“I just do not see how this can be done, in so short a time. Two months—”

“One week,” Maria cut in adamantly.

“But—”

“One week, Anna, no longer. Go to that town near here tomorrow. Look carefully at every man you see. Speak to those who interest you. Use your talent to help you. But make a choice, then bring him to me. I will know if he is a good choice.”

“But do I want a good choice?”

A question like that might have caused confusion in another, but not Maria. “You think to just use this man for a short time, then divorce him so you can return to the band? Only you can answer, child, if you can live with using a man this way. I would have no difficulty doing so, but I am not you. I think you would prefer to be happy in your choice, to make your first marriage be your only marriage.”

Maria was right, of course. Going from marriage to marriage was not much different than going from man to man. Anastasia, at least, didn’t see much difference in the two. She saw love as lasting forever. Anything less could not really be love.

Unfortunately, she didn’t see how, under the time constraint Maria was giving her, she could possibly find a man, an Englishman at that, whom she would want to stay married to. She was about to question the time constraint again when Maria’s expression, for the second time, turned very serious, and her hand was once again gripped by those gnarled fingers.

“There is something else that I must tell you, that I have also delayed too long in the telling. I will not be leaving this place.”

Anastasia frowned, thinking Maria meant to stay here with her and the English husband she was to find. But as much as she would love that to be possible, she knew Ivan would never permit it.

Hating to do so, she had to point that out. “You have told me countless times that Ivan will not let you leave, that he would kill you first.”

Maria smiled ironically. “There is nothing he can do to prevent my leaving this time, Anna. The privilege of age will not be denied a final resting place, and I have chosen this place. My time has come.”

“No!”

“Shush, daughter of my heart. This is not something that can be debated or bargained aside. And I have no desire to prolong the inevitable. I welcome this gladly, to end the pains that have burdened my body these last few years. I just must see you settled first, or I will not go in peace . . . Now, stop that. There is no need for tears, for something that is so natural as the death of a very old woman.”

Anastasia threw her arms around her grandmother, hiding her face against her shoulder so she would no longer see the tears that were absolutely impossible to stop. Maria had predicted distress. Distress was not exactly what Anastasia was feeling just now, with her world falling apart around her. This was much too much to withstand all at once.