Author's Note: I am posting two chapters back to back, because this chapter is rather dry, but the next one has a lot of stuff in it. It was originally just going to be one chapter; however it would have too long.
Getting to Know You
Victoria had given what Jarrod and Heath had told her a lot of thought, on the ride home from town. That evening she watched Nick and Catherine again, and saw what her other sons had told her. There was a connection there between the couple, rather like some private communication. She remembered how she'd had that same thought the other night about the couple.
She and Tom had had a good marriage in spite of the ups and downs they had encountered. Victoria had always wondered if something had gone on while Tom was doing all the traveling he was twenty-four years ago. It had been a stressful time in their lives, and there had been no affection in their marriage for a while.
They had risked a great deal of money on getting the new businesses going, which meant that money was tight in the short run. Jarrod was eight, Nick was four, and Victoria was trying to raise them, keep house, and help Tom with the bookkeeping for the businesses. She was exhausted most of the time, and when Tom did come home he was too tired from traveling to help out around the house.
Knowing what she knew now, because of Heath's arrival, she saw how she had contributed to the situation with Tom. Her husband had committed physical adultery, but she had been guilty of mental adultery, in pushing him away. That guilt was part of the reason she was able to accept Heath as easily as she did.
As she thought about her marriage now, she was aware that even in the good times she and Tom had not had they type of closeness that Nick and Catherine had. Victoria had also seen it with Jarrod and Beth, which made her reflect on how her two sons had made marriages very different than what their parents had.
The chance to put her plan into place with Catherine came two days after the conversation in Jarrod's office. She was out riding, and passed by the blending house where she saw one of the buggy's from the ranch. Victoria remembered Heath saying that Catherine was there almost every day, so she decided to stop by. As she rode up to the house, she saw Carlos sitting outside on a bench, smoking a cigarette.
Carlos' story was well known to Victoria, and she had not been happy when Nick had decided to put him to work on the ranch. Her son though had liked the man's toughness, and reputation, as well as his loyalty. She knew that while he just appeared to be sitting casually he was in fact aware of everything going on around him. Victoria wondered what Catherine thought of Nick making Carlos escort her everywhere.
She greeted Carlos, who stood and bowed, and then went into the blending house, cool and dim after the bright sunshine outside. She heard Catherine's voice floating into the room, making an inquiry in formal Spanish. The girl then walked into the room, but stopped when she saw Victoria there.
"Good afternoon Victoria; I'm sorry I thought you were Carlos needing something." Catherine explained, as she looked at the older woman. Victoria took note of the girl's clothes, and noticed that they weren't quite as elaborate as what she usually wore. The skirt was a smooth dark brown material, with rows of pleats, and a small bustle. The blouse was cream colored cotton with a pattern woven into it. It had a low, round collar and buttoned in the back. She also noticed that Catherine's hair was put up rather simply, compared to how she normally wore it. The effect was businesslike, but she still looked like the lady of the house. Her only jewelry was some gold drop earrings, and her diamond wedding band.
"He is outside, doing fine. I was riding by and saw the buggy, so I wanted to see how things were going here. I hadn't realized all the work you were putting in here." Victoria replied to Catherine, being rather intrigued at how concerned she was about Carlos. In her mind, Carlos could probably take down a minor stockade and not break a sweat.
"I'm glad he is doing well. He has been such a help to me, navigating around the ranch, and all. I'm grateful for Nicholas for arranging for Carlos to escort me. It is rather a letdown for him, after his time with Don Sanchez, but I have learned so much from him, about the history of California." Catherine responded with a happy note in her voice, which almost amused Victoria. Nick had, his mother was sure, set Carlos up as a body guard to Catherine.
Victoria had been aware of the hurt that Hester's behavior had caused with Nick, even if she had not let on. She had felt bad for Heath being caught in the middle, and angry with Nick for having put the whole thing into motion. It was easy for her to understand why Nick was being so territorial with Catherine, right off the bat. She found it interesting though, to hear the girl's view, of why Carlos was escorting her around.
"I have to be honest, I've never been involved in the grape arbors, and the work with them. It was actually Nick's idea to grow them, and he has always overseen the fields and productions. What kind of things do you do in the blending house?" Victoria said truthfully, as she looked at Catherine. She knew the girl would be suspicious if she suddenly tried to be her best friend, after all this time. The older woman hoped that this approach would work, because she didn't want to alienate her middle son.
"Nicholas told me all about that, and how he established the arbor. Grapes are prone to different fungi, so they need to be treated to prevent it. Depending on how you mix the chemicals, you get different levels of the treatments. However, you have to be careful because you don't want to damage the grape's skin." Catherine explained, as she showed Victoria around the workshop. The older woman was impressed with the girl's knowledge, and asked her how she learned so much.
Catherine explained about her family's estate in the Crimea, what they grew, and the vine master who was from Bordeaux originally. She, along with her cousins, had been very fond of the old man and had spent a lot of time with him. Victoria also learned about her cousin Michael whose first love was wine making, and how he had been killed in Afghanistan. The older woman saw that Catherine still felt the pain of his death.
"Didn't your family have another estate, too?" Victoria asked to change the subject. Catherine explained about the main estate, where she'd been born. That estate grew wheat mostly, and had its own mill and grinding house on it. Victoria had the impression that it was the main estate, and asked the girl about it. She was fascinated about the differences in Russian agriculture, and she remembered what Jarrod had said, about Catherine coming from a family of land owners.
"Yes, Bulovnir was the main estate, where my grandparents lived. However, my uncle and my grandfather did not see eye to eye on most things. It made for better relations if we lived in the Crimea or St. Petersburg depending on the season." Catherine explained, hoping she would not have to go into what kind of a man her grandfather was. Anywhere else but Russia he would have been considered a monster, but most of his countrymen saw him as a strong landholder who ran a tight ship. It was one of the reasons she was glad to be out of Russia.
"You know, I visited St. Petersburg once, a few years ago." Victoria was interested in what Catherine's reaction would be. She also wondered about the tense look she'd seen in the girl's eyes when she mentioned her grandfather. Obviously the relationship between the older man and her uncle ran deeper with animosity than what Catherine was revealing.
"Really? What did you see? And what did you think of it?" Catherine inquired with interest, glad that she was having the chance to talk to Nick's mother as a person. She was also happy that the older woman wasn't treating her with the coolness that she'd previously had been. When she'd walked into the room and seen Victoria her heart had sunk, but she wasn't Duchess Harriet's granddaughter for nothing.
Victoria told her about staying at the American Embassy, shopping along the Nevsky Prospect, and some of the palaces along the Fontanka canal. She talked about how she'd been to the Hermitage, as well as the Winter Palace on a specially arranged tour, but the royal family was not in residence. She had arrived on a ship, and talked about the majestic towers of Reval that overlooked the entrance to the Gulf of Finland.
"It sounds like you saw a great deal of the city, and arrival by ship is very impressive. Did you find the city agreeable?" Catherine always found it illuminating to see what outsiders said about the city known as 'Venice of the North'. She was also impressed with how important Nicholas' family was, based on Victoria's visit.
A number of Americans visited St. Petersburg every year, but few were put up at the Embassy. The American Ambassador in Russia always suffered from not having a grand title or an impressive uniform to display at court events. Those were the things that mattered to Russian society, which made the role hard. However, the man appointed to the job was usually very wealthy, with some kind of European connection to smooth everything over. Victoria had been given the absolute maximum accommodation she could be given, without having a title, or a personal connection to a member of the nobility.
"Catherine, I will be honest with you; I did not care for the city. I found it overly large, cold, and impersonal, with little thought given to ordinary people who lived and worked there." Victoria replied, not wanting to mince words with the girl. She was going to be truthful, and wanted to see how Catherine received her opinion.
"You are very perceptive Victoria. Most people who visit St. Petersburg only see the beautiful palaces, the glittering ball rooms, and the lavish lifestyle. For the majority of people, like most of Russia, it is not a pleasant place." Catherine replied to her, impressed that her mother-in-law had seen through the glamorous façade of the city.
"Why do you think that is?" Victoria queried the girl, wanting to hear how she would explain the conditions in Russia.
"That is a question that is debated, very privately, by a number of people in Russia. Asking it openly can get you arrested, without a warrant. There are people who say that the lack of freedom contributes to the problem. There is also the issue of the workers, who used to be serfs, which is what the slaves were called. Of course, the Tsar has absolute power, which leads to lots of corruption in the government." Catherine laid out some of the conditions that existed in her country.
"I understand that freeing the slaves, or serfs as you said, did not help them, and in lots of cases actually made their lives worse." Victoria had heard many stories of atrocities against the workers while she was in Russia, which had sickened her.
"The Tsar had a grand plan, but only parts of it were finally put into place. The serfs were freed, but the other safe guards and protections were not in acted, so it left the freed workers worse off. A number of old line nobles were against freeing the serfs and they made sure that the proclamation turned into a worthless piece of paper. My grandfather was one of those nobles, while my uncle was a strong supporter of freedom. He was sure that by given people their freedom it would strengthen Russia and build its industry. It turned into a nasty family fight, which is why we lived in the Crimea. The story though was not uncommon in other families too." Catherine had not meant to give such a long explanation, but she wanted Victoria to know that there were good people in Russia.
"This country fought a war for four years that tore families apart too, over the same issue. I have been given to understand that for the freed slaves in our south, their lives have not always improved either. An abomination like slavery can't be cleaned up overnight I guess." Victoria told Catherine, thinking about several families she knew back east, who could tell the same story that the Russian girl was telling. She had another thought and asked "Is your uncle still active in trying to improve the country?"
"After his son, my cousin Michael was killed in Afghanistan, he gave up on Russia. It is why he married my cousin Sophie off to a German, and sent me to my grandparents in British India. He will tell you that Russia is rotting from the inside out." Catherine's voice had a resigned note in it, and Victoria saw that she was close to her uncle, sharing his feelings.
"Catherine, if you don't mind me asking why didn't you stay in India? What brought you to Alaska?" Victoria was curious as to what had set into play the events that eventually brought the girl to California. She was impressed with the answers the girl had given her, about the state of things in Russia, and the problems there. Victoria saw a maturity in Catherine, and it gave her pause to think about where it had come from.
"The short version is my grandmother." Catherine answered, as a rueful look crossed her face, before she continued "My mother was my grandmother's only daughter, having three other sons. She never forgave my mother for marrying a Russian, and doesn't particularly like me. One of my English cousins was in India at the same time I was, and her engagement was about to be announced. The man in question decided he preferred me, which did not go over well with my grandmother, as you can imagine. She decreed it was for the best if I left, and since my uncle was in Alaska that was the easiest to get to."
Victoria privately thought that Catherine's grandmother sounded like a cold, horrid woman. She wasn't going to say that though, knowing you can't do anything about your relatives. She also wondered about the woman's husband, but was willing to bet he was under his wife's thumb.
"I'm sorry about bringing that up, Catherine. Family relations are not always easy or pleasant. I'll let you get back to work, but I enjoyed our conversation about Russia. It is nice to talk to someone who is well informed and observant." Victoria was pleased with the way the morning had gone, and she now saw the girl in a whole new light.