“He’s been bursting for hours! That’s why he frog-marched us all here—”
I interrupt. “I’ve found something. I’ve just had a look at it, in the bathroom.”
Emily frowns at me. “By ‘something’ do you mean that document you stole from the envelope in the Malachite Room? I only hope that by taking it, you don’t get your friend Dr Jansons into any trouble.”
“He won’t be in trouble. I’ve seen those long brown manilla envelopes before, Emily. They were used by Okhrana, and they contain evidence they used to incriminate people.”
Emily narrows her eyes at me. “So if it’s evidence that belonged to Okhrana, how come the Bolsheviks now have it?”
Yuri looks at her. “For a while, Emily, I used to work for an Okhrana official. I’ve not seen inside their files, but I know what the envelopes look like, and Agnes’s description sounds right. It’s an old Okhrana file.”
The train rattles around a bend, and we sway with the moving floor as Yuri continues. “But you are right too, Emily. Okhrana would have made every effort to stop those files falling into the hands of the revolutionaries. I have no idea how the Red Guards could have got hold of it.”
The train is noisy, but I keep my voice down so that it can’t be heard inside the bathroom. I try to explain.
“Taking that paper can’t harm Dr Jansons, Emily. It might even help him, by getting rid of evidence that the Bolsheviks might have used against him. But actually, I don’t think the Bolsheviks are interested in Dr Jansons at all. The letter that in the envelope is of purely personal interest, to General Aristarkhov.”
Emily starts to speak, but at that moment the soldier comes out of the bathroom, and we fall silent. I whisper to her in English “I’ll explain later.”
The guard barks at me. “Quiet! None of your American words, telling each other secrets! When any of us speak, we use Russian only, so I know what you are talking about.”
“I’m enjoying this journey” says Yuri. “It’s so convivial.”
“Ladies and gentleman – I’m sorry to interrupt your perusal of our hotel menu. I’ve come to inform you that all your personal belongings from your accommodation in St Petersburg have now arrived safely at this hotel. They have all been taken up to your rooms. But in addition, the Bolshevik Party has provided each of you with a personal allowance for new clothing, any souvenirs you may wish to buy, and so on. Your funds may be collected from the reception desk. And, let me know if I can do anything else to increase the comfort of your stay in Moscow; it would be a pleasure to assist. Now I will leave you, so that you may look at this evening’s menu at your leisure.”
The maître d'hôtel bows to us. Emily, Yuri and I sit around a table at the centre of the sumptuous dining-room of Moscow’s attempt to be like New York and London: its very own Hotel Metropole. After the cold vastness of the Winter Palace, the hotel is modern and well-appointed. But there’s an air of imperial splendor in the vivid colors of the stained-glass ceiling, like a huge church window suspended horizontally above us. The walls are decorated with the sinuous curves of Art Nouveau designs, lit by the glow of ornate, elaborate lamps.
I’m glad we’re staying here. It show that the Bolsheviks recognise the status of Emily and me as foreign nationals, and are sparing no expense to keep us comfortable. Yuri, his arm in a sling, glances up at the glass ceiling, then across the room at the scores of elegantly-dressed diners, all of them chattering about the events in St Petersburg. Some voices sound excited: others have an edge of fear. We hear the name “Lenin” recurring in every conversation. Yuri opens his menu.
“I grew up on the banks of the Volga – but I’ve never eaten in a restaurant with Volga caviar on the menu! I’m going to try it – even if I have to offend etiquette by eating one-handed. Travelling with you two ladies is giving me a taste of luxury. I think I will write a note to myself, to remind me to spend as much time as I can with American women.”
Laughing, I add “The best thing of all is that we have no Bolshevik guard watching our every movement. We seem to be totally free here, as long as we sign in at the hotel desk once a day.”
Emily and Yuri nod. After our journey, this freedom is a welcome relief, and the three of us are now dining without any kind of chaperone. I carry on.
“So, I can now read to you the letter that I took from Dr Jansons’ file. But first I’ll explain about Dr Jansons. As well as working at the Winter Palace Hospital, he had a private practice as a hematology specialist. One of the illnesses he treated was the blood-clotting disorder hemophilia. This is a personal letter to him, from a young patient.”
I unfold the sheet of paper. Again, the little sketch catches my eye. I read the letter out loud.
“Dear Doctor Jansons
Thank you for all your care, treatments and medicines! I am feeling quite well, although tired. I do hope you will come and see me again soon. Mother says you are the best blood doctor in all of Russia. And I miss the funny stories you tell.
I hope all is well at the Winter Palace Hospital, and that you are helping all the soldiers to get better.
Mother and I arrived at Tri Tsarevny today. It is a funny old house by a lake. It was amusing, the servants here all bowed one after another to me, and each one said ‘Welcome, Prince Tsarevitch Alexei, to the Three Princesses!’
It made me laugh, because of course I have four sisters who are princesses. But my sisters are busy working in hospitals, and they are not coming on our holiday at Tri Tsarevny. I miss them so much. It can be very lonely at times.
I am in an upstairs bedroom. I am feeling very tired and Mother has said I am not allowed to go outside to play for a few days. There is a small schoolroom for me, where my new tutor who is called Nestor will teach me, but not many lessons each day, because I am so tired.
July 26th – I have decided to keep a Diary of my holiday. So this letter is my Diary. Mother is being very strict about my health today. I have to spend most of my time in bed. But Nestor has brought books for me to read while I lie here – ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’, and also ‘The Time Machine’ by the Englishman Mr H. G. Wells, and some poems too, about the fighters who defended the Roman Republic in the old days – ‘Horatius’ and ‘The Battle of Lake Regillus’.
I read a little in the morning, but I was not feeling very well in the afternoon, so I slept.
July 27th – A much better day! Nestor has given me Binoculars, saying that if I sit up in bed, I can watch the grounds of Tri Tsarevny. I can see the lake and the little islands, and the Princess Houses on each island. A very beautiful lady lives in the middle Princess House. I can often see her sitting out on her porch, looking at the lake. And Rasputin has come to visit us. He is going to stay in the furthest of the Princess Houses.
July 28th – A very good day. The beautiful lady asked to meet me! She came up to my room. Her name is Svea and she is from Sweden. I showed her my book and she really liked it.
July 29th – 11.00am – Last night I could not sleep, so I looked out of my window. It was bright moonlight so I could use the Binoculars and see clearly. I could see two people on the causeway to the islands. One person was far away, near the middle Princess, and wore a long white robe. I think it was Rasputin. The other was closer to the shore, and they walked along the causeway onto the island with the old storeroom. I could not tell who it was.
July 29th – 4.00pm – This afternoon, there has been such excitement! It is a warm day, my window has been open, so I can hear all noises from outside. At about two o’clock I heard a shot!