Laces of Love, page 6
***
Chapter 7
Natasha was in Konstantin’s arms. He kissed her neck and her breast... His hands slipped under her thin nightdress...
Natasha did not resist. She craved for it, hoping that everything would come back to normal while time passed, just like in fashion novels. After getting to know what happened, papa would scream and stomp his feet, but, eventually, would soften. There would be nothing to be done once she would lose her innocence. Farewell, the old Count! Find yourself a widow.
Suddenly, the door opened with a creak. Natasha did not even have time to scream, as Panteleimon dragged Konstantin from her and began to twist his hands.
Mama was enraged, “Mother of Lord, our Protectress! What is going on here? What a scandal!”
Natasha, without negligee, in a transparent nightdress, with her knees shown, looked at her mother and at the coachman, who was trying to tie up her lover.
Konstantin fought back the coachman as strong as he could, but the forces were unequal. Superiority was clearly on heavy weight Panteleimon’s side. Besides, the coachman had good motivation – a promised reward for catching the scoundrel.
Natasha rushed to help Konstantin. She tried to grab the coachman from behind, hanging on his back like a canvas bag.
“For God’s sake, step away!” the coachman howled, trying to throw Natasha off his back.
At that very moment Konstantin contrived and rushed to the window. Maria Ivanovna, realizing that the situation went out of control, rushed away from the room and turned the house to a total mess.
Konstantin felt that his strength was weakening; Panteleimon was mounting harder and
harder. Natasha heard the tramp of the servants and screams of papa. She realized that the game was over: they would give her a choice between marriage and nunnery, and Konstantin would be sent to the Caucasus or Siberia, to die in the mining camp; a thief or a lover – nobody cares.
She grabbed a bronze candlestick with both hands and struck Panteleimon over his back, using all her strength. He slowly crawled down, releasing his victim.
“Natalia Dmitri... What a... careless...deed,” the coachman uttered and fell down on the floor.
At the time when the servants were bursting into the room, armed with whatever they could find, Konstantin opened the window, and began to descend the wild grapes down like a circus acrobat.
Denis Krasnopolsky, the encourager of the failed Casanova, heard the screams, coming from the house: the servants began running around with lighted candles, creating even more mess, confusion and panic. He realized that both of them would be condemned and sent to the prisoners' regiments, as sure as death.
Trying to attract attention in every possible way, he started shooting from his gun running away from the estate. Everybody rushed after him...
Being an "experienced warrior", the cornet dodged like a hare, sweeping his paths. He ran to the forest, where the horses were standing.
“If I break away... I will go to church... light up the candle and praise the Lord...” he decided.
***
Lieutenant Korneyev descended to the ground safely. The panic prevailed in the yard of the estate, everyone was chasing after the cornet. Thanks to the actions of his faithful friend, Konstantin reached the forest almost unhindered.
The lieutenant and the cornet reached their horses nearly at the same time, but from different sides of the forest. Without saying any words, they jumped on the horses and rode away.
***
Dmitry Fyodorovich, goggling his only healthy eye, flew into the room of his adored daughter. She stood still, pressing a candlestick tight to her chest. Panteleimon lay at her feet with his arms outstretched.
“Ah, you!” the Master moaned in heartbreaking cry and, losing his composure, rushed to his daughter.
Dmitry Fyodorovich grabbed her shoulders and began to shake; Natasha dropped the candlestick and it had landed directly on her father's foot. He howled in pain again.
Natasha was the first who attacked.
“Leave me alone! This is your entire fault!”
Papa, unable to withstand such insolence and disrespect, slapped his daughter's face. Natasha touched her cheek and burst into tears.
“You are shameless! Irresponsible!” he cursed. “Your hussar will be sent to Nerechinsk in Siberia, to end up his days in the colliery!”
Natasha was enraged, “Then I will end my days in the nunnery! You are a despot and a tyrant! And you, mother...” she shouted at her, panting with anger.
At that moment, Panteleimon began to recover little by little.
Maria Ivanovna was ready to stifle her daughter, but limited herself to words.
“Courtesan!” her mother yelled. “Tomorrow we shall send you to the Astafyevo-Khlynskoye. You will stay under supervision of the Count’s men and the police!”
Natasha blushed, but answered, “At least, courtesans loved those they wanted!”
“Or those who paid them,” specified mama.
And then Natasha completely lost it.
“That is right! You made me a courtesan! You want to sell me to the Count for the wealth!”
Maria Ivanovna could not stand it; she went up to her daughter and slapped her face against the same cheek Dmitry Fyodorovich did earlier.
“Ah! Alright, I will starve myself to death then!!!”
Natasha sat down on the floor next to the waking Panteleimon and burst into tears.
***
The lieutenant and the cornet galloped in the woods up the hill and down the dale. Denis pulled the reins and the horse stopped. Konstantin followed his example.
“You cannot go back to the regiment!” the cornet said, respiring. “Tomorrow they will seize you and lock you in a jail.”
The lieutenant got confused.
“What should I do?”
“Hide for a while, until everything is quiet. And then we will see about that.”
“But where shall I hide?” Konstantin asked.
“There is a place in suburbs of Kaluga, the house of one adorable widow.”
“So let us go then!”
The lieutenant and the cornet reached the city. Through the gardens and yards, trying to avoid the main streets, they reached the philistine countryside. The young men dismounted, trying to get to the widow's house as silently as possible.
In the darkness Konstantin did not really understand where he was, and had to rely on his friend completely.
“Here,” the cornet went to the window and knocked at it several times. Soon a candle flashed inside and the curtain moved away. They saw a woman with her hair loose; she lit the window and tried to see who had bothered her at that late hour.
Soon the lieutenant and the cornet were sitting at a table in a small living room. The Mistress tied up her hair, put on her dressing gown, and joined uninvited guests in the living room.
“Now tell me what happened,” she insisted.
The cornet outlined his version of what had happened, skipping some unnecessarily details.
Having listened to the story of the amorous adventures patiently, Elizabeth, and that was the name of the young widow, made a decision, “The lieutenant needs to lie low. I have some clothes left after my deceased husband, so there will be no problem with that. I do not have any servants; there will be nothing to be afraid of. And I will tell my neighbors that my brother came for a visit from Bryansk. The question is: what will you do next? You cannot hide your entire life! Besides, Natasha will be certainly forced to marry the old man! I know what I am talking about. I was seventeen, and my husband was almost fifty; we were married for five years. So I know how it feels to live with an old man.”
Konstantin did not know what to say. Yes, the situation he got into was critical and he did not know how to get out of it.
Suddenly, the idea crossed his mind: he will send a letter to his uncle. According to the information he had, his uncle currently should be staying in his house in Moscow.
“It is essential that we will send a letter with a trusted person, so he will return quickly. The time matter is crucial and everything must be done fast. How soon the wedding is?” the cornet asked.
“I do not know for sure...” Konstantin replied.
“I think we are still having a couple of weeks. Write to your almighty uncle, explain everything as it is! Maybe, he will help!”
The next day, cornet Krasnopolsky went to the regiment, expecting to meet the police there, and actually, was not mistaken. They interrogated each and every one, looking for the lieutenant.
After analyzing the events of the previous night, the investigator came to the conclusion that Korneyev had an accomplice. Now he suspected the majority of the regiment, especially ten hussars who had not slept in their barracks that night.
Having visited Pogremtsovka early in the morning, the investigator restored the picture of the incident, questioned all the household members, servants, and also the main heroine Natalia Dmitrievna, who defiantly refused to have breakfast.
He took Glasha with him to the police station, because he believed that the maid could recognize an accomplice once she sees his face. Zvyagintsev decided to arrange a confrontation between hussars and Glasha.
Alas, the girl did not recognize anyone. And she could not, of course.
***
The last suspect, cornet Denis Krasnopolsky, was waiting for his destiny. The investigator invited him to the office. As expected, the cornet was asked standard questions: his name, last name, age, occupation and so on...
Then Glasha was called to the office. She looked at cornet and to the investigator's question “is this person familiar to her?” she said,
“How do I know? They are all hussars, all dressed in same uniform and all have a mustache. I guess I have not seen him before...”
Piotr Petrovich, exhausted by the interrogation, began to boil, “Darling, more precisely, please!”
“I can be more precise: I am seeing this man for the first time in my life.”
“Are you sure, Glafira Anisimovna?” investigator asked.
“Yes, I am sure.”
Zvyagintsev sighed: nothing again, and it seemed that this lieutenant had vanished into thin air.
“Cornet, can I ask you a favor?” the investigator turned to Denis.
“I am at your service, sir.”
“Could you deliver this girl to Pogremtsovka, I am very busy with the investigation and...”
Denis realized immediately: what a good luck!
“Of course, I am going to escort Glafira Anisimovna... I shall hire a carriage for her.”
The cornet picked up Glasha and headed to the exit. Five minutes later they were sitting in the carriage.
“So, Glafira Anisimovna, how is Natalia Dmitrievna feeling?” the cornet winked meaningfully.
“Thank you, sir, she is fine. And what is your interest in her wellness?” Glasha was surprised.
“I want to convey regards and some news.”
Glasha got confused, but, pulling herself together, asked, “News from...”
“From Konstantin Korneyev,” he answered.
“Oh...” Glasha gasped. “Natalia Dmitrievna is exhausted, she refused breakfast today. Moreover, this investigator came and tormented everyone with his questions.”
“And what did you tell him? You are the maid of the young lady, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am her maid. I did not say anything, as I did not see anything. I disobeyed the Master’s order and went to sleep in the servants’ room.”
***
Chapter 8
Konstantin was gnawing his ink feather nervously. Alas, he was completely deprived of literary skills, and writing letters, that he struggled to write, looked more like notes.
A piece of paper showed:
“Dear uncle, Pavel Yuryevich!
This is your nephew Konstantin Korneyev. I'm ashamed for not writing you for almost a year, but there are reasons behind it. Firstly, I was transferred from St. Petersburg to Kaluga. I am sure you are wondering why. A DUEL, my dear uncle, damn it!
Probably, it is my bad luck that I was sent to this regiment. Troubles followed me one after another.
Secondly, I fell in love, unconditionally and passionately. I assure you, the girl is from a decent family. However, it turned out that she had a fiancé, an old man, the Count, or the Duke, I do not remember exactly... She is scared to death and does not want to marry him. And then it all began...”
Further, Konstantin briefly described all his adventures and amorous experiences, begging his uncle for help.
The lieutenant, tormented by expectations, was waiting for an answer for almost three days. At last, he received a letter with the response.
“Dear Sir! I am pleased to inform you that your letter has been forwarded to His Excellency to his new estate Astafyevo-Khlynskoye in the Kaluga province, which he acquired this spring.
Sincerely yours,
Grigory Vladimirovich Petrovsky, superintendent.”
***
Natasha was sitting in her room. Glasha was not allowed to talk to her, as she did not meet the expectations and trust, put on her. Matron Pelageya, a dull and foolish peasant woman, was allocated as a new Natasha’s maid. All food that was brought to her bedroom, Natalia, overcoming her hunger and temptation, threw out of the window. First day, second day, and third day... she only drank water. Finally, Natasha felt weak, her head was spinning and her stomach was making indecent sounds.
On the third day of the hunger strike, Maria Ivanovna decided to discuss this matter with her husband.
The tumor on the swollen eye began to subside, and now Dmitry Fyodorovich was able to contemplate his beloved wife with his both eyes.
“Dmitry, I want to have a serious conversation with you,” Maria Ivanovna began.
“Now what happened?” Dmitry Fyodorovich nearly got a heart attack.
“Your daughter did not eat for three days!”
“So that means she is not hungry. As they say: hunger leaves you little choice.”
“What do you mean?” Maria Ivanovna did not understand. “And what little choice you are talking about? What I am saying is that your daughter does not eat anything because she does not want to marry!”
“And what am I supposed to do? Feed her with a spoon? We were disgraced because of her. At least, the Count does not know anything about the last incident. By the way, he will visit us today...”
“What? Why?” the Mistress worried.
“Madam, you surprise me! Preparation for the wedding is in full swing. The wedding dress is stitched. By the way, when will they deliver it?”
Maria Ivanovna sighed.
“In two days. But, I wanted to tell you, Dmitry: Natasha will not be happy in this marriage.”
“Same story again and again. It seems our daughter is having a bad influence on you.”
“Nobody influences me. Just look at a mess around this wedding. Everything goes wrong, and it is not a good sign...”
“Maria, you are being an old wife: not a good sign, not a good sign! What do you want me to do? Cancel everything?”
“Cancel, maybe...”
Dmitry Fyodorovich jumped from the chair; his healthy eye had twitched convulsively.
“You are insane! The wedding will take place! I do not want to hear anything! And if she does not eat, then I will personally feed her!”
The father of the family got up and decidedly went into the living room, to order a dinner for Natalia Dmitrievna.
***
Natasha lay in bed, aimlessly staring at one point. Suddenly, papa came into the room, followed by the maid. The maid rolled in a serving table with a tray full of food.
“My dear, what are you trying to do? Starve yourself to death? Well, why? Eat something. Here are your favorite meatballs...”
Natasha defiantly turned away from her papa. The smell of food was driving her crazy. The girl felt that she could no longer resist hunger.
“His Grace Pavel Yuryevich will arrive soon. He wants to see you. And what will I say to him? That you are on a hunger strike?”
“I do not care. You may say whatever you want...” Natasha could hardly speak.
“Then let us make an agreement: if you eat, at least a little - I will return you Glasha.”
Natasha sat on the bed, amazed.
“So, what's for lunch?”
The maid pushed the serving table with a tray to Natasha.
“Here, enjoy...”
“Charmant!” hungry Natasha exclaimed and started to play a good knife and fork.
Once satisfied a little, she asked, “Papa, where is Glasha? Tell her to come.”
Dmitry Fyodorovich was so glad that his daughter finally ate, that he immediately ordered to bring the maid, who was previously punished and sent to the farmyard. Glasha was put in order, dressed and sent to Natalya Dmitrievna.
***
Natasha got used to her maid during past years; she had hardly been surviving for three days of separation from her. As soon as the door after Glasha was closed, Natasha rushed to her.
“Glasha! Finally you are here with me!”
“Ah, my dear Natalia Dmitrievna! I am so glad, indeed. I was not used to spend days in cow manure. Oh, these three days were like hell!”
Two girls embraced, as if they were not a noble woman and her maid.
“I have something to tell you, Natalia Dmitrievna! Three days ago, when all that happened, I was sent to Kaluga, to the police station. Mainly, I had to look at the hussars and admit if I recognize anyone.”
Natasha's heart skipped the beat.
“And whom did you see? What did you say?”
“I did not see your lieutenant. They were looking for him... and I did not say anything. But the most important thing was that I was escorted to Pogremtsovka by the cornet, so handsome...”
