Zoya полностью

CHAPTER

40

They managed to keep it a secret from the children until June, when Sasha walked in on them one day, kissing passionately in their kitchen. She stared at them in mute horror, and then stalked off, locked herself in her room, and wouldn't come out until after dinner, when Nicholas threatened to knock the door down if she didn't come out and act like a human being. He was greatly offended by his sister. He liked Simon, and he was beginning to hope that he was serious about his mother. Simon had been nothing but kind to all of them, taking them for drives on Sunday afternoons, and out for dinner whenever possible, and bringing them thoughtful presents. He picked Nicholas up at school in his Cadillac more than once, and he had brought the children a radio, which they all loved dearly.

“Behave yourself!” Nicholas warned her angrily. “And go apologize to Mama!”

“I will not! She was kissing him in the kitchen.”

“So what? She likes him.”

“But not like that … that's disgusting!”

“You're disgusting. Now go tell them you're sorry.”

She skulked off to the living room, and refused to look at Simon. And that night, after he left, Zoya finally told her.

“I'm very much in love with him, Sasha.” The girl began to cry, as Nicholas listened from the doorway.

“What about Papa? Didn't you love him?”

“Of course I did … but, darling, he's gone now. He's been gone for a long time. It might be nice to have someone with us who loves us. Simon loves you and Nicholas very much.”

“And I like him too,” Nicholas staunchly defended Simon, which touched Zoya. “Are you going to get married?” he asked her gently, and looking from one to the other, she nodded, as Sasha burst into fresh hysterics.

“I hate you! You're ruining my life!”

“Why, Sasha?” The child's reaction troubled her deeply. “Don't you like him? He's such a nice man, and he'll be so good to us.” She tried to take her in her arms, but the overwrought child wouldn't let her.

“I hate you both!” Sasha wailed, not even sure why she was saying it, except perhaps to upset her mother. But Nicholas was instantly furious, leaping toward the sobbing figure on the bed.

“Apologize or I'll slap you!”

“Stop it! Both of you! This is no way to start a new life.”

“When are you getting married?” Sasha stopped crying long enough to ask.

“We don't know yet. We wanted to give it a little time.”

“Why don't you do it this summer, and then we can all go away together?” Nicholas offered, and Zoya smiled. It sounded like a good idea to her, and she knew Simon would be pleased, but the prospect obviously didn't appeal to Sasha.

“I won't go anywhere with you.”

“Yes, you will, we'll just stuff you in a suitcase and go, and then at least we won't have to listen to you.” She turned her fury on her brother then with an anguished look.

“I hate you! I'm not going anywhere with them,” she sniffed loudly and glared at her mother, but Nicholas had her pegged as he turned accusing eyes on her.

“You know what you are? You're jealous! You're jealous of Mama and Simon.”

“I'm not!”

“You arel” They went on shouting and Zoya despaired of ever having peace again, but by the next day when she told Simon, Sasha had calmed down, although she was plainly not speaking to her brother.

“I like Nick's idea best,” he said sympathetically. He knew how difficult Sasha was sometimes for Zoya to handle. He got along with her well enough, but she seemed to make constant demands on her mother, for her attention, her time, new dresses, new clothes, and she was constantly testing her limits. “Why don't we get married in July, and go to Sun Valley with the children?”

“Wouldn't you mind taking them on our honeymoon?” She was amazed at how kind he was, how willing to accept her children as his own, and it touched her deeply.

“Of course not. Would you like that?”

“I'd love it.”

“Done,” he said, and kissed her, before going to look at a calendar. “How about July twelfth for our wedding?” He beamed at her as she put an arm around his waist. She hadn't been this happy in a long, long time. And it had actually become difficult, waiting to marry him. All she wanted now was to be his, for a lifetime.

“What will your mother say?”

He thought about it and then smiled. “We'll have her talk to Sasha. They were made for each other.” Zoya laughed then as he kissed her.

CHAPTER

41

On the twelfth of July, 1936, Simon Ishmael Hirsch and Zoya Alexandra Evgenia Ossupov Andrews were married by a judge in the garden of Axelle's pretty little brownstone on East Forty-ninth Street.