Anna had a long sleep.
Karenin did not disturb her when he got up. So for the first time, Anna missed breakfast.
She doesn't go to Mr. Goldman's shop five days a week; after all, she has social activities to maintain. In the name of Madame Karenin.
She gave herself a vacation today.
It's spring now. It's not so cold during the day. She and Sasha drank afternoon tea in the yard for a while, and listened to Sasha talk about some recent events in Petersburg, including what happened to Elisa and Alina.
"Although they are both courtesans, these two people are completely different. I don't sympathize with Alina at all. People like her are just out for money."
"Isn't Miss Eliza?" asked Anna. She found that despite being a courtesan, Eliza seemed to be treated with more respect and almost everyone liked her.
"That's not the same, ma'am." Sasha shook her head and said, "Miss Eliza was sold in, it wasn't her own decision. As long as she has a good pair of parents, she won't encounter these things, Maybe there will be a good marriage."
"Then," Anna thought for a while and said, "Maybe Alina has her own reasons."
"It's really kind of you to think." Sasha wrinkled her nose and said, "If she has a family that needs help, or if she wants to plan for herself, she won't have such a luxury. She was ill last year. After a period of time, she almost died. It was not enough to spend a lot of money, and she owed a lot of debts. Fortunately, she is still alive. The doctor told her to be temperate and pay attention to her health, but within three months, she Just went to those parties again, as if the place would not be able to hold without her."
Sasha paused and said, "However, maybe she has her own plans, marrying a rich man or something. You know, that kind of circle is not something that a person like her can marry into. Apart from being beautiful, She has nothing. Good people don't want girls like that."
"However," the cook shrugged her shoulders, "I think if she had planned this before, she might have shredded her handkerchief now."
Anna knew that what Sasha meant was that Eliza was about to achieve happiness.
These two women who were in the limelight in Petersburg were originally on the same level, but as long as Eliza was proposed at the banquet, the status of the two people would start to differ greatly.
After the afternoon tea with Sasha combined, the name Alina entered Anna's heart.
After all, whether it is the information Sasha said, or as the person who "wears" the clothes that Mr. Goldman originally designed for Eliza last time, she is somewhat curious.
When Karenin went out, he asked Kearney to tell Anna that he would go directly to the theater to meet her after get off work. Peter will come to pick her up at five o'clock.
Anna looked at the time, and it was only an hour, so she started to prepare.
Except for the time when they went to France, after returning to Petersburg, Anna and Karenin hadn't dined alone alone, or had an official first date
For this reason, she wants to prepare well.
Anna chose a cloakroom that was too big for her. It is said that this cloakroom was custom-made by Karenin. The very fine Indian rosewood is used. Every time a layer of sawdust is planed off, the fragrance will become stronger. .
Anna knew that Karenin was not a person who liked to dress up, and he would do this entirely for himself. This thoughtfulness and carefulness is what Anna likes most about him.
She picked out a green skirt, and the dark green lace shawl was draped casually on the inside of her arms. With the help of Anuschka, her long curly hair was arranged into two unreadable strands. , and finally bypassed the ears and disappeared at the back of the head. A small dark green ribbon tied in a bow at the back was all the decorations on the head.
Anna looked in the mirror and was very satisfied.
Most of the women's skirts now have hip pads. Not long after they got married, Anna put all these clothes in the sidelines.
Fortunately, she was very slender, with an exceptionally small waist. Compared with those who are girded to sixteen feet or even perverted to fourteen,
A waist of five feet and a waist of seventeen feet are already a gift.
At five o'clock, Peter the coachman came back on time.
Anna did not take Anushka with her. Although women in the upper class must bring a few servants to show their status and dignity when they go out, this is a private date, isn't it
About thirty minutes later, Anna's carriage arrived at the entrance of the theater.
She opened the car door a bit to look for her husband, but outside Peter was already laughing.
"Ma'am, sir is walking towards you!"
Anna looked over, sure enough.
Karenin was still wearing a civilian uniform.
His legs were long and his shoulders were flat, not muscular but broad. Spring's uniform is not as heavy as winter's. Recently, this version of uniform has been improved a bit, with a more pinched waist, and the maid ironed the trouser seam very flat, making the whole person appear taller than he actually is.
Karenin did not wear a coat as usual, nor did he wear the two medals of honor, but his trousers did not reach his feet, and sometimes the smooth uppers of his leather shoes were exposed when he walked, which was very charming.
"Maybe he knows that I like to see him in uniform." Anna was thinking a little bit, if there is any fan club in this era, Anna will definitely set up such a club for her husband, and only issue her a membership pass .
While she was thinking this, Karenin had come up to her and was looking at her through the little window. For a moment, Anna felt like Juliet on the balcony waiting for her lover to talk sweetly, but Romeo didn't have such blue eyes and deep voice.
"Anna, it's not decent to do that."
Dream away and return to reality.
Anna winked at her husband, "Well, I can't expect Mr. Karenin to read me sonnets." She closed the small carriage window, Peter opened the door, and Karenin held out his hand to her.
"This is not bad. Although it is not as romantic as a princess, it still enjoys the treatment of a queen." Anna thought in her heart.
She put her hand in Karenin's palm, and after getting off the carriage, Anna took Karenin's arm. The two cooperated very well, because now, they had gradually gotten used to it. Know what postures make each other feel comfortable.
"Does it look good?" Anna tilted her head and asked expectantly.
"According to my colleagues, today's opera is very attractive." Karenin thought for a while and said.
Anna froze for a moment, then nodded in frustration, "Oh, that's good."
His wife's tone and expression clearly expressed disappointment and unhappiness. Karenin thought for a moment, then understood. He stopped in his tracks and his eyes stayed in front of his wife.
"What's the matter?" Anna was still immersed in her little emotions, but now she was seen a little strangely, so she asked.
"very beautiful."
Anna blinked her eyes and followed Karenin for a while before she understood. She opened her eyes wide, and her thick eyelashes opened suddenly and powerfully like a swan's wings, revealing the gray ice crystal eyes inside.
She turned her head to look at the other party, then laughed, and approached Karenin more intimately for a while, almost walking close to the other party.
"Someone." Karenin reminded that this kind of intimacy is not appropriate.
"You can say that I'm not in good health, I don't mind." Mom thought of an excuse, because she just wanted to be close to each other at the moment.
"It's not convincing," said Karenin, but in the end he acquiesced in Anna's intimacy.
They entered the theater without booking a box. On this point, the two are somewhat unanimous.
For Karenin, the small space does not make him feel safe.
The space is too small, and the attack becomes more convenient. The larger the range to be controlled, the clearer the target.
And being part of the group was what Anna liked.
After they were seated, there were still ten minutes before they left the venue.
Some of Karenin's colleagues greeted him next to him, most of them were at a higher level than Karenin, because on the one hand, in Petersburg, there were not many people at this age who could sit in this position. On the other hand, high-ranking officials usually prefer more private boxes and would not easily sit here.
After exchanging pleasantries, those people wisely stopped disturbing the couple, but most of them would sneak a glance at Anna. After all, there was a fourteen-year age difference between the two of them, and Mrs. Karenin was really beautiful.
Karenin liked open heights.
He likes the feeling that his sight can take a panoramic view of the audience, and he likes to ensure the safety of his back, so he fully understands those sneaky glances.
"Unqualified investigative conduct."
"All the inner activities are written on the face."
"I can't believe how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would bring such round-headed people in."
…
He originally thought that the above things would be turning in his mind, but in fact, Karenin's eyes just followed those gazes and quietly fell on his wife.
"The show starts in two minutes," Karenin thought distractedly. His eyes were still intertwined with his wife. She looks young and beautiful, with full and small lips. When she smiles, she will show her white and small teeth. When you have any thoughts, you can still see the pupils of the same color as gray pigeons from those curved eyes. .
He watched his wife's expression change from cheerful to slightly frowning. At that time there was still a minute before the show started.
A minute to most people is a minute of small talk, meaningless. But for people like Karenin, one minute may have already decided a township's tax revenue for the next year.
He stared at his wife for a minute without thinking, then dropped that meaningless stare as she frowned and started doing the most practical things for her.
"What's wrong?" Karenin asked.
Ana moved closer, not for fun this time. She whispered in Karenin's ear: "The people in front of me smoke a lot, but it's nothing. I'll just get used to it."
Karenin froze for a moment, then said, "Wait here for a while."
Anna didn't understand where the other party had gone, and now there was still half a minute before the show started.
Twenty seconds later, Karenin returned.
When he sat down, he handed Anna a handkerchief.
"Take it, smell it, it will feel better."
The smell of vinegar was not strong, and the handkerchief still had the initials of Karenin's name on it, which was given to him by Anna. It could be seen that the owner cherished it very much, so that there was no mistake in the texture of the handkerchief.
"Thank you, Alexei." Anna said with some emotion.
She knew that most husbands would not do such a thing. Most of them think that women should overcome these squeamishness, instead of telling you with actions—you can be squeamish, because I will solve everything for you.
"No need to apologize, Anna." Karenin whispered, "Next time we'll go to the box."
"Okay, Alexei," Anna replied with a smile, and after she answered, the show began.