Pure (Book 1, Pure Series) (30 page)

           
It was still dark, so I figured it was the middle of the night.
 
I continued to listen, and the house remained silent – I didn't hear anyone skittering over the roof or rattling at the door.

           
At the same time I had a strong feeling that someone was stirring in the house.
 
I tiptoed downstairs to investigate.

           
I found my cousin Odette in the kitchen.
 
She was stirring something in a bowl, and she smiled when she saw me.

           
"Good morning, Katie," she said.
 
"Still not on local time, I see."

           
"What time is it?" I asked.

           
"It's just past two in the morning."
 
She gave me an apologetic look.
 
"I didn't wake you, did I?
 
I was making blueberry muffins for you and Annushka for breakfast.
 
I've never made them before, but I heard that Americans like them.
 
You do like them, don't you?"

           
"Oh, um, yes," I said.
 
"Thank you.
 
That's very thoughtful.
 
But I feel bad – you shouldn't have stayed up all night to make them.
 
Don't you have to go to work or school or something in the morning?"

           
Odette laughed and went back to her mixing.
 
"My parents were clever investors – they left me a lot of money that the authorities never found out about.
 
That has allowed me to indulge my inner night owl.
 
I sleep very late in the morning, and I get up whenever I want and do whatever I want.
 
There's no need for me to go to a university or to go to work."

           
Odette caught sight of my expression, and she tilted her head a little to the side.
 
"You look puzzled.
 
Why?"

           
I suddenly felt very unsure of myself.
 
GM had hinted that there had been some trouble involving Odette's parents – she'd said that there was a reason why I didn't remember them, and Odette had just mentioned "authorities" in reference to them.
 
I wanted to ask Odette what had happened, but I didn't want to bring up memories that were painful for her.
 
I decided ultimately that it was kinder to ask.

           
"What happened?" I began.
 
"To your parents, I mean."

           
Odette looked at me sharply, and I could see anger flash in her eyes.

           
"I'm sorry," I said.
 
"Maybe I shouldn't have asked.
 
You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

           
Odette set her bowl on the table with a clatter.

           
"What?
 
Are you saying that they didn't even tell you?
 
Do I matter so little that they couldn't even inform their precious little princess what had happened?
 
Did they fear to hurt your delicate sensibilities?
 
Not one of them cared enough – not Annushka – not Galina—"

           
Odette broke off, breathing hard.
 
She turned her face away from me.

           
I stood staring at the angry, flame-haired beauty who stood in front of me.
 
I searched her face, looking for a trace of the laughing little girl I had once loved so much.
 
She seemed to have disappeared.

           
Odette made an effort to compose herself.
 
Then she gave me a wan smile.
 
"But then, you were so young.
 
Perhaps they thought you wouldn't understand."

           
Fire flickered in her eyes again.
 
"But what about you?
 
Did you never wonder?
 
Did you never ask?"

           
"Of course I wondered about you, Odette," I said.
 
"I missed you.
 
I thought you were wonderful.
 
I asked GM about you all the time—"

           
Odette interrupted me.
 
"GM?"
 
She said the letters in English as I had done.

           
"It's what I call my grandmother – your Annushka.
 
It's sort of an acronym.
 
In English the letters stand for 'Grand Mother.'
 
It's something I came up with after I moved to the U.S., and it just kind of stuck with me."

           
"Very cute," Odette said.
 
"So, what did your GM say when you asked her about me?"

           
"GM refused to answer me," I said.
 
"She never liked talking about the past.
 
She said it was full of darkness and superstition."

           
"And what of Galina?" Odette demanded.
 
"Did she tell you nothing?"

           
"I've had no contact with her," I said.
 
"In fact, when she showed up at my house a little over a week ago, that was the first time I had ever seen her in my life – she had no opportunity to tell me anything."

           
"And so all this time Galina has been fretting and worrying about you, and you didn't even know she existed."
 
Odette said the words more to herself than to me.

           
She went on in the same tone.
 
"And Annushka saw you day after day, year after year, and never saw fit to mention me."

           
"It was hard for her to go into the past," I said.
 
"She had lost a lot."

           
Odette was silent for a long moment, and then she nodded.
 
"I supposed it is left to me to explain."

           
She turned and put her bowl of muffin batter in the refrigerator.
 
Then she gave me a smile.
 
"I am sorry for my outburst.
 
How would you like some alosa tea?
 
I know your mother used to like it.
 
In fact, I have the very same kind she used to buy – from the very same shop.
 
Won't you sit and have tea with me?
 
And I will tell you about my parents."

           
"I would like that," I said.

           
The table was laden with ingredients for making muffins, and Odette quickly put them away.
 
Then she waved me toward a seat and got a cardboard box out of a cupboard.
 
She set the box down in front of me.

           
"There you are," she said.
 
"Alosa – just like your mother used to drink."

           
I picked up the box and examined it.
 
The lid proclaimed the contents to be alosa tea just as Odette had said.
 
I lifted the lid and inhaled.
 
The scent was very spicy and exotic.
 
I wasn't entirely sure that I liked it.

           
Odette put some water on to boil, and soon she poured out two cups of tea.
 
It was a violent purple color.

           
I took a few tentative sips of the tea.
 
The flavor wasn't bad, but it was strange.
 
I set my cup down.

           
Odette smiled at me over the rim of her cup.
 
"Drink up.
 
Alosa is good for you."

           
I picked up my cup again.

           
"So, my story," Odette began.
 
"There's really not much to tell, but it's important – at least to me.
 
My parents were very rich once."

           
I took another sip of the tea.

           
She continued and her voice grew dreamy.
 
"We lived in a very big house – it wasn't the biggest house in town – that was the Mstislav mansion – but it was the second biggest.
 
You were there a few times, but you were far too small to remember it.
 
We even had some land and horses.
 
And I had the most beautiful clothes."

           
Odette paused and sighed.

           
"But as it turned out, my parents had not come by their wealth through entirely honest means.
 
The government was after them for years, and eventually they caught up with them.
 
My parents were arrested and thrown in prison.
 
And all their assets were confiscated.
 
Well, not
all
their assets.
 
There was enough that was hidden to allow me to live comfortably."

           
Odette stopped to sip at her tea.

           
I was horrified.
 
"Your parents are in prison?"

           
"Yes.
 
They've still got a few decades to go."

           
"Odette, that's terrible.
 
How difficult it must have been for you, spending all these years alone."

           
Odette shrugged.
 
"I wasn't entirely alone.
 
For a year I lived with you and your family.
 
And then when your parents died, and Annushka fled with you, I went to live with Galina and Aleksandr."

           
"Why didn't you come with us?" I asked.
 
"Galina and Aleksandr are not your family."

           
"Well, neither is Annushka for that matter.
 
As your maternal grandmother, she's no relation to me.
 
And my parents were not gone – they were still alive and still in Russia – they just weren't at liberty.
 
They wanted me to stay in this country, and Galina volunteered to be my guardian.
 
My parents agreed, and it was made official.
 
Before Annushka left, she made this house over to Galina, and when I came of age, Galina made the house over to me – after all, she hardly needed two houses.
 
I had been very happy here, though I only lived here a little while.
 
So, that's how I came to live in this house, and that's my story."

           
"Oh, Odette," I said.
 
"I don't even know what to say.
 
That's a lot for a child to go through.
 
Do you, do you—"

           
I hesitated.

           
"Do I see my parents?"

           
"Yes."

           
"I see them from time to time.
 
But prison is not a pleasant place to visit."

           
"No, I can understand that," I said.
 
"I really wish we had been able to keep in touch all these years.
 
I think our being friends would have been good for both of us."

           
"Maybe so."

           
Odette drank the rest of her tea and stood up.

           
"I have an idea," she said impulsively.
 
"Are you finished your tea?
 
Why don't we go out for a walk?
 
I'll show you the town when it's quiet.
 
We can spend time together just the two of us before Galina and Aleksandr show up and demand all your attention."

           
I glanced toward the dark windows.
 
"Now?
 
Are you sure it's safe?"

           
Odette laughed.
 
"Of course.
 
You've been listening to the silly things that Aleksandr says.
 
I know this town well.
 
I will look out for you."

           
I stood up.
 
"Okay.
 
I'll go change my clothes."

           
"Dress warmly," she said.
 
"It's chilly at night."

           
I hurried upstairs, changed, and hurried back down.
 
I was looking forward to spending some time with my cousin.
 
I'd been really excited to see her, but so far we hadn't quite become the fast friends I'd hoped we would be.
 
Maybe that was about to change.

           
Odette led me outside, and I zipped up my coat.
 
The night was indeed cold, and the stars and the moon were bright overhead.
 
There were only two streetlights lit on the block, so the celestial illumination was a welcome addition.

           
"Krov is loveliest when it's quiet," Odette said, smiling softly.
 
"I often go on moonlit walks.
 
Sometimes I even leave the town and go out into the countryside."

           
"I am certainly grateful for your nocturnal habits," I said.
 
"And I know GM is too.
 
We were really glad to see you and Aleksandr tonight.
 
Spending the night in a car is not a lot of fun."

           
Odette laughed.
 
"Yes, it was lucky that we happened by.
 
Aleksandr had asked me to go with him for a drive in the country to see the stars, and we happened to see your stranded car.
 
Aleksandr wanted to stop to see if we could offer any assistance."