A Single Moment

Chapter 4 ~ Bitter Sweet

It was a quiet night in Pavlovsk Palace. The royal wedding was just two months away, but the health of the Grand Duchess was of grave concern. The Tsarina was now performing her nightly Compline with her mother; by her bedside. "In peace, I will lie down and sleep. Give us today, O God, a glad heart and good conscience, that when we come to this day's end, we may rest in peace with Christ our Lord." Maria prayed, her head covered with her delicate white Irish lace prayer veil.

"May God our Redeemer show us compassion and love." Lady Margaret said as she kneeled by her sister on the other side.

As Maria left her mother's chambers, she walked alone back to her study.

The year was 2038, and it had been a rough five years for the two royal families. The Duchess of Windsor's mother, Lady Ann Countess of Groom, had unexpectedly and suddenly died and not long after her father's health declined. Many said that it was because he felt lost without Ann, the two were soul mates, and her passing was a significant loss, not just for him but also for the whole family.

That wasn't the only death in the family. The Earl of Griffith had passed away after a nasty skiing accident, leaving his wife, the Dowager Countess Lady Katrina and daughter the new Countess Carmon of Zelenogorsk. But it wasn't all doom and gloom for this family. Lady Carmon was now the mother of two adorable children, Mary and Antony. She had continued to share being the Tsarina's Lady-in-Waiting with Lady Anya and had settled down into married life in high society Russia.

On the other hand, Maria's brother, Nicklas, had remained unmarried and had chosen to devote his life to helping his mother and sister. He was a sensible person like his sister and of course had many admirers but none that had eventuated into marriage. He dared not outshine the heir to the throne.

Prince Alexei chose to study music and art history at Oxford University along with Princess Jocelyn. Princess Elizabeth had decided to walk in her mother's footprint and was in the midst of studying music at the Avondale Conservatorium. Her grandmother's funeral was held in beautiful and modern Toowoomba Reform Synagogue and attended my an enormous amount of people. It was perhaps the most significant Jewish funeral that Australia had ever seen. Wearing an elegant black ensemble, and black veil, Amelia mourned very publicly for her dearly beloved mother.

Prince George had followed in his families footprints and joined the Royal Navy. He still had his heart set on the beautiful Princess Ingrid; he had even asked Maria for her daughter's hand in marriage. There was one problem, he needed to wait until she was twenty-one by Russian law. The Royal Marriages Act in Britain allowed for the wedding and the King had signed off it was now all up to Maria and the Russian Government.

Taking off her prayer veil, Maria slumped at her desk. She tried so hard to stay healthy for her mother, but inside she was a shattered and tired woman. "Oh, Susan lets go for a walk old girl." She said as she knelt in front of her dog.

Stepping out into the cold February night she was followed by her footman who up until that point had the eager but old dog on the lead. "Ma'am, it's terribly cold. Are you sure you want to walk all the way to the mausoleum? Perhaps it is best to go when the weather isn't so bad."

"Reesman, there is no such thing as bad weather, only poor clothing choices." She said as she led Susan down the icy path. Her footman took the hint and just followed along. He wasn't the only one who was enjoying the long walk. It would have been a sight to behold, the grand matriarch of the Russian Royal Family in a plain black woollen skirt, high denier pantyhose, a tweed looking blazer and silk headscarf; topping everything off with wattle green wellingtons. With Reesman in front of the pair, Maria picked up the small dog and carried her the rest of the way.

Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to go, and Maria was well aware of the fact her decision wasn't the best one, but she forged ahead. As the two and dog walked the muddied path, Maria's mind went to her mother. She had known that her mother would die at some point and she battled to justify what she would do. The sounds of the night calmed her, and as she neared the final resting place of her husband, she grew with purpose as she walked.