A Noble Marriage - Chapter 31

Chapter 31 – Misunderstanding Between Young Friends (2)

The next day, after the men went out, Anna chatted with Maria while Lucia and Andre studied silently in the far corner of the room. She found herself looking over at the children again and again, but she couldn’t see them very clearly from the distance.

At about ten o’clock, a lovely little boy arrived. Anna realized that the little boy with bright blond hair was Andre’s friend as she saw Maria and Lucia looking at Andre to see he doesn’t react too badly.

Maria introduced him to her and her suspicion was confirmed.

“Anna this is Charles, and Charles this is Mrs. Karenin, Andre’s Auntie.”

Maria excused herself and left the room, leaving Anna with the child.

“Good morning, Mrs. Karenin. Nice to meet you.” Charlie greeted Anna very politely.

He looked like a little angel, wearing a neat little suit jacket and calf leather shoes, with his hair combed neatly to the side. She thought about how different he looked from Andre.

“Nice to meet you, little Charlie.” Anna said with a smile.

The boy raised his eyebrows and said in an unexpected haughty tone, “Although I already think you are beautiful and have a beautiful voice, please don’t call me ‘little’, so I can love you more.”

Anna was surprised and laughed freely.

“Well, I can see why you and Andre are good friends.”

“We are best friends, Mrs. Karenin.” Charlie replied, but his green eyes turned sad as he continued, “Oh, if he forgives me, we will remain best friends.”

“You can’t whine in front of others, as if I were the one who was leaving his best friend behind.”

A sarcastic voice came from the far end of the room. Anna and Charlie looked over at Andre, who had placed his quill down and was glaring at his friend.

“It’s not my fault that my father was transferred to Russia. I’m just a child. I have no choice but to go with them, Andre.” Charlie flushed as he explained his situation to his friend once more.

“But you should have been the first one to tell me!” Andre said, his voice getting louder with each word.

“I don’t know what to say. Papa had said he was just thinking. I didn’t know it would happen so fast. I thought there was still time to tell you.” Charlie said, his arms waving about around him.

Anna watched the two little boys shout at each other, separated by her, the couch and a long distance of thirty or so steps. When Andre seemed about to explode with disgruntlement, she jumped in.

“Boys, can’t you sit down and deal with this calmly? You are behaving like two six-year-old children, to be honest, and a little naive.” She added.

“We are not naive!”

The boys unanimously rejected Anna’s comment, and then glared at each other when they realized they had agreed on something.

“Oh, all right.” Anna laughed, “Then deal with it like adults. Can’t you both sit down and talk about it?”

After a while of thinking, Andre quietly went over till the middle of the room, indicating that he accepted this option. Lucia smiled at Anna and left with confidence that things would now work out. Charlie just stayed rooted in his spot, a bit scared to walk towards his angry friend, for the last time he had done that was still fresh in his mind.

“Then I’ll leave you two to talk about it.” Anna said and as she was about to get up from her seat, Andre protested.

“Please stay.” He continued, when Anna just stared at him bewildered by his sudden request. “We had a conversation before, but it was not very good.”

“Okay, I’ll stay.” She nodded and told them to sit down too.

Anna felt like Themis, the goddess of justice in Greek mythology, sitting in between the children on either side of her. She waited for them to speak up but they just sat in silence for a long time. She cleared her throat lightly and was about to start the conversation when thankfully Charlie spoke up, because she had no idea what she would have said if he hadn’t.

“Andre, you have to accept that I can’t stay here without my family. It is not in my control.”

Anna was a bit stunned at the practical statement coming from the child who had pretended to be older and had sweet-talked her. He looked younger than Andre as he was the shorter of the two, but he had turned out to be steadier and more sensible than his friend.

“I know.” Andre replied. “But you have to understand that you are my best friend, and you tricked me by hiding it from me for such a long time.”

“I promise that I will never hide anything from you ever again.” Charlie nodded seriously and then smiled sheepishly, “I’m sorry, Andre.”

As soon as the boy apologized, Anna saw Andre relax completely.

“I’m sorry too. I know it’s not your fault and I shouldn’t blame you. But I can blame Petersburg for its snow. If it didn’t snow there, they wouldn’t complain and talk about water conservancy projects or want people from France to help them, and then France wouldn’t decide to send your father. Anyway, I can’t blame you.”

Andre almost exhausted his anger in one breath. Anna tried to hold in her laughter but this time she couldn’t, and she burst Anna out laughing. Her laughter triggered them both and soon all three of them were laughing loudly, as the boys made a silly face at each other to guarantee that they had reconciled at last.