ROMANOV AUTUMN
Chapter Thirty-One
Jack grew more comfortable with
Alyiah's family over the next week or so. The language barrier between him and
her parents made it a bit difficult, but he learned how to slow down so Alyiah could
translate. He got along with her brothers now, though they still found room to
tease him. As for the weather, the winter in Russia was colder than Jack had
ever experienced, though that did not stop him from joining in snowball fights
once chores were done. Hearing his fiancée laugh freely again was something he
missed terribly, especially the way her eyes lit up when she smiled.
Jack offered his services however
he could to the Vernonins, and was asked to do what work was available indoors.
Sergei, Abram, and Gleb cared for the livestock in the barn when they weren’t
finding work in the village.
"No one has much to
spare," Abram told Jack. "The winter is very hard here, when farm
work is unavailable."
Jack understood what it was like
to be poor; even his own salaries from previous employments were not much to
speak of. He'd been lucky to have a roof over his head and clothes on his back
on a regular basis...many people of his status did not even have that.
"Alyiah was an
accident," Abram whispered one night during a round of Bezique, a famous
Russian card game. "It was bad enough with the four of us. But I'll tell
you--Mother really cried when she had to give her up, but we simply had no
room."
Jack raised an eyebrow.
"Where is she staying now?" he asked, and it turned out Geena was
sleeping on a cot in her parents’ room--Alyiah was merely using her sister's
room while she was visiting.
"Ah…" he replied,
relieved that they didn't plan on having sex anytime soon.
"So, what is it you plan on
doing when you take my sister to America?" Sergei asked, pouring another
glass of vodka for himself, and settled back in his chair.
"Quite honestly, I have no
idea," Jack admitted. "I've been focusing on my art for the past few
years, and took up odd jobs here and there. To me, it doesn't matter what I do,
as long as it will help me to support her."
Sergei glanced at Abram, whose
face glowed in the firelight. The cottage was very comfortable now; the scents
still strong from supper, making Jack feel sleepy. Alyiah now sat with Geena
after they had cleaned up the table from dinner, and both women were chatting
while working on needlepoint. Alyiah glanced over her shoulder when she heard
Jack's voice, and smiled when their eyes met.
After the Vernonin boys trudged
up to bed, Jack went to sit with her. She moved so she could sit in his lap,
and shuddered with pleasure when he touched her bare shoulders with his strong
hands. Jack buried his nose against her neck, closing his eyes, and Alyiah
chuckled as he attempted to stifle a yawn.
"I fear we'd best get to
bed," she announced. "There is no point in forcing ourselves awake
any longer." She eased herself from her fiancé’s lap, giggling a little
when she saw his pout. "Come along," she ordered, helping him up, and
Geena bid them good night in Russian.
*****
Once lying in bed, Alyiah kept
her head on Jack's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart. Her own
was beating so loudly, both sounds seemed to mingle.
"Did I not tell you
everything would turn out well?" Alyiah asked, after they lay in silence
for several minutes, and Jack laughed quietly.
"I should never doubt you
again, should I?" He kissed her passionately, which she savored.
"I do love you," she
breathed, and he smiled.
*****
As Christmas drew closer, Jack
went into the woods to help Alyiah's brothers chop down a tree. The women
prepared the decorations, including strings of popcorn and paper ornaments in
the shape of doves.
"Oh, Jack!" Alyiah came
rushing out to greet him as he, Sergei, Abram, and Gleb trudged through the
thick snow, each carrying a part of the medium-sized tree. "Our cat has
just given birth to a litter of kittens this afternoon...you must see!"
Jack raised his eyes with
interest; one animal he and his parents had never had on their farm was a cat
or a dog. They owned horses, which were expensive enough to care for.
"Go on, Jack," Sergei
panted. "We've got this."
Jack nodded his thanks, breath
coming out in white puffs, and followed Alyiah inside. He removed his gloves
and hat, rubbing his hands together briskly, and followed her into the kitchen.
Sure enough, there was a gray tabby cat laying by the fireplace, with four
beautiful, very healthy kittens laying with her.
"I didn't even know you had
cats," Jack pointed out, and Alyiah smiled at him.
"Most of the time they
reside in the barn," she explained. "They are used to the
weather."
"I see." Jack sniffed,
rubbing his nose with the back of his wrist, and knelt down. The cat looked at
him with bright green eyes and licked her whiskers lazily. He could hear the
kittens mewing softly, and Alyiah went to pick one up, asking Jack if he wanted
to hold it.
"Hold on a moment," he
replied, and turned to sneeze, causing Alyiah to click her tongue.
"I hope you're not catching
cold from being outside all this time," she said, but when he sneezed
again, she frowned. "Jack? Are you all right?" she asked as he
continued, and eventually had to excuse himself from the kitchen. Alyiah set
the new kitten onto the blanket and immediately took off after him. Geena blinked
at the noise and glanced at her mother, who paused from stoking the fire.
"Jack, darling...try to take a breath," Alyiah begged, easing him
onto one of the family room chairs.
"I'm..." Jack gasped.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, sneezing again, and she rubbed his back.
He reached into his pocket for a handkerchief, finding it to be rather sodden
from the snow. Alyiah giggled and went to fetch him a dry one, which he was
grateful for.
"Dear..." Alyiah began
once he'd blown his nose, the fit having dwindled. "I fear you may be
allergic to cats."
Jack looked at her wearily,
exhausted from sneezing so much at once, and she kissed him. "One more
problem to add to the list," he grumbled, and she sat down in his lap,
embracing him tightly.
"It is not your fault,"
she promised, and he sighed, resting his head against the back of the chair.
"We shall just keep you away from Sasha and her babies...I am sure Mother
and Father will allow the animals to stay in her room until the kittens are
strong enough for the barn."
Jack nodded; his nose still
itched slightly, but he didn't feel the need to sneeze quite so badly as
before. "Thank you," he whispered, and she gave him another kiss,
smoothing his slightly chilled cheek. He watched as she disappeared into the
kitchen and cleared his throat, wishing his head would stop pounding. When she
came back into the family room, she offered a cup of tea, which he sipped from
slowly after it cooled.
"Mother said the cats will
go upstairs with her and my father," Alyiah began, and Jack smiled weakly.
"I really hate to be
trouble," he croaked, and she put her hands on her hips.
"Jack, I wish you would stop
blaming yourself!" she exclaimed. "I do not know what to do with you
sometimes, quite honestly!"
Jack smirked, taking another sip
of tea, and she rolled her eyes playfully. "But yet you still love me, I
hope?" he asked, and she grinned, leaning down to give him a kiss on the
lips.
"Of course," she
promised. "How could I not love you?"
Jack blushed and encouraged her
to sit with him. She blocked his face when Mrs. Vernonin and Geena carried
Sasha and her kittens upstairs. She jumped when he gave a rather loud sneeze,
and sighed. "My poor love." She laughed, and he took her hand,
squeezing it firmly.
*****
Christmas arrived at last, and it
was the most lavish affair the family allowed themselves to enjoy.
"Besides our wedding."
Alyiah giggled, and Jack lifted her into the air, causing her to shriek as he
spun her around.
"Which will happen soon
enough, love," he replied, and they joined the rest of the family in the
family room.
On Christmas Eve, it snowed
heavily again, and the next day the blanket of snow on the ground was thicker
than ever. Gifts were presented early, and Mrs. Vernonin provided Jack with a
hand-knitted scarf.
"Thank you," he
replied, and was even more grateful when Alyiah gave him a new pair of walking
shoes. "Sweetheart, that was not necessary," he gasped when he held
the leather shoes in his hand, and Alyiah smiled.
"Your old ones are getting a
bit worn out, Jack, and I am sure you are going to be using them for many more
years to come," she spoke, and he accepted a kiss on the lips.
Mrs. Vernonin presented her
daughter with a very personal gift that morning, a small, heart-shaped locket
hanging on a silver chain. Jack listened as Mrs. Vernonin explained its
importance to Alyiah in Russian, and saw her face becoming more and more
emotional. After Alyiah embraced her mother and allowed the locket to be hung
around her neck, she went to sit with Jack again.
"This was my mother’s own
locket, given to her by her parents," she explained, touching it gently
with her fingertips. "She wanted to give it to me, and said I must pass it
on to my own daughter."
There was a hint of sadness in
Alyiah's voice, and Jack understood at once. If their son had survived, this
would have been his first Christmas. "I want to add our pictures in this
for our baby," Alyiah whispered into his ear. "When...when we have
one, that is."
Jack nodded, reaching up to stroke
Alyiah's hair, and watched as she closed her eyes at his touch. The light of
the fire made her dark brown hair look almost blood red, and shimmered whenever
she moved.
He was grateful when it was time
for bed after a round of dancing. Jack hadn't heard Russian folk music before,
and laughed when Sergei played the balalaika. Alyiah was up and twirling to the
bouncy beat, grinning at Jack whenever she'd turn towards him. While he and
Alyiah lay listening to the wind rattle against the windows, he could not help
but think they were one step closer towards their wedding now that Christmas
was over.
"It cannot come fast
enough," Alyiah breathed. "I wish to go to America. I will miss my
family very much, but...I think I will be very happy in your Wisconsin."
Jack chuckled as she struggled to
pronounce the name of his home state and peered into her eyes. "I will
take care of you," he promised, listening to her steady breathing.
"I know," she
whispered, snuggling closer.