[cont.]
When he returns to St. Petersburg, there are already rumours, some of them so nasty, he writes to Paul that he "can’t even repeat".
On New Year’s Eve he writes to Paul that it has been a “Good Year”.
GD Sergei leaves for Darmstadt for the official engagement and on 19th Feb 1884 he writes to Maria Feodorovna from Darmstadt : “I’m happy and content here – with all my soul I’m thanking God for my happiness, hoping to be worthy of such great joy. Dmitry Serg[eevich Arsenev (his tutor)] will tell You everything – he’s enchanted by dear Ella – it has to be said that it’s hard not to be! [..] I have to say that on one of the groups [photographs that he sent] I have a little dumb expression. They say it’s because of the happiness – I really hope it’s not true!!!”
He’s very sad that Paul’s not with him, but writes a very lovely letter to him on 22 Feb 1884:
“[..] We went right to the Neues Palais, where was the happiness of meeting Ella. I forgot to tell that Shpunia [Sergei’s dog] is with me.
You know how much I miss you, my dear! I would love to share these happy moments with you. I’ll tell you more – if you were here with me right now, I would be even happier. That you and Olya [Olga Konstantinovna] almost won’t see me as a groom leave me in a little despair. Ella gave me a ring with a sapphire and two diamonds that I wear with the rings of Maman and Olga. I found a complete spring here - the leaves are opening, as well as spring flowers and the air is warm. In a word – the air is heavenly. Everything is going great. Ella, if possible, is even more beautiful. We’re sitting together a lot; in the mornings she’s in my room and I’m teaching her a little bit of Russian. “God save the Tsar” [the anthem] among other things. We’re already walking alone through all Darmstadt and yesterday we two paid a visit to old Trota [an old lady in waiting, very loved by Empress Maria Alexandrovna]; I’m always very emotional visiting her, because those are the same rooms, where dear Maman lived in her childhood, and on one of the windows Mama has even written her name in 1835. We went to photographer with Ella. I’ll send you the photographs, they’re quite funny and nice. [..]
I dare to continue my letter after dear Ella wrote a couple of lines to you [there was a page in English written by Ella (unfortunately, I do not have this letter)]. [..] I got the idea to invite him [commander of Preobrazhenski regiment, prince Nikolai Obolenski] here, he was very moved by it and arrived immediately and was completely charmed by Ella. [..]”
There were dinners and dances (where he danced with Ella a lot, but thought the way they waltz in Germany is awful.) etc.
In the end of March he writes to Paul from St. Petersburg: “I was hoping to go to Darmstadt for the wedding of Ludwig [Battenberg and Irene of Hesse], but yesterday I got the message about the death of Leopold, the son of the Queen, and, it’s likely that all the plans are destroyed. Right now I don’t know what’s going to happen and when I’ll go there. I’m very sorry. Ella and her sisters loved this uncle very much.”
Two days later he writes again: “Ella writes to me wonderful letters every day, and once even a small letter in Russian, which she wrote all by herself. Of course, it’s very funny and with mistakes, but still amazing. Now I’ve found her a Russian teacher, who will go to her.”
He still goes to Darmstadt several times before the wedding. On 28th March, but he couldn’t stay for the Battenberg wedding (which was on 18th of April), because GD Konstantin was getting married on 15th and he had to be back in Russia for it. At this time he also meets Queen Victoria for the first time, who finds him “Very tall and gentleman-like, though very thin and delicate.” He writes about this to Konstantin: “It was very nice and peaceful in Darmstadt. I finally met the Queen – what a face – but with me very friendly.”
He returns for a few days to Darmstadt again on 9th -14th May.
And then he sends a train decorated with white flowers that would take Ella and all her family to St. Petersburg.
