Gradually, the empty space fills up and the boudoir is crowded with knickknacks, flower pots, rocking chairs and tiny silk couches. Drawers and tables bulge with letters, files, photographs—the products of an exuberant family of seven. Nicky and Alix are both older now; the eldest of the children is twelve. It is a summer day; even the breeze is faintly hot. The living rooms smell of clean cotton cloth, Violette perfume, and warm green grass, little indoor breezes stirred up by four very energetic children. The girls run from outdoors to inside very frequently, flowers, stones and papers clutched in their hands. At this moment, most of the girls are lingering outside. Maria and Anastasia are sprawled in the dirt just by the door, making dugout houses in the ground. Tatiana stands slightly away, picking at a stalk of wheat that reaches her knees. She rubs her eye with her free hand. Olga is just wandering inside, a stem full of tiny, fluffy daisy-like flowers in her hand. She turns a corner and skips methodically through another doorway surrounded by colorful religious icons. Saint Feodor’s “Mother of God” stands out as always to her. There, in the boudoir, sit her mother and brother, resting. Alix smiles sleepily at her oldest daughter. Then she scratches one eyebrow and says:
“I hope you girlies aren’t getting too dirty out there.”
Olga laughs. She rubs her nose and holds the daisies out to Alix. “I got these for you.”
The woman on the sofa smiles widely and accepts the gift with real pleasure. “Thank you, my darling! They’re very pretty. What tiny little petals.” Five-year-old Alexei, reclining next to his mother, ignores this exchange and squints at a picture book. All the windows are open wide and the cool airy room feels more outside than in, though Alexei being in the real outdoors, under the hot sun, would worry his mother. Olga moves her gaze from Alix to Alexei and states simply, “Alyosha”.
An imperial “Chto?” is her answer. She grimaces—her brother is being difficult today—and asks, “Want something from outside, dear?”
“Neechevo.”
“Nastya found beetles.”
Alix looks up, startled, and pronounces, “Absolutely not. Not in here.” She glances back down at her sewing, blinking rapidly in the sunlight, and Olga rolls her eyes. Then, trying again, she entices Alexei. “But do you want some crystals? I found a big one. And violets. Big ones too.”
Alexei looks up, clearly interested. “Pozaluista.”
Olga leaves, running and giddy from interesting Alexei in something. He feels weak today, though the bright weather outdoors is hard to ignore and almost overshadows the problem. Bounding down the stairs, she gallops over to Tatiana, her confidante. The air smells like bread.
“We’re getting things for Alexei.”
The latter runs to collect stalks of wheat and the two youngest pick smooth stones from the ground. Olga hoists up the large rock crystal and holds it under her arm, then struggles to pick violets while still holding it. When the four girls have collected enough, they hurry back inside with their findings, giggling and pleased to be bringing so much. Alexei’s eyes widen when he sees the mounds of gifts and he grins, putting down his book, forgetting to be imperial.
Alexandra laughs. “Girls!”
Olga hands Alexei the crystal and he examines it delightedly. Then the other girls fill his arms with stones, flowers, grass and large green leaves, grinning and watching his happy expressions, Anastasia patting his arms and face as she laughs. Alix watches nervously as her son strokes the sharp crystals, but slowly relaxes when she sees him smile. She knows he’ll be careful.
“I want to take a picture now,” he says in English, the real indicator of his pleasure.
So the girls pile into the mauve armchair by the window, curtains billowing in the warm draft. Squashed in the middle, Maria giggles and kicks at the ground with her toes. Olga rests her left arm on the windowsill, feeling suddenly weary. Anastasia takes a pose she has become fond of recently, clutching the charm around her neck and turning slightly to one side. Tatiana, seeing Alexei struggle with the camera on the nearby sofa, bites her fingernail. Then the photo is taken.
