, I'm going to divorce you.'' It just slipped out. A joke, but, nonetheless, Slava heard it and took it as a hint of what their status really should be.
''We've come to look at a museum.''
''You dragged me all the way here, to some stuffy old museum,'' she complained.
'No. Not some stuffy old museum. Here read the sign.''
''Jane Austen Museum,'' Octavia read out loud. Then she suddenly realized. The home of one of the greatest writers of romantic fiction ever to have lived. ''Oh Slava, thank you. How thoughtful of you. I'm ashamed of myself for being so grumpy.'' When she began to weep with joy, Slava took her in his arms and held her tightly.
''For you my dear. May you become the Jane Austen of our time. Come on let's go and see what we can learn.''
They learned that they were in the village of Chawton in the
County
of Hampshire. They also found out that Jane Austen had spent the last eight years of her life in the house and had written three novels. They spent two hours reading everything they
could
and soaking in the atmosphere. Slava observed Octavia as she looked around the tiny rooms. It was as if she were in a trance, lost in
a world
she
dreamed of
. He only hoped he could provide her with a lifestyle where she could relax, be calm and have the clarity of thought to do what she wanted to, write.
''That was fantastic,'' she exclaimed as they got back into the limousine.
''Yes, we've got a lot of history in this country. Next time you should go to
Stratford
upon Avon, the home of William Shakespeare,'' the driver said.
''Oh, that would be lovely,'' she said still entranced by the world of Jane Austen.
Slava didn't like the look of the man lurking next to Serene when they arrived back at Milby Marina. He put a protective arm around Octavia and hurried her into the boat.
''I'll be back in a minute,'' he said. He walked back down the
gang plank
and up to the man.
''Who are you,'' he asked directly in Russian.
''I'm
Vasiliev
Moltov
. I have a message from your father.''
''How the hell did you find us here?''
''It's not difficult these days to track a boat of this nature, '' he said pointing at Serene. '' All the signals it transmits, you were
really
easy to find.''
''And what do you want?''
''I work for a man called General
Topov
head of the State Security Service of Russia. I'm the bureau chief in London.''
''You mean you're a spy.''
''Whatever you want to call it. I work on behalf of the Russian people to ensure a fair world and the safety of our nation.''
Brainwashed was the word that came into Slava's mind. ''So answer my question, what do you want?''
''Your father is worried about you.''
''Then tell him I am fine and leave me alone.''
''It's not quite that simple. Your father has asked me to take the woman you are with, and send her back to the US.''
Slava laughed. ''You are certainly going to have to kill me before you can do that. She is in a
delicate
state, and if you so much as put one hand on her I will rip you into pieces, here and now.''
''Please calm yourself,''
Moltov
said, slightly worried that Slava looked more than a match for him. ''What do they say in English? Ah yes, don't shoot the messenger. Your father has asked me to return the President's daughter back to the US. If you don't comply, I will relay that back to your
father,
and I will await further instructions.'' His eyes narrowed as he thought carefully about what he was going to say next. ''But your
father
is very disappointed that you have chosen to run off with an American, and especially one of such note. Your father has little regard for American's as indeed have I. They are trashy, loud and lack sophistication. Given that, it's no surprise that she is pregnant out of wedlock.''
When Slava's fist slammed into
Moltov's
mouth, he saw a tooth fly out, and plop down into the water below the pontoon they were standing on.
Moltov
sank to his knees, rolled his eyes and passed out. Octavia, curious to know what
Slava was
doing,
came on deck and looked
at the
man lying on the ground.
''Slava, what on earth?''
''He's come on behalf of my father. He wanted to send you back to the US. He was
rude,
so I knocked him out. I think I must have hit him very
hard . Indeed
, he's lost a tooth.''
''Oh my God,'' Octavia cried. ''They're going to split us up. I can feel it. They want me back in America and you back in Moscow. I'll never see you again. I'm going to call my father and tell him where we are. He'll get someone here to protect us.''
Slava went back onto the boat and took her in his arms ''No. They'll take you from me. I couldn't bear that. We'll leave and go somewhere else.''
''But Slava, if they found us here, they will find us in any other place.
At least,
my father can keep us safe.''
''Okay. But I want to speak to him as well.''
Octavia opened her laptop and dialed the number. The Presidents secretary answered. ''June it's Octavia. Can I
speak
to my father?''
''Octavia, where are you, everyone's so worried?''
''I
'm fine
.
Obviously
our secret service isn't as fast as the Russians in finding me. I'm safe and well.''
''I'll get him, please wait.''
When Octavia's father came onto the screen, he looked
ashen,
and Octavia
instantly
knew that she
had caused
him a lot of anxiety. ''Hi Dad. Listen I'm.....''
''Octavia for God's sake where are you? Your mother is having a nervous breakdown and me too come to
that.''
''I
'm fine
. I just want to talk to you. If you'll let me.''
''Okay baby, talk. You know we love you more than anything in the world, and we only want the best for you.''
''I
know,
and I love you guys the same.
This is
Slava, do you remember him?''
Slava shuffled along the sofa and into the President's view. ''Hello
Mr
President.''
The President seemed as if he was going to explode into a rage, but he took a deep breath and controlled himself.
''Yes,
of course, Slava. I remember. you. I would be grateful if you would please bring my daughter home safely. I could send a few armed men to get her, but none of us want that. Just bring her home, please.''
''Sir, I love your daughter and she loves me.'' Slava was
resolute,
and it seemed he had no fear of who he was addressing. ''I have all the respect in the world for you. But Octavia and I have taken a decision. Neither of us
wants
to continue our studies. We are bored stupid by them. We each have a dream,
which
we intend to follow. We ask your blessing in doing so.''
Again the President drew breath. ''I understand. Maybe if we had all talked about this in the first place, we would have been able to work something out. I am first and foremost worried about her safety. It's
a dangerous
world,
and somebody could quite easily kidnap her. I ask you to think of the consequences of that.''
''Sir, I have
done,
and I understand.''
Octavia decided to intervene when she noticed her father's voice change
tone
. It had taken on a more conciliatory tone, one that he used when he wanted to reach an agreement.
''Dad, what we are saying is give us a chance. Both of us have enough
money,
and we have a home. I don't want to be part of the political world. I'm
artistic,
and I want to write. Slava wants to sail and design yachts. We're not dropping out. We're just following what we
really
want to do.'' She paused and decided she would tell him. ''I'm having a baby Dad. You and Mum are going to be grandparents.''
The President
was torn
between congratulating her and flying into a rage. ''That's great, honey,'' he said. ''Listen how about we make a compromise. Come home with Slava, just for a few days if you like. Come and talk to us. Tell us what you want, and I promise I'll support you in
any way
I can.''
''No tricks?'' Octavia said suspiciously
''None at all. Come home, talk to us and if you want, go off again on your boat. But one thing I will not budge on, is the security aspect. We'll talk about that at the
time,
though.''
Octavia looked at
Slava,
and he nodded. ''Okay sir. Octavia will come home for a few
days,
and I'll join her when I can.'' When the President had
gone,
Octavia was angry with Slava. ''What do you mean? I'm not going anywhere without you.''
''Listen to me. My father will have you killed. I
am convinced
of it, after the visit we had. The last thing he wants is to see is me marry an American. He hates Americans and everything they stand for.''
''Jesus. Do you
really
think he'd......'' she stopped in mid sentence as he nodded. ''And how the hell would he kill me? You heard
Dad;
he wants to help us with security. Your father would never get near us.''
''Did you see how they murdered Andrey
Yevchenko
? They put poison in a cup of tea. Or what about Yuri Davydov? They stuck the poisonous umbrella into his ass when he was walking across London Bridge. There are so many examples where good people have
been murdered,
and nobody noticed the killer.'' He looked at her, and the distress in her eyes, and he decided there and then he was going solve the situation. ''Listen, I want you to go back to your parents. They are good
people;
they will let you do as you want once it all
been discussed
. I'm going to St Petersberg.''
''No you mustn't, what if I never see you again?'' Octavia said, now more worried than ever.
''I need a few days there. I will have my father returned to Russia in
disgrace,
and we will be able to get on with our lives.''
''And how do you propose to do that?''
*****
Slava sat in an office overlooking the River Neva in St Petersberg and looked at the young man in front of him.
''Slava, it's so good to see you. We haven't seen each other since graduation day at school. How are you?''
''Igor, I am very well.
There are things happening
in my life now that are so
fantastic;
I can't begin to tell you.''
''You must. How about dinner this evening?'' Igor asked. Igor Krasnoyarsk was born on the same day and in the same year as Slava. They went to school together and had been inseparable friends. As often happens, their lives took them separate ways. Igor went to work as a trainee journalist in St Petersberg and Slava to University in Moscow.