‘Say it, Koshka,’ Catherine encouraged when she fell silent again. ‘When it comes to people there’s no one’s opinion I value more. This is Sonya’s future we’re talking about. You were the one who made her an heiress and ensured that no one knew where the money really came from by spreading the rumour that her father had set up a trust for her.’
‘I only gave Sonya enough money for her to live on. Financial independence means she doesn’t have to marry the first unsuitable man who asks her. And that’s all. Two million roubles are not enough to attract the likes of Roman Nadolny. But Roman did say last night that Sonya was extraordinarily beautiful and well-educated – which she is.’
‘Has Sonya received many offers?’ Koshka asked.
‘Admirers, yes. We couldn’t move for young men flocking around her when we visited St Petersburg with John Hughes, and that was before you gave her an inheritance. But Sonya didn’t reciprocate their attentions. In fact she showed no interest in any of them and soon tire d of balls and parties. She couldn’t wait to return here.’
‘To spend time with a secret suitor in Hughesovka?’ Koshka suggested archly.
‘None I’ve noticed. She enjoyed working in the hospital and making friends with the girls there who were training to be nurses, and now she’s left the hospital she takes the same pleasure in interpreting for the office of the New Russia Company.’
‘Is her talent for languages the only reason she left the hospital to work for John Hughes?’ Koshka enquired.
‘What other reason could there be?’
Koshka set the two pieces of cake Catherine had cut on to plates and passed one to her. ‘I have a fine view of the town from my boudoir window. One of the things I’ve noticed is the way the Jewish doctor who works in the hospital looks at Sonya.’
‘Nathan – but he’s recently married.’
‘To a woman who looks old enough to be his mother, if not his grandmother.’
‘Yes, I’ve heard Vasya suffers from premature aging, but she’s charming, and their marriage was arranged by their families. It’s the Jewish way.’
‘If what I heard is true, Nathan’s and Vasya’s marriage was a condition Rabbi Goldberg exacted from Nathan, before allowing Ruth Kharber to marry your grandson.’
‘I’ve heard that too but Nathan and Vasya seem happy enough.’
‘Vasya perhaps, but I’ve seen the way Nathan looks at Sonya, and more crucially the way Sonya looks at him. Didn’t it occur to you, when Sonya left the hospital soon after Nathan married, that she did so because she felt she could no longer work with him.’
Catherine thought for a moment. ‘But if Sonya is in love with Nathan and he with her, their situation is hopeless. He’s married –’
‘Aside from being married, any Jewish man who allows himself to be used as a bargaining chip by his rabbi will never go against the tenets of his faith. And a man who puts his religion above his wife is not a husband worth having,’ Koshka declared forcefully.
Catherine sensed her friend was speaking from experience. ‘If what you say is true, Sonya must be desperately unhappy.’
‘A broken heart can kill, but we must do all we can to make sure that will not be the case with Sonya. There are many other eligible men in the world. Hopefully Sonya will find another she can learn to love. If she does decide to marry, it has to be to someone of her own choice.’
‘And Roman?’ Catherine asked.
‘I believe him to be an essentially good man who is well placed to give his wife, whoever she is, everything she could possibly want in the material sense. He will shower his family with houses, rich clothes, jewels, and servants. I have no doubt he will look after Sonya, should she decide to marry him. But if she does, it must be her decision and no one else’s.’
‘And love?’ Catherine asked.
‘Love is for Roman and Sonya to think about. I know of several successful, and loveless, marriages of convenience.’
‘A marriage of convenience is not something I would advise any young woman to embark on, especially Sonya with her loving and tender heart.’ Catherine looked Koshka in the eye. ‘You do know that Roman has the reputation of being a womaniser?’
‘My entire business is built on the desires and penchants of womanisers. I thank God daily for them.’
‘And Roman?’
‘He patronises my salon. I’ve heard it rumoured that he has women in every city and town in Russia and every capital city of Europe.’
‘He’s visited your salon often?’
‘Regularly, both here and in Moscow before I moved.’
‘Do you think he would be faithful if he married Sonya?’
‘Truthfully? Honestly?’ Koshka shook her head. ‘No. Not on his past performance, but then I know of few husbands who are. Think about it, Catherine. Men who are faithful to their wives rarely find their way to my door.’
‘Do you think any man capable of fidelity?’
Koshka smiled when she thought of Glyn and his devotion to Praskovia. ‘One or two rare specimens of manhood perhaps, even in Hughesovka, but it doesn’t follow that if Roman married Sonya and was subsequently unfaithful, she would be unhappy.’
‘I was when I discovered that my Alexei sought solace in other women’s arms.’
‘Even though he loved only you.’
‘Or so he said, and words cost nothing,’ Catherine murmured bitterly.
‘Most men are capable of separating love from sex. Some crave novelty and variety in the physical act that they believe their wives would find distasteful, so seek fulfilment elsewhere. It does not mean that they love their wives any the less. And some women are only too happy to send their husbands to the salon because they find the physical act disagreeable.’
‘And Roman?’
‘Is rich, charming, and, like many intelligent men I have met, a closed book when it comes to fathoming his motives and emotions.’ Koshka finished her cake and replaced her veil. ‘I only came to warn you of his imminent proposal to Sonya, Catherine, not to offer advice I am not qualified to give. I trust you to guide Sonya and help her decide what is best for her. Whether that is marriage to Roman Nadolny or not, it has to be Sonya’s decision and no one else’s.’
‘Not even Roman’s?’ Catherine asked.
‘Especially not Roman’s.’ Koshka hugged Catherine and left the room.
Chapter Nine
Burned out shtetl, Hughesovka
September 1871
Alexei, Ruth, and their attendant clerks found most of the Jewish merchants and Rabbi Goldberg holding an impromptu meeting next to the smouldering remains of the shtetl shops.
The rabbi glared at Alexei and Ruth as they approached. ‘If you have come to gloat…’
‘We’re here because Mr Hughes sent us. He is a little busy today,’ Ruth answered.
‘As you see,’ the rabbi indicated the smoking ruins of the shops, ‘we are also a little busy. We’ve been fighting fires all night.’
‘As have we,’ Alexei interrupted, indicating his own and Ruth’s bedraggled state.
‘Now we have established that we are all tired and busy, state your business and leave.’
‘Mr Hughes would like you – all of you who have lost property and goods to the fire – to make lists of whatever you need to rebuild your shops and houses. These clerks,’ Alexei pointed to Vasily and his assistant, ‘will help you to compile them. Ruth or I will look over your lists and sign them once we’ve agreed on the quantity of materials. Then you can take them to the New Russia Company’s warehouse and draw out whatever you require, provided it’s in stock.’
‘At what cost?’
‘Nothing to those who have lost their shops, stock, and houses. Mr Hughes has given his word that the New Russia Company will bear the cost of rebuilding and repairing the damage. He intends to claim as much of the cost back as he can on the insurance, but his principal concern is to get the town up and running again so he can concentrate on commissioning the ironworks.
’
‘You have Mr Hughes’s authority to do this?’ the Rabbi asked suspiciously.
‘We do,’ Alexei lifted Ruth’s hand in his to show the men that she wielded as much of John Hughes’s authority as he did. ‘That is why Mr Hughes sent us. Shall we begin, gentlemen?’
‘Rabbi!’ A group of wailing women ran towards them. Behind them half a dozen men pushed a handcart shrouded in blankets.
‘It’s Asher and Leah Kharber, Rabbi Goldberg. They allowed their niece to marry out of our faith and God punished them by calling them to him.’
‘That’s nonsense.’ Alexei pulled Ruth close in an effort to protect her from the hostility that was emanating towards them from everyone present. ‘That’s absolute nonsense,’ he reiterated, suddenly nauseous and terrified not for himself, but Ruth.
He looked down at his wife, but ashen faced and trembling she was too distraught to absorb anything beyond the fact that her aunt and uncle were no more.
Hospital, Hughesovka
September 1871
‘Stop here please, Ivan.’ Roman ordered Catherine’s driver. ‘This is Hughesovka’s hospital?’ he checked with Sonya.
‘We wanted to conceal its whereabouts from hypochondriacs so we decided not to put up a sign.’
‘I like your sense of humour. I recall Mr Hughes telling me it has twelve beds.’
‘Twenty-four,’ she corrected. ‘We had a twelve-bed ward when the hospital opened last year. The original ward now caters exclusively for men. Two months ago the hospital was extended and we created a second twelve-bed ward for women and children.’
‘We,’ he smiled, ‘you Hughesovkans are so parochial. You see this as your own personal hospital?’
‘Everyone in the town is proud of our medical facilities and dedicated doctor and nurses.’
‘I know the place will be full after all the injuries that were sustained last night but do you think Dr Kharber might spare the time to give me a quick tour?’ Roman opened the door of the carriage. Without waiting for her to answer he stepped down and extended his hand.
‘If Dr Kharber is busy I’m sure he’ll allow me to show you the facilities.’
‘Of course, your aunt mentioned that you’d worked here until recently.’
‘Only in the office.’ Sonya sensed he knew all along that she’d worked in the hospital. She took his hand and climbed out of the carriage. The hospital door opened and the duty porter, Maxim, greeted them.
‘Welcome, Miss Sonya, we miss you.’ He recognised her companion and snapped to attention. ‘Welcome, Your Excellency, we are honoured, sir.’ He thrust the door wide.
Roman looked around the hall. It was spotlessly clean, which he found surprising after the chaos, ash, and smuts of the night. The floorboards were scrubbed, the whitewashed walls pristine. The kitchen door was open and Anna was clearing dishes. She turned when she heard voices and came out to meet them.
Sonya introduced them. ‘Prince Roman, this is Anna Parry.’
‘The second beautiful bridesmaid. I recognise you from yesterday, Miss Parry.’ Roman lifted Anna’s hand, which she’d hastily dried in her apron, to his lips and kissed it. Taken aback, wary of the touch of any man, Anna snatched her hand away.
‘Forgive my impertinence, Miss Parry, but aren’t you a little young to be a nurse,’ Roman commented.
‘Our matron, Mrs Edwards, trained all of us, sir. We may be young but she made certain that we are capable of carrying out every medical procedure expected of nurses.’
‘That I can vouch for.’ Nathan emerged from his office and offered the prince his hand. ‘We met yesterday at the wedding, Prince Roman.’
‘It’s good to see you again, Dr Kharber.’ Roman glanced at Sonya who’d retreated into the kitchen with Anna. ‘Mr Hughes asked me to look around the town and give my view on the way it’s developing. The one facility everyone can’t seem to praise enough is your hospital. It was much needed last night’
‘Fortunately none of the injuries were life-threatening. A few broken bones, cuts, bruises, and burns. But, this hospital is hardly mine, Your Excellency. It was built by and is funded by the New Russia Company although the facilities we offer are open to the entire population of the area, not only company employees.’
‘So I understand.’
‘Please, come and see the examination rooms and operating theatre.’
Roman accompanied Nathan down the corridor. ‘I heard that you were appointed here shortly after Dr Edwards, who travelled here with Mr Hughes, died of cholera…’
Sonya picked up a cloth and began drying the dishes Anna had washed.
‘We miss you here, you know,’ Anna said.
‘So Maxim told me when I arrived.’
‘Do you miss us?’ Anna glanced at her.
‘Of course, but the translation work I do for Mr Hughes is vital for the company, and Sarah did such a good job of setting up the patient filing system here anyone can manage it.’
‘Not anyone, Yulia managed to mess it up last week, but Nathan is talking about bringing someone in to run the office as you did.’
‘I thought Vasya might take over,’ Sonya commented.
‘I had the same idea, but when I mentioned it to Yulia and Miriam, they told me Vasya is a Goldberg and the Goldbergs are a traditional Orthodox Jewish family. Apparently, no Orthodox wife would consider working outside of her husband’s home and business. Although Nathan works here, the hospital cannot be regarded as his business. Vasya considers her job as solely caring for Nathan and their home.’
‘So Nathan is looking outside the shtetl for a new office assistant?’
‘Not necessarily. He asked Miriam as well as Yulia to approach their unmarried girlfriends to see if any of them were interested and he also asked me to check if Praskovia knew anyone who could do the job.’ Anna washed the last plate and cup. ‘Would you and Prince Roman like tea?’ She lifted the kettle out of the samovar.
‘No, thank you, we’ve only just had lunch and the prince wants to see as much as possible of the town before the light fades. This is our first stop.’
‘There’s a lot for the prince to see here. All our wards are full with a mix of burn victims and the injured from last night. We also have a few bullock cart drivers who brought in the new Welsh recruits a couple of days ago.’
‘The drivers are suffering from vodka-induced dysentery after sampling the various local brews on the journey from Taganrog?’ Sonya guessed.
‘That wasn’t what Dr Kharber wrote on their medical records but it’s closer to the truth,’ Anna agreed. ‘Apparently the girls on night shift were rushed off their feet cleaning up after them when they were admitted. As for Nathan, he hasn’t left here since he came in last night just before the fire broke out. I think he was nodding off over his desk before you arrived. That’s him and the prince coming back now.’
Roman stopped outside the kitchen door and shook Nathan’s hand. ‘Thank you for the tour, Dr Kharber.’
‘I’m just about to make tea, would you like a glass?’ Anna offered. She was intrigued by the prince, not by his aristocratic status but his blond hair and oriental features. She’d overheard someone at the wedding mention that the prince’s mother had been Chinese. In Glyn’s library she’d found an album of photographs a European traveller had taken in China. Everything from the gardens and scenery to the buildings and people seemed to be so different and so much more exotic than Russia, she longed to ask the prince about the place.
‘Thank you for the invitation, Nurse Parry.’ Roman took her hand and kissed it again. ‘Some other time perhaps. We have a lot of ground to cover before sunset. Thank you, all of you, for your warm welcome, and especially you for the tour, Dr Kharber.’
Vasya’s brother Ruben charged through the door. Still covered in soot and ashes from the fire, he raced to Nathan. ‘You have to come to the shtetl, quick.’ He gasped for breath. ‘It’s your sister…’
‘My carriage is outside.’ Roman offered
Sonya his arm. Forgetting all etiquette, Nathan and Ruben ran ahead and climbed into the carriage before him and Sonya.
Hughesovka
September 1871
‘The shtetl please, Ivan.’ Roman ordered.
Sensing the urgency of Roman’s summons, Ivan cracked his whip alongside the horses and they galloped past the cold black lines that marked the outer reaches of the flames.
Although Sonya had worked through the night, she’d spent most of it in the hospital. The sight of piles of charcoaled debris where shops, houses, and businesses had stood only the day before brought tears to her eyes. Men, women, and children were out in force, shovelling ash from the ground into bins and salvaging heat-sculptured, twisted pieces of wood and metal.
Half a dozen labourers were hard at work, unloading new timber from the back of the carts that had hauled it from the New Russia Company’s yards. Carpenters were sawing the planks into lengths to form the frames of replacement buildings. Ivan drove past them to the outer limits of the shtetl, drawing the horses to a halt in front of a dense crowd that had gathered on the outskirts.
‘Stop and stay here please, Ivan,’ Roman called out.
The noise was deafening, a mixture of women’s sobs, anguished wails, angry shouts, children’s cries, and prayers being recited, in a cacophony of Yiddish and Russian.
Nathan opened the door, jumped down, and pushed his way through the throng. Ruben followed.
‘Stay here,’ Roman ordered Sonya.
‘But…’
‘No buts, I know the sound of fraying tempers at the point of turning ugly and this is it. Ivan, keep her here and take care of her,’ he commanded.
‘Yes, sir.’
Sonya noticed Roman check his pockets before he jumped down from the carriage. He fastened the door behind him before disappearing into the crowd that had swallowed Nathan and Ruben.
Burnt out shtetl
September 1871
Nathan was tall enough to see Rabbi Goldberg over the heads of the crowd, but the more he fought to reach him the more the people around him closed in and prevented him from moving in any direction. Feeling like a salted cucumber in a pickle jar, he shouted, ‘Rabbi Goldberg, where is my sister Ruth?’
Princes and Peasants Page 9