The Countess And The Tutor.

Karolina stared morosely at the ballerinas prancing elegantly about the stage. Looking but not really seeing. She normally enjoyed performances by the Royal Russian Ballet but not today, today she was in the company of her grandmother, the Dowager countess Melnikova. Stern, controlling, cold. She was the constant thorn in Karolina's side and as Karolina's coming out ball approached, so her grandmother's constant annoyance increased. “Don't slouch Karolina, sit up straight” “Smile Karolina, you'd get wrinkles if you frown so much” she would say. Karolina would do as she was told, she had learned a long time ago that the best way to avoid a long and exhausting lecture was to give her grandmother what she wanted. She knew when to put up a challenge, she knew when to acquiesce. Discretion after all was the better part of valour. As The Nutcracker unfolded on stage, Karolina thought of her father, he loved this ballet and would watch enraptured as if in a trance. Ever since her grandmother's return, she almost never saw him and when she did, he was moody, taciturn and withdrawn. In her grandmother's absence, he had been carefree and happy and his face shone with the vibrance and vigour of youth. Now he sported wrinkles and sprouted grey hair and his once full and luscious mop of jet black hair had thinned and it's shine dulled. She missed going to plays with him and reading their favourite books by the fireplace. She missed feeding the ducks and wading in the pond at the back of their estate. Karolina knew that her grandmother was responsible for the drastic change in her father and Karolina hated her for it. She was determined to bring back his happiness and make him happy once again. She knew she will. Dowager Countess Boryana Melnikova was a striking woman. Six feet tall with steel grey eyes that seemed to stare right through you. She had married the very wealthy Count Nikolai Melnikova and as the rumour went had poisoned him after the birth of their only child, Petrov. Her wealth, title and the position she enjoyed as the confidante of Her Majesty Queen Ekaterina Akhaimaova made her a formidable woman in Russian high society. However, her granddaughter Karolina to her constantly proved to be a disappointment. Karolina was a great beauty with long flaxen hair and big blue eyes. She drew long gazes everywhere she went and had once caused a scandal by famously upstaging the Queen's daughter at the Princess's coming out ball. The memory brought a smile to Boryana's face. Though it had taken great political maneuvering on her part to prevent Karolina's almost banishment from high society, she had been secretly pleased. Her expression however turned sour as she cast a look at Karolina. Karolina looked on with bored look in her face and Boryana couldn't help but feel her distaste rising. Karolina took after her father in character, too easily distracted, silly, not serious enough. She was everything the Dowager Countess was not and she let Karolina know this. Boryana blamed Karolina's mother's death for her granddaughter's unrefined character. Karolina's mother was Viktoriia Onopriienko, the daughter of Queen Ekaterina's uncle and Boryana had arranged the marriage herself. Viktoriia has impressed Boryana when she first met her and she had then chosen her for her son. She was sharp, witty and very confident. A famous beauty herself, she had been rumoured to have seduced the grand duke of Austria but the rumour had remained unconfirmed. She instantly drew attention to herself and Petrov had remained in her shadow. She had died giving birth to Karolina and Boryana believed that had she lived, Karolina would have turned out much differently. Boryana also blamed her son's softness for Karolina's behavior. He had been greatly in love with Viktoriia and saw much of her in Karolina, hence he could never refused her what she asked for. He pampered her. The Dowager Countess had been on a political assignment at the time of Karolina's birth, liaising with the Swedish court and by the time she returned, what she viewed as the damage had already been done. She was leaving again, on a trip to Britain, but this time, Karolina would be in capable hands. The ballet ended and an applause was given. The Dowager Countess led her granddaughter out of their box and out into the corridor. She made sure to stop and exchange pleasantries with right people, complimenting Duchess Illianakovha's gown and laughing at General Kovtun's joke. On the way home, she remarked on Alexandriia Tinkoff, the ballet's principal dancer “She has so much grace” she said. Karolina stared out the window and said nothing. ................. Heinrich Von Tussle was born in Germany but grew up in Italy. The son and heir to an impoverished German noble house, Heinrich entertained no illusions about life being easy and he knew very early in life that he'd have to work hard to be able to amount to anything and that mindset had guided him to where he was now. Von's school of Fashion and Etiquette was the most popular and exclusive in Europe and catered only to the wealthiest of clients. In partnership with Madame Martinique, fashion whiz and head designer at leading French fashion house La'belle, the school flourished and grew, maintaining the utmost reputation. It's famous clientele included Korinna Bielawska, niece to the queen of Poland and Isabelle Warholm, Norwegian princess. Heinrich had just finished his session with Emilia Romero, daughter of famous Italian painter Antonio Romero when his assistant informed him that a letter had arrived for him from the Dowager Countess Melnikova. He had received the news with mild surprise and curiously wondered about it's contents. Behind closed doors, seated at his desk, he regarded the letter, turning it over slowly in his hands. He knew the Dowager Countess. Everyone knew her. She was notorious in Europe for her ruthless ambition, cunning deceit and steel grey eyes. He also knew about her granddaughter who was a famed beauty. Might the contents of the letter be about her?, he wondered. He noted the swirling design of the noble woman's seal and then broke it. He read through it. "Herr Heinrich Von Tussle, Felicitations, I hope the day finds you well. The stellar reputation of your school has spread far and wide and I commend you for that. My granddaughter Karolina gives me great concern and I am certain that an education at your prestigious academy will benefit her greatly. I know you will find a place for her." Dowager Countess Boryana Melnikova. Brief, concise and straight to the point, Heinrich thought. He could refuse her but would he dare?. The noble woman was ruthless and wouldn't take kindly to being turned down. Heinrich put the letter down and exhaled heavily. He poured himself a glass of wine from crystal decanter sitting on his desk. He stood up and took the glass of wine to his office window which overlooks the courtyard of the school;several students milled about. Heinrich took a large swig of wine from his glass, swirled around and swallowed. He faced a dilemma. Despite the exclusivity of his school, there was a waiting list, several names long and he didn't want to break protocol by accepting Karolina despite there being several girls up for consideration before her, not to talk of the outrage and the ensuing Scandal that would erupt were the families of these young women to find out that their daughters had been bypassed in favour of Karolina. He returned to his desk and picked the letter up reading through it again. It hadn't indicated that a reply was expected and the noble woman had used the sentence ‘I know you will find a place for her’ as though it were an obligation that Heinrich was expected to fulfill. He put the letter down and drained his glass of wine. He had made his decision.