A Noble Marriage - Chapter 15
Chapter 15 – Changes
If Anna said that she had never imagined what the morning after her wedding night would be like, she’d be lying.
And if someone were to tell her that her husband and she would spend the night on a disproportionately large bed, and yet nothing would happen between the two, she’d probably scoff at the notion and probably question the sanity of the forecaster.
However, right now, as she lay in bed, wallowing in self-pity and disappointment, she didn’t feel like doing either of the two things.
Karenin’s side of the bed was neatly organized, and also deplorably empty. The diligent Russian officer hadn’t left the bedroom, though; he was working diligently at his desk, seated in a comfortable chair.
As his wife turned in bed, he heard the rustling of sheets and looked up to see her staring at him with gravity in her grey eyes. Her hair was messy and looked curlier. After a good night’s sleep, her skin had become white and opalescent and her lips were slightly parted.
Karenin had to force himself to move his gaze from his wife’s rosy lips.
“Good morning, Anna.”
Normally, Karenin’s first greeting of the day was reserved for his butler Kearney, but the subtle changes marriage brought with itself were beginning to sink in as his mornings began with the company of his wife.
“Good morning, Alexei.”
Anna wasn’t sure whether the couple consisting of a messy wife and a decent husband were a figment of her imagination, but none of that mattered to her, when Karenin walked towards her in that graceful gait of his.
“Grachev will be here at nine o’clock, and we will leave for France at two o’clock in the afternoon.” Said he.
He had already told her last night, that Grachev was his family doctor.
“Sure.” Anna answered, then asked him curiously, “What time do you usually get up?”
“Six o’clock.”
Anna looked at the wall clock, the time was seven forty. She took pride in usually waking up at seven, that was quite early in the morning for her, but it seemed like he was up even earlier.
She got up from the bed and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. Since she had woken up a little later than usual, she hoped that she still had time to fit in a simple stretching exercise.
When Anna came out of the bathroom, Karenin had already left and Anushka was cleaning the room.
“Where’s Alexei?”
“His Lordship went to the study. He wishes to inform you that breakfast would be delayed by twenty minutes.”
Hearing this, Anna smiled and went to the closet to change her clothes.
In aristocratic families, the personal maid’s job included helping her mistress dress up, Anushka, however, was unaccustomed to this practice as her mistress had always done everything on her own! She had been anxious when she first learned that she didn’t need to help Anna dress up, but soon realized that it wasn’t like what she thought.
Her mistress had become more cheerful, ever since she recovered.
Anushka was only a maid and not well-educated, but she knew her duty well—it included not looking at or presuming anything she was not supposed to and accustomed to. The escapades of the aristocratic family, she no longer found herself shocked by it.
*
Anna donned herself in a long, warm velvet dress. When she came out of the room, Kearney announced that the meal was ready.
“Thank you, Kearney.” Anna smiled pleasantly at the stoic-looking butler, who nodded in acknowledgement.
Karenin was already waiting in the dining room, reading the newspaper when Anna arrived. He looked up at Anna and handing over the newspaper to a nearby servant, signalling her to take a seat.
Anna glanced at the long dining table of which end is her husband. “Where would you like me to sit, here or there?”
She tilted her head to point at two spots on the table. In response, he stood up and pulled out the chair next to him. Anna blinked at him in surprise for a moment, before grinning at him, “I like your decision.”
The breakfast was hearty and the dining etiquettes of both were fine. Anna, however, wasn’t used to being so quiet and wasn’t sure if Karenin liked it that way. After hesitating for a while, Anna ventured to ask him, “May I ask you a question, Alexei?”
“Of course.” Although surprised, he put down his fork graciously.
Anna, a little self conscious, decided to be frank with him.
“Can we talk during the meal?” Anna continued, “About what I said yesterday, I think, we should communicate more. I want to know you better.”
Mr. Karenin’s spoon stopped in mid-air, “You can ask me anything, Anna, unless it’s something confidential or work-related, that I’m not supposed to disclose.” Then off the spoonful of porridge down his throat.
He leaned against the back of his chair easily, looking at her in the eye, giving her his undivided attention. “You don’t need to be too formal with me, you know, you can relax.”
Anna laughed, “Sometimes you’re too serious, do you know that?”
Karenin was genuinely surprised, he shook his head as he thought about something, “Nobody has ever told me anything regarding this matter. Besides, this makes it easier for me to make decisions in my work.”
“People don’t dare tell you, but I can.” Anna laughed again, “Looking at it this way, being your wife has its perks.”
Karenin wasn’t sure how to respond to this; it sounded like a compliment, but not quite an unequivocal one.
“See, now I know you a little bit more.” Anna started to cut her bacon as she talked, and Karenin couldn’t help staring at her in awe.
The morning sun shone in from the French windows and laid its rays on his wife’s hair and shoulders, illuminating, he thought, the most beautiful thing in the room.
He glanced at the clock: the time was eight-thirty.
He had delayed the breakfast by twenty minutes, his habit of not talking during meals at home was broken, and he was sitting so close to a woman, that he could touch her by simply tilting his right arm.
These changes were all because of him being married.
“What do you want me to say to you?” Karenin asked, truly at loss for words.
Anna raised her head and said, “Whatever you want, Alexei. I think that’s what being a couple is like. You can talk to me about anything, for as long as you want.”
Whatever he wants, that was quite a large range.
If Karenin ever received this response from someone at work, he would probably frown and ask his subordinate to rephrase the answer, objectively and politely.
Anna, however, wasn’t his subordinate, but his wife. He lacked the experience to analyse the meaning of her words; all he could was move prudently one step at a time, through this relationship.
With no rules and no case studies to guide him, it was a little terrifying for Karenin, but he thought he could manage if he treaded carefully.
For this reason, he chose a topic with great caution. “Are you still willing to go to France with me in the afternoon?”
“Of course, why do you think I would change my mind?” Anna said pleasantly.
“After what happened last night, I was worried that you would need some personal space.”
“No, of course not.” Anna expressed her thoughts directly, “I want to go to France with you.”
“I see.”
The dining room went back to being silent, but Anna no longer felt awkward this time.