A Noble Marriage - Chapter 48

Chapter 48 – Warmth and Romance (1)

Though Anna cherished the snowman, after observing it for two days, she had the concierge move it away. Karenin’s work was about to resume, and the guests that came to visit him would start again. She didn’t want outsiders to question Karenin’s image.

Even if Karenin was adorable and always gave in to her wishes, she wanted to protect his dignity in front of his political opponents. This, Anna realized, was what it meant to be husband and wife. One received love and returned it unconditionally.

Since Annushka had praised Anna’s suggestion of kneepads and scarves, she had decided to come up with more ideas for Christmas. She finished her yoga as usual and jotted down her schedule for the day. After she was done planning her day, she went to the kitchen and began studying ways to make new sweets with the cook, Sasha.

Karenin looked at the schedule in passing, as it was on the living room table. He didn’t question it, although he did circle some grammatical errors. He didn’t want to keep his wife away from her interests in fashion, though he did, hesitantly, mention to her that she could take some grammar lessons. She widened her eyes at that.

“I think you are right!” she said.

Although studying wasn’t the best thing in the world, Anna believed it was for the best if she became knowledgeable and lived up to her status as a noble lady. Besides, she didn’t have to work for a living, so she had all the time in the world to brush up on her skills.

Karenin had hired a French teacher for Anna. He was an old gentleman pushing sixty. He had kind and wise eyes. Mr. Maillard had also taught Karenin in the past for three years. The lessons had been terminated when he had gone back to France. Now that Mr. Maillard had returned, and had a thought of settling down in Russia, Mr. Karenin had sought him out to entrust him with the task of giving lessons to his wife.

Mr. Maillard had been surprised. He had thought Karenin had sought him out to teach his children. Karenin had appeared distressed. “I don’t have children yet, Mr. Maillard,” he said, “I am here to ask you to provide lessons in French to my wife. She wishes to better her knowledge on the language to assist with her conversational needs. And as I already know, there is none better than you who can fulfill this task. I would be enormously grateful if you could oblige.”

Mr. Maillard, ever a teacher that he was, still saw Karenin as a little boy that he had taught. “Look, cheri, how sweet a speech! I cannot believe little Karenin has grown so much,” he said to his wife, eyes twinkling.

“Oh, come now. Don’t call him ‘little Karenin’ anymore. He is a grown, composed and a married gentleman now,” chastised Mrs. Maillard and placed a blueberry pie before Karenin. “Eat, my dear,” she said, turning to Karenin, “How long has it been since you ate my special blueberry pie?” Mrs. Maillard never forgot a thing. The last Karenin had come to the place, he had been but a boy. Now he was a grown man, with a wife of his own.

“Three years and two months, madame,” Karenin said, as he ate a piece of the pie.

Mrs. Maillard chuckled. “Always so meticulous. Remembering everything down to the last detail,” she added, “Has your wife made blueberry pie for you yet?”

“Yes,” Karenin replied fondly, thinking about Anna.

“See Cade? I told you Karenin had found a good wife!” exclaimed Mrs. Maillard.

Mr. Maillard’s face seemed to turn a strange shade of blue. “My dear, I am more aware of it than anyone,” he said. After his wife went to the next table to pour tea, Mr. Maillard winked at Karenin. “Believe me, however much you like blueberry pies, you will tire of it after eating it for several decades.” Mr. Maillard finished the blueberry pie he was holding. The expression on his face, far from any pleasurable fancy.

Karenin looked at his pie on the little platter, taking a bite carefully. He thought that he couldn’t tire of this for another ten years.

Anna was moved when she realized that her would-be French teacher was the same one who had taught Karenin. Although Karenin didn’t completely know what she was thinking, her reaction told him that she was very excited by the news. The excitement wasn’t solely for the knowledge Mr. Maillard could offer about French. He was right.

Mr. Maillard liked little Karenin’s wife right from the first lesson. “What was he like when he was little?” she asked enthusiastically during break between the lessons.

“He was a bit more fun than now,” reminisced Mr. Maillard remembering little Karenin, “But he was still a very serious child. I told him once that earthworms fell from the sky. He didn’t believe me. He said that it was simply not logical for the sky to be the origin of any living thing. I told him to prove it and he spent three whole days writing a report on it. He still couldn’t prove it. But the report he gave me in the end was the most conflicted one I have ever read.” Mr. Maillard chuckled. “Unfortunately, I lost that report,” said Mr. Maillard with regret.

Anna burst out laughing. “I can’t believe you would do that to him,” she said, “With Alexie’s personality, it would have bothered him for at least a year!”

“Yes, you’re absolutely right,” Mr. Maillard conceded, “He never forgot it. Eight months later, I got another report with proper logic and evidence as a rebuttal.” He winked. “I think he is not so fond of raining days, even now.”