The Lives Of The Romanovs

Discussion Over Breakfast

Tatiana

I put on my pink-flower earrings while sitting at my vanity. Around 09:00, Olga was coming over for breakfast. Igor wasn't going to make it, unfortunately. He was meeting Ioann and Konstantine for breakfast and then hunting somewhere and would actually be gone for a couple days.

Dmitri came into the room with a rather unhappy expression on his face. "You look nice today." He said in a rather condescending tone.

"Olga is coming over this morning for breakfast. Have you forgotten?"

"'Dammit, I forgot. I was going to go with Felix to the opera house this morning. They have an early play for "A Midsummer Night's Dream". I'm sure Olga will understand."'

I scoffed. "I'm sure she will, but I certainly will not! Dima, as your wife, I'm asking you to stay home and have breakfast with me and your sister-in-law."

Dmitri went to the wardrobe and pulled out his own dress coat. He deeply sighed and just ignored me. Once he finished putting on his coat, Dmitri walked over behind me and took my necklace from me. "Allow me." Dmitri said and put it on me. "Tatiana...sometimes I think you forget who's in charge of this home. Take sometime today remembering that."

Dmitri was picked up by Felix and the two were off. I was left waiting on the porch in the backyard for Olga. It took about ten-minutes after Dmitri left for Olga to arrive. The footman accompanied her outside. There was something oddly very happy about her. Olga wore a long-pink dress with a white-hat. A long white-pearl necklace hung from her neck. She was obviously following with newest fashion trends. But she wore a large genuine smile on her face.

"Dear Tatiana." Olga smiled and bent down to kiss my cheek. She plopped herself down across from me. The footman poured us both some tea and then went on his way.

"I have missed you, Olishka."

"Oh, you have no idea how I've missed you. I am still getting used to waking up and not seeing Papa and Mama along with the younger three."

"Speaking of the younger three, have you heard from Maria?" I asked.

Olga nodded at me. "Yes, I have. She's teaching a painting class at a girl's art academy in Nantes, just about thirty-minutes away from their home. I thought my home was isolated, please! Maria and Vladimir's home is so deep in the country that the nearest city is thirty-minutes!"

"But Olga," I shrugged. "That's exactly what Maria wanted. She wants to have a large home with a lot of land and a husband that dotes on her. Both, of which, she absolutely has. I truly cannot talk badly about the life Vladimir has provided our dear sister, at least their marriage is happy-" I stopped myself. Olga furrowed her eyebrows at me and put her cup of tea down.

"Tatya...is your marriage with Dmitri unhappy?"

"Oh, I don't even know. He's just...he's just a pain sometimes!" I cried out and buried my face into my hands. It was embarrassing, honestly. How is it that we've only been married for one-year and a-half, and we're already unhappy.

"Do not fret, please. Just tell me everything."

I lifted my head and deeply exhaled. "Sometimes, I feel as if I am not important to him. Dmitri...just refuses to grow up. For the first time in my life, I don't know what to do."

Olga sighed. "Have you tried sitting down with him and talking about this? I'm sure he'd listen."

I shook my head. "It's no use. By 20:00, he's asleep from drinking so much. He's gradually drinking more and more and I don't know how to stop him. I never expected him to be like this!"

"Some men take more time to mature, I suppose. Perhaps it's just the stress of a baby coming along." Olga shrugged. "Tatiana, sit down and talk with him about his drinking and distant behavior. He shall understand. And once the new baby arrives, Dmitri will be a happy man!"

Olga did have a point. The stress of becoming a father could have been taking a toll on him. I mean, that was understandable. But at the same time, I hope I'm not just trying to make excuses for him. But I hoped, I really hoped, this phase of our marriage would pass.