Finally it was time for Zoe and Vova to go home. The time couldn’t come fast enough for Alexander, until Vova said, “Tania? Walk me out?”

Without acknowledging Alexander, Tatiana went outside with Vova. Alexander pretended to listen to Zoe and to Naira, but he watched Tatiana outside.

He wished he had had less vodka. He really needed to talk to Tania. When she came back, Alexander wanted her to look at him. She did not.

Zoe said, “Alexander, want to go for a smoke and a walk?”

“No.”

“Tomorrow a group of us are going swimming down in the hole. You want to come?”

“We’ll see,” he said noncommittally. He didn’t even look up. Soon she left.

“Tania, come and sit down,” Alexander said. “Sit down next to me.”

“I will. You want something else?”

“Yes. You to sit.”

“What about something else to drink? We have a little cognac.”

“No, thanks.”

“What about—”

“Tania. Sit down.”

Carefully she sat down on the bench next to him. He moved over to her. “You must be so tired,” he said gently. “Want to come outside with me? I need a smoke.”

Before Tatiana could reply, Naira said, “I’ll tell you, Alexander, it was very hard for our Tania at first.”

Tatiana got up with a sigh and disappeared into one of the bedrooms.

“She doesn’t want us to talk about it,” said Axinya in hushed tones.

“Of course not,” Alexander said. He didn’t either.

They continued unheeded. “She was in a bad way. She was just an apparition.” The women all bent their heads toward him, clucking with tears in their eyes. He would have been almost amused by them, if only they weren’t stopping him from getting two words alone with his horse and cart. Naira said, “No, but can you just imagine, losing your whole—”

“I can imagine,” Alexander interrupted. He did not want to be talking to these women about it. He stood up, about to excuse himself and go after Tatiana.

“Alexander, and that’s not even the half of it,” Naira whispered. “Tania really doesn’t like us to talk about what happened in Kobona. We didn’t want to tell you before, but—”

“Oh, but that Dimitri is a right bastard!” Axinya exclaimed again.

Alexander sat back down. “Tell me quickly.”

Tatiana came back with a slam of the door.

“I’m sorry, Tanechka,” Axinya said, “but I just want to beat that man with a stick.”

“Please stop talking about Kobona,” Tatiana said.

Dusia said, “Woe betide Dimitri. Someday he is going to fall alone, and no one will be there to help him up.”

Rolling her eyes, Tatiana left again with another slam of the door.

Axinya said, “I think that bastard broke her heart. I think she loved him.”

Alexander was finding it difficult to remain upright.

Dusia shook her head vehemently. “Absolutely not,” she said. “He never would have fooled her for a second. Our Tania sees through people right from the start.”

“She does, doesn’t she, Dusia?” said Alexander.

Axinya lowered her voice and said, “We still think there’s another story to this, maybe some kind of love thing.”

“Not a love thing,” said Alexander, widening his eyes.

Naira shook her head. “You think so, Axinya. But I say no. I disagree. The girl lost everyone. She was devastated. There was no love.”

“I think there was,” said Axinya firmly.

“You’re wrong,” Naira said.

“Oh? Then why does she keep going to the post office to see if there is any mail for her?” Axinya asked triumphantly. “She’s got no one left, who is she waiting for mail from?”

“Good point,” said Alexander. Was he about to go do something? He couldn’t remember. The day had been too long. Right now he couldn’t remember the last thing anyone had said.

Axinya said, “And have you noticed how during the sewing circle at the square she always picks a place to sit so she can see the road?”

“Yes, yes!” agreed the other three ladies. “Yes, she does do that. She watches that road obsessively, as if she is waiting for somebody.”

Alexander lifted his gaze. Tatiana stood behind the old ladies, her expressive, eternal eyes on him.

“Are you, Tatiasha?” he asked emotionally, his voice full. “Are you waiting for somebody?”

“Not anymore,” she replied emotionally, her voice just as full.

“You see?” said Naira with satisfaction. “I told you there was no love thing!”

Tatiana sat down next to Alexander.

Naira said, “Tanechka, you don’t mind that we gossip about you, do you? You know you’re the most interesting thing that’s happened to Lazarevo in years. Vova certainly thinks so.” She laughed and to Alexander said, “My grandson has quite a crush on Dasha’s little sister, you know.”

Without a word Alexander blinked at Tatiana. He would have said a word, if he could have found one in his head.

All Alexander wanted was two seconds, maybe one conscious second alone with Tatiana—why was that too much to ask? Maybe conscious was out of the question, but why was putting his two hands somewhere on her repaired, fed, warm body out of the question?

He went outside to smoke, to wash. When he returned, he wanted to undress, to take off his boots. Instead he heard a constant stream of “Tanechka, darling, can you get me my medicine?” “Tanechka, dear, can you come and fix my blankets?” “Tanechka, sweetheart, can you get me a glass of water?” Finally he couldn’t wait anymore. He took off his boots. “Tania, honey,” he said, and then put his head down on the table and was instantly asleep. He woke up to feel himself being lightly shaken, lightly stroked. It was dark. “Come on, Shura,” her voice whispered. She was trying to get him to stand up. “Come on, can you make it up? Please, wake up and go lie down. Please.”

He got up on the hearth, hopped up onto the bed on top of the warm stove, and was asleep in his uniform. Through semiconsciousness he felt her taking off his socks, unbuttoning his tunic, unbuckling his belt and pulling it out from the loops. He felt her soft lips on his eyes, on his cheek, on his forehead. He felt fine feathers on his face. It must have been her hair. He wanted to wake up, but it was impossible.

5

The next morning Alexander opened his eyes and looked at his watch. It was late—eight in the morning. He looked around for Tatiana. She was nowhere, but he was covered by her quilt and he was lying on her pillow. Smiling, he turned on his stomach and pressed his face into the pillow. It smelled of soap and fresh air and her.

He went outside. It was a chirping and sunny rural morning; the air was as still as peacetime; the cherry tree blossoms and the lilacs filled the yard with their overripe scent. The lilacs made Alexander especially cheerful—the Field of Mars was full of lilacs in late spring. He could smell them all the way from the barracks. It was one of his favorite smells, lilacs in the Field of Mars. Not his favorite smell: of an alive Tatiana’s breath as she kissed his unconscious face last night. Lilacs could not compete with that smell.

The house was quiet. After quickly washing, Alexander went to look for her, finding her on the road, returning home carrying two pails full of warm cow’s milk. Alexander knew it was warm because he stuck his fingers in the pail. Tatiana’s shiny white-blonde hair was left down, and she was wearing a blue wraparound skirt and a small white shirt that came up above her navel, exposing her stomach. The round outlines of her high breasts were clearly visible. Her face was a lovely flushed pink color. Alexander’s heart stopped in his chest when he saw her. He took the milk pails from her. They walked for a minute in silence. He felt himself getting short of breath.

“I suppose after this you’re going to go and fetch water from the well,” he said.

“Going to?” Tatiana said. “And what did you shave with this morning?”

“Who shaved?”