“Do you know that he has never spent that much time away from his duties before? I’ve served him for a long time, and not once has he ever holed up in a room for days on end, not with another woman.”
Hope threaded through me at her words. “I—we—”
Vera looked over at me, arching her brow. “You don’t have to explain it to me. I know exactly what you were doing.”
Of course she did. Luckily, before I had to answer, Ivan walked through the door, a kind smile on his face. “How can I help you, Sveta Stanislavovna?”
“I—” I started. “I need to go where my husband is. It’s very important.”
His frown was puzzled. “Go?”
I nodded. “I have something to tell him, and it’s imperative I tell him as soon as possible and in person. Do you happen to know where he went?”
Ivan shook his head. “I don’t. But if you insist on going to him, I can find out.”
“Thank you,” I replied. “I need to go to him.” Surely Gavril could step away for a few moments so that I could tell him the news, and then we could talk about it later on. After all, there wasn’t much to discuss. He had completed his plan, and I didn’t know where that left me at all in his life.
Ivan gave me a slight bow and pulled out his phone, stepping away to make the call. I waited with bated breath while he conversed with the person on the other end, nervously glancing at my watch as he did so. Maybe if we waited long enough, Gavril would be home and I wouldn’t have to track him down.
Finally, after a few moments, Ivan re-joined me and Vera, who hadn’t strayed far from my side.
“He’s at the docks, according to Anatoly,” he said. “He is busy.”
“I’m afraid that I must insist,” I said rather forcibly, feeling horrible that I had done so. I didn’t want to pull the whole you-have-to-do-what-I-say-routine, but if he denied me, then I would pull rank. “As I said. It is imperative I tell him as soon as possible and in person.”
“Take her, Popov,” Vera said suddenly. “Master told us to listen to her. If she wants to go, who are we to stop her?”
I could have kissed the woman. “I don’t want to be a pest about this.”
Ivan’s jaw clenched, but he gave me a tight nod. “I will bring the car around.”
I loosened a breath as he disappeared through the door and pocketed the cell phone. “I’m not trying to leave in any other way,” I said to Vera. “Just—I think that my husband should hear the news from me.”
Vera gave me a long look. “I agree,” she finally stated. “And I don’t think you are the type to run from anything, Sveta.”
My name came with a little smirk, telling me that the older woman knew that I wasn’t even close to the real Sveta. What she thought, I didn’t know, but I guessed it didn’t matter either. She was telling me that she trusted me, and that was all that mattered.
“Thank you,” I answered softly. “And for what it’s worth. You guessed correctly.”
“I know.” She lifted her chin. “And I think that you are good for him. The best thing that has ever happened to him.”
“He’s good for me,” I replied as Ivan walked back into the house. “And I mean that.”
She didn’t answer, but there was no need. We were finally on the same page when it came to Gavril.
“Are you ready, Sveta Stanislavovna?” Ivan asked, his cap in his hands.
I straightened my shoulders and nodded. I didn’t think there was any other way to be ready for what I was going to tell Gavril, but the time had come that he needed to know what we had done.
His future was secure.
He had finally gotten Sveta Stanislavovna Orlov, or at least the person everyone thought was Sveta Stanislavovna Orlov, pregnant.