‘I’ll say she isn’t,’ said Nikolay, apparently offended at the very idea. ‘As for me, Auntie dear, like a good soldier I don’t force myself on anyone, but neither do I refuse anything that turns up,’ Rostov blurted out unthinkingly.
‘All right. But do remember – this is no joking matter.’
‘Of course it isn’t!’
‘Yes, yes . . .’ said the governor’s wife, apparently to herself. ‘Oh, there is one other thing, dear boy. You’re making rather too much of that other lady – the blonde. I know the husband’s a pathetic creature, but really . . .’
‘Oh no, he and I are the best of friends,’ said Nikolay in all his simple-heartedness. It had never crossed his mind that what he saw as a pleasant pastime could be offensive to anybody else.
But over supper he remembered what had happened.
‘I was a bit stupid saying things like that to the governor’s wife!’ he thought. ‘She’s going to start fixing things up, and what do I do about Sonya?’
When the time came for him to take his leave of the governor’s wife, and she said to him once again with a smile, ‘You won’t forget, will you?’ he took her to one side.
‘There is just one thing . . . To be quite candid, Auntie dear . . .’
‘What’s all this then? Come on over here, my dear, and sit down with me.’
Nikolay felt a sudden urge, a need even, to pour out all his innermost feelings (those things he would never have spoken about to his mother, his sister, or even a close friend) to this woman, who was virtually a stranger. Later on, whenever Nikolay remembered this inexplicable, spontaneous outpouring, even though it was to have highly important consequences for him, it seemed to have come about by a sudden silly impulse, as things like this always seem to have done. But at the same time this outburst of plain speaking, along with one or two other little things, really were to have consequences of massive importance to him and his whole family.
‘It’s like this, Auntie dear. Mamma has been trying for ages to get me married off to an heiress, but I hate the idea of marrying for money.’
‘Oh, yes, I can see that,’ said the governor’s wife.
‘But Princess Bolkonsky’s different. For one thing, I can honestly say I like her very much. I feel close to her. And apart from that, ever since I happened across her in such an odd situation, I know it sounds weird, but I can’t help thinking fate had a hand in it. I mean, just think: Mamma has been dreaming about this for ages, but she and I have never happened to meet before. Something has always happened to stop us meeting. Then, while ever my sister, Natasha, was engaged to her brother, it was obvious there couldn’t be any question of my marrying her. I had to meet her first just at the time when Natasha’s engagement had been broken off, and after that, well . . . So you see how it is. I’ve never said this to anyone before, and I never shall again. You’re the only one.’
The governor’s wife thanked him by squeezing his elbow.
‘Do you know my cousin, Sonya? I’m in love with her. I’ve promised to marry her, and I’m going to marry her . . . So you see. It’s out of the question.’ Nikolay was bright red and becoming incoherent.
‘My dear, dear boy, you mustn’t talk like that. Why, Sonya hasn’t a penny to her name, and you told me yourself your papa’s affairs are in a terrible state. And what about your mamma? Well, it would kill her, for one thing. And for another, Sonya, if she has any heart at all, what kind of life would it be for her? Your mother at her wits’ end. The family facing ruin. Oh no, my dear, you and Sonya will have to understand how things are.’
Nikolay said nothing. It came as a great relief to hear these arguments.
‘Anyway, Auntie dear, it’s not to be,’ he said with a sigh after a brief silence. ‘And in any case, would the princess have me? Don’t forget she’s still in mourning. It’s unthinkable, isn’t it?’
‘What makes you think I’m going to get you married off here and now? There are different ways of going about things,’ said the governor’s wife.
‘I can see you know a thing or two about matchmaking, Auntie dear . . .’ said Nikolay, placing a kiss on her plump little hand.
CHAPTER 6
