Flight From the Eagle (28 page)

Irina stammered her thanks and seemed bewildered and a little scared. She looked up quickly at Orlov, who stepped forward and gracefully thanked the Governor's wife, exerting his very considerable charm and explaining that he meant to send the Countess to his sister in Ryazan.

'It's very difficult,' he said. 'You see, she has lost her home and her only relative and there is no one to look after her but me. I am tied here for the present by my duties and must return to Headquarters as soon as I can. I hoped we might trespass on your kindness to help me find a good, reliable maid who would accompany the Countess to Ryazan and somewhere comfortable for her to stay and rest for a few days while I arrange for a carriage to take her to my sister.'

'Why, she must stay with us!' the Governor's wife repeated. 'Poor child, she must be quite worn out! I promise you, Major, I shall take very good care of her and make her very comfortable. I have just the girl for a maid—she was nurse to
my daughter's children but they are all in the schoolroom now and don't need her. You may leave everything to me with
a quiet mind, I assure you. Now,
have you any baggage, my dear?'

'I have a trunk,' Irina looked up at Orlov again and he put a comforting hand on her shoulder saying, 'It's at the barracks. I'll send Josef round with it. I can't tell you, Madame, how grateful I am to you. Irina is very precious to me. I'm deeply obliged to you for your kind offer.'

Irina also thanked her, and the Governor's wife kissed her cheek, exclaiming, 'Nonsense! Now, dear-child, you shall take off those wet clothes and go to bed at once and I shall make you a posset to help you to sleep. Say goodbye to the Major— he shall come and dine with us tomorrow evening, and you'll see him then.'

Irina obediently turned towards Orlov, giving him a ghost of a mischievous smile as she held out her hand to him. He took the hand, but kissed her lips in a slightly formal manner, wishing her a good night's rest as she went away with the Governor's wife.

The Governor invited Orlov to take a glass of wine, and plied him with questions about the journey and answered Orlov's enquiries about the course of the war as far as he was able. He had little to add to the news Orlov had gleaned from the Cossack Hetman; no battle had been fought since Smolensk; the Russian army had made a fighting retreat to somewhere around Tsarevo, and was awaiting the arrival of Kutuzov, now Commander-in-chief. Barclay had reverted to command of the First Army, with Bagration still commanding the Second.

'You'll be putting in a report?' the Governor asked as Orlov made his excuses and stood up to go.

'Indeed,' Orlov replied. 'There are several points I shall have to clarify and some recommendations I would like to make. If you'll excuse me now, I'd like to return to the barracks and see that the men are well-housed. I must say, I was impressed by the way everything was ready for us. It was a great relief to be expected like that. I was dreading the thought of trying to persuade the hospital and barrack commandants to take us in but they welcomed us most handsomely.'

'You've friends at Headquarters to thank for that!' the Governor replied cheerfully. 'Very explicit instructions were sent. Now, you'll be sure to dine with us tomorrow night? We keep reasonable hours, so we'll expect you before six.'

Orlov thanked him and sent further messages of thanks to his wife for her kindness as the Governor escorted him to the door and saw him on his way back to the barracks.

The rain was still falling steadily and the grey walked along with his head drooping. Orlov felt little better himself despite his relief at finding a safe haven for Irina. He gave a melancholy sneeze as he dismounted at the barracks and a groom led his horse away. The building was bleak, stark and uncomfortable. It was cold, but at least it was clean and dry.

Orlov found his own room and sent Josef round to the Governor's house with Irina's trunk before sitting down at the table to open the pile of letters which awaited him, sent on by Danilov, presumably. As Josef bumped his way out of the door with the trunk, he remarked impersonally that it was not wise to sit about in wet clothing and Orlov obediently changed out of his rain-soaked uniform before lying down on his bed to read his letters.

There was a lengthy report from his lawyers about the affairs of his estates which he skimmed through quickly and set aside for more detailed study later once he was sure that all was well. A couple of scented missives written on coloured paper he threw straight into the fire unopened with a feeling of shame at the recollection of past amusements.

Next, he found a long letter from Tatia, full of news about the people at Ryazan and about her own summer activities. She ended with an appeal to him to return home soon, adding, 'I hope and trust that once the French are sent packing you will be ready to leave that horrid Army and come back to your proper place. It's time you were married and raising a family, an idea which has an appeal for me also.'

He wondered whom she had in mind for herself—he hoped it was someone in particular, rather than just a generalized observation. Such a waste if Tatia spent the rest of her life as a widow or married for convenience again. He wondered what Tatia would say when she received his letter about Irina—it must be well on its way to her by now.

He left until last an official-looking srreed which t
urned out
to be his orders from Headquarters. He was in
structed to re
main at Kaluga to oversee the welfare of the m
en he had
brought from Smolensk until the doctors
either pronounced them fit for duty or discharged them unfit for further service. He was then to advice the military governors of Kaluga and Tula provinces on the training of their militiamen and supervise the collection of cavalry remounts in the area until further notice. There was also a request for a full report on his activities since he left Smolensk.

While he was reading all this through again, a thump on the door heralded the arrival of Kolniev, come to fetch him to dinner in the officers’ mess. Orlov told him about the Governor’s wife adoption of Countess Irina and Kolnier expressed relief and pleasure that she should be comfortably settled for a while. ‘She’s such a dear, plucky little thing’, he said. ‘I’m glad there’s someone to make a bit of fuss over her, especially as it
looks as if you’ll be busy.’

After dinner, Orlov spent a couple of hours writing a long letter to his lawyers about the affairs of Irina’s aunt and about the settlement he wanted to make on his future wife. There were also a number of matters concerning his estate which needed his attention. Then he wrote to his sister, telling her the latest developments with a great many more instructions and requests concerning Irina.

After that, he began his report but his head ached and he felt cold, so he abandoned it after the first two sentences and went to bed, where he lay awake listening to the rain and worrying about Irina – was she happy and comfortable? Was the Governor’s wife really being kind to her? At length, he admitted to himself that he was wakeful because he missed her and promptly drifted off to sleep.

He was very busy all the next day, which was again dismal and wet, and began by visit
ing the men in hospital where he
found Kusminsky argui
ng with the Commandant aboul the
accommod
ation provided for the men. They had been put
together in two large wa
rds when they first arrived butnow
the Commandant wanted them r
edistributed among the other
patients according to thei
r rank. Kusminsky was attempting
to obtain his cons
ent to keeping them all together.

As soon as Orlov arriv
ed, Kusminsky appealed him for
support, which Orlov immediately gave, producing his orders to oversee the welfare of the men and insisting that they must be kept together if he was to be able to do so. He won his point and the men were left where they were, rather apart from the rest of the inmates.

'Thank God for that!' Kusminsky said as they left the Commandant's office. 'There are all kinds of unpleasant things in the other wards, and most of
them are filthy. I've asked Kol
niev to send some of the fitter men in the barracks over here to scrub out the rooms we've been given, so at least they'll be clean. I'm very grateful to you for your support, Major.'

Orl
ov made a dismissive gesture. ‘I’ll
l always support you— I think you know what you're doing.'

Kusminsky asked after Countess Irina and Orlov told him about their call at the Governor's house. The surgeon said rather hesitantly, 'You'll go and see her?'

'Of course,' replied Orlov.
‘
I'm dining there tonight. Why?' he added, knowing Kusminsky well enough to realize that there was more to the question than idle curiosity.

'I just wondered if you realize how much she depends on your kindness,' the surgeon replied. 'I should imagine that aunt of hers destroyed any confidence she might have had in her own ability to attract a man. She'll be terrified that you'll lose interest in her now we're back to our comparatively normal lives. I don't imagine you've ever known what it's like to suffer from unrequited love—you're the sort of man who attracts all the female admiration he can cope with. She knows that and she'll be comparing herself with every woman she meets and thinking them all more beautiful, more clever than herself. If you really do care for her, you'll have to give her a hell of a lot of reassurance before she'll be really sure of you.'

'But surely she'll realize that I wouldn't have asked her to marry me if I didn't care for her?'

'
She'll wonder why you asked her
... pity? Your overgrown sense of responsibility? The belief that you've compromised her? Passing attraction, arising from the peculiar circumstances of the past couple of weeks? Why did you ask her? Don't tell me, tell her!'

Orlov gave a faint smile and said gruffly, 'I don't mind telling you. It's because she's a part of me. I don't feel complete without her any more.'

'That's it!' Kusminsky exclaimed. 'Tell her that—it's exactly right!'

They spent most of the morning discussing the condition of the men and concocting the medical side of Orlov's report and then visited the patients in the wards. Orlov had a hurried luncheon with Kusminsky, then went to the Paymaster's office to arrange a fairly large draft of money for his own use, for the expenses of Irina's journey and something for her to spend on any clothes she might need.

The Paymaster was a garrulous soul and like everyone else in Kaluga, anxious for news of the war and interested in Orlov's own adventures, so it was some time before he could get away. When he did, he hurried into the town to buy some things he needed for himself and, on an impulse, purchased a pretty crystal flask of perfume for Irina—something light, flowery and respectable but without a trace of lavender in it.

He had it sent round to her straight away and went back to the barracks where he sent Josef to enquire where a good carriage and horses could be hired for Irina's journey to Ryazan and tentatively raised the idea of Josef going with her. To his relief, the servant was quite agreeable. Orlov knew he had only to order him to escort her but he much preferred a willing volunteer to a pressed man.

Kolniev was waiting for him, anxious for advice about the disposal of the horses and carts and Orlov told him to offer them to the Quartermaster, who was probably ch
ronically short of transport. ‘I’l
l keep the grey,' he added. 'I've grown used to his peculiarities and I need a mount.'

The Captain had one or two more problems to raise and when they were dealt with, Orlov went to his room to write his report. He was very wet
again and surprisingly tired. As
he stripped off his wet uni
form, he thought he might just
get into bed for a few
minutes to get warm before he s
tarted to write.

He was awakened b
y Josef's return from the town and
found that he now only
had time to put on his full dress
uniform ready to dine with the Governor. Jose
had shaken
out the creas
es in the clothes, normally kept at the very botto
n of his trunk and had pressed them well. He produced a clean, well-ironed shirt and soon had Orlov looking fit to grace the galleries of the Winter Palace. As it was still raining, he had also taken the precaution of hiring a carriage for his master.

To Orlov's dismay, he found himself the guest of honour at a sizeable banquet with everyone very anxious to meet him and hear his opinion on a variety of matters from whether Smolensk should have been abandoned to whether Prince Murat was as handsome as he was supposed to be. He seemed to spend an inordinately long time shaking the hands of stout patriotic gentlemen and kissing the hands of their stout patriotic wives and pretty patriotic daughters and it took all his patience and charm to answer their questions in an affable and tactful manner when his sole aim was to hurry to Irina as quickly as possible.

He reached her eventually and had to compromise between a suitable greeting for a public meeting between an affianced couple and the embrace he would have liked to give her, with the thoroughly unsatisfactory result that his kiss was a little too warm for propriety but not nearly as warm as he wanted to make it. He held her by her thin shoulders and scrutinized her face.

She looked much less tired and strained, her eyes glowing with delight at seeing him. She was dressed in a green silk gown which didn't fit very well as it had clearly been made for a plumper woman but it was modestly low-cut and rustled and clung quite satisfactorily. He could say quite truthfully, 1 think you look beautiful!'

She coloured and smiled, saying, 'Thank you for your present. It was very good of you to remember,' and that was the limit of the private conversation they were allowed to have until almost the end of the evening.

The dinner was a good one, well-cooked and served and not too ambitious, but Orlov found the conversation very trying as he was bombarded with questions the whole time and hadn't even the consolation of being able to see Irina as all the ladies were seated together at the far end of the table in the normal provincial way. She was cut off from him by about twenty other people.

When the ladies withdrew, the Governor invited the men
to sample wine and cigars in his study and there were more questions for Orlov which soon led to an argument between some of the guests about Barclay de Tolly's ability as a general. Orlov had heard it all so many times before from serving officers who at least had some idea what they were talking about that he found it very tedious.

Eventually, he rebelled and asked the Governor point-blank if he might have a few words with Countess Irina as he wished to tell her the arrangements he was making for her journey to Ryazan. The Governor was mo
st understanding. 'My dear boy!
' he said. 'Of course! Come. We'll go seek her out.'

He accompanied Orlov to the salon where the Major was able to draw Irina aside to a sofa in an alcove and talk to her fairly privately. He told her about the carriage and Josef's offer to escort her to Ryazan.

'Have you seen your new maid yet?' he asked.

'Yes. Her name is Masha and she's very pleasant and willing. The only thing is ... I've taken her on, but I didn't know what to do about paying her. Madame advised me what she should have and it seems very reasonable, but I didn't like to say that I would have to ask you...' She broke off, embarrassed and Orlov was annoyed with himself for not anticipating this problem. He pulled out a pleasantly weighty little bag of money which he had brought for her and slipped it into her hand.

'Here, this will solve the problem,' he said. 'That's for you to spend as you please. Josef will see to all the finances of your journey so you needn't worry about that. Pay the girl whatever you think fit and buy any clothes or anything else you fancy. Don't start thanking me!' he added hastily. 'I'd rather you didn't. It only leads to arguments and me losing my temper. When do you think you'll be ready to go on to Ryazan? I don't want to hurry you but I'd like Josef back here before I have to leave Kaluga myself.'

'I'll go whenever you wish. I'm not ill or anything, you know. Madame seems to think I should be in a decline after my dreadful ordeal and I simply can't convince her that I've never enjoyed myself so much in all my life.'

'Are you fit and healthy enough for a five-day journey?' he
asked. She said she was so he suggested that she should prepare to set off the day after tomorrow. 'That will allow Josef plenty of time to be back here by the first of September, by which time I should have finished what I have to do here and be ready to go to Tula.' 'Tula? Not back to the Army?'

'Not yet,' he replied, and told her the various duties which had been assigned to him. She took hold of one of his large, capable hands with her small fragile ones and said earnestly, 'It's important, necessary work, isn't it? You won't mind? After all, men have to be trained and you'll be able to see that the cavalry get good horses. You won't mind not being where the fighting is?'

'I'm not all that fond of fighting,' Orlov assured her, smiling. 'I'm not one of your death-or-glory boys, you know! On the whole, I've a healthy respect for the safety of my own skin and I'm not heartbroken at missing the chance to
die a nasty death. Do you think
I'm a coward?' He asked the question half-jokingly, but he knew that some people would assume from his remarks that he was.

'No, just sensible," she replied. 'I know you're not a coward. I've seen you being very brave.'

He stayed talking to her until it was time for him to go and he told the Governor before he left that Irina would be leaving for Ryazan the morning after next and thanked him and his wife yet again for their kindness. He kissed Irina and murmured, 'Goodnight, Sparrow,' before he released her and was left with the uneasy feeling that her smile was a little too brave and bright to be true.

The next day was fine and sunny, pleasant after the dismal grey wetness of the previous two but Orlov had no time to enjoy it. Writing his report occupied almost the whole day as he had to collect a great deal of information from Kolniev to incorporate into it, but he finished it before dinner, which he took in the mess with Kolniev. He had included strongly worded recommendations of both the surgeon and the Captain for their efficiency and resourcefulness, giving them most of the credit for the success of the enterprise.

After dinner, he checked with Josef that everything was in order for Countess Irina's departure in the morning and then
drove to the Governor's house to call in the hope of spending an hour or so with Irina but her hosts were holding a soiree. They were very pleased to see him, but he was again in so much demand as an answerer of questions that he had little opportunity for more than a few words with her.

When he left, she held onto his hand and asked anxiously, 'Shall I see you in the morning?'

'Oh, my dear love!' he exclaimed softly. 'You don't imagine I'd let you go without coming to see you off?' He remembered Kusminsky's advice and added, 'It's like losing a part of myself. I shan't feel complete until we're together again.' The look in her eyes told him that the surgeon had been right.

In the morning, Josef went to fetch the carriage and Orlov went directly to the Governor's house, accompanied by Kolniev and Kusminsky. Sergeant Platov and several other men who were sufficiently mobile asked permission to see the Countess off too and made their way there on foot while the officers went on horseback.

The hot weather had returned and Orlov felt uncomfortably warm in his uniform, but found himself shivering from time to time, which made him wonder if he was as well recovered from his wound as he had thought. He'd been soaked to the skin three times in the past four days and still felt unaccountably tired.

The Governor met them in the entrance hall of his house with his usual warm welcome for Orlov which he was pleased to extend to the other two as well. He invited them into his study for a glass of wine while they waited for the Countess to come down and the carriage to arrive. They sat about sipping the wine, which was very good, and answering the Governor's questions as best they could, excepting Orlov who sat silent, feeling ill and unhappy.