Page 50 of The Unseen
“My dear boy, we will have to find you a good school. You need an education, and in England, boys your age go to boarding school. You will come home for summers and holidays, but you will live at the school along with the other students.”
“But I don’t want to go away.”
“We’ll discuss it later. Once your mama has had time to settle in. It’s nearly the end of the school term, so let’s not worry about it now. All right?” Dmitri asked smoothly.
“What about my job?” Tanya asked softly. “I’m due at work at eight tomorrow morning.”
“Dearest Tanya, of course, you must give up your job. You have no need of it any longer. I will look after you from now on.You must write to your employer and advise him of your changed circumstances. I’ll have my boot boy deliver the message.”
“What happens now?” Valentina asked. She wasn’t sure how to ask precisely what she wanted to know. Would Dmitri see to all their needs? Would he give them some sort of an allowance for personal expenses? Would he expect something in return?
“The first thing we’ll do is bring in a reputable seamstress to make you some new clothes. You’ve lived in these rags long enough. You’ll need morning dresses, day dresses, evening gowns for when we visit the theater, and of course, new undergarments. I’ll take Kolya to my own tailor. He’ll make him several suits and a number of new shirts. That will tide him over until he’ll need a school wardrobe. And you’ll need new shoes, hats, stockings, and gloves. You’ll have much to do in the coming days.”
Dmitri smiled kindly at Valentina. “I realize you’re worried, Valentina. You don’t know me, and your mama can hardly vouch for me, not having seen me in twenty years. You’ve been looking after your family and doing an admirable job, but you no longer have to carry this burden all by yourself. I must admit that it will be a joy to have a family again. I’ve been alone far too long, and I look forward to getting to know you all.”
“You’re very kind,” Valentina replied, touched by his generosity and relieved that he understood her reservations.
“Kindness has nothing to do with it. I’m a selfish, lonely man who’s thrilled to be of service to someone who genuinely needs me. Now, have you ever had hot chocolate?” he asked, looking directly at Kolya.
“Yes, but not since the Revo—not since we came here,” Kolya replied.
“I will ask Mrs. Stern—that’s my housekeeper—to make you a pot of hot chocolate when we get home. I wager you’d like that. And then you can all have a rest before supper. Mutton chops and potatoes today, with peas and carrots, and apple cake for dessert. How does that sound?”
“That sounds heavenly,” Tanya exclaimed. “We’ve been eating nothing but potatoes and porridge for months. I’d sell my soul for a chop.”
“And speaking of souls, have you been to church?”
“We didn’t know where to find a Russian Orthodox Church,” Elena said quietly, finally roused from her stupor. “Is there one?”
“There is a lovely little church in Welbeck Street. The St. Sophia. That’s in Marylebone. Have you been there?”
“No, we’ve hardly left Whitechapel. We don’t speak English very well,” Valentina explained.
“Well, we must rectify that as soon as possible. I’ll find you a reputable tutor who will work with you for several hours each day. You must learn English before you can go out into society.”
“Go out into society?” Tanya asked, her voice filled with wonder. “Really?”
“Of course. You will have to marry one day, my dear girl, and you can’t do that without meeting suitable gentlemen.”
“Perhaps once I master the language, I could find myself a position as a governess or a teacher, so I wouldn’t be a burden to you, Dmitri Pavlovich,” Valentina said. She couldn’t even begin to think of marriage. Loving anyone but Alexei seemed unimaginably wrong, but she wouldn’t want to depend on Dmitri for longer than was strictly necessary. She’d have to make her own way eventually, once she’d had a little time to get her bearings and learn something of this new world she’d landed in.
“There’s no need to decide anything right now. You’ve been through a lot, so it’s only natural that you’re not eager for more changes. Ah, here we are,” Dmitri said as the carriage drew up to a modest red-brick building. It was set back from the roadand the hedges flanking the front garden gave the house an aura of privacy. “Come inside.”
The door was opened by a plump, gray-haired woman who reminded Valentina of Nyanushka. The woman looked momentarily abashed but quickly hid her dismay and invited them in.
“Mrs. Stern, I’d like you to meet my dear cousin, Countess Elena Kalinina. We were very close growing up. And these are her children: Valentina, Tatiana, and last, but not least, Nikolai. They’ve come to stay.”
“A warm welcome to you all.” Mrs. Stern bowed and lowered her eyes, as if greeting royalty.
“Please make us a pot of hot chocolate,” Dmitri requested as he led them into a comfortable parlor. The beautifully appointed room was such a contrast to the dwelling they’d just left that Elena burst into tears as she sat down on a damask-upholstered settee. She dabbed at her eyes but then quickly pushed her handkerchief up her sleeve to hide how discolored and frayed it had become from frequent washing in harsh soap.
“Wherever did you find a Russian housekeeper, Cousin Dmitri?” Tanya asked as she took the seat closest to the fire.
“Mrs. Stern is Jewish. She and her family fled the pogroms in the Ukraine and came to England about five years ago, around the time my wife died. I was lucky to find her. She cooks me all the wonderful dishes I so missed when we had a stodgy English cook. All boiled mutton and stewed fish.” Dmitri rolled his eyes in horror, making them all laugh.
“So, what does the wonderful Mrs. Stern make for you?” Elena asked, clearly curious about what to expect. This was the most interest she’d shown in anything in the past few months, and her sudden curiosity gave Valentina renewed hope for the future.
“She makes meat dumplings, potato pierogis, rich beef stews with egg noodles that she makes from scratch, and of course borsht and uha.”
