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Post by Tim on Mar 17, 2019 17:58:25 GMT -5
Looks like Anastasia has bit of a crush on Juan!
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Mar 24, 2019 11:45:56 GMT -5
Chapter 11
Tatiana watched in amusement as Olga got herself ready, looking at her reflection in the mirror as Skye showed her how to apply makeup. "You're going to be dancing with Jack, Tessa. Aren't you excited?", she teased.
"Yes, but I don't show it, Olishka", she laughed.
"I prefer the Tower Ballroom over the Wagon Wheel, the music isn't as loud. And Juan is trying to get tickets to see Billy Fury at the Mecca, let him know if you want to go", said Skye as she showed Olga how to apply eyeshadow.
"What an odd name", Tatiana commented.
"It's a stage name, his real name is Ronald Wycherly. A lot of pop stars use fake names since they often have dull real names", said Skye as Tatiana nodded in understanding.
"Is he like the Beatles?" asked Olga.
"Not really, he does a lot of ballads. He's very popular with young girls", said Skye.
Olga and Tatiana exchanged a glance. "No thank you", said Olga.
"All right, I'll ask the others", said Skye.
Tatiana looked at her reflection in the mirror, surprised at how the makeup made her look. She had never worn makeup before but now she thought it made her look different, more grownup. Skye had applied icy blue eyeshadow and black eyeliner to her eyes, along with the palest of pink blush which brought out her high cheekbones. Her lipstick was a vivid dark cherry red which perfectly outlined her Cupid's bow mouth and her dark hair was loose around her shoulders. Her sapphire blue dress emphasized her milky pale complexion and fit perfectly, a simple silver costume jewelry necklace with dark blue glass beads around her slim neck and the faint scent of jasmine perfume dabbed on her skin.
"You look amazing, Tessa", said Olga as she gazed at her reflection in the mirror. Olga wore a similar dress but in rose pink, her blue eyes adorned with purple eyeshadow tinged with gold and dark pink lipstick. The dress and makeup flattered her dark blond hair and blue eyes, while Skye wore a similar dress in forest green but her eyeshadow was a vivid bronze which brought out the golden highlights in her hazel eyes and her lipstick was the color of a fire engine. In spite of her height, she wore three-inch heels which made her nearly six feet tall while Tatiana was an inch shorter in her modest heels.
"Why do you wear such high heels, Skye? You're already tall", chided Olga.
"I know, but at work I have to wear my uniform and flat shoes. I like to dress up", said Skye as Tatiana did the blond's hair in a French twist. "Amazing, Tessa", she said.
"I did Mama's hair when she was sick, her ladies couldn't do it the way she liked. Are Mama and Papa going to be all right?", she asked.
"Yes, they're going with Pierre and Maria to the cinema while Natalie and Alex are taking the girls to the fun fair", said Skye as she did Tatiana's hair the same way.
The three women left the room and Alexandra gaped when she her daughters. "You look so beautiful!", she exclaimed.
"Thank you, Mama. But Skye helped us", said Tatiana.
"Ta, but you'll learn to do it yourselves. It's quite easy once you know what looks good on you", said Skye.
The men waited for them downstairs, Ian in a stylish black Edwardian suit and Jack in a more retro-type suit that made him look like a private eye from a film noir, especially with his black fedora over his slicked down hair. "You look smashing, ladies", said Jack gallantly, kissing Tatiana's hand.
Tatiana tried to control the blush spreading along her neck and face, seeing how Olga leaned against Ian whose arm was around her waist. She was about to say something when Skye gave her a look. Jack gave his cousin a knowing look and put an arm around Tatiana's waist. Her first instinct was to shrink away but found that she liked the feeling, his big tanned hand resting on her hip. "Ladies, the Tower Ballroom awaits", said Jack with a chuckle.
It was already dark outside and the numerous street lights made it bright along with the moon and stars, the waves pounding the shore just a street away. Many people were promenading along the boardwalk, families with children and all sorts of couples from teenagers in the latest fashions to older couples. Many of the younger people had cameras and were mugging for pictures with the beach as a backdrop, while an occasional transistor radio played pop music. In the distance they could see a tall tower surrounded by a fun fair. "That's the ballroom", Ian explained.
They got in line to enter the ballroom and the men paid for their tickets. Past the coat and hat check counter, the corridor led into a massive ballroom with a big dance floor ringed by small tables and a long bar on the left side. In front of them was a stage surrounded by printed curtains where a band was setting up, a Wurlitzer organ in the loft playing show tunes as a few couples danced. Above them were massive crystal chandeliers which provided illumination and made the polished floors glow golden, the women's heels clicking on the floor.
The little group went over to the bar and ordered drinks, whisky sours with Famous Grouse for Ian and Olga, a vodka martini for Skye, and Singapore Slings with Beefeater for Jack and Tatiana. "The dance band plays mostly waltzes and such, on Saturdays and holidays they play more jazz stuff", said Ian.
"I love waltzing", said Olga with a dreamy smile.
Tatiana nodded as she remembered Olga's coming out ball, where she'd danced with their father and army officers while in a pink dress. Her own coming out ball had been the summer the war broke out and she recalled how nervous she'd been, concerned about her dancing and proud of her new sapphire blue dress. Jack handed her the drink and lit her cigarette before his, an amused look in his blue eyes. "Reminds you of something?", he teased.
Tatiana nearly choked on her drink. "Jack, are you a mind reader for real?", she sputtered.
Jack just laughed. "Oui, my dear. Just one of my many talents", he teased.
"You are a brilliant writer, very smart, a mind reader and a good father. Are there any other talents I should know about?", she said with a smile.
Jack took a drag and exhaled smoke rings which floated above his head before dissipating. "Hmm, I was a sergeant in the army, have a degree in Japanese from the University of Manchester. And I've been told I am good-looking", he drawled.
"Very impressive, Mr. Lacroix", she said with a wink.
Jack gave her a wink back and Tatiana blushed. "And that is not all, Miss Tessa. I have been told I am not a bad dancer, especially ballroom dancing", he chuckled.
"Yeah, because our Mum insisted that we take lessons. Said it would make us more popular with the ladies", Ian laughed.
"And has it?", teased Olga
Ian laughed and put an arm around her waist. "Yes, mera kamal khil gaya", he said.
"What does that mean?", she asked.
Ian gave her a smile and his green eyes danced with amusement. "It mean my lotus blossom in Hindi", he said.
Olga's eyes widened and a blush formed on her cheeks. "Because the lotus is the flower of India", she said.
"And because the lotus is sacred to Vishnu and Lakshmi, they're often depicted on pink lotus flowers. It represents beauty and goodness arising from the mud and dirt", he explained.
Tatiana sipped her drink and made a mental note to speak to Olga. The group nursed their drinks and watched as the orchestra finished tuning up, a comical looking little man in a tuxedo with tails and slicked-back dark hair getting in front of a podium as the orchestra members waited. He raised his baton and tapped the shelf holding his sheet music before they played a waltz.
A few couples got up and danced, mostly older and middle-aged couples. "Wait until the music gets better, when the old people leave", said Jack.
Ian and Olga finished their drinks he led her onto the dance floor as they did a waltz. "What do you mean when the music gets better?", she asked.
"After the old people leave, the orchestra plays jazz. Mostly big band and some Latin stuff, I prefer dancing to that instead", he said.
"Did you dance with your wife?", she asked.
"Not really, the dance halls in Japan were mostly for Yank and British soldiers trying to pull Japanese girls and not respectable ladies. Japan is more strict and conservative than Britain or the US", he said.
"I see. Imagine how people are going to act in the future", she mused aloud.
"More changes, Tessa. Would Olivia have been allowed to date Ian?", he asked.
Tatiana sipped her drink and watched Olga dancing with Ian, him leading her in a waltz. His hand rested on her hip and her arms were around his neck, her cheeks flushed and a shy smile on her face as they danced. "no, he would have been too lowly and Papa would have dismissed him from our service", she replied.
"So now she can date whomever she wants as long as he's not a complete wanker, pardon my language. And I see that Natalie likes Juan", he chuckled.
"He's too old for her and he runs a dance club, it's not appropriate", she said.
"Not to mention he has a girlfriend, a French girl named Camille. She's a model in London, she's all right but a bit thick in the head, but nice", said Jack with a shrug.
"Good, then she can't date him", said Tatiana triumphantly.
"Don't be so sure about that, Tessa. I get the sense Natalie is a very determined girl and gets what she wants", he teased.
"I hope she isn't going to do anything foolish. Natalie ought to focus on school and getting into university. Boys are a distraction", said Tatiana.
Jack just laughed and ordered them each another drink, an amused look in his blue eyes. "So I am a distraction then, Tessa?", he teased.
Tatiana blushed and took a hasty sip of her drink. "No, because I am a grownup. Natalie just turned 17", she said.
"Good to know I'm not a distraction", he laughed.
Tatiana focused on the couples dancing as she was all-too-aware of Jack's arm around her waist. His wavy black hair was slicked back and he was neatly shaven, the spicy scent of aftershave clinging to him. She noticed Skye as she sipped her martini and watched the dancers. "I'm choosy, I don't want to dance with some random bloke in case they get handsy", she explained.
"When are you going to find a boyfriend, Skye?", asked Tatiana.
"Someday, when the right bloke comes along. Or the school hires some blokes", she joked.
"Skye, you're still waiting for Prince Charming", teased Jack.
"I have standards, Jack Lacroix. I'd not fall pregnant and marry some wanker, I have a university education and intend to use it", she retorted cheerfully.
Tatiana nodded in understanding. "You probably worked hard to get a university education and don't want to waste it", she said.
"Correct, I do want a boyfriend but I'm only 23 and women don't start to have fertility problems until about 35. So I have time", she laughed.
The band took a break and Ian led Olga back to the bar as he ordered them another whisky sour. Olga's cheeks were flushed from dancing and her blue eyes sparkled, her lips turned up in a smile which lit up her whole face as though filled with moonlight. "Why don't you dance, Tessa?", she asked.
"I don't like this music, Jack says the music gets better", she replied.
True to his word, the second orchestra which took to the stage played lively big band music. Jack extended her hand and led her out onto the dance floor and showed her how to dance a foxtrot. "Just follow my lead", he said.
Tatiana let him lead her in dancing and quickly caught up to his movements as they danced to the lively music. She felt as though she were flying as he whirled her around and the music filled the air, much more fun than the staid waltzes and Russian court dances she'd done before. Jack smiled as he led her in a foxtrot and then other dances while the band changed gears and played Latin jazz, loving how her face flushed pink with delight and her gray eyes turned a pale blue with delight. Tatiana was almost faint with happiness when he held her close in the dance so they were dancing cheek to cheek, inhaling his spicy scent of aftershave and seeing his blue eyes turned nearly purple with intensity. She nearly fainted when he leaned over and kissed her softly, seeing stars and feeling dizzy.
"Was that your first kiss, Miss Tessa?", he teased.
Tatiana blushed and nodded. "Would you like another?", he asked huskily. Jack leaned over and kissed her again, this time a bit longer and harder. She nearly swooned on the dance floor and she was sure her face was bright pink when she looked over and saw Skye and Olga give her a thumbs up in approval. "Even your sister and my cousin approves, Miss Tessa", he chuckled.
"See Tessa, dancing with boys is fun and so is kissing", teased Olga as Jack led Tatiana back to their table.
"I know, Olivia. But it feels so odd, in that horrid place I'd never thought we'd see or feel this", she said.
"Now you know, Tessa. And you can enjoy it", said Skye.
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Post by Melinda Halliwell on Mar 24, 2019 14:45:26 GMT -5
Ahh yes, Blackpool.
I holidayed there last year and 2 years before that and asked my mum whether she wanted to go inside the Tower Ballroom but she didn't wanna pay the £10 entrance fee or £25 charge to buy afternoon tea although she does like ballroom dancing especially when Strictly Come Dancing go there every year then.
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Post by Tim on Mar 24, 2019 16:35:07 GMT -5
OTMA seems to have adjusted well. Mind you, it's only been forty-five year since their time.
A lot of people they knew, who escaped Russia, could still be alive. I wonder if they'll try to track any of them down.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Mar 31, 2019 11:50:05 GMT -5
Chapter 11
"You missed out on the fun fair yesterday, Olya and Tanya. We went on all sorts of rides and Nicole got sick after she went on the merry-go-round after eating a big cone of candy floss", said Anastasia as she combed her hair in the mirror.
"I don't think I want to see that, Nastya. Nicole is only seven so she doesn't know better", chided Tatiana as she combed her own hair.
"I know, but it was funny. I hope this church isn't going to be too strange, I've never been to a Catholic church before", said Anastasia.
"Neither of us has, I think Mama and Papa have. Remember, Mama was Lutheran before she married Papa and became Orthodox and Germany has many Catholics. Jack says it's either the Catholic church or the Anglican church and since the Lacroix family is Catholic, we go to a Catholic church", said Tatiana pragmatically.
"All right, I just think it's odd to go to a church where you weren't baptized into. But I think the only Orthodox church in Didsbury is a Greek one and we don't speak Greek. What language do they speak in a Catholic church?", asked Anastasia.
"Latin, there's a rumor the Pope might allow vernacular language in the church. The Vatican Council is discussing that", said Skye.
"Ugh, Latin. Why bother since no one actually speaks it?", muttered Anastasia.
"Ian and Pierre know Latin since they're scholars, and Latin is just close enough to French that I can understand it. Plus, English has a lot of Latin loan words since English is a mutant language", said Skye with a laugh.
"It does feel good to go to a church again, after that incident in Tobolsk. It isn't good for people to not attend church and it was torturous to be stuck in that horrid house and not even be allowed to go to church", said Olga in dismay.
"I know, if I have to miss Mass because of illness I feel terrible. Ian is going to a temple in Bolton since there aren't any Hindu temples in Blackpool, there's a lot of people from the subcontinent in Bolton and the other Lancashire mill towns. And no one at the church will notice you because Blackpool is a resort town and most of the people are from out of town anyways, they might not be there next week. You can just sit and follow along", said Skye.
Nicholas and Alexandra were ready for church, Nicholas in a sober gray suit and Alexandra in a mauve dress with a big straw hot on her head adorned with white silk flowers. "I do feel strange going to a Catholic church, but it's good to finally be inside a church at last", he declared.
"It is, sir. And this year Mollie and Nicole are preparing their First Communion and I'm their Sunday school teacher, so we're going to have a big party come May. Just follow along and perhaps you can go to the Greek church next week, do you understand Greek?", asked Skye.
"A bit, but at least it's an Orthodox church, Miss Sutherland", he replied.
Maria and Pierre arrived with Nicole who wore a cute dark blue and white sailor dress, her black curls held in place by a white ribbon. "You look adorable, Nicole", cooed Skye.
"Ta, Aunt Skye. Miss Maria said she used to wear sailor dresses too", said Nicole.
"All of us did when we were girls aboard Papa's yacht, the Standart", said Maria.
"Sorry about the delay, I'm rubbish at doing girls' hair", said Jack apologetically.
"That's all right, Mollie looks very pretty", said Tatiana. She tried not to blush when she saw Jack, him wearing a sharp gray suit with thin white pinstripes and Mollie in a cute lilac and white gingham dress with her black hair in a ponytail.
"Miss Tessa, will you sit with me and Daddy during Mass? I'm doing my First Communion this year with Nicole", said Mollie eagerly.
Tatiana looked at her parents who nodded in approval. "Yes, Mollie", she replied.
Juan waited for them in the lobby along with an older woman who wore a plain black dress with white lace trim, a black mantilla with a veil covering her hair. "Hola, this is my Great-Aunt Carmen. She's staying with me since my family doesn't trust on my own here on the other side of the pond", he chuckled.
"Hello, ma'am", said Nicholas politely.
"Hola, Senor", she replied in a croaky voice. Carmen was a tiny old woman who was less than five feet tall and slightly plump, her veiny claw-like hands covered in spots and adorned with heavy rings. Her hands clutched a white prayer book bound in a hard pearl-like cover and whose edges were trimmed with gold, the writing on the pages and front cover in Spanish.
"Tia Carmen, ellos son mis amigos, una familia que nosotros estamaos ayunda. La Familia Parker (Aunt Carmen, these are my friends we're helping, the Parker family", he said to the old woman.
"Ah, que Bueno, Juanito (How nice, Johnny)", she said approvingly.
The group walked out of the hotel and down the street to Our Lady of Charity church as the bells in the belfry began to ring. As predicted, many of the churchgoers barely noticed them since they were all from out of town and not from Blackpool and not regulars. The modest corridor led into a spacious hall illuminated by stained glass windows depicting various saints and which cast multicolored lights on the people, the painting behind the altar depicting the Virgin Mary helping a trio of sailors lost at sea. Many of the other churchgoers appeared to be families with young kids and older people, a few single people here and there and everyone in their Sunday best. Off to the right side the pianist was talking with the priest, an old man with a bald head who carried his green and gold vestment that he would don over his white robe.
The family found empty seats in the back and looked around curiously. They felt both comfortable and slightly ill at ease since this was the last time they had been inside a church since that incident at Tobolsk with the elderly priest blessing the Imperial Family, plus the family wasn't Catholic and the church was unfamiliar. Throughout the Mass, the family stood and sat and kneeled when the other people did and tried to comprehend the old priest's Latin, but judging from the looks on many people's faces they didn't understand it either. Many of the people had Bibles and followed along with their own English Bibles since the program said what verses the priest was reading from, but the family had little idea what he was saying or what book he had read from.
They stayed seated throughout the Communion and were glad when the service was over, hoping no one had noticed them not getting Communion. "It was nice, but unfamiliar. Maybe the Greek church will be more familiar", said Nicholas as they left the church.
"Perhaps, sir. I'm sure God understands why you went to a different church, I've been to Protestant and Orthodox churches when a Catholic church wasn't available. In the end, God loves all His children", said Pierre.
"Pierre is the most religious of us, he wanted to be a priest as a lad", teased Jack.
"Yes, until I started getting interested in girls and didn't want to give that up", he laughed.
"You boys are silly. Do you want to go get some lunch and then go to the cinema? The cinema has a Sunday discount", said Skye.
"Oooh, yes. I want to see Sword in the Stone", said Nicole eagerly.
"You've seen that already, poppet", teased Pierre.
"I want to see it again, Daddy. I loved it", said Nicole.
"All right", laughed Pierre.
"There's an art cinema in Lancaster that shows Asian films, do you want to come, Tessa? They're showing Rashomon this weekend", said Jack.
"If it's all right with Mama and Papa", she said.
"Of course, Tessa", said Nicholas.
"What kind of film is that?", asked Alexei.
"It's a Japanese film, all these people claimed they saw a body of a samurai but they all have different accounts of what happened and it's told in the point of view of different people. Kurosawa is a bloody genius", said Jack reverently.
"Wow, that sounds awesome. Can I go?", asked Alexei eagerly.
"All right, but be careful", said Alexandra.
"I want to see Sword in the Stone, I don't like Japanese film. They're weird", said Mollie.
"You like Godzilla, Mollie-Chan", teased Jack.
"That's cuz he's a big monster who destroys Tokyo and he's funny, he's a fat guy in a rubber suit. But the Japanese movies Daddy likes are strange", said Mollie.
"When you get older, you'll understand them. Be a good girl", said Jack.
Jack, Tatiana and Alexei got in his car as they were soon on the motorway to Lancaster. "I don't like mainstream Yank films, some of our films are pretty good but the Japanese are the masters of cinema. Akira Kurosawa is a living legend, a brilliant director. A lot of his films are set in Tokugawa Japan or what we would call Medieval Japan and involve samurai, he also does modern films but his historical films are the best. Godzilla is a big lizard monster who fights other monsters, it's rubbish but fun. It's really a fat guy in a rubber suit who destroys a cardboard Tokyo and it's dubbed horribly into English, they ought to leave it in the original Japanese", he said.
"But most people don't speak Japanese", Tatiana told him.
"Yes, but we're not dealing with a complicated plot. Godzilla comes up from the ocean and fights another big monster and they destroy things, it's not exactly King Lear. But the dubbing is for us Brits and Yanks, since most of us are crap at languages, pardon my language", he chuckled.
"Do you really speak Japanese, Mr. Lacroix?", asked Alexei.
"Hai, Alex. Japanese is bloody hard since it has nothing to do with any European language and their alphabet uses symbols instead of letters, but I learned. I'm also decent in Cantonese since that's the Chinese dialect used in Hong Kong and Singapore, it's southern Chinese. The rest of the country uses Mandarin", he said.
"What, you speak Chinese?", asked Alexei, his eyes wide.
"Not really, I can read and speak some Cantonese so I don't sound like a complete Brit wanker. But many people in Hong Kong and Singapore speak good English, it's a matter of being polite", he said.
"I know English, Russian, French and some German", said Alexei.
"That's good, most of my fellow Brits are completely monolingual. Unless you consider knowing both Manc and proper English to be bilingual", he joked.
The cinema in Lancaster looked like a typical cinema found in any town but inside the customers were more beatnik types from the local university along with a few Indian and Pakistani people who wanted to see the upcoming Bengali film which played after the showing of Rashomon. "It's in Japanese but they have subtitles, just follow along. And this place also has films from India and Pakistan, those are good too but that's more Ian's thing", he said.
They found empty seats in the middle and watched the previews before the film, amounting to adverts for local businesses and trailers for upcoming films. Alexei was wide-eyed in delight when the movie started and he saw the Japanese landscapes, so different from either Russia or England. He was even more excited when he saw the samurai in flashbacks, the swords looking more deadly than the regimental swords he had seen. "Pay attention, it's complicated", Jack whispered.
Tatiana nodded as she paid close attention, the structure of the film unlike any she had ever seen before since there were four divergent points of view about the murdered samurai. The subtitles helped somewhat but she had to pay close attention to the film to understand what was going on, but she enjoyed the unusual plot and the landscapes of Tokugawa Japan, the Japanese words almost soothing and not sounding like Chinese.
"Japanese isn't a tonal language like Chinese, people think they're alike but they're not. And they are not the same people so don't get them mixed up", said Jack.
"That was an awesome film, weird but cool. Are there other films with samurai?", asked Alexei.
"Yes, samurai films are very popular in Japan. Some are rubbish but Kurosawa makes the best ones", said Jack.
"Then I want to see more, Japan sounds like a neat country", said Alexei.
"It is, Alex Parker", teased Jack.
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Post by Tim on Mar 31, 2019 12:00:14 GMT -5
I wonder if the Romanovs will want to meet Queen Elizabeth II. She is a relative, after all.
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Post by Melinda Halliwell on Mar 31, 2019 14:38:13 GMT -5
I wonder what she'd think knowing their dead already?
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Post by Tim on Mar 31, 2019 17:08:54 GMT -5
Alexandra was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Elizabeth is her great-great granddaughter.
That would make them, what, second cousins twice removed?
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Apr 7, 2019 11:40:36 GMT -5
Chapter 12
"I can't wait to go dancing, I bet the Wagon Wheel is going to be more fun than that stupid slow dancing Tessa and Olivia like", said Anastasia as she tried to remain calm while Skye applied her makeup.
"It's fun if you like the modern stuff, but that's mostly for younger people. I don't mind dancing, but the music I like is for sitting down and listening", said Skye.
"That sounds boring, I like to dance. We used to play ragtime music very loud and dance in our room", said Anastasia.
"Believe me, no one listens to ragtime except for old people. But try not to be too silly, Natalie. And don't act jealous, Juan is going to be there with his girlfriend Camille", chided Skye.
"I hope she's mean and ugly and then he'll get rid of her", said Anastasia with a mischievous smirk on her face.
"That's a mean thing to say, Natalie. Camille is nice, even if she is a bit dumb and silly but she is a model after all. You and Alex are going to have a good time", said Skye.
Anastasia pouted and tried to remain still as Skye applied the rest of her makeup and then brushed her hair. Her hair was now long as it had been before they all got the measles and then in captivity, golden brown and wavy and falling nearly to her waist. "You have lovely hair, it's not quite brown and it's not quite blond. My hair has always been blond and it was nearly white when I was a baby", said Skye.
"That's kind of you, Skye. I always wanted to be really blond like Olya or really dark like Tanya, they are really beautiful. I've always been the dumpling of the family", said Anastasia.
"You are not a dumpling, Natalie. Many teen girls are plump until they get older and slim down, but you ought to not eat so many sweets. I saw you have two big slices of cake after dinner in the canteen", said Skye.
"I love their chocolate cake! I haven't had chocolate cake in so long", said Anastasia with a pout.
"You can have a little, but not so much. You need to slim down a bit, but not much. You are a pretty young woman and ought to look it", said Skye.
Skye finished brushing her hair and Anastasia looked at her reflection in awe. Her light brown hair gleamed with golden highlights and fell nearly to her waist and her blue eyes were rimmed with a bit of eyeliner and green eyeshadow, her yellow A-line dress clinging to her body and flattering her fair skin. "I look beautiful!", she exclaimed.
"Once you know what looks good on you and wear nice clothes and makeup, you will look amazing. You were in captivity and now you're free, Natalie Parker", said Skye.
Alexei was excitedly bouncing on the balls of his feet as Nicholas and Alexandra looked on proudly, since this simple enthusiasm hadn't been possible before with his illness. "I can't wait to go dancing, I've never been dancing before!", he exclaimed.
"Dancing is fun, just follow the dancers and you'll learn in no time", said Skye.
"I never thought we'd see our son go dancing at a party, Nicky", said Alexandra with joy and relief.
"Me neither, Sunny", said Nicholas.
"The club has music for younger people until nine, then it's for adults. Since it's down the street, Alex can walk home, correct?", said Skye.
"Yes, Skye. I'm not a baby", he retorted.
"Lyosha, don't be mean", chided Alexandra.
Alexei blushed. "Sorry, Miss Sutherland", he mumbled.
"Call me Skye, that's what the children at the school call me. We'll see you later", said Skye.
There was a small crowd waiting outside the Wagon Wheel for the doors to open, many of the young men in Teddy Boy outfits of flashy Edwardian jackets and tight trousers and the girls in short dresses with high heels and even higher beehive hairdos. Outside the front door was the club's namesake, a large wooden wagon wheel painted bright crimson red and gold which were the colors of Manchester United, Juan's favorite team.
The doors opened and the customers entered as a doorman accepted payment and once inside the foyer the hat check girl checked in the customer's hats and jackets. The main room was done in brilliant red and gold with a wooden floor that jumped slightly when people walked on it since it had springs underneath to support all the dancers. Around the perimeter were tiny round tables and chairs and the bar was closed except for one section which served soda and juice since alcohol couldn't be served until 9 when the kids would leave. On the tiny stage was a tinier booth for Juan to DJ, his kit consisting of simply a record player hooked up to an amplifier and microphone and a big stack of different records.
"Glad you could make it, amigos", said Juan, his arm around a tall, thin blond in a cream silk strapless dress.
"Yes, I wanted to show them how us Northerners party", said Skye.
"Of course. Camille, this is my cousin Skye and our family friends Natalie and Alex Parker, they're family friends and new to Manchester. Natalie and Alex, this is my girlfriend Camille Martin", he said.
"Bonjour, mes amis. You will have a very good time here, oui", said Camille in a heavy French accent.
Anastasia immediately felt jealous and ugly compared to the older French lady. Camille was tall and slim as a reed, her honey blond hair worn in a French twist and her cream silk dress fitting her perfectly. Her blue eyes were slightly tilted at the corners and combined with her high cheekbones and full red lips made her look like a seductress out of a movie, the most glamourous woman Anastasia had ever seen.
Alexei tried not to stare as Camille had to be most beautiful woman he had ever seen, next to his mother and sisters. But he knew she was Juan's girlfriend and resolved to find his own girlfriend in his own time, and wondered if Camille had any sisters. "Hello, Miss Martin. I speak French, but I have a Swiss accent since my teacher was Swiss", he said.
"Tres bien, Monsieur Parker. My family is from Normandy so our French is a bit dodgy, as the British say. So we both speak dodgy French, ne c'est pas?", she teased.
Anastasia felt even worse since Camille wasn't the mean woman she'd expected, but actually seemed rather nice. "I speak some French too, Miss Martin", she said.
"Bien, Mademoiselle Parker. You are a pretty girl, yellow really suits you", said Camille kindly.
"I would love to stay and talk, but I have to start up the music. I just got an order to new records from Motown in Detroit, amazing stuff. But they always have amazing stuff, the last Miracles song really lit up the dance floor here. And there's a brilliant new song I found, by a girl group called The Supremes that will really get everyone up on the dance floor. I can't wait to play it, but first some old favorites", said Juan.
They watched as Juan went into his booth and arranged a stack of small 45 records in order to play them one after another to keep the people dancing. He placed a record on the turntable as Hitchhike by Marvin Gaye came over the speakers:
The crowd immediately got on the dance floor and started doing its namesake dance. Alexei and Anastasia were confused at first but then they started following the movements to the song, sticking out their thumbs like hitchhikers and moving their hips.
Skye watched with amusement and saw that both looked to be pretty good at dancing for a couple of beginners. Juan played a few more midtempo songs before getting on the mike when the song was nearly over. "If you know how to do the monkey, get up here and show us your stuff", he said before playing Monkey Time by Major Lance:
Anastasia felt compelled to get up on the dance floor and dance along with the others, imitating the dance and finding she was quite good at it. Alexei gave her a thumbs up as he danced, the feeling of being able to dance without worrying about bleeding or falling liberating enough to make him giddy with happiness. Both siblings danced happily and their dancing became more frenetic as Juan spun Mickey's Monkey by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles: , which then segued into Going to a Go Go by the same group
"All right, this is the latest song out of Motown. I want all of you up and dancing to this lovely group of birdies from Detroit, the Supremes", said Juan as he played When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes:
Anastasia thought she couldn't possible dance anymore but the song gave her a second wind as she started dancing, the lead singer having a lovely, wispy, but sexy voice she had never heard before in a female singers. Alexei gave her a thumbs up as he danced with her, nearly the whole crowd up and dancing. When the song was finished, the crowd burst into applause and Juan obliged by playing it again and everyone danced merrily.
"I think I like this Supremes group, the singer has a terrific voice and I have never been so tired and so happy", said Anastasia as they prepared to leave.
"Juan imports a lot of records from the states, from Detroit and Chicago and those places. Let's go back so you can sleep, you must be exhausted", said Skye.
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Post by Tim on Apr 7, 2019 17:08:15 GMT -5
The comment about old people cracked me up. Of course, Anastasia is, chronologically, 62 years old.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Apr 14, 2019 10:36:17 GMT -5
Chapter 13
The dapper middle-aged man in the plain black suit and matching hat attracted little attention as he walked through the lobby of the hotel as he looked similar to the other middle-aged men here on holiday with their families. He took the elevator up to the fourth floor and got off before walking towards the corridor to a room, then knocking on the door. "How are you doing, Hugo?", asked Pierre as he led the man into the room.
"Very well, thank you. I want to know if the family is adjusting well to their circumstances", he replied in a proper Oxbridge English accent with a deep baritone voice.
The family looked curiously at the man, confused expressions on their faces. "Parker family, this is our leader and founder Hugo Lacroix. Yes, he is a wizard", said Jack dryly.
"What, but don't wizards have long beards and pointy hats with stars on them?", asked Alexei, a puzzled frown on his face.
"In fairy tales, Alex Parker. I can shift my shape to what is necessary, since I am here in Blackpool I chose to look like a regular middle-aged chap", Hugo chuckled.
"Then how old are you?", asked Anastasia.
"I am 3,963 years old, which means I was born in the year 1000 BC according to your calendar", said Hugo as the family looked dumbfounded.
"You are immortal", said Nicholas in a hushed voice.
"I am, my blessing and curse. I have met all sorts of people but cannot get too close, but my sons have founded the four clans of Sol Duga and went on to their heavenly reward. While I am immortal and am stuck here on Earth", said Hugo with a sigh.
"How awful, Mr. Lacroix", said Olga sympathetically.
"It is not all awful, Olivia Parker. I have seen and met all sorts of people, high and low, good and bad. But I wanted to see how you are adjusting to modern times and after being stuck in that horrid house", said Hugo.
"We are fine, there are so many new things to learn and see and do", said Maria excitedly.
"I am glad to hear that, Maria Parker", said Hugo.
"Mr. Lacroix, are you a Christian?", asked Alexandra.
"When I need to be, Alice Parker. I was a Druid in what you call France back before the Romans conquered Gaul, when our people were defeated I worshipped Roman gods and when Rome was defeated I became a Christian. I stayed out of the mess with the Huguenots since it was a silly quarrel, if you believe in God then why do people fight over what to believe? We stay out of politics and that nonsense, the less officialdom knows about us the better", said Hugo.
"So that means we cannot meet the Queen?", asked Nicholas.
"I'm afraid not, it would blow our cover as Americans would say. Plus there was a scandal a while back when there were members of the government and M16 who were spying for the Soviets, if you were to go to Buckingham Palace and announce you were the Romanovs, spies in the government might tell the Soviets and they'll send assassins after you. As the Parker family of Manchester, you are safe", said Hugo.
Nicholas looked thoughtful. "I never wanted to be czar, I wasn't prepared and I didn't do a good job for my people. When we were held captive at Tsarkoe Selo, I wished to live in England and be a farmer and be safe in the country. Now I get my wish, to be an ordinary man and us to be an ordinary family. I would never wish that sort of burden on anyone", he said.
"Nicky, you were a good czar. Those horrid Bolsheviks ruined everything", protested Alexandra.
"I know, and Russia is more messed up than ever. But here in England, you are safe", said Hugo.
"Mr. Lacroix, how does one become a member of Sol Duga? I want to help us for all that you have done for us", said Tatiana.
Hugo thought for a moment. "Tessa Parker, what skills do you have?", he asked.
"I speak Russian, English and French, and I am a trained Red Cross nurse and I worked at our hospital at Tsarkoe Selo. I have worked with all sorts of patients, including men who needed amputations", said Tatiana.
"She was the best nurse in the ward, I couldn't deal with the amputations and all the blood", said Olga.
"Those are very good skills to have. Tessa Parker, you will have to learn much about history and we will see what time you are familiar with and have an affinity with. In fact, I have come here not only to check on you but to bring Skye and Jack to Iceland for their induction ceremony. They were among the helpers who brought you here and that entitles them to become full members since this is their first mission. If you want, you can come with us to Iceland", said Hugo.
Tatiana's eyes widened and turned a stormy gray. She was about to ask her parents when they nodded in approval. "When shall we leave?", she asked.
"Right now, if you like. And we are not teleporting, we only do that when we are going back and forth in time. We would take the coach to York, then a train up to Edinburgh, then up to Wick, then take the ferry to the Shetlands and then the Faroes, and finally Iceland. I prefer the scenic route", said Hugo with a chuckle.
"What about Mollie?", she asked.
"Pierre will watch her, the trip is too taxing for a child. And the coach leaves in two hours, I already have the tickets and all your documents", said Hugo as he showed her a folder with a bus ticket and her British passport.
Tatiana examined them carefully. "These are real", she murmured.
"Of course they are, Tessa Parker", said Skye with a laugh.
"And I'm sure you'll want to be back in Yorkshire", she teased.
"Of course, I'm on the wrong side of the Pennines. And we can look around York, it's the capital of t'North after all. The Minster is a stunning church and there's the Medieval part of town and the coach and trains pass by t'moors", said Skye dreamily as she lapsed into her Yorkshire accent.
"Our English teacher Mr. Gibbes was from Yorkshire", said Tatiana.
"Really, then how come you don't have Yorkshire accents? I don't care what the wankers down t'South say, we have the best accent and scenery in England", Skye boasted.
Hugo chuckled. "There's no English person prouder than a Yorkshirewoman, Skye. But remember we are on our way to Iceland and the coach leaves in two hours, so get packing", he said as Tatiana hurriedly went to pack.
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Post by Tim on Apr 14, 2019 11:06:10 GMT -5
Would the Soviets really send assassins after the Romanovs? After all, the Romanovs are the same ages they were when they were taken from 1918, which the Soviets, assuming they know nothing of the Sol Duga lot, would find impossible.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Apr 14, 2019 11:14:01 GMT -5
Would the Soviets really send assassins after the Romanovs? After all, the Romanovs are the same ages they were when they were taken from 1918, which the Soviets, assuming they know nothing of the Sol Duga lot, would find impossible. But the Soviets were a paranoid bunch, they might believe it and finish the job. I thought it would be a good idea for the family to live normally instead, instead of word getting out about them and Sol Duga. Besides, I've read that Nicholas never wanted to be czar and was actually looking forward to retiring in England when he thought the British government would save them during their captivity
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Post by Tim on Apr 14, 2019 23:23:05 GMT -5
Yeah, I've read that too.
The technically correct way of spelling the title is "Tsar", not "Czar", BTW.
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Post by ladyfiaran22 on Apr 21, 2019 19:43:14 GMT -5
Chapter 14
Tatiana felt a mix of excitement, anxiety and second thoughts as the group waited to board the coach at the Blackpool bus station. Jack gave her a reassuring smile and placed an arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. "If you think of it as an adventure, it's better that way", he said.
Tatiana sighed and realized Jack must really be a mind reader. "This is the first time I've been somewhere without my family, I suppose there's a first time for everything", she said with a weak chuckled.
"Of course, when I was eighteen I was doing my army service in Singapore. York isn't that far, and it's not a bloody three weeks on a ship", he joked.
"You went to Singapore on a ship?", she asked in surprise.
"Of course, planes are only for passengers. And I suppose the army wanted to prepare our stomachs so we wouldn't get seasick later, the first few days were rough but that wasn't anything a piece of ginger couldn't cure. We sailed down the Irish Sea and then past Gibraltar, than through the Med, through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean and the straits of Malacca before we wound up in Singapore", said Jack.
"That does sound exciting, but a bit much", she said.
"Aye, Ian served in Hong Kong and they were on the same ship. The British Army has got outposts in the strangest places, he knew blokes who got sent to Africa", said Skye as Tatiana looked impressed.
The group boarded the coach as their bags were loaded into the space beneath. The other passengers seemed to be mostly average working class people heading home to the mill towns of Lancashire or the Pennines, or a few going on a day trip to York as they barely seemed to notice the group. The driver was a fat man in a flat gray will cap who sat up front and checked the tickets, his broad face and pale blue eyes impassive as he checked the time on his watch. At precisely 1 in the afternoon, he closed the doors and turned on the engine as the coach pulled away from the station.
At first the drive stuck to the motorway and was dull as they passed little mill towns to let off or take on passengers, the towns all seemingly consisting of gray stone houses and factories on the periphery along with a high street of little shops where the coach would stop to drop off or pick up passengers. Once they reached the foothills of the Pennines, the landscape became more interesting with green hills whose gray rocks underneath poked through like the floor underneath green carpet. After crossing the low-humped mountains into Yorkshire, Tatiana noticed that Skye immediately perked up and the blond girl sat up straight and proud in her seat. "God's Own Country", she murmured reverently.
Tatiana had to admit the landscape was quite lovely, the moors and hills crowned with the pink and purple blooms of the season's heather and little dale valleys of green grass adorned with stone walls which separated the different farms and cottages with their adjoining plots. Occasionally they could see flocks of sheep watched over by shepherds in wide-brimmed hats as the animals ate grass and bleated, barely noticing the coach as it rumbled past. "If we had time, we'd visit the North Moors. Scarborough is close by and we'd go there a lot. The Lake District has nothing on the Moors", said Skye proudly.
"The Lake District has Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter", said Jack.
"And the moors have the Bronte sisters, so that makes things even. Actually better, since novels are longer than poems and Beatrix Potter stories are pants, they're for children", said Skye.
"And the moors drove them all crazy", teased Jack.
"Really? I quite like the Bronte sisters' books, I think Jane Eyre is a fine character", said Tatiana.
"You have good taste, Jane Eyre is a smart, practical Yorkshirewoman. Catherine is a silly git, Heathcliff is psycho and the most inappropriate match for a gentlewoman, just because he's an exotic gypsy doesn't make him a good partner. They end up destroying each other in the end, silly girls think that's romantic", said Skye dismissively.
"Then Jane Eyre is your favorite?", asked Tatiana.
"Actually, Tenant of Wildfell Hall is my favorite. Helen got away from Arthur and didn't want him corrupting their son, she's a strong woman. In those days, it was expected to stay with a drunken wanker no matter what and she didn't. I'd not stay with some drunk wanker, if I didn't do something Ian would. That's why I'll not marry the first bloke who comes along, I'm taking my time", she declared.
They arrived in York later that afternoon and the bus let them off at the station. "We'll check in and then look around, later at night you ought to check out the Minster or walk by the River Ouse. I wish we had more time, then we could walk along the walls and along the Gate streets, the Medieval Quarter. There's lots of little shops selling all sorts of things, and if we had even more time we could visit Sheriff Hutton or Middleham, Richard's castles", said Skye.
"We're not doing any Ricardian stuff, Skye. And people up here are weird, they think Shakespeare is a liar", teased Jack.
Skye gave her a cousin a look, her hazel eyes flashing with pride. "He was a liar, Richard wasn't a hunchback and he didn't kill his nephews. Screw the London wankers and that Welsh usurping bastard", she hissed.
"It's a Yorkshire thing, they're very proud of Richard since he ran the North when he was the Duke of Gloucester", Jack explained.
"I guess I ought to read more about Richard, we didn't study much about Medieval England", said Tatiana.
"You should. It would be brilliant if Hugo sent us on a mission to learn the truth, surely he didn't kill the lads. And maybe you can come to one of Ricardian Society meetings, Tessa", said Skye.
"Perhaps", she replied.
Their hotel, the Queen Anne, was a pleasant red-brick house near the Minster with splendid views of the cathedral from the top floor. "We stay here in when we're in York, they have the best full English breakfast in Yorkshire", said Jack as they were escorted to their room.
Tatiana didn't know if she ought to feel relieved or not when she saw the room had two beds, two full sized and one fold-out. "I am a gentleman, Tessa Parker. Even if I may not always act like it", teased Jack.
"That's good to know, I don't want to cause a scandal", she laughed.
Jack gave her a wink as they each took out their cigarette cases and he lit both of their cigarettes. "You can't smoke on the bloody coach since it's bad manners and the smoke stays inside. Imagine if they completely banned smoking, there's going to be a lot of irritated people", he said.
Tatiana nodded in agreement as she took a drag and then exhaled. "I supposed, then the pubs and restaurants would lose business if people had to go outside to smoke cigs", she said.
Jack nodded in agreement as he took a drag and dropped the ashes onto an ashtray on the cabinet. "Yes, imagine that people have to go outside every time they needed nicotine", he said.
Skye just laughed and opened one of the windows. "Lucky I never started, I don't have the tolerance for smoke. But seriously, if people want to smoke it's their business. It's like getting a ghastly tattoo, it's not my business", she said.
"So tomorrow we take the train to Scotland?", asked Tatiana.
"Yes, Edinburgh to be precise. It's a lovely city, and the people are nicer than in Glasgow", said Skye.
"Glasgow is an ugly, scary place and the people are some of the biggest, dumbest, most violent wankers in the whole of the UK. And don't go there during a football match between Celtic and Rangers, Celtic is Catholic and Rangers are Protestant and they hate each other. They're in the news a lot since they'll riot and sing rude songs and such, and if you're Catholic like me and wind up in the wrong place they'll cosh you", said Jack as he took another drag.
"Excuse me?", asked Tatiana.
Jack exhaled. "They'll beat you up, they think Catholics are evil. That's why I avoid Glasgow if I can, I'd rather stay in Edinburgh or further north. Scotland is lovely but Glasgow is hideous and many of the Highlanders hate us Sassenachs, English. Never mind Culloden was over two hundred years ago, then again we hate the bloody Jerries so it makes some sense", he said with a shrug.
"Don't be alarmed, Tessa. We're not going to Glasgow and from Edinburgh we'll go straight onto Wick to the ferry. We'll watch over you", said Skye reassuringly.
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