She smiled, as she lowered her arms. "Now do get dressed. I've brought your clothes."
"The voice of reason speaks." Dmitri reached for the bundle of clothing and untied the shirtsleeves, releasing the pants. "But, if you could do as you wished, what would you do at this moment?"
Camille sat up, pulled down her skirt then leaned back on her elbows in the sun. She smiled up at him as he stood up to pull on his trousers. "I would take off all this clothing and swim with you."
Dmitri stopped with his pants half buttoned. He leered at her in a manner which caused Camille to flush.
"You continue to fasten those buttons, Dmitri Bressoff! Perhaps we can indulge our whims another time. It is a family outing today and one member of this family is feeling the lack of her father’s attention."
"True." He slipped into the shirt. Legs spread, he stood before her, buttoning the cuffs of the soft flannel shirt. Camille shaded her eyes against the sun. She watched, as he fastened the buttons before tucking the shirttail into his pants. Masculinity was a potent draw that held her gaze as she watched her husband dress.
She recalled how he looked on board the Laurie, Camille wondered if her fellow passengers would recognize this rough looking man, as the cultured Count Bressoff. A woman would. Any woman who had seen him once would remember him no matter what he wore.
For a fleeting instant, she recalled how the tall red haired woman on the voyage had watched him. That woman had wanted him. She had been so naïve! Camille understood that she had missed the significance of those thinly veiled stares entirely. The woman had been traveling to Juneau. Could she be the one? It all fit together so well; it must be her!
He held out a hand to help her up. For a moment, Camille could not move. She took a moment to recover from the shock of her discovery and extended her hand.
Dmitri embraced her after lifting her to her feet. "Is something wrong? I haven't hurt you or the little one, have I?”
His concern was genuine. Camille took a deep breath. Oh yes, he had hurt her. For now, she would keep the knowledge to herself.
"Do not be silly. I am fine. I was lost in thought for a moment."
To change the subject, she looked down at his bare feet. "You should have brought shoes. Your feet will be in shreds before the day is over."
"No. I have these." He pulled a pair of moccasins from a back pocket and slipped them on after dusting off the bottom of each foot.
He offered her his arm, and they rejoined the laughing crowd on the beach. Karin, Alexis, Dmitri, and Anya played ball on a grassy patch above the beach. Helena and Gregor shouted encouragement to Anya to keep the ball away from those who were trying to gain control of it. Tatiana walked along the beach, searching for shells and other interesting flotsam.
Camille sat on a blanket, mulling over her sudden insight. When she looked at the evidence, everything was clear. Worst of all, Dmitri knew the woman would welcome him with open arms.
"Of all the insufferable, arrogant..." Realizing she was in danger of losing her temper, Camille forced herself to lie back on the blanket. She took several deep breaths. He was all of those things and her loving husband.
He had not been to Juneau since learning of her condition. Their relationship had undergone a vast improvement. As long as things were good between them, he would remain at home. Perhaps, it was difficult for him, having a young wife. She recalled his jealousy of the young officers at Olga's dinner party.
The answer dawned on Camille. She shook her head in amazement at her ignorance. She and Anya had undermined his self-confidence. Dmitri had been feeling his age. He had used the other woman to restore his sense of self-worth. For all his strength, Dmitri had weaknesses and fears, as she did.
For the first time in her life, Camille glimpsed the power a woman could wield. An unscrupulous woman could manipulate those fears for her ends. But loving him as she did, Camille knew she could not do that to Dmitri. It would emasculate him, and she did not want him reduced to a weak-willed shadow of himself. She prized his maleness.
Did her rival love him as much as she did? Would she use his wealth for her purposes? Would she try to mold them, Dmitri, Anya, and herself into a family? Camille very much doubted it.
Anya tackled Dmitri, who allowed himself to be pulled to the ground. As Camille watched, Anya pelted him with blows. Pretending to be hard pressed to defend himself, Dmitri lay on the sandy soil groaning, while Anya sat on his back screeching in delight.
The Juneau woman could just forget Dmitri. The intensity of her feelings took her by surprise. She was not immune to jealousy, something she already knew. She recalled her anger at finding him gone, on his way to Juneau so many months ago. But this was more; she wanted to protect him from someone who would hurt him without a second thought.
Camille resolved to ignore it all for the moment. These new discoveries would be tucked away for evaluation later. She knew this picnic was important to Anya. It was important for them all. Winter would soon be here. They needed to be molded into a close knit family unit, by the time it arrived. They needed to depend on each other on this island, so far from civilization.
The rough housing continued. Camille asked herself if Anya should behave in such a tomboyish fashion. As the girl appeared to be enjoying herself and had abandoned her sulking demeanor of the last few days, Camille resolved to let her be. There would be time enough to turn her into a lady when she was older.
That night, Camille lay awake beside her sleeping husband, thinking about her realizations. She wondered how many marriages had failed due to ignorance on the part of the bride. To forge a loving family, from the joining of two people, knowing little or nothing about each other was a formidable task.
The conventions of life and the social engagements, which brought people together, did nothing to allow men and women to get to know each other. Society was careful to make sure any opportunities for sexual exploration were kept to a minimum. She recalled being curious about the physical aspect of the relationship between men and women. But it was only a part of the whole. She and Dmitri now had a satisfying sex life, and they could speak to each other without a quarrel erupting.
It occurred to Camille it was possible to enjoy sex with an individual one disliked. Was it also possible to enjoy the companionship of a person and dislike the physical portion of the relationship? She answered her question and decided it was quite possible.
It was the reason people strayed into dangerous liaisons; they were looking for the things they did not find at home. Anya would be told about these things. She would see to it. The clock chimed. Camille turned to her side to sleep. It was late, and she felt tired.
The next day, the Laurie steamed into the harbor. A fat letter from Leontine and a hatbox for Camille went to Helena. They were placed in Camille's room to be opened later. Two large crates were carried up to the house into the sitting room and then opened.
Captain Devins produced a copy of a San Francisco paper for them to see. Their marriage had become a newsworthy item. The crates were full of wedding gifts, sent to Dmitri's office in Seattle.
While the men discussed business in the study, Camille with Tatiana and Helena's help opened packages. Anya was into everything. In desperation, Camille gave her the task of recording each item, along with the name and address of the sender.
The number and obvious cost of the gifts they received amazed her. More interesting yet, were the origins of some of the items. Chicago, New York, London, and Switzerland were a few of the places she noted. Plank tables got set up in the sitting room. By the time dinner was ready, everything was unpacked. While Anton and Stanislaus cleared away the debris, Camille went to her room.
There, she opened the hatbox first. Camille smiled at the contents. Anya's hat was just as she had ordered. With Leontine’s Letter in hand, she sat on the chaise, and opened it.
After finishing the first page, Camille had to stop to regain control. She was laughing so hard, it was impossible to read fu
rther. Leontine tried to explain everything. But, she was too late. The sentence at the bottom of the page, something she agreed with, was also too late.
"There are two men inside every man, if you control the one who comes to your bed, you can control the other."
Camille re-read it before dissolving into a fit of giggles. It was all too late. Perhaps her aunt had something worthwhile to say further on. Starting on the second page, Camille was delighted to find the balance of the letter devoted to things other than a lecture on wifely behavior.
At dinner, Camille found she was enjoying her uncle's company. He entertained them with tidbits of news from the outside world. The Captain had a good, if sometimes sharp, sense of humor. With a great deal of astonishment, Camille was sad to see the Laurie leave the following day.
By mid-November, a carpet of snow lay on the ground. The fireplaces now contained full loads of wood and burned all the time. Cold winds from the north buffeted the house and the surrounding forest. The sea pounded the shore on either side of the harbor which sheltered the Arctic Tern. Night lingered, as the daylight hours became shorter.
Camille's pregnancy was showing now. The children she was teaching all knew about such things and found nothing unusual in the sight. What they cared about was the knowledge Camille could give them. Information about the world beyond their island went into ardent minds. Hungry for knowledge, they were eager to learn, and Camille enjoyed teaching them.
Anya was the only difficult child in Camille's little school. Camille had expected it of Anya. Therefore, she could divert Anya's attention to things her stepdaughter found interesting. After a short time, Anya enjoyed going to school with the other children.
Camille thought Anya prized the companionship more than the lessons. Anya became a good if somewhat lazy student. Unlike Anya, Stanislaus, her almost constant companion and protector, had a deep yearning to learn. Camille knew the boy would tax her knowledge of mathematics soon. She had already ordered more advanced books on the subject for Stanislaus alone.
Dmitri argued, then pleaded with Camille, to allow him to find another teacher, as the days wore on and her condition became advanced. Camille refused to allow another individual to take over her school.
Dmitri gave in. But he insisted on two conditions she must abide by. The first was Anton or Stanislaus would drive her to the village in the winterized surrey. As Stanislaus was eager to attend, she and Anya always had a driver available. Camille promised Dmitri if she became overtired or ill, the school would be closed for the day and maybe, until the baby came.
His concerns were sound, the conditions reasonable. Their relationship had leveled out, they quarreled, but without the violence of the first few months of their marriage. Dmitri no longer suffered from the moody bursts of temper, which had terrified her before. Camille found he was a cheerful individual now that their marriage was on a firmer footing.
Leontine sent her another letter, in which she pointed out her own father had been irritable when quarreling with her mother. On thinking about it, Camille recalled several incidents when she had been punished for something she had not done, when her parents had been at odds. The same infraction, or assumed infraction, would have been overlooked at a less tense time.
All was tranquil in their household until Christmas time. It was then that Ooskada returned to the island. For the first time in ten years, he set foot in Dmitri's home.
On Christmas day, the family received guests in the sitting room. There, they wished each person a merry Christmas, while accepting their wishes for the same. The head of the households represented most all the village families with the few exceptions of trappers who could not return home for the holiday. Dmitri gave each man or his representative, a bonus payment in an envelope.
Late in the afternoon, the elders of the Indian village came to the house. Ooskada was among them. They walked with a shuffling gate into the room. Then the four men lowered the blankets and emerged into the warmth of the house.
Camille saw Dmitri stiffen. The vein in his temple throbbed. He stood and bowed to the men. All but one returned the courtesy. That one made a point of ignoring Dmitri and instead turned to Anya.
"Ooskada!" The child cried out, as she threw herself into his arms. They went into a corner of the room and spoke in a language Camille did not recognize.
Dmitri was angry, but contained it as he spoke with the three older men in Russian. Camille studied Ooskada. His hair was a dark red which surprised her. Once, he looked up at Camille. When her eyes met his, fear slid like a knife blade into her heart. He hated her. A fluttering feeling began in the pit of her stomach.
She wanted to run to her room to escape his hatred. Instead, she turned to tuck her arm through Dmitri's. That helped ground her and Camille felt safe again. At last, the elders were ready to leave. Anya followed Ooskada to the door.
Camille embraced Dmitri, then whispered. "That man hates us, Dmitri. Why?"
He held her close as he stroked her back with his hand. "Later, love. I will explain later."
***
Dmitri caught Gregor's eye and the two men left the sitting room and went to Dmitri's study. Once Dmitri shut the door behind him, Gregor cleared his throat.
"I do not like this, Nephew! He is planning something.”
"I know! What? That is the question. Were you able to hear any of what he and Anya were talking about?"
Gregor was silent for a moment. "What I heard, leads me to believe he has been away on a long journey and just returned. I know this to be the truth. He inquired after her health. I did not hear more than that."
"Then we will need to be vigilant and keep a close watch over Anya." Dmitri opened the door, motioning Gregor out before him. "I will warn Stanislaus to be on guard.”
Gregor went to the kitchen while Dmitri joined Camille in the sitting room.
Anya rejoined them after bidding Ooskada good night. The small family was subdued when they went in to dinner. Dmitri sent Anya to bed after dessert. Camille asked Karin to bring coffee for her and Dmitri. But they did not linger over the beverage. Dmitri took a few sips before putting the cup down.
"Shall we retire? I want to discuss our visitor."
Camille nodded, and Dmitri rose. He put out the lamp and together they went upstairs. A light shone beneath Anya's door. Dmitri opened the door and they surprised Anya modeling her new riding habit. She blushed, as she fidgeted for a moment.
With a sideward glance at her father, Anya strode forward to hug Camille. "Thank you! It is so beautiful."
Camille tilted the hat Anya wore to a becoming angle, then smiled into the child's upturned face. “I am glad you like it."
Dmitri leaned over to check the time on the watch he had given Anya. The girl had pinned it on the bodice of the new riding habit. "It is late. Perhaps it is bed time."
"Poppa," Anya laughed, "Did you give me this watch so you could say that?"
"Not at all." Dmitri hugged her. "But, it is late. Good night, Anya."
Camille sat at the dressing table. She watched Dmitri remove the studs from his cuffs and place them in a drawer.
As she was brushing out her hair, he caught her eyes on him in the mirror. "That was the first time since Anya's death Ooskada has been in this house."
"Then why did he come today, when he so obviously hates us?"
He bent and kissed her shoulder. "Not us dearest, me." After removing the shirt, he turned to drape it over his clothes rack. "Ooskada blames me for Anya’s death. When I refused to give him my daughter, I knew he would try to kill me."
"When did that take place? Anya knows nothing, I assume?"
Camille changed into a long nightdress of lawn and lace. As she slipped into the matching peignoir, the young woman went to stand before the fire in his room. Dmitri joined her after putting on his dressing gown. His face had a remote look as he held his hands toward the flames.
"The day Anya died, he was here. Ooskada stood in the hall and wailed. Then he
cut off the first joint of his little finger. It was as he stood there, blood dripping from his hand, that Ooskada demanded I give him my child."
Camille laid a comforting hand on his arm. His expression and tone of voice told her the memories still tormented him.
"I told him it was impossible. Ooskada reminded me of their law; descent passes through the mother. I told him by my law, the child was mine. I offered to let him help me raise her, according to both creeds. He refused. What was I to do? She was all I had left. How could I give up my daughter?"
The anguish in his voice had Camille reaching for him. She took Dmitri into her arms. "It is all past love."
"But that is not the end of it. He jumped me with his knife. I was mad with grief and hated myself and everyone else who was still alive. I meant to kill him. Instead, I broke his right arm in two places. Mother set it and sent him home. From that day to this, we have not spoken. I know he still wants Anya. I also know his hate has grown with the years."
Camille held him. You are wrong. She thought. He hates us both.
Anya's uncle terrified her. The man would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, Anya.
***
Ooskada sat before his fire dreaming. He relived the hardships he had faced in the old land. He returned to the village, where he and Anya’s ancestors came from. It was there he found the mushroom which enabled him to speak with Grandfather Raven again.
Once a week, for a great length of time, they talked. The Raven had answered many questions for Ooskada. Yethyl, the Grandfather Raven, instructed Ooskada to kill him. He was to kill, then skin him and after the flesh had rotted from the bones, preserve everything. Detailed instructions for preparing the skin gave Ooskada the most powerful of totems, a raven mask.
This mask had not been carved from wood it was formed from the skin of the Grandfather Raven. The feathers gleamed in the firelight as Ooskada inspected it. It was a snug fit and above the place where it rested on his head, the stuffed raven's head with open beak sat.
Behind the Raven Mask Page 29
