Page 81 of The Unseen
Valentina had gone for a long walk after her visit to the police station. She’d needed to calm her nerves and practice her speech before returning home. It was time she told her mother and Tanya about the marriage, since the detective might ring and ask for Mrs. Ostrov, or show up at their door. Their reaction had been one of shock and dismay, but Valentina had been prepared for that. She’d have been angry too, had Elena suddenly announced thatshe’d been secretly married for months. They would get over the betrayal in time, but at the moment, neither was speaking to her.
The silence actually made things easier, since she didn’t have to answer countless questions or put on a pretense of sorrow. Instead, she retreated to her room where she wrote several columns for the paper. Writing calmed her and allowed her to marshal her thoughts. After her conversation with the detective, Valentina had decided to write a column about the importance of keeping abreast of family finances. Most women had no clue what their husbands did when they went to work, nor what their financial situation was. The lucky ones never had to worry, but there were plenty of women who lost their possessions and their homes when their husbands died unexpectedly and didn’t leave their families provided for.
“Valentina, what are you doing here?” Stanislav asked when he came out from behind the counter to greet her. He wore his leather apron and there was a smudge of ink on his cheek.
“I’m sorry to show up like this. I forgot to mail my column.” She handed Stanislav the folded pages she’d extracted from her reticule.
Stanislav unfolded the pages and scanned the neatly written paragraphs. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“Of course. Why do you ask?”
“Last week you wrote about funerals, and today, it’s about unexpected loss and how to protect yourself against a life of penury.”
“I think women need to be more aware of what’s going on right in front of their noses.”
“And what is going on in front of their noses?” Stanislav asked, his eyes dancing with amusement.
Valentina blushed. “I just think too many women would rather remain ignorant than know the truth of their situations.”
“What truth are you referring to?”
“Things are not always what they seem. Are they?”
“No, they certainly aren’t. And you’re right, most wives would rather not know about an affair or worry about possible financial ruin. Instead, they focus on trivialities and hope the unpleasantness will simply go away.”
“It rarely does,” Valentina replied. She hadn’t meant to be so frank, but there was something about Stanislav that made her feel safe. She wished she could tell him the truth of her situation and ask for his help. He was clever and resourceful, and he was her only real friend in a city of millions.
Stanislav smiled ruefully. “Unfortunately, I have my own unpleasantness to deal with at the moment.”
“What’s happened?”
Stanislav shrugged and hung his head, like a little boy who’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have been. “A shidduch has been arranged for me.”
“What’s a shidduch?”
“A match. She’s a nice girl from a good family, and my parents are over the moon.”
“What about you?”
“I have no desire to marry her, but if I don’t marry, my brother cannot marry, and neither can Sarah. I’m the oldest. I must marry first.”
“Will they find you another shidduch if you refuse this one?”
“Yes. They will keep parading eligible girls in front of me until I pick one, but if I refuse to marry Esther, her reputation will suffer. People might think she has some hidden flaw that put me off her. Max quite likes her. I wish he could marry her instead.”
“This is the twentieth century, Slava. Why are we still slaves to the expectations of others?” Valentina exclaimed. She hadn’t meant to use the intimate version of Stanislav’s name, but it just slipped out, surprising them both. His eyes widened and a sad smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
“Because as much as the world changes, it stays the same, Valya,” he replied. “People want to hold on to their customs because the old ways make them feel grounded and secure. To do away with centuries of tradition would bring on chaos, in their minds. This way of doing things has worked for them and their parents, and they assume it will work for this generation as well. Fighting against it only causes sorrow and pain to all involved.”
“Does this mean you’re going to marry this girl?”
Stanislav sighed. “Not yet. But I must give my answer soon.”
“I must go,” Valentina said. “I wish you happiness, Slava, whatever you decide to do.”
“I don’t think happiness is in the cards for me, because I can’t be with the girl I love.”
“I suppose people like you and I must make the best of a bad situation. Mustn’t we?”
