by JG Hampton
Faberge had done it again. Mama allowed us to select our favorite Faberge eggs from her china cabinet and peruse its contents as was our custom. My favorite egg continues to be the one with the tiny wind up train, but Olga prefers the lily of the Valley egg. Mama put a small bottle of scened lily of the valley perfume within its confines. Soon the mauve boudoir smelled fragrant. Anastasia liked the one that shows her as a baby sitting on Mama’s lap surrounded by her sisters and Papa. Papa is smiling broadly even though Anastasia had been his fourth daughter. Obviously, he'd gotten over the disappointment of her birth. That smile must have comforted our Imp..
Much to my relief, my basket was loaded with chocolate eggs and caramels and good
things to eat and so was my sisters. I stuffed my mouth with these confections and ate like a pig until I was sick to my stomach; I will always remember how I felt when I saw the goodies in my basket. It’s true about opposites. Going without has made me appreciate my basket and the goodies within all the more. The chocolate had never tasted so rich, the caramels melted on my tongue, and the sweetness of the sugared almonds never tasted sweeter. My taste buds were reveling in delight.
Grandmama was not disappointed in her elaborate jewel encrusted egg either. Papa, the girls and I, visited her at the Annitchkov Palace in order to deliver the egg. She was wearing her new Easter gown of pale blue watered silk and she had large diamond earbobs in her ears. She showed us her matching bonnet of ice blue velvet with the most charming veil. Her skirt had a side pleat to accommodate walking which was a new feature Grandmama had insisted upon in the slim style hobble skirts of the era. Showing off her new sharkskin bag she'd purchased from a fellow countryman in England, we all had to touch its sandpaper like skin. Imagine making leather from a shark's skin! Olga and Tatiana drooled over her pale blue button fastened spool heeled shoes. From her new finery, one would never have known that Russia was at wore.
"In England skirts are being worn shorter due to the lack of fabric because of the war. One can actually see a woman's ankles." Papa said: "I'll have to see if I can't get an invitation now that there's a reason to visit England and Georgy." Grandmama actually laughed and it was like old times again without the strain showing in their relationship since the war began. Was it because Papa had let Paul back into the country from his banishment?
A new dish was being served at Grandmama's table: Cream puffs filled with creamed chicken with tender early peas and baby potatoes. Grandmama called it "Chicken ala King." I ate all I could stuff into my mouth along with soup and garden salad with more peas and thousand island dressing. There would be no additional dinner made from this chicken since I was ravenous. My Grandmother was not one to stint and sacrifice, if she could help it. Finally my hollow leg would be filled with delicious food, pastries, and soft white rolls with fresh butter and raspberry jam. It was just like old times. Look what Mama was missing.
I remembered my manners and made both Olga’s proud of my efforts. I did not even belch after dinner. Papa enjoyed the repast as much as I did and had third helpings enjoying the rich food after the plain food he'd eaten at military headquarters.
Grandmama had golden lockets with double headed eagles made for my sisters with her picture in them wearing her new finery as special keepsakes. Grandmama looked beautiful in the small portraits. Papa and my jewelry were designed like military medals and had the year 1915 engraved on them with the name Romanov on the bottom. We were all enthralled at the gifts which had been designed by Faberge, jeweler to the Czars. Perhaps the malicious rumors about Grandmama and her deceit were untrue after all. Papa and we children lined up and hugged and kissed her in the Russian manner before we left for the return trip to Tsar Koe Selo and Papa headed back to Stavka.
10 March 1915, 23 March 1915 - Anastasia has discovered that even Papa's brother Michael who is the heir apparent should I not live and Papa not survive, married against Papa's wishes to a woman who was not of our class. Another cousin married Papa's former mistress who was a ballerina and now has a child by her. How can that be? Who in the Romanov family can Papa trust? Perhaps I am relieved that I do not have brothers eager to betray me and take control of what is my legacy by divine right.
Dmitry is like a big brother to me in some ways because Papa took him into our family while my Uncle Paul was away. His sister Marie is like another sister to me. Perhaps that's why Mama is so dead set against Olga and Dmitry marrying or is it because Dmitry wastes his time pandering to Felix Yousopouv and other wealthy but outlandish Russian nobles at his mansion in Petrograd? Is Mama afraid that Dmitry is tainted by association with the brash Felix?
3 April 1915 - 16 April 1915 – Letters and hate telegrams continued to pour into the palace regarding my staretz who is still revered by me as well as my Mama. Even Grand Duke Nikolai tried to convince Papa to jail the muzhik, but Papa to my amazement merely told him to mind his own business. “Rasputin's association with Alexandra and Alexei are family affairs and are not fit for trial. Watch your tongue, Uncle and see to your own back." My tall, uncle turned in a huff and focused his attentions on the war instead of politics. At that time, no one appeared taller than my Papa in my eyes; he had stood up to his six foot five inch cousin. I will never forget it and will bury Papa in a long coffin when he dies so that he can really stretch out in it. Obviously, the mortal frame his spirit is trapped in currently is not long enough for his great Russian spirit. Mama was elated at the news.
Rasputin was back in town and getting rich off of his deal making, much to Papa’s dismay. He was already being paid money by the government, but I knew from my Auntie Annya that he gave most of this money away to the poor; however now he was heavily drinking. Once the monk had told me that he’d given up drinking, but now he’d returned to it like a dog to his vomit, nevertheless even my spaniel Joy knew her limits but Rasputin didn’t. Papa was disgusted with him and so am I. I believe his judgment is impaired because of his drinking. I've never seen him behaving like this or acting so debauched.
How do Dmitry and Marie like their new Mama? I would not like it if Mama died and Papa remarried. The new mansion is taking shape and is built of the best materials in Russia. Grandmama has requested that it be decorated in the new Art Nouveau style. My sisters and I can hardly wait to see it finished. Uncle Paul and his wife will be some of our closest neighbors and we will no doubt be seeing them frequently.
4 April 1915, 17 April 1915 - Every month sixty thousand soldiers die in battle. The hospitals. The hospital and palaces were filled with dea and wounded. Undertakers can not supply the coffins and many dead were buried in mass graves. Grand Duke Nikolai has stepped down at Papa's request and Papa for better or worse is now making decisive decisions regarding the movement of the army, but this is not a game of chess. Mama and we children stayed at the Alexaner palace. Mama met with ministers and wrote long letters to Papa advising him about what to do and he made many changes, so many that his head began to whirl. Mama continued to take her veronal so that she could sleep and the ministers took their so that they could meet with daunting Mama. Papa does take Mama's advice from Rasputin if it is something his own father would have done in his place.
Simanovich, leader of the secret police, who knew all about my Rasputin's misdeeds and drinking was replaced along with others that my staretz wanted removed. It seemed to me that Papa was grasping at straws in order to make decision and that he was often left with the shortest straw. In one year, he'd replaced twelve ministers. Were the blind leading the blind? Grandmama now criticizes everything Papa does making things worse. Mama was certain that Rasputin was a prophet and would guide them to victory. In my opinion, Rasputin never will be Peter the Great nor should he be. He's much too lowly.
1 July 1915 – 27 July 1915 – When will Warsaw fall? How long can the siege continue? How long can Papa act rather than react? I have set up thousands toy soldiers in different colors representing different countries and try to see what I would do if I were leading Papa's
armies? Papa's conscience is sorely tried by the needless slaughter and suffering. Soldiers are beginning to abandon their regiments. The war continues to drag on.
1 August 1915 – 14 August 1915 – Mama and I continued to read the newspapers. Riots were breaking out everywhere and workers were demanding bread. Headlines blared that Papa Czar was using the Germans to kill all of the peasants. More continued to fill up the rank and file of the regiments, but many soldiers were deserting and returning to Moscow and Petrograd.
Mama and I laughed when it was rumored that Father Grigory’s underwear was flying over the palace instead of the Russian flag, the double headed eagle. As Auntie Annya knew having done some of his wash, that would have been quite a spectacle.
I asked Mama if I should fly a pair of my underwear up there with a large R on the bum along with some of Papa’s to remind Russians who was czar and that Romanovs had ruled for centuries. Should my father's Bloody Nicholas’s be dyed red? Mama laughed at the mental picture this conjured for her and Auntie Annya. What would Catherine the Great have flown she wondered? In those days
