Page 64 of The Unseen
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Mr. Mayhew inclined his head. “We live in unpredictable times. Dmitri told me something of your plight. You were very brave, Miss Kalinina. Very brave indeed.”
“There’s no valor in running away.”
“There you are wrong. It’s very brave to know when it’s time to cut your losses and retreat. Many lives would be saved if more people were wise enough to admit to a lost cause.”
“I suppose.”
“But we’re getting too maudlin, aren’t we? Let’s talk about something amusing. What do you like to do when there isn’t a war on? Do you enjoy dancing, opera, shopping?”
“I like to read.”
“As do I. What are you reading at the moment?”
“The Woman in White. It’s slow going.”
“One of my favorites. Don’t give up. The ending is well worth it. Are you finding it dull?”
“Not at all, but I’m struggling with the language.”
“I think you’re doing very well, and your accent is charming. I find it utterly enchanting.”
Valentina blushed, and Mr. Mayhew instantly drew back in his seat and assumed the air of a man having tea with his mother. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I onlywished to reassure you that your efforts at studying English are paying off with dividends.”
“Thank you.”
Valentina glanced at the clock on the far wall. It was nearly midnight, and she was tired. She rarely stayed out this late. “Perhaps it’s time we were going, Mr. Mayhew.”
“Of course. Let me get the check.”
Mr. Mayhew paid and they left the restaurant. “I’ll get you a cab.”
Valentina allowed herself to be handed into a cab. She was wary of getting into a motorcar with a complete stranger, but Mr. Mayhew thought it perfectly safe, so she stopped fretting and settled into the back seat. She was glad he wasn’t coming with her. To sit so close to him in such an intimate setting wouldn’t be proper.
“I didn’t mean to keep you out so late. It’s just that I was having such a nice time. Perhaps we can see each other again someday,” Mr. Mayhew said before closing the door and allowing her to be on her way.
“I’ll look forward to it,” Valentina replied, glad he hadn’t tried to make any definite plans.
Mr. Mayhew tapped his hand on the roof, alerting the cabbie that he could start driving.
Valentina subconsciously fondled her necklace. It had been a pleasant evening, and she felt awfully grown-up going to the theater and dining with a man who wasn’t a relative. This had been a new experience, and she hadn’t found it to be as intimidating as she’d imagined, but the thought of seeing Timothy Mayhew again held little appeal. Once was more than enough.
THIRTY-FIVE
NOVEMBER 1918
London, England
Valentina didn’t give Timothy Mayhew another thought until Cousin Dmitri called her into his study a few weeks later. Her mother and Tanya had already retired and Dmitri was enjoying his nightly snifter of cognac. He sat behind his desk, looking stern as he glanced over a ledger.
“Close the door, Valya,” Dmitri said as he shut the ledger and returned it to a drawer.
“Is something wrong?”
“Timothy Mayhew will be in London again this Friday and he’d like to see you,” Dmitri said without preamble. His eyes bored into her in an odd way. Perhaps this wasn’t his first snifter of the evening.
“Mr. Mayhew is a nice man, but I have no interest in marriage, Cousin Dmitri. Besides, surely he’s too old for me.”
