The young astronomer hosting the demonstration ought to have kept her fascinated. He spoke of planets and stars and celestial comets that hurtled through space millions of miles away. And yet a vague uneasiness gripped her that she could not quite shake.
What was happening with Count Cassini? The next move in this epic chess match was happening as she sat here in a chilly, dome-shaped room while Professor Harkness described the solar system. A narrow panel in the observatory’s ceiling was open to expose a sliver of the night sky. He moved a telescope the size of a cannon into position and turned dials and levers to focus lenses, then invited the guests to have a look at the moon in a way they’d never seen before.
Natalia lined her eye up before the lens. At first all she saw was a haze of white and gray, but as the professor rotated the dial, the features zoomed into sharp, crisp focus, revealing jagged craters and rocks.
“I had no idea,” she whispered, her heart in her throat. What a huge and vast universe in which they lived. God showed them only a tiny fraction of it, but how wonderful that they were learning to see more.
She stood aside so Poppy could peer through the telescope lens. The sound of a door opening in the rear of the observatory caught her attention. Light from the hallway revealed the silhouette of a tall, slim man.
It was Dimitri. He probably couldn’t see much in the dark room, so she closed the distance between them. He recognized her as she drew near, his face radiant.
“Natalia, I have good news,” he said in a choked voice.
Her heart seized, and she squeezed his hands. “Tell me.” Her voice echoed beneath the cavernous dome, but she didn’t care.
“Count Cassini has yielded. He has promised to clear my name and return Mirosa. I can go home.”
Her heart started breaking at the same time as she rejoiced. His arms closed around her, and she smiled against his neck. Was it possible to be happy and heartbroken at the same time? She was going to lose him, but oh, he deserved this. For the rest of his life, Dimitri deserved nothing but good things and happiness.
“Congratulations,” she whispered. “Congratulations, my dearest, dearest Dimitri.”
“A little decorum, please.” Poppy’s voice came from a few yards away, but Natalia wasn’t going to let Poppy interfere with this moment.
“Let’s go outside,” she said.
“Are you sure?” Dimitri asked with a nod to the telescope and the cluster of people standing at its base. “You were watching the stars.”
“We can watch them outside.”
They escaped Poppy’s surly glare and went up a staircase that led to the roof of the observatory and an unobstructed view of the sky. The air was crisp and cool, and a smattering of lights twinkled in the city below. Above them were millions of stars, but at the moment, all she could see was the tender affection on Dimitri’s face as he smiled down at her.
“When will you go?” she asked him.
“As soon as I have official word from the czar.”
The hopeful dream of a future for them began to die. That was all right. The sensible part of her always knew this day might come. She met his eyes bravely even though she wished she could cry.
“Good,” she said, meaning it from the bottom of her heart. She laid her hand against his smooth, trim beard. “Why do you suddenly look so sad?” she asked.
He grabbed her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “Because it means I must leave you behind.”
She could hardly breathe. “I’ll be okay.”
“Will you? I’m not sure I can say the same.” He lowered their hands but kept gazing into her eyes. “Natalia, do you think you could ever be happy in Russia?”
He did not need to elaborate. She had often daydreamed about visiting Russia someday, but the thought of leaving everything behind forever wasn’t an option. She would lose her family and her life’s work. Russia was a highly traditional society, with no place for a woman in business.
“I don’t think so,” she finally said. “I belong here, just as you belong in Russia.” She managed a smile, even though the combination of joy and sadness was almost too much to bear. “I’ve always thought there are some people who are destined to be happy while others are not. I don’t mind.”
His eyes gleamed. “Be careful, you are sounding very Russian.”
She laughed. “Iampart Russian. I don’t entirely belong in America, but I certainly don’t belong over there either. Butyou, Dimitri. You are Russian all the way down to that big, generous,and overly dramatic heart of yours. I want the world for you, and that means I want you to have Mirosa back.”
He kissed her forehead, and they clung to each other, enjoying Dimitri’s triumph even though it meant the beginning of the end for them.
25
Dimitri had been invited to a gala celebration at the Russian embassy for his final night in Washington. The coveted invitation was a clear sign that Count Cassini was making good on his promise to rewrite the incident in Russia as an unfortunate misunderstanding. The white-tie affair would have dozens of guests from the military, foreign embassies, and even a handful of celebrities. Archbishop Raphael, the highest-ranking patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, would be in attendance, as would a famed opera diva, who would sing after dinner.
