Page 13 of The Unseen
“Promise me you’ll never stop kissing me this way.”
“I promise. We’re going to be wonderfully happy, you and I,” he said, and she was reassured to see that he looked entirely serious.
“Valya, I have something for you. It’s an engagement gift. I have a birthday gift for you as well, but you’ll have to wait for that one. It’s bad luck to give a birthday gift early.” Alexei withdrew a long velvet box from the pocket of his uniform and handed it to her. “I chose it myself,” he added, clearly worried that she wouldn’t like it.
Valentina opened the box. Inside, nestled on folds of deep blue velvet, was a gold necklace with a little egg pendant. The egg was crafted of blue enamel and worked in a pattern of gold and diamonds. She breathed a sigh of delight. “It’s exquisite, Alyosha.”
“Open the egg.”
She carefully opened the egg to reveal a tiny golden chick sitting in the center. “It’s charming,” Valentina exclaimed.
“It’s for all the chicks we’re going to have,” Alexei clarified.
“I don’t want to raise chickens, I want babies.” She laughed at her own wit and threw her arms around him. “I love you, you know. I’ve loved you since I was a little girl.”
“Well, now that you’re no longer a little girl, I hope you love me still. Let me help you put that on.”
Alexei closed the delicate clasp behind her neck and smiled. He looked relieved, his mission accomplished.
“How soon can we be married?” Valentina demanded. “I wish we could do it tomorrow.”
Alexei laughed at her naiveté. “Oh, darling, if our mamas have anything to say about it, and they do, this will be the wedding of the year, and those take ages to plan. Besides, we need to find a house and furnish it to our liking. Surely you’ll enjoy that. Imagine, our own home.”
Valentina sucked in a happy breath. The notion of being mistress of her own house was too exciting to even contemplate, even if choosing the house would be a group project. Alexei’s parents, as well as her own, would be involved in every aspect of choosing and decorating their home, given that they’d be the ones paying for it, but Valentina didn’t mind. Her mother had exquisite taste, and Alexei’s mother wasn’t too bad, as far as future mothers-in-law went. She was older than Valentina’s own mama, and a bit stodgier, but still a good sort.
“Well, I won’t stand for the wedding being any later than the beginning of September. I want fine weather on our special day. Once the autumn comes, it’s nothing but wind and rain,” Valentina said.
“Surely you don’t want to marry during the summer. Everyone is away from the city, enjoying their country estates. There’ll be no one to attend.”
“No, I suppose not. And I don’t want to be married during the white nights. I want hundreds of candles glowing in the ballroom and reflecting in the mirrors while we dance, and that’s a lot more dramatic when it’s fully dark outside.”
“Well, I’ll leave the planning to you, dearest. I’m sure you and the mamas will do what’s best. I must return to my duties.”
“Alyosha, you won’t be sent to the front, will you?” Valentina asked, suddenly worried. The war felt very far away, here in Petrograd, but Alexei was a soldier, and soldiers went where they were sent. Valentina paid little attention to her father’s daily tirades when he read his morning newspaper, but she knew the war wasn’t going well.
Alexei shook his head. “Not at this time. You’ve no reason to worry.”
“Papa says this war will bring shame upon Russia.”
“All will be well.”
“Alyosha, I’m no longer a child, and as the fiancé of a soldier, I deserve to know the truth of what’s going on. I want to be prepared.”
They didn’t normally discuss politics, but current events would impact their future, and if their relationship was to evolve it was imperative that they be able to speak freely to one another. Valentina was grateful Alexei didn’t ignore her request.
“The war is a disaster. There’s mutiny in the ranks. The men are being subjected to harsh disciplinary action, but morale is low and desertion is rife. There’s been a change of command, and the Tsar put himself in charge of the Russian Army in the hope of inspiring the men and earning their loyalty, but the troops have no taste for the fighting and want to go home. They have nothingagainst the Germans and see no compelling reason for Russia’s involvement in the war.”
“Doesn’t that mean additional troops might be sent to the front?” Valentina asked, fearful for Alexei.
“We’re needed to protect the capital. There’s too much unrest to leave the city undefended.”
“What kind of unrest?”
“The common people are unhappy with the current situation. There’s great resentment festering among the working classes. They want food, land, and opportunities for advancement, and they feel that the Tsar is indifferent to their plight.”
“Is he? Does he not love all his people and see to their welfare?”
“No, Valya, he doesn’t. He’s deaf to their pleas. A small percentage of the population controls all the land and industry in this country. The peasants are starving, especially since so much capital is being funneled into the military. The army needs food, horses, arms, and vehicles if they are to continue to fight this war against Germany. The common people see very little in the way of government aid.”
