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“No, you’re not. I arranged for new items. They arrived this morning. It’s all put away in your closet.”
It’s not my closet, I think, prickling at the idea. “You bought more things? But you already got me that dress yesterday.”
“You’ll need a wardrobe if you’re going to keep living here.”
“Yes,” I say, giving her a strained smirk. “Arsen will want his fiancée to look lovely to keep up the ruse.”
Ulyana’s eyes become slits. “Ruse?” She shoots a look at Olesya.
Ah ... so maybe the marriage being fake is a secret for some people here. I guess Arsen doesn’t trust anyone but his soldiers and Ulyana.
“Forget it.” My smile is sugary sweet and packed with danger. “I’ll go get cleaned up.” I wonder if I can use this to my advantage somehow. I have to think it over carefully. But there’s potential in anything that makes Ulyana uncomfortable.
Scraping my chair back, I rise, walking toward the doorway. Olesya gives me a furtive look as I pass. Under her breath, she whispers, “Good luck.”
That stops me in my tracks. Did she pick up on what I was implying just now? Does she realize this marriage isn’t one born from actual love? I try to catch her eye again, but she avoids me as she cleans up the mess. I thought she was naive. Maybe I pegged her wrong.
“Be quick about it,” Ulyana says to me. “Arsen wants us in the parlor in fifteen minutes.”
“What’s he going to do if I’m late? Pick out a dress for me?” That wouldn’t be so bad. It would take the responsibility off my shoulders.
Ulyana frowns deeply before waving at me to get moving. I take her cue, going upstairs to my bedroom. I’m barely in the door when I hear my phone vibrating under the pillows.
My battery is nearly dead; I’ll have to ask Ulyana for a charger. Mom is calling, not texting! Bracing myself, I answer. “Hello?”
“Galina! The drinks with Arsen did go well!”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“He called me late last night with the news. You agreed to the deal! Whatever did he say to win you over?”
My tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth. “Lots of things.”
“Well, whatever. I’m so happy. Let’s celebrate somehow. Dinner, maybe?”
Sitting on the mattress, I gaze out at the window. “Let me call you after, when I know my plans.”
Mom is quiet for a long minute. Her tone is more reserved when she speaks again. “Malyshka, I get it. You’re mad at me.”
“No, Mom?—”
“It’s no problem. I understand.” Her voice grows louder … a false happiness. “And I hope that in time, you’ll forgive me for this. Please don’t be a stranger, okay?”
“Okay, mamochka.”
“I won’t keep you if you’re busy. Text me your plans, okay? Bye, honey, I love you.”
“I love you too,” I say in a hush. The call ends; I drop the phone into my lap, still staring at the window. The rest of the world is right there. It’s awful to be able to see my freedom and not grab it. This place has a hundred windows or more. Many on the bottom level that I can pry open, slipping out with a swing of one leg.
I haven’t explored the whole mansion; however, I’ve gotten a good sense of where things are. My mental map is growing. The area I haven’t gone yet is the third floor. There’s no reason to go higher in the mansion; it would put me further from the exit. Plus, that stairwell is near Arsen’s room, a place I want to avoid at all costs.
The thing is, it’s not like anyone is even trying to stop me from escaping. No doors are locked, no one guards the front entrance. I haven’t tried it, but I think I could stroll outside without anyone blocking my path. It’s cruel how the option is in front of my nose … while being entirely useless.
Arsen doesn’t need to trap me with force.
My obligation to my mother is better than any chains.
Wall-to-wall dresses line the parlor. It’s an army of silk and chiffon, the bodices glimmering as they stand at attention, waiting for me to choose one of them. The sight of them makes my tired eyes blur further.
