Wild honey has the scent of freedom,
dust — of a ray of sun,
a girl's mouth — of a violet,
and gold —has no perfume.

Watery — the mignonette,
and like an apple — love,
but we have found out forever
that blood smells only of blood.

Akhmatova

A bright gray light sparkled from the windows, and a fresh breeze swayed the orange trees, on the patio. Nathalie and Renee sat at the table, drinking dark strong coffee, with cream, soft buttery toast, and eating strawberries with cream as I came downstairs. Anne was taking walk in the neigborhood, and soon Gilbert and her, would depart back to Canadian shores. I did ponder if I cloud tell Anne of my inversion, but then I decided not to do that, mainly because Anne knew Katherine and with that temper of hers, of last night or was it early morning, well, something would have come into the light, sooner or later. Virginie had left me a letter, on the pillow it smelled of her perfume she had tied it with one of her lavender ribbons. The contents of that letter made me radiate.

The faces of both Nathalie and Renee were very serious, and I noticed that there were several printed newspapers on the table with headlines that looked to have pressed with darker a more screaming sort of typeset. They declaried that Japan had won again naval battle against Imperial Russian Empire. I spared a thought to my Father who was still making heaps of money from this. His most recent letter had been positive, full of the splendor of St Petersburg, the flowing glittering Neva, and all the palaces, and Summer Garden with its profusion of Greek and Roman statues and sparkling fountains, shaded greenery and old oaks, but there was a certain tone, of suspence, hidden in the strong cursive.

Renee looked gloomy, I didn't know if it was due to a hangover, or news, or maybe something to do with Katherine. As I watched she knocked on her half eaten plate with a knife, sharply, echoing, and shook her head, and got up, grabbed her coat, and rushed out, leaving her hat behind. At doorway Renee nodded with a small smile at Nathalie and me. I looked questioningly at Nathalie and she glanced at me quickly, noting my confusion at Renees quick exit and said to me calmy: " Renee has connections in Japan she will be writing letters to them, I suspect, and and meeting with the publisher of Lemarre, so she had to go to her own apartement at Passy on the seizième arrondissement. On the other hand, why didn't she wait for Colette, for she too might have headed for Passy".

I replied to Nathalie that Colette and Missy, they both left almost right after Annes recital, and so did Ellen Thesleff too, they all did seem to enjoy the evening very much. I also think that Remy may be beginning a correspondance with Anne.

" Yes, the evening was a real success, thou were really wonderful, and that pianist girl with Sibelius brought a new kind of feeling into the salon. And I had totally forgotten what a wonderfully rich voice Katherine posesses, as she do not sing here often at all. It was a really nice surprise that Katherine brought her with her, I wasn't at all sure she would agree, the girl Virginie I mean, but performing and playing to an audience is a kind of internal compulsion that thee knows, isn't it, cherie? " Nathalie pondered musingly to me.

So I took a deep breath and told Natalie in a few words about my wordless kinship with Virgine yesterday, and our agreement to start correspondence. Nathalie handed the newspaper the ink-stained hands toward me, and a bright smile illuminating her features said: " Cherie, had I hoped so, when I asked my friend Katherine to bring the girl into salon, if she could. Thou need a company around thou that understands music in the same deep and ecstatic way, and that girl is one, over time thou will find more people close to thee, but thou will always have us, Renee and me, wherever life takes you, so that thou are never alone again. Why should thou wait for the letters, thou may well be following Virginie to Russia, right now. We can ask Katherine if she wants to travel with thou even to St. Petersburg or Moscow. Thou are no longer in school and thou apartment rent can be dismantled quickly and money can always be found, as well as travel tickets, what do thee say about this plan?"

My eyes did tear, when I heard Nathalies generous suggestion. I didn't even dare to dream it myself, but now my path was clear. I would leave for Russia, apply to some conservatory and see for myself all the glimmering miracles of Fathers letters in a past few months.

Nathalie tapped her fingernail on the table forehead in pensive wrinkles and pondered out loud. " I need to write a lot of letters of recommendation, and look for all possible addresses, and restaurants, and a calendar difference. As thou might not remember in Russia the Julian Calendar is, twelve days behind the one for the Georgian one that we use here. Renee must also be asked for recommendations, I understand she also has some contacts in St. Petersburg, but where or who I am not sure..

I decided to dive to practice my Russian so I left Nathalie at the table to reflect on her network and headed for the piano and bookshelf. My fingers scrolled through the different volumes. I found what I was looking for, the sheet music in folios.

I went to the piano, stretched my fingers, and soon Tchaikovsky echoed in the room, but not Onegin. I had chosen Iolanta, that final one act lyric opera of composers final work. As Iolantas questioning aria of the first act "Отчего это прежде не знала" glimmered caressingly sweepingly foward, I pondered that, piano accompaniment did work, but this would really need flutes, and violins for the full effect. I shook my hands and started again.

After Tchaikovsky's melodies faded, I heard applause, Anne and Nathalie stood together on the doorway to parlour, and smiled at me, gladly proudly. Do any of you have any wishes, I asked? Anne took one sliding step towards me and said, "my son Walter loves romance, and poetry in all its forms, so maybe, Pushkin" ? I browsed through the notes I had taken from the folio and selected one. Rachmaninoff Op. .4 flowed onward like a river, Pushkins lyrics created evocative and chilling sense of being deep in the wilderness of Georgia and of love forlorn, as the final notes ecoed in the room, everything was still and peaceful. I noticed that Anne has tears in her eyes, for Nathalie had whispered interpretation of the lyrics during my performance. I then decided to give young Walter his own Pushkin. I had a copy of a bilingual edition, maybe it would broaden his way of looking at the world a little differently than just English, American or French literature.

Nathalie smiled to me and said to Anne that she would have leave us, as she had some letters to write, but she would return to say farewell to Anne and Gilbert to the Le Gare du Nord, when it was time to leave, with presents.

As we were about to leave, from the house on Rue Jacob, 20. Katherine rushed in to the parlour and glanced in the direction of Anne in passing, and asked us aiming for a calm tone, if Renee was still here, as her hat was still on a table. Hearing Katherine's voice Nathalie gilded smoothly back to parlour, her fingers in ink, and hair haphazard mess, and stated to her calm and autoritave tone. "Now sit down and we all drink some tea". So instead of a walk to Annes hotel, and a offer of help to pack, and to find presents for the childen, as I had planned, I sat down to the tea.

That hour or so that followed next, it was the most exciting teaparty of I had ever taken part in. We ate fresh croissants, with jam, and cheese bread, with ham. The tension and agitation literally sparkled from Katherine, and Anne, completely unaware of it, enjoyed the strong aromatic tea with her eyes closed and nibbled her croissant. I wondered what Nathalie was really up to, as Katherine's state of mind seemed dangerous, and Renee wasn't the easiest person either.

We all had just drunk another cup of tea and almost all the bread had been eaten when there were quick sharp steps from the yard path, and soon Renee's voice echoed inside the house. Upon hearing her voice, Katherine paled, and was getting up from the table, but before she had time to leave, Renee arrived at the room, saying:

" Incredibly good news, cherie, Lamerre agrees to publish my translation, after all, and my acquaintances in Japan are fine, just received a letter, is there any more champagne? Renee stopped at the threshold, looked at us and Katherine, who was still in a half-sitting position. Anne smiled at Renee and said gently, "I always find that surprise tea invitations are always so pleasant, join us."

I anxiously glanced at Nathalie, but her face was calm, and serene. Renee waved her fingers softly around her hair, and replied to Anne"thank you, but no I don't usually drink tea in the afternoon, it's too English, as a child, when I lived in England I was forced to drink tea constantly, by my different governesses, but if there is still that champagne?"

Nathalie stretched out her hand and rang the bell, soon maid entered the parlor and Nathalie ordered champagne, and cakes for everyone, as well as a tray of fresh fruit.

Katherine was still pale, but the worst temper seemed to have subsided because of the tea, I noticed she was often glancing in Renee's direction, and affecting an air of cold remoteness, it was so effective that I felt that air must be shimmering snow crystals.

Renee, on the other hand, sat next to Anne, tapping her narrow fingers with a knife, and playing with a napkin, she drank a glass of champagne after another, and said to Katherine in a slicing sarcastic soft tone: " Please tell us how the end of your visit to Japan went, did you ever get to see Kamakura, or did you just have adventures in the opium dens?" Katherine flinched, intense red rising on her face, hearing cruel callousness of Renee's words, she replied in a quiet voice: " I didn't have time to visit. My route went in the other direction, maybe some another time. The local architecture and religions are really interesting, are they not?" Nathalie tapped her hands sharply together and said emphatically to Renee:" Now thou drink water, and end that sarcasm, take care of thee mutual differences, with Katherine, far from my tea table. If thou travel arrangements went wrong, it is pointless to argue about it. Reconcile thou disagreement, thank you. I hate it when friends of mine argue. Renee has been as hilarious companion as a grave digger since, she returned from Japan. So both of thee go out to the patio and scream at each other there."

Silence descended into the parlour, after Nathalies words, chilling, tormenting. Then suddenly Renee and Katherine both looked to each other, swift, fast and sudden glances, were exhanged between two sets of dark eyes, and they got up, and went outside, closing the door firmly after.

Nathalie suddenly smiled radiantly and told us that she had wanted to do that lecture, for some time ago, but had not have the chance for it until this moment. Anne sat frozen, and still, undrunk tea now cold in her cup, small hint of red tint, on her alabaster skin, and pondered in a quiet voice aloud to us: "Well now. No wonder Katherine never seemed interested in the men I tried to introduce her to in both Summerside and Green Gables visits, if she is truly leaning into the Greek, way of life." Anne's words caused an unspeakable feeling of relief for me, I felt the tears coming close to surface, again. Nathalie smiled at me, calmly, understandingly and knowingly, and suggested: "Cherie, what else would you sing to us?"I nodded and, relieved, got up from the table to browse the music on offer.

After thinking for a moment, I grabbed one of the stacks and sat down at the piano. Sparkling Mozart flooded into the room, as I begin to sing that aria of Fiordigilis "Per pieta, ben mio perdona"from Cosi fan tutte. When I had finished, Nathalie laughed and commented with a wim to me: " Cherie was that thou reaction to the outdoor drama? Well thankfully, thou didn't choose Pamina, even though thou have a voice for it, the Queen of the Night is too high for thee, so maybe thou shouldn't try it yet, at least not here, all the glasses would be dust after."

I smiled at Natalie's words and turned again in the direction of the piano, shook my hands and started playing Dvorak Op. 41 Scottish Dances. As I focused on the diffcult piece, I did not notice anything apart the keys and the sheetmusic in front of me. Sometime later, hours, or only minutes, after, I felt a hand in my shoulder. It was Renee, she smiled at me and said: "I heard that apparently you are heading towards Russia, I have letters and contacts for you, and Nathalie too is scanning her Russian lists of contacts for you, we move partly the same circles, but there is some addresses here that you do not find on Nathalies lists. Once you have settled in be sure to visit Dom Muruzi, with this packet of letters, it will open some of the doors for you. I have a strong feeling that Zinaida Nikolaevna will fall in love with you, or at least as deeply as she does to anyone. Katherine promised to come with you, so you won't have to make this first trip alone. Russia may seem staggeringly wide at first, but yes you will soon find your place there. St. Petersburg and Moscow are different cities, with a different mentality, and the vast steppes and the Caucasus are unforgettable too, you shoud go and have a look at the them if you can."

I smiled at Renee, my slow maturing smile, and embraced her, for a time. She smelled of lilac and honey, and something bitter, maybe almonds?

Soon after Anne and I left Nathalies home, that place where I had experienced the happiest moments of my life, so far. The beautiful house flickered in the sudden sunshine, and I knew I always had at least one home.

A/N:

Thank you so much to everyone who follows, lurks, reads, and reviews this little story. I am deeply and heartfully greatful, to all of you. Here is some notes to clarify Elizabeths musical selections from this chapter.

Tchaikovsky's opera Iolanta(1892) is wonderful, sweeping tale with dark hidden tones. Iolantas aria Отчего это прежде не знала, The translation of the aria title can be translates as " Why I did not know this before." Fiordiligis aria " Per pietà, ben mio, perdona" is from the second act of from W.G.A Mozarts comic opera Cosi fan tutte (1790) and it is one of the highpoints of the opera, it is really difficult, but very popular. As for Little Elizabeths piano selections, the Rachmaninoff is Op. .4, is one of composers six romances and it uses the famous poem of Aleksandr Pushkins "Не пой, красавица"(Do not sing, my beauty) as its lyrics. There are various translations of it to be found. Dvorak piece is Scottish songs.