Chapter 6 – A Deep Imprint (2)

“This is my niece, Anna Oblonsky. The eldest daughter in our family,” Madame Tellier introduced Anna to Mr. Karenin. Of course, she knew Mr. Karenin, from a long time ago, another life. But she couldn’t say that aloud, they wouldn’t believe her. And most of all, she couldn’t say that she met him privately and had instigated the prospects of marriage.

Private meetings were frowned upon in the social circle of the nobility. It was deemed inappropriate for an unmarried man and a woman to meet without being accompanied by their parents or guardians.

Mr. Karenin knew this encumbering social norms and etiquette better than anyone else. So, he followed propriety and expressed his desire to marry Anna Oblonsky with Madame Tellier, upon which he was invited to the house and allowed to see Anna.

His fiancé was beautiful with curly hair, black as night, and grey eyes. The bold, unfettered girl that he had met two days ago was hiding somewhere within this epitome of nobleness and elegance. Today, she sat before him emanating a kind of nobility that was undiminished in the face of anything. He knew she was faking it, which made it all the more amusing.

If her aunt had known it was Anna herself who asked for his hand, and quite shameless at that, the madame would faint.

Madame Tellier turned to Anna, “My dear, Mr. Karenin hopes to gain your consent to be his wife. He is here to ask for your hand in marriage.” Her thin, pursed lips were devoid of any affection for her, as well as her words.

Anyone present in the room knew that it was not an offer or a question. Madame Tellier expected her niece to only convey consent.

“You brought me up as your own, so anything you wish will be my own, as well,” said Anna, appearing shy like a good noble woman ought to show in times like this. She also did not let slip a chance to flatter her aunt. Acting as such was best for her.

Madame Tellier seemed satisfied with her reply. Her grey eyes looked at Mr. Karenin, “This marriage will benefit both households, I deem this a suitable match.”

More conversations ensued regarding a suitable date for the wedding to come. “In two weeks?” Madame Tellier frowned, “Doesn’t that seem a tad bit hasty?”

Mr. Karenin had prepared for this moment. He looked at everyone observing them and even managed a soothing look for Anna at the very end. His blue eyes focused on Madame Tellier, his gaze was calm and steady, “As you may have heard, my recent visit to Moscow was in accordance with The Emperor’s will. It was to prepare for my one-month trip to France and I will have to leave in two weeks.”

He conveyed this with calmness and ease. The words themselves were simple, but Anna knew about the things that were left unsaid. She knew her aunt was weighing on the words that existed between the lines. Anna knew her aunt well enough to know that she was pondering about the trip, about the possibility of him being promoted and, within that time frame, the Emperor’s third sister would come of age. Anna could imagine the gears turning in the mind of her aunt, deciding how to proceed further.

Madame Tellier had decided Mr. Karenin was a big fish in the making. She must not let him slip from her net! The Emperor’s third sister might snatch him, so having him marry Anna she must allow the soonest possible. She was all ears to the matrimonial plans Mr. Karenin was laying out.

Anna frowned slightly, thinking about The Emperor’s third sister. She glanced at Mr. Karenin, but he was no longer trying to catch her eyes, whether because of etiquettes or other reasons, she didn’t know.

He was sitting there with his long legs crossed. His slender fingers did not have the ring that she had seen in her previous life. They were clean. His hand was resting on the armrest. He seemed confident and completely at ease. That was the complete opposite to what Anna felt now. ‘Look at me’, she thought. She desperately wanted to catch his eyes, even for a moment, but he was either unwilling to acknowledge or seemed to not get the hint at all.

Anna looked down at her folded hands, thinking that she failed to catch his attention. She didn’t know that he looked at her for a heartbeat the moment her gaze was turned, in a way that would go unnoticeable. His light blue eyes held the image of this girl with her thick, drooping lashes, to her lips, to the curly black hair that fell down her back. A deep imprint was left by Anna, at that moment, in Mr. Karenin’s heart.