The Lives Of The Romanovs

The Dying Rose

Tatiana

I walked around the hospital with Anton. We were going over hospital renovations. The hospital was building on a garage for ambulances. I donated money for a hospital lunchroom that had a buffet in it. More beds and blankets were happily donated too. But getting the hospital for clean was everything to me. So, Anton and I got on our hands and knees to scrub the floors with a cleaning brush with a bucket of water and soap.

"'Then I said: "No, it was the cat!" But she did not laugh. The date was awful, Tatiana Nikolaevna. I truly will die alone." Anton exhaled. I continued to scrub, not even listening to what he had said. I was lost in thought about Dmitri and this ballerina named Veronika. How long had they been having an affair? Was he in love with her? How often were they meeting up?

"Tatiana Nikolaevna. Hello, Tatiana Nikolaevna!" Anton waved his hand in front of my face. I became conscious at my surroundings again and realized that I had missed all of Anton's ramble about his most recent date.

"Oh, I am so sorry. I have been so out of it lately."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"It is marital troubles. You would not understand, dear Anton." I grinned. "Let us just keep cleaning."

"Please, let us speak about this. I am your friend after all. I may even go as far as to say that we are best friends."

"We are best friends, of course. Fine, if you must know. I have recently found out that Dmitri is having an affair, I made a scene at breakfast when Dmitri took the men to look at his whiskey collection, and I have been ignoring Dmitri for last few days."

Anton groaned. "Oh. I see. Dmitri is such a bastard."

"Do not say that. He is still my husband after all."

"Why do you defend him? You know he would not defend you. Besides, if you were my wife then I would never have an affair or treat you so poorly."

"Well, I am not your wife. I do not know what to do, Anton. Should I tell Dmitri that I know he is having an affair?"

"Yes, I would. I believe that honesty is everything. Who is the woman?"

"From what I know, she is a ballerina named Veronika Vinogradova. I have seen her photograph before. She has dark-brown hair with brown-eyes. Verokina is a beauty and she cannot be older than twenty-five. Perhaps that is why Dmitri does not love me anymore. I have had three-children and I'm too old."

"You're not yet twenty-nine. Tatiana Nikolaevna, you are not that old. I am thirty-five."

"It's different for men. They do not age as fast as women. Besides, you do not have a wife or children. There is no stress at home. You only have to worry about the hospital." I sharply inhaled.

Anton scoffed. "This is hard work. But if you really want answers, then go with Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich to a ballet performance. Maybe you could try and meet this ballerina."

"What good would that do?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I am not sure. If she is young, then she needs a lesson from an elder. She could be too immature to understand what she is doing is wrong. Many young people make mistakes."

I scoffed. "To be fair, I have never made the mistake of being a married man's mistress. What about you, Anton? What was your biggest mistake?"

Anton sat and furrowed his eyebrows. He was deep in thought with his hands on his thighs. "Not being a better son and brother. Now it is too late. I am alone in this world and I believe I will stay that way."