Chapter 28

Petrov continued on with his presentation;

"We have completed our extensive research of your family's background. We have learned that some of your Swedish ancestors traveled to Russia and made it their home. This is not unusual."

"We also learned that you are descended from nobility on your grandmother's side. It seems your family came from a line of Dukes in Ireland. From our inquiries, it appears that your ancestors came into disfavor with the British and were forced to flee to America."

The information that some of my ancient relatives had moved to Russia was news to me. I had often suspected that might be the case, but I had found no proof. I was aware, however, that one of my many great grandfather's had fought against the Russians on the side of Finland.

The news that my grandmother came from a line of Dukes only reinforced rumors that I had heard from time to time. One of my cousins had researched the subject extensively, but had run into a brick wall. I guess the Russians had access to resources and information that a normal person would never be able to come in contact with.

Petrov went on; "I will turn over the information that we have researched regarding your ancestry. We have found nothing that would preclude your marriage to Anna."

"We have also checked into your background, both personal and professional. It seems you are a man to be respected. You have served your country with distinction. You are a good business man and honest in your dealings. You are also shrewd. That is a quality that is highly prized among the Russian people."

"To sum up our findings, we cannot find any reason to deny you the right to marry Anna. I have been authorized to inform you of this finding, and to give you permission from the Romanov Family Association."

"Now there are some restrictions. You must keep this meeting, and the information presented, from Anna, until such time as the family sees fit to release it. Anna's father attempted to find out his family lineage and ended up contacting the wrong people. We believe he was murdered when they found out who he really was. You must also keep this information from any children you might have. We also ask that you allow Anna to retain her Russian citizenship. She would then have dual citizenship in both countries."

"If you do decide to tell Anna, the family will deny any connections and say that you are talking nonsense. There is also the possibility that the family, in time, will decide to release the information on their own. You may not believe this, but there are still people who want to see the family completely eliminated."

"Now, for my part, I will take care of the behind the scenes paperwork needed to expedite your marriage and Anna's eventual application for citizenship. I will also see that Anna's mother and sister are allowed to move here, if they so desire."

"I have presented you with a great deal of information. What do you have to say?"

I continued to process the news I had just received. There was much to consider and it had been delivered so efficiently. I realized it would take me some time to really think about all the ramifications. There was also the fact that if I really wanted to marry Anna, I was not about to let anyone or any group stop me. But she was indeed the citizen of another country and that could really become a problem. If, during the process, she was required to go back to Russia, I might never see her again.

"You have given me a great deal of information. I will need some time to think about it."

"I suspected as much," Petrov responded. "I will meet with you again in a week. I then hope to learn what your decision will be. It would be best, for all, if you agreed to comply with our requirements."

And with that being said, he arose from the table and left. Once I had collected my wits, I called for the waiter, only to learn that the bill had already been taken care of.

When Anna asked me later about the meeting, I told her that someone had contacted me about the upcoming marriage. I told her that it looked like we would be getting some assistance with any red tape that we might come up against. I actually began to look at Anna just a little differently. She really was a kind of princess. Of course she had always been one in my mind, but now I was engaged to the real thing.

I met with Petrov again the following week. I informed him that I would follow his instructions. He said he was pleased by my decision. He went on to say that I was to go about the process of getting married just like I would have if I had never spoken with him. He informed me that he would see that any obstacles were taken care of and that I need not have any worries.

He also told me that I would most likely never see him again. He did say that either himself, or someone else, would check on us from time to time to make sure that everything was going well. He then handed me a flash drive and left.

It didn't take long for our marriage license to be approved. We immediately proceeded to nail down some of the details of the wedding. It would not be a large wedding and we were not going to wait for spring. We decided to have the wedding at my family's church and the reception at a beautiful, historic old courthouse. For our honeymoon, we planned on going back to Charleston.

Anna said she was really enjoying her work and studies at the University. I found myself working on some fun and interesting projects and enjoying my new life with Anna. For once in my life, I found my situation to be almost prefect.

...

One day, after a fresh snowfall, I asked Anna if she would like to go snowshoeing with me. We had both arranged it so that we could arrive home a little earlier than normal. The sun had begun staying in the sky a little longer each day. I figured if we hurried, we might be able to walk for a couple of hours.

Anna said, "Yes," so we proceeded to get ready for our short trip. I helped Anna with her shoes and explained what she had to do. After that, we headed out across the pond.

The snow on the pond was at least three feet thick in some places. Of course, Anna rode across the surface of the snow very nicely. I, on the other hand, sank down some distance in the white fluffy powder. I would have needed shoes that were too long to maneuver to stay near the surface. From experience, I knew that the shoes I wore did indeed help, and that the snow would be almost impossible to traverse without the extra surface area that the webbing provided.

At one point, Anna attempted to cross an especially high drift of snow. In the process, she lost her balance and sank into the deep snow. I approached to rescue her, when something caught one of my shoes. I lost my balance and landed beside her. To my chagrin, I found that I too was wallowing in the deep fluffy snow.

At first Anna was worried. It is not always easy to maneuver in deep snow with snowshoes on. I could see her struggling to get back on her feet. I could not help myself and began to laugh. Soon Anna began to see the humor in our situation and began giggling uncontrollably. We eventually lay back for a moment and enjoyed our soft bedding, made snow angels, and studied the amazing sky above us.

It was actually very wonderful. The snow was soft and pure. The sky above was gray, but the temperature was not too cold. I maneuvered my poles and shoes so that I had something to brace against when I attempted to rise. I finally got one knee up and the rest was rather easy.

I then helped Anna get to her feet. I could not believe how beautiful she looked. Her checks were red and her eyes twinkled under her white fur hat. A wonderful smile stretched across her amazing face. I drew her to me and kissed her lips.

Despite the cold, her lips were warm. I felt the heat of her breath against my face. Once again I realized what a lucky man I was.

Something moved in the trees and I looked to see what it was.

"Look Anna," I said. "Look, it's a wild turkey."

Anna looked just in time to see a dark object disappearing through the barren branches.

"I had never seen wild turkeys before, but now they are becoming more abundant," I explained to Anna.

"I have only seen one other of those birds this close to my home."

We continued on and came to a trail that had been packed down by snowmobilers. As we walked across the harder surface, the snow would crunch under our feet. It almost sounded like we were walking on Styrofoam. The sharp cleats on our shoes helped to keep us from slipping when we had to climb up a gradual incline.

"What's that?" Anna exclaimed.

I looked in the direction she was pointing and saw another large bird flying off through the trees.

"I believe that would be a great horned owl," I replied. "Did you notice all the white on its body? I have seen them before in this part of the woods."

We found a spot by a big old oak tree where we could sit and rest for a moment. I brushed away the snow and we both stopped to take a break.

The sun was just below the top of the leafless trees and it appeared as a bright glow behind the cloud cover in the heavens. Around the sun, the clouds had taken on a pinkish color. The contrast between the starkness of the trees, the colorful background of the sky, and the muted blazing of the sun, made for a very impressive scene.

"It really is beautiful out here," Anna said.

"I'm glad you came with me," I replied. "I usually make these hikes alone."

After our brief rest, we continued on and eventually made it to the shore of the lake. Ice houses dotted the surface in areas where the fishing was presumed to be the best. Several houses had cars parked by them, so I knew they were occupied.