She would often tease Maria that it was too bad she was too old for romance, to which she would usually get a chuckle, a wink, and the remark “There is never an age too old for romance. Lovemaking, now, that is a different matter. Some bones get too brittle for such nice exercise as that.”
Romance, lovemaking, these were not subjects that might only be spoken of in embarrassed whispers. Their people would discuss anything openly and with passion that they found to be natural, and what could be more natural than romance and lovemaking?
Lovemaking was brought clearly to mind as Anastasia watched her future husband push his current lover toward his wagon. He was not gentle about it. The woman even stumbled and fell. He yanked her back to her feet by her hair and pushed her again. Anastasia shuddered. Nicolai was a vicious brute. She had felt the sting of his palm many times herself, when he did not like the way she talked back to him. And this was the man she was to marry.
Maria noticed the shudder, and the direction of her gaze. “It bothers you, that he makes love to others?”
“I wish it did, Gran, then I would not feel so hopeless about my future. Any woman is welcome to him as far as I am concerned, though I cannot understand how they can abide him, as mean as he is.”
Maria shrugged. “The prestige, of being favored by Ivan’s only son.”
Anastasia snorted indelicately. “There is nothing but pain in such favor. I hear he is not even a good lover, that he takes his pleasure and gives none in return.”
“There are many selfish men like that. His father was the same.”
Anastasia grinned. “You know that from personal experience, Gran?”
“Pshaw, Ivan should have been so lucky. No, the barossan and I always had a perfect understanding of each other. He would not look at me with lust in his eyes, and I would not curse him to the end of his days.”
Anastasia laughed. “Yes, that might tend to make a man a bit leery of you.”
Maria smiled, but then her expression became serious, and she reached over to fold her gnarled fingers with Anastasia’s. The young woman felt alarm rising. Maria did not hold her hand unless there was bad news to impart. She could not imagine what that bad news could be, but she held her breath with dread, for Maria’s bad news tended to be really, really bad news of the devastating sort.
Chapter 11
ANASTASIA HAD TURNED EIGHTEEN A FEW MONTHS ago. That was considered far, far beyond the marriageable age, when twelve was considered just right among their people.
Some of the women teased her mercilessly, for not knowing the touch of a man yet. Foolish, to waste her best years. Foolish to not gain extra coins from the Gajos for a quick tumble. It was just another way to fleece them. It meant nothing. No husband, or future husband, would be jealous of it; they in fact expected it. Only if a husband caught his wife making eyes at another member of the band would there be serious consequences; divorce, severe beatings, sometimes death, or worse in their eyes, banishment.