Russian series 03 - The Eagle's Fate (18 page)

But the old building had been pulled down, and an entirely new one now stood in its place.

Andrei had arrived before them, and over luncheon, he said,’ I’ve been to see the Court Chamberlain, and have a pass for Nadya to enter the Palace tomorrow morning, if that would be convenient?’

‘Thank you. That’s very kind of you,’ Nadya replied, taking the small square of pasteboard which he held out to her, ‘How—how shall I find my way to the roof?’ She had a daunting vision of herself wandering, lost for ever, amid the halls and corridors of the vast building.

‘Andrei will go with you, of course!’ Tatya replied, but Andrei said nothing, and Nadya wished very much that she had been looking at him instead of at her pass when Tatya spoke, so she could have judged his reaction. She opened her mouth to say something, but could find no words that would make any sort of sense.

‘We’ll leave here about ten in the morning,’ he said briskly, most of his attention on an elusive piece of his
cotelette a la Soubise,
which would not keep still and let itself be speared by his fork. ‘They’ll have finished stamping about and inspecting each other by then.’

‘Who will?’ Irina asked, puzzled.

‘The Palace Guard. They stand about all over the place doing nothing in particular but stamp their feet and look formidable, in case anyone was thinking of murdering the Emperor,’ Andrei replied solemnly.

‘But he isn’t there, and nobody would, surely?’ Irina had apparently taken him seriously. She had obviously only heard the official story of the deaths of the last two Emperors.

‘It’s not unknown,’ Andrei said, giving up the pursuit and allowing the piece of meat to rest triumphant. ‘What are we doing with ourselves this afternoon? I’m afraid I’ve forgotten.’

The answer was that Tatya had obtained permission for herself and Nadya to take Irina to see the Smolny Institute, at which Andrei looked a trifle alarmed and said hastily that he would rest quietly and gather his strength for a strenuous evening. Tatya had somehow managed to accept invitations for all four of them to attend a card-party, two receptions, and a ball, at all of which they would have to put in an appearance to avoid offending their various hostesses.

Nadya set out with Andrei in his carriage the next morning, feeling apprehensive, uncertain whether she would be able to find Luda’s brother, and not at all looking forward to telling him about his sister’s dreadful end. She was not accustomed to going in a carriage alone with a gentleman, even with the hoods down as they were now, for it had not been considered proper only a few years ago, and going to the palace was intimidating, although she had attended several balls and drawing-rooms there in the old days. But then she had been happy about her appearance in a gown chosen to make the best of her pale colouring, and filled with the confidence instilled by a secure position and a wealthy family background.

She expected the carriage to draw up at one of the portes-cocheres, but instead, it turned in at the elaborate iron gates in the Palace Square frontage and entered the central courtyard, with much stamping and saluting by the guard on the gate. It then passed to the far side of the square yard and drew up outside a small door on one corner, where she showed her pass to a footman in morning livery, who allowed them both to enter and go through a narrow passage in a vast vestibule, paved, walled and columned in white marble. It was swarming with footmen, court officials, and uniformed officers, and impressive guards stood motionless by various doors, or were set at random amid some large pieces of statuary. There was not another female in sight, and Nadya felt that everyone turned to look at her as Andrei conducted her through the throng, saluting so frequently that she though he would be quite worn out.

Presently, when they had almost reached the great Jordan staircase at the far end which she recognized from her earlier visits, he suddenly said ‘Through her, I think’, and turned sharply to the right, taking her through a series of galleried which were almost empty of people, apart from the guard.

In no time she had completely lost any idea of their whereabouts, and enquired nervously, ‘How do you remember the way?’

‘I’m not altogether sure that I do,’ Andrei replied. ‘There should be some stairs-yes, here, they are.’

They ascended what, in most of the houses and palaces of Petersburg, would have ranked as a fine staircase, but was here considered a very minor feature. After that came several magnificent state rooms, with more guards and hurrying figure.

‘If it’s so busy when the Emperor’s away, whatever is it like when he’s in residence?’ Nadya whispered, averting her eyes from the interested stare of a tall, partially-bald, lugubrious-looking man in the uniform of a general.

‘Much the same,’ Andrei replied. ‘You can speak normally, by the way—it’s not considered
lese-majeste
. Most of these people are always here. Of course, the real business of government is done in the ministries across the river, and in the Emperor’s Cabinet.’

‘What’s that?’ Nadya asked, for she thought that a cabinet was a piece of furniture, and had wondered what he meant when he mentioned it before.

‘His administrative offices. They’re in the Anichkov Palace in the Nevsky—the part which runs along the Fontanka. That was where I hoped for a post before—before I had to transfer into the Army. Through here now, I think. By the way, that was General Barclay de Tolly, the War Minister, who was ogling you just now. He likes a pretty face!’

He opened a door in the wall of the gallery which they had just entered. It was set flush in the wall without a doorcase and only a small glass know and a keyhole betrayed its presence, as it was covered with the same blue-grey brocade as the wall. It opened on a narrow, dimly-lit passage with a drab stone floor and unadorned plastered walls painted a serviceable dark green.

‘This is the rabbit-warren behind the grand facade,’ Andrei commented.

Towards the end of the passage, it was so dark that Nadya put one hand on the wall to feel her way, and took a light grasp of a hanging sleeve of Andrei’s pelisse with the other for fear of losing him.

‘Up now. Mind the steps,’ he said, and caught her by the elbow as she almost tripped on the bottom step of what proved to be a steep staircase. It went up and up, one flight after another, lit only by an occasional small lunette, with passages running off at each floor, until it suddenly stopped at a narrow wooden door with a battered brass know.

‘Here we are,’ Andrei said, opening it with some difficulty, for he must use both hands to turn the knob, and the door was so warped that Nadya had to help him pull it open.

Andrei stepped out first, then turned to help Nadya step over the high sill. She stared about her incredulously at the extraordinary sight of a forest of chimney-stacks with little wooden hovels clustered between them. Here and there stood what looked like very large boxes, but a glance behind her showed that they were in fact the tops of staircases like the one by which they had come. The roof beneath her feet was leaded and swept clear of snow, and crossed at intervals by gulleys which would carry water to the tops of the massive drainpipes during the Spring thaw.

This whole little world was bounded by an ornamental parapet topped by more-than-life-sized statues in various theatrical poses. Between two to her right, Nadya could see the upper part of the golden needle-like spire of the Peter-Paul Cathedral across the river, with its flying angel swinging on chains below the cross at the top, so naturally she peered ahead between the chimney-stacks, and there was the similar spire of the Admiralty, crowned with a little ship which gleamed in the sun. She also caught a glimpse of the lower and plainer parapet around the well of the central courtyard.

There were a few people moving about among the small dwellings, and more began to appear from inside them and from round corners, staring suspiciously at Nadya and Andrei, invaders from the world below. Most of them were men, bearded, shaggy creatures, bundled shapelessly in drab, often ragged garment, their feet looking like those of elephants in great felt boots. The few women were equally shapeless, and distinguishable only by the shawls over their heads in place of felt or fur caps, and their lack of beards.

‘What’s the man’s name?’ Andrei asked quietly.

‘Yuri Matveyevich Kosar,’ Nadya replied, and Andrei called out the name in loud, authoritative tones.

‘Is he here?’ he added in Russian, as there was no immediate answer.

The people began to look round, and then one of them shouted ‘Yuri Matvey’ich! Where are you?’

‘Who wants me?’ responded a deep, rough voice, and another figure appeared from among the chimney-stacks, indistinguishable from the others except that his beard was almost completely grey.

‘Yuri Matveyevich—do you remember me?’ Nadya asked, stepping forward and pushing back the hood of her cloak for she was not wearing a bonnet.

‘Indeed I do!” The grey beard split across its upper part, revealing a grinning row of surprisingly sound teeth as the man pushed his way through to the front of the bystanders and came up to her, seizing both her hands in his and beaming down at her. ‘Luda’s little Princess! Well, well! And is this your husband?’

Nadya cast a horrified glance at Andrei, and just caught a quizzical twitch of his eyebrows before his face went blank.

‘No, no!’ she said hastily. ‘He’s a friend who kindly came to show me the way—I’d never have managed by myself in such a great building!’

‘Ah, you learn to know it when you’ve lived here a few years,’ Yuri said a trifle smugly. ‘Just like your own fields and woods when you live in the country. I could tell you where every one of these chimneys goes to.’

Nadya found the idea of talking about where chimneys went to from the tops of them so extraordinary that she smiled and forgot to be nervous, so that when Yuri went on,’ You’ve not brought our Luda with you, then?’, she was able to reply quite calmly, although in a suitably serious voice, ‘No, I’m afraid not. That’s why I’ve come, for I’m afraid I have some bad news for you.’

‘Dead, is she?’ he asked matter-of-factly.

‘Yes, I’m sorry to say that she is.’

He bowed his head, his lips moving silently, then crossed himself and asked, “When did it happen?”

‘On the first of September. We were leaving Moscow because the French were coming, and, of course, everyone else was leaving too, so we couldn’t get a cart or a carriage and we had to go on foot. There was a terrible crush on the bridge over the river, and I’m afraid she—she was pushed over…’ Nadya’s eyes filled with tears at the memory of it.

‘There, there—don’t fret yourself!’ Yuri said soothingly. ‘She had a good life—much better than most of us—and she never would learn to swim! It was good of you to climb all the way up here to tell me.’

‘I’m sorry I had to bring you such sad news,’ Nadya apologised wretchedly.

‘Oh, it’s not so sad, you know! Life’s a hard, grim business in this world—she’s much better off where she is now.’ And he jerked his head towards the clear pale blue sky above their heads.

Nadya managed a wan little smile of agreement, and was just wondering how best to take her leave, when Andrei took a short step forward and said, ‘Your sister was a thrifty soul—she managed to save a little, and the Princess is sure that she’d have wished you to have it—for your family, perhaps,’ and he put a small, clinking bag into the man’s gnarled and blackened hands.

‘That’s very kind,’ Yuri said, with a dignified little bow. ‘I’m grateful to you for thinking that, and for coming to tell me about Luda. God bless you, Princess, and you too, sir, and grant all your hearts desire!’

‘Thank you, and may He bless and keep you, too,’ Nadya replied, and, with a little smile and a nod of farewell to all the watching inhabitants of this strange village, she turned and stepped back through the doorway at the top of the stairs, Andrei following behind and managing to close the door by putting his shoulder to it.

‘Thank you for giving him that money,’ Nadya said shyly. ‘I should have thought of it myself. I’ll give you it as soon as my payment comes from the Treasury.’

‘You’ll do nothing of the kind,’ he replied a trifle curtly, starting to descend the stairs, his sabre scabbard scraping on the stone steps until he put a hand on the hilt to stop it.

‘But I should…’ she began, following him.

Andrei stopped suddenly, so that she bumped into him, and said, ‘It was my own idea, and, to put the matter bluntly, I can afford it and you can’t. You’ve thank me for thinking of it, and there’s an end of the matter. You worry too much, you know—stop fretting about the money and think about something cheerful!’

He appeared to cast about for something to suggest, and then went on ‘We’ve passed the shortest day, and it’ll soon be Spring—think of that!’ and set off down the stairs again.

‘Yes, but when the Spring comes, I don’t know where I shall be,’ Nadya said dolefully, reminded of something she was trying not to think about.

‘I’m a fool,’ Andrei said flatly, stopping again and turning to face her as she stepped down beside him, for they had arrived at a landing. ‘I’m sorry. You know, I’m sure you really needn’t worry about that, for Tatya’s very fond of you, and I’m certain she is assuming that you’ll go back to Ryazan with her at the end of the Season. She’d not cast you out into the world with nowhere to go!’

‘No, I’m sure she wouldn’t, but I can’t live on her charity for the rest of my life! I know she wouldn’t grudge it, but you’ve no idea how uncomfortable it is to depend on someone else for so much! It wouldn’t be so bad if I had enough money to pay my own way—for my clothes and food, at least—but I haven’t, not in the sort of life Tatya lives!’

‘How did you manage in Moscow?’ he sounded quite interested.

‘By living in three little rooms at the top of an old house in a narrow little side-lane, where the rent was very low. I didn’t go into Society at all, so I could manage with very few clothes. What I had to start with lasted a long time, and Luda helped me unpick and turn them when they were too shabby to be seen, and we made some new ones when we could get cheap cloth on the market. We bought our food there too—you can get enough to eat very cheaply if you don’t mind it not being very fresh. We shared the washing and cooking and cleaning.’