now she knew, and the problem was how could she get out of them again without making a fool of herself? Particularly as she was much inclined to stay where she was!
‘Tatya Petrovna’s front gate!’ remarked a calm voice above her head, and she could feel the vibration of it against her face.
‘Oh1’ Nadya exclaimed, suddenly realizing that they must have passed right through the town of Ryazan while she slept, where goodness knows how many people must have seen her. She straightened up quickly, just in time to avoid being seen in such a scandalous position by the peasant girl who came running out of the lodge to open the great wrought-iron gates for them, smiling and bobbing a curtsey as she called a greeting.
Captain Valyev flicked her a coin as he replied, and turned his mount through the gate. The drive wound amid trees and bushes for quite half a verst before it rounded a large clump of ash and rowan trees and emerged into the forecourt of a pleasant white-painted building with a pediment and portico whose classical severity was softened by a profusion of climbing roses in various colours.
In front of the house, an expanse of well-groomed grass interspersed with specimen trees of considerable beauty ran down a gentle slope to the River Oka, which was far enough away and below to prevent the spring floods reaching the house. A picturesque village and a pretty church with five bright blue onion-domes made an interesting view across the wide river, which was spanned by a fine stone bridge adorned with classical statues.
A groom appeared through an arch at the side of the house as he heard the horse’s hooves on the gravel drive, and held the animal’s head, and a footman in country livery and unpowdered hair appeared at the entrance door, looked the new arrivals over, then disappeared again, to be replaced in a moment by Tatya’s imposing major-domo, Pavel Kuzmich, who came forward, bowing, and uttered a formal greet in Russian, then helped Nadya down as if there was nothing at all unusual about her mode of conveyance.
‘It’s very pleasant to see you, Princes, after such a long time, and you too, Count Valyev,’ he said in French, then looked about in a slightly bewildered fashion and enquired, ‘Is your maid not with you/ And your valet, sir?’
‘Stenka was killed at Smolensk, unfortunately,’ Captain Valyev said as he dismounted. ‘And I’ve had not opportunity to replace him. The Princess’ maid was—lost—in the crowds leaving Moscow. Is your mistress in residence?’
Tatya answered the question herself, for at that moment she appeared in the doorway, looked at the newcomers, and ran down the three steps and across the gravel. At least, some detached corner of Nadya’s mind thought, in anyone else it would have been running, but Tatya’s forward movement was always a glide. She was caught in a warm embrace as Tatya exclaimed, ‘Oh, thank God you’re safe, Nadya! I’ve been so worried! My poor dear! You must be exhausted!’
With an arm about Nadya’s waist, she held out her hand to Captain Valyev, saying, ‘And Andrei, too! I’m so glad to see you safe and well! But I didn’t know that you knew one another?’
‘We met by accident,’ Captain Valyev replied, kissing her hand, then holding on to it as he smiled down at her. His face had changed completely, the dark eyes glowing with warmth and light and the thin lips parted in a smile which revealed even white teeth, and some laughter-wrinkles crinkled the skin by his eyes. Nadya looked at him and felt something inside her lurch, and a wave of depression swept over her.
‘He rescued me from someone who tried to steal my valise,’ she said.
Tatya looked at her friend’s white face, then propelled her gently into the house, Captain Valyev following, leaving the horse and the baggage to the groom. A footman offered the Traditional bread and salt, and then, within minutes, they were seated in a pleasant, airy room, furnished with
‘Tatya Petrovna’s front gate!’ remarked a calm voice above her head, and she could feel the vibration of it against her face.
‘Oh1’ Nadya exclaimed, suddenly realizing that they must have passed right through the town of Ryazan while she slept, where goodness knows how many people must have seen her. She straightened up quickly, just in time to avoid being seen in such a scandalous position by the peasant girl who came running out of the lodge to open the great wrought-iron gates for them, smiling and bobbing a curtsey as she called a greeting.
Captain Valyev flicked her a coin as he replied, and turned his mount through the gate. The drive wound amid trees and bushes for quite half a verst before it rounded a large clump of ash and rowan trees and emerged into the forecourt of a pleasant white-painted building with a pediment and portico whose classical severity was softened by a profusion of climbing roses in various colours.
In front of the house, an expanse of well-groomed grass interspersed with specimen trees of considerable beauty ran down a gentle slope to the River Oka, which was far enough away and below to prevent the spring floods reaching the house. A picturesque village and a pretty church with five bright blue onion-domes made an interesting view across the wide river, which was spanned by a fine stone bridge adorned with classical statues.
A groom appeared through an arch at the side of the house as he heard the horse’s hooves on the gravel drive, and held the animal’s head, and a footman in country livery and unpowdered hair appeared at the entrance door, looked the new arrivals over, then disappeared again, to be replaced in a moment by Tatya’s imposing major-domo, Pavel Kuzmich, who came forward, bowing, and uttered a formal greet in Russian, then helped Nadya down as if there was nothing at all unusual about her mode of conveyance.
‘It’s very pleasant to see you, Princes, after such a long time, and you too, Count Valyev,’ he said in French, then looked about in a slightly bewildered fashion and enquired, ‘Is your maid not with you/ And your valet, sir?’
‘Stenka was killed at Smolensk, unfortunately,’ Captain Valyev said as he dismounted. ‘And I’ve had not opportunity to replace him. The Princess’ maid was—lost—in the crowds leaving Moscow. Is your mistress in residence?’
Tatya answered the question herself, for at that moment she appeared in the doorway, looked at the newcomers, and ran down the three steps and across the gravel. At least, some detached corner of Nadya’s mind thought, in anyone else it would have been running, but Tatya’s forward movement was always a glide. She was caught in a warm embrace as Tatya exclaimed, ‘Oh, thank God you’re safe, Nadya! I’ve been so worried! My poor dear! You must be exhausted!’
With an arm about Nadya’s waist, she held out her hand to Captain Valyev, saying, ‘And Andrei, too! I’m so glad to see you safe and well! But I didn’t know that you knew one another?’
‘We met by accident,’ Captain Valyev replied, kissing her hand, then holding on to it as he smiled down at her. His face had changed completely, the dark eyes glowing with warmth and light and the thin lips parted in a smile which revealed even white teeth, and some laughter-wrinkles crinkled the skin by his eyes. Nadya looked at him and felt something inside her lurch, and a wave of depression swept over her.
‘He rescued me from someone who tried to steal my valise,’ she said.
Tatya looked at her friend’s white face, then propelled her gently into the house, Captain Valyev following, leaving the horse and the baggage to the groom. A footman offered the Traditional bread and salt, and then, within minutes, they were seated in a pleasant, airy room, furnished with
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