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Updated: May 14, 2025
Naturally her marriage had been a disappointment. At this point in Sonya Valesky's letter, Nona Davis began to have a faint appreciation of the situation. She remembered the narrow, conservative life of the old south and that her father had lived largely upon traditions of wealth and family, teaching her little else.
It was old Katja, Sonya Valesky's servant, whom she had left with Nika in her little hut. What had brought the old woman to Petrograd? In reality Nona knew without asking the question. It was Katja's devotion to Sonya. The old woman was speaking a queer jumble of languages, Russian and the few words of English she had learned while the American girl was living in the same house.
Above all, she was to make him a written and sacred promise that she would never reveal her ideas of life to her daughter. This Nona's mother had refused to do and so had gone away, expecting to come back some day when her husband relented. Within a year she had died. But here Sonya Valesky's letter ended, for she enclosed another written by Nona's mother to her friend.
Besides, he felt the contempt she had not allowed herself to express, for the Russian is singularly proud and sensitive. "I repeat that I am very sorry," the young officer added. "You are wrong in thinking I take Sonya Valesky's fate lightly. Her family and mine, as I once told you, have been friends for many years.
Well, perhaps personality is the strongest force in the world and Sonya Valesky's distinction, whatever her mistakes, lay in this. She now walked across the room and put a few of François' precious pine logs on the fire. At this Nona stirred. "Don't trouble to do that, Sonya; I meant to in another minute. I thought you were ill upstairs." Sonya shook her head.
In the course of one of their talks, however, he confided to Nona that he was a younger brother, but that his family were members of the Russian nobility. Never once, however, did the young man betray any fact connected with Sonya Valesky's history. He explained that their families had long known each other and that he had always been fond of her, nothing more.
Of course Nona had told her two friends of Sonya's arrest, but had not been able to go into the details of the story, nor had she mentioned her own intentions. Very possibly both the girls would disapprove, as Lieutenant Orlaff had done, of her becoming more closely involved with Sonya Valesky's history. Fortunately Mildred appeared at the door without further delay.
It does seem too cruel to desert a friend in a time of such extremity. When we get to Petrograd perhaps we can talk Sonya Valesky's case over with our Ambassador and he may help us with his advice. Let's get to sleep now; we can judge more wisely in the morning." It was too cold for a leisurely disrobing, so in a very short time the three girls were ready for the night.
The older woman explained that she had known Nona's mother many years ago when they were both children in Russia, although she was a number of years younger. There was as little as possible of Sonya Valesky's own history in the letter. She stated without proof or comment that her father had once been Russian Ambassador to the United States.
To Nona Davis' surprise, the young man proved to be Lieutenant Michael Orlaff, whom she had not seen since the afternoon when she had walked to the fortress with him and confided the news of Sonya Valesky's arrest. After a few moments of general conversation a man servant, wearing an elaborate uniform, announced that General Alexis and his guests might walk into the Czar's private sitting room.
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