Love in E Flat (30 page)

“Oh, good idea, John. I have plenty,” Edie said, jumping up.

She caught Dmitry watching her; he immediately buried his head in his cocoa. She glanced at Ana, who was trying to feed Brown Bear a cookie, and made a mental note to find out how to clean the stuffed animal.

Chapter 22

“Tell them thanks, Lou, but I promised my wife to do some Christmas shopping this afternoon. Hey, you won’t need me tonight, will you?” Nick asked as he put his cab in gear.

“No, don’t worry about it. You’ve been great. I’ll give you a call. Have fun shopping.” Lou stepped back as he pulled down the driveway.

“Yeah, right!” he called out and waved. “Have a great night, ladies.”

Agata and Lou waved as he pulled down the street and out of sight. “He is truly a good soul,” Agata said. She turned to Lou. “And so are you.”

“You think so, huh?”

“I do. I am good judge of character. And you, Comrade Preston, are a character.”

Lou laughed along with Agata, who easily slipped her hand in the bend of Lou’s arm. With the other, she carried her cello case.

“Why won’t you let me carry that for you?” Lou asked.

Agata laughed. “Because I do not trust you. Do you have any idea how expensive this cello is?”

“No, and I don’t think I want to know.”

As they walked toward the back steps, Lou stopped. “Aggie…”

“Yes?” Agata smiled. “What is wrong?”

“Absolutely nothing. I have a feeling it’s gonna get a little hectic tonight with you and Dmitry giving a private performance. I just want you to know that I really loved this morning. You made me feel so alive, so loved.”

Agata searched Lou’s face, gently running her gloved hand on Lou’s cheek. “Yes, I feel the same way. Alive is a good way to say it. My body is still tingling. And I have to tell you, it was very hard to concentrate on music this afternoon.”

Lou laughed as they walked up the back porch stairs. “Afterward, the conductor actually asked me if I was feeling all right. He said, ‘There were times you had a difficult time keeping up with my baton.’ I told him I probably had Christmas flu.”

Lou laughed again and gave Agata a quick kiss on the lips. That was all she had time for as the back door flew open and Ana stood there with Brown Bear, tossing the poor thing in the air and dropping it several times. “Agata, Eathie made cookies and I helped. And we had cocoa, and Demmi found a treasure in the addict with John. C’mon. Oh, hi, Lou.”

“Hi,” Lou said with a laugh, stepping out of the way as Ana pulled Agata into the kitchen. This time, she let Lou take her cello before she dropped it. “Man, it smells good in here.”

Dmitry was immediately at her side, taking the cello. “Hi, Lou.” He gently placed the cello against the wall.

“Hi, Dmitry,” Lou said. “You found a treasure in the attic?”

She noticed how happy Dmitry looked when he smiled and nodded. It was a stark difference from the past few days. Gone was the Russian stoicism and in its place contentment; he seemed almost relaxed. Ana, however, looked and acted the same. She was a ball of energy that still had Agata by the hand.

“Ana, Ana,” Agata said, laughing. “Let me get my coat off.”

John and Edie laughed as they watched them. John had his arm around Edie’s shoulders, her head resting against him. Lou looked around the kitchen, and she now understood Dmitry’s transformation—it was a festive, family atmosphere.

“How about some coffee or tea?” Edie asked.

“Coffee would be heavenly, Edie. Thank you.” Agata slipped into a kitchen chair. “Dmitry, the conductor missed you at this afternoon’s performance. But I can see by the look on your face, you had a better time in attic. Now tell me what did you find?”

Dmitry looked at John, who nodded. “Go ahead, it’s your treasure. You found it.”

Dmitry ran and brought the chest back, setting it on the table. Lou noticed he could barely contain himself. She sat next to Agata and waited. Edie placed the cup of coffee in front of Agata. Lou looked up and declined the offer from Edie. Ana sat at one end of the table, kneeling on the chair, her elbows resting on the table in full anticipation. “Hurry, Demmi!”

“Do not rush me,” he said, rubbing his hands together.

John sat at the head of the table; Edie stood behind him. He handed a skeleton key to Dmitry, who hesitantly took it.

“I do not know what is in here,” Dmitry said. “It could be nothing at all.”

“Or it could be millions of money,” Ana said excitedly.

The adults laughed as Dmitry slipped the key into the lock. Lou had to admit, she was excited. She looked up at John, who smiled, but he looked decidedly sad. He reached back, and Edie held on to his hand. She gave them a curious look, but John shook his head. What gives? She watched Dmitry as the lock clicked and he opened the top.

“What, Demmi?” Ana asked.

Agata reached over. “Shush, Ana. Let him look.”

They watched as Dmitry took out several pictures. He examined them, then looked at John. “Do you know them?” He handed the pictures to John, who looked and shrugged.

“No. Must be the previous owners.” He handed the photos to Agata and Lou while Dmitry took out a piece of paper and a small wooden box. He unfolded the paper.

“What does it say, Dmitry?” Edie asked.

“I am curious, too.” Agata leaned forward. “This is so exciting.”

Lou still watched John and Edie as they in turn watched Dmitry, who concentrated on reading the letter.

“It is not signed, but it says, if you find this, the treasure is yours. It will help you find your way as long as you journey with a true heart.” He looked at everyone, completely confused.

“That is odd,” Agata said. “And it is not signed?”

Dmitry shook his head and handed the letter to her. Agata read it. “Is correct. Well, open it, Dmitry. We are all dying to see.”

Dmitry swallowed and tried to pry the old box open. “It seems stuck.”

“It’s probably so old,” Agata said in awe.

John reached into his pocket and took out his penknife. Agata’s and Edie’s eyes widened in horror; Dmitry grinned maniacally and reached for it. Edie and Agata let out a screech.

John glared at both women. “It’s just a penknife. Not a chain saw.”

Dmitry laughed along with Lou. They both stopped. Ana laughed, but Lou knew she had no idea why she was laughing.

“Agata, is it okay?” John asked.

Agata winced and looked at Edie, who shrugged. Lou leaned in. “Oh, go ahead. He can only lose a couple fingers. He has ten.” She shrank back from the collective motherly glares.

“Be careful, Dmitry, please. Remember you play piano,” Agata said, looking at Lou. “You need all fingers and thumbs.”

Lou laughed and reached under the table, lightly placing her hand on Agata’s knee.

John instructed Dmitry on how to open the small knife, then Dmitry pried the top off the wooden box.

“What’s in it, Demmi?” Ana got down and ran over to John. “Can I sit on your lap?”

“Sure, kiddo,” he said, lifting her up with a groan. “You ate too many cookies.”

Ana giggled and settled in. Lou glanced at Agata, who smiled as she watched Ana. Suddenly, she seemed more interested in that than Dmitry’s treasure.
 

“What is it?” Dmitry examined the tarnished circular brass object, and with a little persuasion, he flipped the top open.

Agata leaned in and peered at it. Lou had to laugh at the childlike reaction from her. “It is a compass,” she said. “It looks very old.”

“A compass?” Dmitry held it reverently in his hand. He looked at John for an explanation.

“A compass helps you find your way when you’re lost.” For a moment, Dmitry and John locked gazes. “You can never really get lost, Dmitry.”

Dmitry looked down at the brass compass. “This will help me?”

“It sure will. You know, if you’re in the woods or out camping or even if you’re driving, it tells you the directions. See, the needle is magnetized and it points north, and the other end is south.”

Dmitry looked up. “And I can keep this?”

The quiet plea in his voice broke Lou’s heart—she knew the rest of them felt the same. She definitely knew Edie did, the way she sniffed and walked to the kitchen sink.

“Sure you can,” John said, still holding Ana. “You found it.”

“Finders keepers, losers weepers,” Ana announced. She looked back at John. “Right?”

“Right,” John agreed.

“Demmi, we can play hide-and-seek and you can find me with your compath.”

Dmitry smiled as he ran his fingers over the brass compass. “I do not think that is how it works.”

“But you would always find me, right?” Ana asked, holding her bear close.

Dmitry looked up then. “
Da
,” he said with a grin.

“Demmi,” Ana insisted, “we are in American. Say yes.”

“Okay, enough treasures. We have decorations to put up.” John stood, taking Brown Bear from Ana. “Let’s go, Brown Bear.”

Ana laughed and jumped for Brown Bear. When she couldn’t reach him, she clung to John’s leg. Her innocent contagious laughter faded as he dragged her through the swinging kitchen door.

*******

It was a festive time, Lou thought as they decorated the living room. The fireplace mantel looked as Lou imagined Santa’s fireplace would look. It was cozy and warm, even though John hadn’t started the fire yet. Somehow, Lou knew he would let Dmitry help him. Though now Dmitry played Christmas music from the sheet music Edie apparently had purchased for him.

Agata fell back against her on the couch. “I am poop-ed,” she exclaimed. “But, Edie, it looks so festive, so much like Christmas. All you need is tree.”

Edie laughed, putting the finishing touches on the piano decorations. “That comes next week. John and I usually cut down our own tree. We go to the same place because for every dollar we spend, they match a certain amount and replant trees in Wisconsin. You should really come with us, Agata. The kids would love it,” she said absently.
 

When there was no response, she looked up. Lou watched as Dmitry frowned and stopped playing; he had glanced at Agata but said nothing. Ana was oblivious to it all—she was tying a red ribbon on Brown Bear’s neck. And Agata stared at nothing in particular, seemingly deep in thought.

Edie realized then what she had proposed—in another week or so, they’d be in Russia or Connecticut. It didn’t matter to Lou; the result would be the same: They’d be gone. She felt a pang deep in her belly at the thought of it. Glancing at Agata, she could only assume and hope she felt the same.

John came back into the living room carrying an armload of wood and singing, “Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, jingle all…” He stopped when he saw the sour looks, “the way…” He set the wood in the bin next to the fireplace cautiously but silently, watching everyone.

The front doorbell rang. Edie waved to Lou as she started to rise. “I’ll get it. It must be Luke.”

“Happy holidays,” Luke’s happy voice called out from the foyer. “I brought a little Christmas cheer. So Merry almost…” He walked into the living room; his smile faded when he too saw the somber looks. “…Christmas?”

“You look like a deranged elf,” Lou said, eyeing the red Santa’s cap perched on this head in jaunty fashion and the bottle of wine in each hand.

Dmitry laughed then, and everyone else joined in, relieving the sad tension.