Authors: Sara Judge
Silently Valerie watched, as first Pyotr and his mother, then Andrei and Sophia, went past her.
‘You look lovely, Valerie,’ said Tassya’s warm little voice, as Dunya wheeled her forward, ‘like a real princess’.
She slipped her hand into the English girl’s, knowing her brother had not been kind and wanting to console her.
‘You look more beautiful than Sophia tonight and I am sure she is wishing she looked like you, and Pyotr is wishing you had her money.’
Valerie smiled down at her companion, but didn’t speak as they moved along the corridor in the direction of the big, seldom used, dining room.
It was very foolish to have dressed in such a grand manner to try to compete with Sophia. Tomorrow she would go back to being herself and concentrate on Tassya, and trying to persuade her to travel north to meet Father Grigorii.
That
was the most important thing now. Not attempting to impress Count Pyotr Silakov and his mother.
A
ll through the meal Sophia dominated the conversation, determined to have everyone’s attention.
Whilst Valerie strove to enjoy the servings of fish and salted cucumbers, goose with apples, and marinated fruits, Sophia chattered and laughed, fluttering her lashes and tossing her head first at Pyotr, then at Andrei.
The countess did not speak at all and merely pecked at the various dishes, but Tassya finished everything Feodor set before her then looked around for more.
Valerie smiled at the young girl’s healthy appetite, but had difficulty in enjoying the small amounts she put in her mouth. However, she drank as much of the wine as she could and hoped it would help her through that painful evening.
Perhaps Pyotr would find solace with Sophia tonight? Valerie was sure the beauty would not refuse him, and was equally sure that his mother would approve of
that
relationship. All Valerie wanted was to leave Mavara as soon as possible and return to the family who really cared for her.
When the meal was completed they all moved to another room, a big salon at the rear of the house where Valerie had not been before. It must have been used for dances in the old days for the wooden floorboards were bare, there was a dusty grand piano in the far corner, and many high-backed chairs and one old brown sofa were set against the walls.
A fire was burning in the open grate warming the room with its glow, and an oil lamp on the piano added its light to the stark surroundings.
‘You must come and stay with us in St Petersburg, dear Tassya,’ said Sophia suddenly, turning towards Pyotr’s sister. ‘I should love to spoil you for a while.’
They had all taken their places on the various chairs, with Sophia and Andrei on the sofa, and Tassya’s chair wheeled up close to Valerie’s.
‘You are very kind.’ Tassya’s face was bright pink. ‘But I don’t feel able to manage such a long journey.’
‘Perhaps, if Miss Marsh were to ask Grand Duchess Olga very nicely, the Imperial train could be sent to bring you to the capital,’ said Andrei, with a wink at Valerie.
Although he had not thought much of the English girl previously, she had astonished him tonight; much as she had surprised him that night at the Winter Palace. He did not feel Pyotr was treating her kindly this evening when she was looking so stunning.
‘No doubt Valerie Marsh could get the Imperial train for you,’ agreed Sophia silkily. ‘She seems able to get everything she wants in Russia, even though she is a foreigner.’
‘The Tsar likes foreigners,’ put in Countess Irina. ‘He even married a German woman – though what good she has done our beloved country, I do not know, producing four daughters and then an imbecile son.’
‘Now, Mother,’ broke in Pyotr swiftly, ‘the tsarevich is not insane, you know that quite well.’
‘Then why is he not seen more often in public? Why is he frequently ill? And why, when he does appear on some grand occasion is he often carried in the arms of his bodyguard? I have seen the photographs.’
Valerie clasped her hands together, wishing they could be told
the truth. Then there would be sympathy for the Imperial family instead of these unpleasant and misleading guesses.
‘Maybe Tsarevich Alexis has also suffered from an accident?’ said Tassya. ‘Being heir to the throne, it must be awful for him if he is in pain. Still, I’ve heard that the Romanovs are most devoted to each other – so that must be a great help in times of sorrow.’
Pyotr stood up and went across to stand beside his sister.
‘And you have
our
love and devotion, Tassya, don’t ever forget that,’ he said, placing one hand on her narrow shoulder and looking down at her with a tenderness not often seen on his face.
Valerie felt close to tears. How she longed to be part of the Silakov family. Even though Irina looked like a witch in her black crêpe, with her greying hair scraped back into a tight bun and her hard-working hands for once lying still on her lap, Valerie longed to help her. Hard work had never bothered her and she knew there was much she could do at Mavara.
However, the invitation to Tassya to visit St Petersburg was a welcome possibility. If the girl would agree to staying with the Lukaevs, it would help Valerie’s plan enormously. She felt quite cheerful until Sophia spoke again.
‘I want to know why that peasant, Grigorii Rasputin, spends so much time over at Tsarskoe Selo,’ she said, intent upon drawing attention back to herself. ‘Some say he goes to pray over the tsarevich when he is ill. But others insist he spends most of his time with the Empress in her mauve boudoir. What do
you
think, Valerie Marsh? Ladies are wild about him in Petersburg, and I’ve heard he’s not only a man of God, but also a very fine man of the flesh!’
Valerie’s face reddened. How dare that spoilt female say such things about the great healer!
If only she could tell them about Alexis’s terrible bleeding
and how Grigorii Rasputin was the only person who could help him. Pyotr knew of the boy’s suffering, but he didn’t know how he had been saved. If she could tell them it would prove Father Grigorii’s true worth.
‘Yes, I have had the honour of meeting Father Grigorii,’ she said, ‘and found him a most sincere and pious man.’
‘Pious!’ exclaimed Sophia. ‘That is scarcely what
I
have heard. Although he endeavours to cleanse people of their sins they have to sin first – and preferably with him!’ She glanced at Pyotr, her eyes alight with mischief. ‘Would you mind if I sinned with the Siberian moujik, Petya? Would that make you jealous?’
Pyotr, irritated by talk of the peasant and knowing of Valerie’s interest in the man, left his sister’s side and walked over to the piano.
‘If you feel compelled to sin with Rasputin, why should it disturb me, Sophia? Do as you wish, dear lady. Now let us change the subject and allow beauty to dominate the rest of this night.’ He lifted the piano lid and looked across at the girl in primrose velvet. ‘Play for us, Sophia, and use your gift of music to lighten our hearts, I beg.’
When she stopped playing there was silence in the room apart from muffled sobs coming from Tassya, whose head was bent forward as she tried to control her tears.
‘Was my playing so depressing that you had to weep, Tassya?’ asked Sophia gently.
‘It was so beautiful I could not help myself,’ cried the girl. ‘You made me cry from joy, Sophia Lukaev!’
That broke the spell and everyone laughed and clapped, and exclamations of congratulations flew around the room, pleasing the pianist and making Valerie realize that Sophia was very talented as well as beautiful.
‘If you love music, Tassya, you must make the effort to visit
St Petersburg,’ said Sophia, swinging round on the stool. ‘I will take you to the Mariansky Theatre where we will watch Karsavina dance, and to the opera to hear Fedor Chaliapin sing. And you will love it all, I know you will!’
She leaned forward, a soft graceful figure in her yellow gown.
‘Just say you will come, Tassya, and you’ll have a wonderful time.’
Tassya frowned. ‘Will Valerie be there?’ she said.
Sophia hesitated but before she could think of something to say, Valerie broke in.
‘Why not come with us when we return to St Petersburg?’ she said. ‘I shall be going down to the Crimea with the Imperial family for Easter, but until then I shall be at Tsarskoe Selo. It would be lovely to see you again. Oh, please come, Tassya.’
Fortunately Andrei came to her aid. ‘Let us decide now on Tassya Silakov’s triumphant entry to the capital,’ he announced, standing up and moving to the centre of the room, ‘and celebrate accordingly!’
‘But I am not sure.’ Tassya looked across at her mother. ‘Would it be all right to go?’ Then she looked at Sophia. ‘Are you sure your parents will not mind a girl in a wheelchair in their house? Oh, Valerie, I would love to travel with you and Petya when you go north. And perhaps I could meet Grand Duchess Olga? I can’t believe all this could really happen to me.’ She was almost crying again.
‘You go with them,’ said Countess Irina gruffly. ‘It will be the only chance you will ever have of making that long journey. So, if Sophia means it, you have my blessing.’
‘Of course I mean it!’ said Sophia. If Tassya was a guest in her home it would mean more visits from her handsome brother to the Lukaev mansion.
Pyotr did not comment. It would be good for his sister and future bride to get to know each other better, but he did not
intend proposing to Sophia just yet. First he had to sort out matters with the difficult Miss Marsh.
‘That is settled then,’ said Andrei, with a grin at the ecstatic Tassya. ‘Now play us a waltz, Sophia, a waltz by Chopin, and I shall take great pleasure in dancing with you, Tassya Silakov.’
Sophia, glancing at the tall fair-haired man who was about to lift a gasping, squealing girl up in his strong arms, smiled and turned back to the piano.
As the light joyous sound floated into the sombre room, Andrei moved with it holding Tassya like thistledown, his body swaying in time to the melody.
Tassya’s poor wasted legs were hidden beneath the folds of her scarlet dress and with one arm around Andrei’s neck, the other on his chest, she looked happier than Valerie had ever seen her.
That was how she should always look and, maybe, with Father Grigorii’s help, a normal life lay ahead for the young girl. A life where she could walk, and dance, and flirt, to her heart’s content.
Suddenly her thoughts were broken by Pyotr’s voice.
‘Miss Marsh, may I have the pleasure?’
He had ignored her for long enough and now was the perfect time to put his arms around her and show forgiveness. Besides, he loved dancing and had learnt at the Winter Palace what an excellent partner his Little England was.
Valerie was caught unawares. But the music, and Tassya’s happiness, lulled her into submission.
‘Thank you, Count Silakov,’ she replied, with equal formality.
He placed one hand around her waist and caught her right one in his firm grasp, then they were close, as close as they had been at the Grand Ball. As they moved in unison to the haunting notes of the music, Valerie relaxed.
‘Well, Varinka, how are you feeling?’ His voice was low, his
lips almost touching her hair. ‘This is right, is it not? Our bodies almost as one.’
She tried to pull back a little, aware of his thighs brushing against the clinging satin of her gown, of his wine-scented breath against her cheek.
‘Don’t hold me so close,’ she whispered, wishing she didn’t love him, wishing she didn’t care about Sophia.
‘Tonight,’ he said. ‘Do not bar your door tonight, my love.’
She was shaking her head and stepping back, as Sophia brought her hands down on the keys with a thump.
‘I have had enough of this!’ she cried. ‘It is all very well for me to play for you, but where is the enjoyment for
me
?’
She left the piano and walked across to face Pyotr, ignoring Valerie.
‘If your sister is to travel with us there is much to arrange before our departure. May I have your attention now? Or do you intend spending the rest of this evening with the foreigner?’
‘My time is yours, Sophia,’ said Pyotr smoothly, as Valerie went to join Tassya.
The countess was glaring at him and both Andrei and Tassya appeared shocked by the strength of Sophia’s outburst.
‘Don’t take any notice,’ whispered Tassya, as Valerie sat on the chair beside her. ‘She’s only jealous because of your friendship with my brother.’
Valerie nodded, but didn’t say anything as Pyotr sought to calm The Lukaev.
‘I’m sorry you didn’t have the chance to dance, but who else has your talent for making music, Sophia? And if I was holding Valerie Marsh a little too close, it was simply to punish you, my dear, for your comments about Rasputin.
‘Do not imagine that you are the only one to feel the twinges of jealousy, beautiful Sophia.’ He reached out to take her hands as he gazed steadily into her indignant face.
‘So you
would
mind if I sinned with that Siberian lecher?’
‘I would mind very much if your lovely body was despoiled by that peasant. Now, come with me and let us drink wine together and plan for the exciting journey we are soon to undertake, with my sister.’
Pyotr placed her hand on his arm, smiled across at Tassya, then moved away to pull the bell-cord by the fireplace.
‘I shall ask Feodor to bring us refreshments in the library. Please excuse us, Mother.’
He bowed to the countess, who was blinking like an owl in the lamplight, unsure how the evening’s entertainment had ended.
Was Pyotr sincere in his affection for Sophia? Then what of the English girl, with whom he seemed even more enamoured? What was going on in her family?
Countess Irina wished she had not drunk so much wine, which hadn’t agreed with her. Her head was thick and fuddled, she did not feel well, and would have to rise early in the morning as usual.
‘Do as you please,’ she said abruptly, getting to her feet. ‘I am off to bed and intend getting some sleep before tomorrow.’
Andrei rose as well and bowed to the countess before turning to the two seated girls.
‘How about a drink before we make for our beds? Valerie, Tassya, will you join me whilst the others make preparations for our journey north?’
Pyotr handled that well Andrei thought with relief; he knew how his friend felt about both Sophia and Valerie Marsh and, being a quiet, easy-going man, he had dreaded a scene in the antiquated ballroom at Mavara.
But the young count had managed to avoid trouble and Andrei hoped he would be able to soothe Sophia enough to allow for a pleasant few days here on the estate, followed by a carefree journey for all five of them back to St Petersburg.
‘Not for me, thank you,’ said Valerie, as Pyotr gave orders to Feodor before escorting Sophia from the room. ‘Like the countess, I feel in need of sleep and will see you in the morning.’
She knew Tassya’s young heart had been awakened by the gentle fair-haired officer, and hoped that they would enjoy the rest of that evening together.