A gift
Andrej had heard it was custom to give gifts on the Christmas holiday. He was disappointed; he had nothing to give Anita. Dolgorukij gave gifts, but they were often traditional. Family heirlooms were passed at ceremonial occasions to the next generation. He had been given his estates when he was eight and been named his father's heir. But of course he had none of these things and they could not be given to an outsider anyway.
Glumly, Andrej returned to his room after running his laps. He needed to change his clothing before heading to his lab.
There was a box on his bed, a large box. It had been some time since he had felt this worried; someone had been prowling. Andrej could not detect anything else out of place. Tense, he opened the box.
He recognized its contents immediately. It was one of his mother's furs, a sable cloak. It was held together with a brooch, a huge ruby surrounded by pearls. Andrej could not mistake it, for the brooch was controversial. His mother had worn it publicly only once, at a gathering of the Autocrat's court. The gathered aristocrats were shocked, for the pin was new and did not contain the Koscuisko family crest. But the Autocrat had smiled and complimented, and the onlookers envied her cleverness.
Andrej smiled. He had his gift. He closed the box and took up a scrap of paper for a card. He carefully wrote 'To Miss Blake" and carried the box to place it under the tree as was the apparent tradition.
Glumly, Andrej returned to his room after running his laps. He needed to change his clothing before heading to his lab.
There was a box on his bed, a large box. It had been some time since he had felt this worried; someone had been prowling. Andrej could not detect anything else out of place. Tense, he opened the box.
He recognized its contents immediately. It was one of his mother's furs, a sable cloak. It was held together with a brooch, a huge ruby surrounded by pearls. Andrej could not mistake it, for the brooch was controversial. His mother had worn it publicly only once, at a gathering of the Autocrat's court. The gathered aristocrats were shocked, for the pin was new and did not contain the Koscuisko family crest. But the Autocrat had smiled and complimented, and the onlookers envied her cleverness.
Andrej smiled. He had his gift. He closed the box and took up a scrap of paper for a card. He carefully wrote 'To Miss Blake" and carried the box to place it under the tree as was the apparent tradition.