"Not so. My childhood left me hungry. It is one hunger I have never been able to appease. I do intend to be satisfied one of these days. I am hoping Juneau will give me the means to obtain my desires. I have no intention of staying hungry all my life."
Dmitri's fingers were interlaced, and his forearms rested on the railing. "I believe you will attain your goal. Juneau contains a wealth of opportunity for an enterprising individual."
Vanessa smiled at Dmitri as she put one hand on the railing and slid it toward him, her fingers barely touched his arm. "Be sure to call on me in Juneau. I would be offended if you were there and did not bother to look me up."
Dmitri glanced over at her, before looking back toward the shore. "I do not often go to Juneau. Sitka is more to my liking."
Vanessa sighed. Dmitri looked back into her blue eyes. "However, who knows? I have heard a few interesting things about the place. Perhaps I will have to visit Juneau occasionally."
Vanessa laid her hand on his arm. "Then I will not say goodbye to you, Dmitri. I shall see you in Juneau." She squeezed his arm and turned to walk away.
Dmitri turned his attention back to the shore. This was his home. Steep fjords cut deeply into the lush greenery around him. The whole Inside Passage was a maze of channels and islands. Sheer cliffs plunged into the sparkling water. Huge trees crowded against each other, all the way down to the water in places. Here and there, gravel beaches dotted the landscape.
A black bear spotted the boat, then lumbered away into the forest, leaving its half-eaten fish. With a cry of victory, an eagle dove down to pick at the bear's leavings. Here, Dmitri was content.
Camille returned a few minutes later to find Dmitri where she had left him. Her husband was staring at the wilderness around them with a strange half smile.
"Look there!" Dmitri pulled her in front of him. Extending his arm, he pointed to the shore. "A moose."
A huge brown animal stood on the shore, watching the Laurie steam past. It was the largest animal Camille had ever seen. An ungainly head was perched on the massive body, which in turn was supported on thin legs.
Camille stared at the animal until it was well astern. "Are there many of those here?"
Dmitri laughed. "There are a great many of them in Alaska. There are bear and deer here as well. In the interior, caribou range in great herds across the tundra. This country is swarming with game. A man can live off the land here and live well."
She nodded. "Alaska is interesting." Camille watched for a few moments more, then moved away from him.
"I think I will go inside to help Gregor with the packing." She looked up at Dmitri inquiringly.
He shook his bare head. "No need. You do not need to worry. Gregor probably has everything ready by now. If not, you would only upset him. Gregor is very independent; he does not appreciate being watched over."
Camille shrugged. It was going to be hard, adjusting to having things done for her. When she was born, her family possessed servants. Then, after the war, poverty forced her mother to assume the household chores. Camille and her Aunt Leontine grew up doing chores.
It always made Leontine angry, when Camille called her ‘aunt’. Leontine was her father's baby sister, only four years older than Camille. After Camille's parents died in a yellow fever epidemic, Leontine held everything together. She must remember to write to Leontine. Camille would miss her aunt a great deal.
Late in the afternoon, the Laurie rounded a point, slowed, then nosed into a fjord. The steamer slowed to a crawl. Sounding the whistle, the pilot of the steamship eased it slowly forward. The Laurie cleared the entrance to the fjord and entered a sheltered bay.
A wharf of wood and rocks jutted out into deep water. A crowd of people began to gather. They were yelling and waving to the Laurie.
Dmitri became very animated and began to shout back. As soon as the ship was close to the wharf, he jumped from the boat to the pier. Everyone clustered around him. They were speaking to each other in a foreign language. Camille assumed they were probably speaking Russian.
She looked around her at Dmitri's home. A stream dashed into the head of the bay. On a small knoll overlooking the pier, was a huge log house. A wide porch enclosed the house. Camille noticed it was a two story building. The logs were a weathered gray color and the structure looked as if it had always been there.
Now, this was to be her home as well as Dmitri's. Camille was eager to see what the interior of the house was like. In many ways, its architecture reminded her of the plantations around New Orleans.
Gregor came down the gangplank as soon as it touched the wharf. Two large men followed him, carrying her trunk, along with Dmitri's. Gregor cleared a path on the crowded pier for himself and his helpers.
Dmitri shouted something in Russian. Everyone fell silent. He walked back up the gangplank. Reaching Camille, Dmitri took her arm. "Ready Countess?" He asked with a smile.
Camille brushed a hand down the front of her coat before glancing up at him. Her eyes searched his face before she nodded slightly.
Dmitri escorted her down the rocking gangplank. In the center of the crowd, a young girl stood by herself.
This must be his daughter. Camille thought as she walked toward her. The auburn haired child held herself stiffly erect. Almond shaped gray eyes watched Camille carefully. Something about the small heart shaped face reminded Camille of a cat. Dmitri was right, this would not be easy. Anya already disliked her.
"Hussy!" Anya whispered to herself, upon hearing her father's declaration that he had brought home a wife.
This grasping woman has taken advantage of my father. Anya was careful to keep her thoughts to herself. Her face took on a reserved look Dmitri knew well. Angry thoughts flashed through her mind. Anya clenched her hands together, in an effort to stay calm.
"Camille, this is Anya, my daughter. Anya, Camille is now your stepmother, and," Dmitri raised his voice slightly, "The Countess Bressoff."
The crowd answered with a cheer. Camille looked into the child's eyes. There, she found raging hatred, staring back at her. This one was much like her father. Camille shook her head; Anya did not wish to share her father with anyone.
Whatever was she going to do? Camille was becoming uneasy, in the face of such arrogance from a child. Camille fought against the anxiety, threatening to overpower her. She and Dmitri were married. It was a fact, one that must be faced by all involved, including this angry child.
Anya's gray eyes stared at her, searching her face. Camille recalled how resentful she was when Leontine married Samuel. Leontine was the only family she had left. Sharing her aunt's affection and time was difficult at first. Anya was young. In time, they might come to like one another. Camille ventured a small smile at Anya.
"Good day."
"And to you, Madam." Anya curtsied and reached out to take her father's other arm. With Camille on his right and Anya on his left, Dmitri started up the gravel walk to the house. He felt the tension but was careful to let neither female realize he was aware of it. He intended to remain neutral in this particular struggle. Both Anya and Camille would need him.
Tatiana met them at the front door. She was a tall, thin woman with gray hair. Her thin lips drew together tightly, on learning Camille was her new mistress. Dmitri took Camille to the sitting room, where he left her with Anya for company while he went back on board the Laurie to speak with Devins.
Anya excused herself, as soon as her father left the house and Camille was left alone. Sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs, she looked out the window before her. The elevation of the house gave it a good view of the harbor. The Laurie was tied up on one side of the wharf.
A smaller boat was moored on the other side. The sailboat with two masts bobbed gently on the green water. The smaller vessel must be their only transportation to other cities. What an unusual place this was. It was a lovely setting yet, so isolated. Dmitri lived in a small, close knit world.
Shifting her gaze, Camille looked around the roo
m. It was beautiful. Wide honey colored planks paneled the walls of the sitting room. Wider planks formed the floor. The twin overstuffed chairs were upholstered in dark gold colored brocade. The sofa was covered in olive green velvet. Heavy drapes, made of an olive green and gold print framed the large window. A huge, white fur rug lay before the fireplace. The furniture was of the same honey colored wood as the walls and floors.
Dmitri's home had a welcoming, comfortable air about it. Camille wondered what the rest of the house looked like. What an unexpected treasure to find in the wilderness.
In some ways, this house reminded her of the house she lived in as a small child. The wide porch which encircled the building was called a gallery in Louisiana. Camille now understood Dmitri's eagerness to be home.
Tatiana entered, then walked over to stand next to Camille's chair. "Madam, would you care to go upstairs to your room?"
"Yes, thank you. I am looking forward to seeing the rest of the house also."
"I am sure the Count will be happy to show you the balance of the house shortly, Madam."
Tatiana started up the staircase, with Camille following behind. At the head of the landing, Tatiana opened the first door on the right.
"This is your room, Madam."
Camille stepped past her into the room. A reddish satiny wood paneled these walls. Two windows looked out on the lush forest. A chaise lounge, covered in blue velvet, sat before one window. The bedcover was a white crochet spread, lined with blue velvet. Blue velvet covered two chairs and a rocker that sat before the fireplace. Here, a thick black fur rug sat before the hearth.
Tatiana gestured toward another door. "This is the dressing room. The Count's room opens onto the dressing room. As so." Tatiana opened the dressing room door, walked through the room to the door on the opposite side. After opening the door into Dmitri's room, the old woman stood to one side to allow Camille entry.
Reluctant to view his room with Tatiana watching, Camille returned to her quarters, leaving the housekeeper to shut the doors. The older woman, hands folded before her, walked over to Camille.
"Is there anything you would like, Madam?"
"Some warm water, please. Oh, and please call me an hour before dinner. I think I would like to have some time alone. I need to settle in."
"As you wish." Tatiana left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.
Once the older woman left, Camille returned to the dressing room and opened her door. She carefully opened the connecting door into Dmitri's room and peeked around the edge of the door. Noting the room was empty, she walked in carefully.
This room was furnished in burgundy velvet, with a large brown fur rug between the bed and the fireplace. A reddish, colored, satiny wood paneled the walls in his room, as it did in hers. On the nightstand next to Dmitri's bed, was a miniature.
An older version of Anya was pictured. Heavy mahogany red hair hung straight down on either side of the heart shaped face. Almond shaped gray eyes stared out at the world above high cheekbones.
Her beauty had a touch of the savage about it. What a beautiful woman his first wife had been. Camille reached down to touch the picture. With a fingertip, she traced the flowers on the bottom of the silver frame.
Had his first wife been frightened of Dmitri? No, not this woman. She would have been afraid of little. Fearlessness was in the tilt of her chin, in the look in her eyes. A feeling of inadequacy caused her to pull away from the small painting. She certainly could not compete with this untamed beauty. Camille turned away to walk from Dmitri's room, and she quietly closed the connecting doors behind her.
The chaise lounge, which sat before one of the two windows, facing the silent forest, invited her to sit and rest. In the woods beyond the windows, huge ferns filled the spaces between the large trees. Numerous other plants she did not recognize, carpeted the balance of the forest floor.
The wilderness beyond the house was unlike any forest she had seen before. It was primeval and not at all inviting, in the usual sense. The forest reminded her of the bayous of Louisiana. There was something dark and mysterious about the scene laid out before her.
Camille turned away from the window and glanced around the room. It was furnished with a woman in mind. Had his wife slept here? Or, had this been his mother's room? The easy chairs, the rocker, were all scaled to a woman's size.
Delicate carvings of intertwined vines decorated the gleaming wood. The white crochet bed spread was of a lacy pattern. Touches of the same delicate lace could be seen beneath the water pitcher and the kerosene lamps.
A gentle tap on the door startled her. "Come in," Camille called out.
A young girl entered with a pitcher of water. With a shy smile, the girl bobbed her head before turning to fill the pitcher on the washstand. When finished, she made a curtsey in Camille's direction and scampered out.
Camille washed her face and hands before stretching out on the chaise. The view again captured her attention. The amazing variety of plants intrigued her. Green was the predominant color here. More shades of green than she had ever imagined existed, could be seen from her window.
The silent forest both interested and repelled her, at the same time. It was so dense, so dark, at its heart. She longed to explore but wondered how one got about in the thick growth. The view was relaxing. Eventually, Camille fell asleep on the chaise lounge.
Watching his men unload the supplies from the Laurie, Dmitri pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at it. In a few hours, it would be time for dinner. Turning away from the wharf toward the path to the house, he wondered how Camille was settling in. Once inside, he went upstairs to look in on her.
Finding her asleep on the chaise, he quietly shut the door and leaned his head over the balcony. Dmitri called out for Tatiana. A door opened, and his old nurse stepped into view.
"Sir?" She looked up at him.
"Did Madam ask you to call her for dinner?"
Tatiana nodded. "She requested to be called an hour before."
Dmitri was silent for a moment as he drummed his fingers on the balcony rail. "Do you think Helena still remembers how to be a ladies maid?"
The thin woman smiled. "It is all she ever talks about. How she used to do for your mother. Do you wish to have her sent for? She is probably waiting at home for you to summon her back to duty. You know what a fidget she can be."
Dmitri grinned down at Tatiana. "Please, send for her. But, send her to me first."
"At once, Sir." Dmitri opened the door to his room. With a sigh, he sat down in one of the comfortable chairs. A tap on his door announced Gregor's presence with his hot toddy.
"Well, Uncle, we are finally home." Dmitri took the mug from Gregor with a slight nod. "Have a seat. Are you planning to return to the village?"
Gregor shook his head. "Not immediately, Nephew. This last portion of the trip has been most entertaining."
"For you perhaps!" Dmitri sipped the hot toddy, as he considered what he would say next. "I am truly sorry to have been such a trial to you this trip. I have apologized more to you in the last few days, than in years."
The Tlingit elder smiled at his nephew. "I must tell you, Dmitri; I do forgive you. I would probably be in as much confusion, if I found myself in the muddle, you are in. And all will be made even more difficult with Anya added to the mix."
"Truly! So you will be staying at the house for a time?"
The other man rose. "I shall. But now, I will leave you, there is much to do before dinner. Have a pleasant evening."
Gregor left. Dmitri sat in the chair sipping his drink, as he watched the unloading of the Laurie from his window. All was going well. The winter supplies were almost all stacked on the pier. In an hour, his men would begin loading the furs on board the ship. By tomorrow afternoon, all the lumber would be loaded as well.
When Devins got to Juneau with the lumber; it would have doubled or tripled in value. They would both earn a tidy profit. Finished lumber was hard to get. People were buying all
they could find.
Juneau was a growing city. Buildings were springing up like mushrooms after the spring rains. There was money to be made in Juneau.
What bothered him was his abetting the growth of the town. Contributing to the boom was distasteful. He disliked the thought of another city entrenching itself in the forest. Dmitri shook off his anxieties, as it was inevitable.
The furs would go back east. They were prime and their sale alone would net a small fortune. This phase of his operation was common knowledge along the West Coast; therefore, he didn't particularly mind Devins’ intrusion.
There were other things, however, which must never become common knowledge. He was not well known in the business community back east and intended to keep the status quo. When a person became too well known, they lost their privacy. Privacy was one thing Dmitri intended to guard.
Dmitri Bressoff was a silent partner, in varying concerns, throughout the United States. The Osvick Company owned shares in many enterprises. He was a rich man, who was getting richer. Damn few people knew of his existence. It was a situation entirely to Bressoff's liking.
He watched Helena hurry up the path to the house. The older woman reminded him of a fat porcupine waddling up the hill. Her white hair hung in braids to her waist. His mother's maid would be good for Camille with her constant chatter and good humor.
Tatiana was too taciturn. If one didn't know her well, she could be thought sullen. But Tatiana had her own brand of humor. It would probably take Camille a while to appreciate Tatiana for the jewel she was. Until Camille felt at home here, Helena would ease her over the rough spots.
A sharp rap on his door told Dmitri; Helena had arrived. "Yes. Enter, Helena."
She was fairly dancing along in her excitement. Helena tried to drop him a curtsy.
"Enough of that." He chuckled. "You are too old and plump."
"Yes, sir!" She grinned at him. "I hoped you would send for me when I heard the good news. I understand the young countess does not have a maid. We have not had a lady in this house for a very long while. It is way past time if you ask me."
Behind the Raven Mask Page 7