A Noble Marriage - Chapter 62

Chapter 62 – The New Doorman (1)

When Anna got back home, she thought on what she could do to achieve her goal. She absolutely would not use her status or money to convince Mr. Goldman to teach her his craft. She wanted Mr. Goldman to willingly accept her as his apprentice, not out of any compulsion.

In her room, she sat on her desk and drew. She was sketching an idea for a dress. When Karenin got home, he saw her absorbed in whatever she was doing. He watched her, calmly standing behind her. When she finally finished, she put down her pencil and turned around, and almost fell off her chair.

“God, you startled me!” she exclaimed, “How long have you been standing there? Is it late?”

“Just six minutes, since I came up to the room,” Karenin took a step forward, placed his hands on the back of the chair and leaned in to look at what she had made.

“What do you think?” asked Anna, still seated.

Karenin’s slender finger pressed on the side of the paper, staring at the sketch. “Well, I am no expert,” he said, “But I do think it’s pretty great.”

Anna smiled and stood on her tiptoes to drop a kiss on his cheek. “Did you have some souffle on your way back?”

“No,” he said, “In fact, I only had a cup of tea and rushed here.”

During dinner, Anna told Karenin about her visit to Mr. Goldman’s shop. “I think he will only allow me to apprentice at his shop if I disguise myself as a young man.”

Karenin frowned. “That would appear very indecent,” he said, “Besides, how will you be able to disguise yourself and appear like a man completely. It sounds next to impossible.”

“If the concern is only about the disguise, I think I can manage that. I have some tricks up my sleeve,” she insisted, “If it is about indecency, then I have given it a thought as well. I understand that being your wife comes with a lot of responsibilities, but I do so hate the frequent banquets. And it seems I can barely contribute to your career or diplomacy. I have just one passion now, that is to learn to tailor. I want to make clothes of beauty and comfort, especially for women. Do you remember our wedding day? The gown almost suffocated me. I want women to have comfort while they fulfill society’s stressful conventions.”

Karenin was silent. Anna wondered if she would go through with her idea, even if he disagreed. Maybe she still would, or maybe not because he was her husband, and she loved him. She didn’t want to upset him. She waited in anticipation.

After a long while, he spoke. “I still think it would be highly inappropriate,” he paused, “but I also agree with you. You must follow your passion. But please be cautious when you go through with it, alright?”

Anna nodded, delighted. He was using the tone he used in his office. The polite but firm tone he used with his subordinates. It amused Anna. “Am I your subordinate now?” she teased.

“No, you are still not as qualified,” he said jokingly, “Judging from your grammar. Let’s make a deal. If I agree to your plan, you must also agree to work harder in Mr. Maillard’s grammar class. How about it?”

“Yes, sir,” said Anna, with an awkward salute.

Karenin smiled. He thought about Anna as a soldier. He would have crossed her out right away. She was too bold and unpredictable. It made him laugh. While Karenin was in his study, Anna and Annushka were learning basic knitting. She shared all that happened with Karenin with her maid.

“He agreed to it?” asked Annushka, shocked. “And here I thought, he was so very stubborn and uptight.”

Anna giggled. “He is,” she said, “most of the time. But I find it adorable.” Anna whispered her plans for tomorrow to Annushka. The maid was surprised at first, but then began to smile.

The next morning, Anna had her French class with Mr. Maillard after Karenin went to work. In accordance with her deal, she remained very attentive throughout the class, which surprised Mr. Maillard.

“My dear Anna,” he said pleasantly, “Although you were never a lazy student, I have to say, you show diligence and eagerness in this class, even more than before.”

“Oh, thank you for saying so,” she said, “I promised Alexei I would work harder in French.”

“Little Karenin never had to take care of anyone else before,” Mr. Maillard said, “I had never seen a child like that, so focused on his work and eager to learn.” Anna liked it when he talked about little Karenin, it helped her know more about him. “I often worried that the child was too somber, so I would joke with him. But he never was interested. He laughed out of politeness. Such a polite little kid. But he never meant his laughs.”

“I understand,” said Anna, “He is still the same. He seems uninterested in so many things. But still I keep talking to him. He must be so focused and alert at work, so I just talk about the most mundane things, hoping it might help him relax.”

“It seems you care a lot about him,” said Mr. Maillard, winking.

Anna blushed. “What else can I do?” she asked, “I just do what I can to make him feel better.”

“Trust me, dear,” said Mr. Maillard kindly, “You are already doing enough.”

“I hope so,” said Anna, smiling, “I am also grateful for you and Mrs. Maillard. You two have cared for Alexei in your own generous way.”

“It’s nothing,” he said, waving his hand. “It’s nothing compared to how you are helping him. I knew that Karenin would thrive in success in whatever he did. He is such a bright lad. But after meeting you, I started believing that he will be more than just an official in the government. You teach him love. That’s so much more than any of us can do.”