The Lives Of The Romanovs

Envy

Tatiana

Today was just going to be a day to relax. We were going to relax around the palace and sit around. Mama and us (the OTMA) were going to sit in the Mauve Room and read and knit. Mama was working on a new scarf, Olga was working on a sweater, and I was also working on a scarf. Maria and Anastasia decided to look through some old photo album's together. Anastasia and her giggled as they looked at the 1915 album. Anna Vyrubova, Lili Dehn, Rebecca Brown, and Anya Demidova were also in the room and knitting things as well. The children were currently in our old playroom with Stephanie and Dasha.

"Mama, look! Do you remember visiting the Finnish Skerries? Look at Alyosha and Tatiana in this photo!" Anastasia exclaimed and showed her.

Mama softly chuckled. "Baby looks so precious there. Oh, what I would do to see his smile again."

The room went quiet for a minute. Mama had tears in her eyes. It was urgent that someone changed the subject.

"Anyway," I faked a cough. "Olga, you are looking awfully beautiful this morning."

"That was very random, Tatya."

"No, it is true. Your complexion is beautiful. You must be using face creams from Italy or something of the sort." Anastasia said and put a hand on Olga's face randomly. Olga groaned and swatted Nastya's hand off of her.

"I have always had a beautiful complexion."

"Eh, not that beautiful."

I gasped. "Nastya! Apologize at once!"

"What? I am just being honest." Anastasia furrowed her eyebrows.

"Once an imp, always an imp." Anna Vyrubova laughed. Lili Dehn and Anya Demidova laughed along with her.

"Oh, I like this photo!" Maria giggled and pointed to another photo from a different photo album. "I believe Anna took this once. Look at how Tatiana looks at Dmitri here. It is so romantic."

"You think everything is romantic, Mashka. A man could hold a woman's hand and you would think it is romantic." Anastasia snickered.

"Is it not romantic? I think it is." I shrugged.

"Yes, I as well. Besides, you have no room to speak about romance. You have never even been in love, Nastya. You would not know anything about it." Olga shook her head. Anastasia looked sad and frowned. She quietly went back to looking through a photo album.

"That was a bit cold, Olya." Mama muttered and looked at Olga.

"I did not mean that in a cruel or harsh way. I simply mean that Anastasia has never been in love or had a romance so she has no room to comment on other people's romantic lives."

Lili Dehn suddenly interrupted. "Your Majesty, I am sorry to interrupt. But what time shall the men come back from their drive around Tsarkoye Selo?"

"Soon. In fact, anytime now. I believe Dmitri Pavlovich is having a fun time driving the men around. He was thrilled and laughing about it getting in the car."

I giggled. "Yes, that sounds like my Dima."

There was sharp knock on the door. Stephanie and Dasha came in with all four of the children. Oleg and Lyokha waddled over to Olga and wrapped their arms around her. She gave them kisses and hugs. Baby Irina sat next to me and leaned her head on my shoulder. Dasha tried to hand Little Dmitri to me, forcing me to set my knitting things down. I took Little Dmitri. He looked around at everything.

"Little Dmitri. Little Dmitri." Maria waved at him and said his name in a high-pitched sound. But Little Dmitri did not even turn, as if he had not even heard her. He kept his eyes on me.