“You were such a tiny thing. I was afraid to hold you in case I broke you. But after you got a little bigger, you were my little pet.”
“Is that why you call me pet or goose?” Addie asked.
“Yes, I suppose it is. When you started to walk, you used to follow me everywhere.” Her hair had been so fair and fine back then that it was almost white. I could remember her playing with blocks in a spot of sun in the sitting room and thinking she looked like an angel. I’d imagined I saw a halo, but in hindsight it was probably just a play of the light.
We’d made it all around the pond. “Look at that,” Viktor said. “You did very well, Addie. We’re already back.”
“My legs feel wobbly,” Addie said.
“We’ll take a break, but we should come here every day we can so you can build up more strength in your legs,” I said.
“What about your training?” Addie asked. “I don’t want to get in the way of that.”
“I have time for that too.” We skated over to a bench so that Addie could rest. She’d just sat when a girl about her age skated up to us. I didn’t recognize her. Another newcomer to town, I guessed.
“Hi, Addie.”
“Hi, Rose.” Addie suddenly seemed very interested in her own knuckles.
“I’ve missed you at school.” Rose had dark hair braided into pigtails. She wore a red coat and hat. Brown eyes peered at Addie from under the brim. I had a momentary memory of Poppy as a child.
Addie looked up, an expression of surprise on her face. “You have?”
“Sure I have. I haven’t had anyone to study with. The other girls don’t care about books like you and me.”
“Oh, well, I do like books.” Addie looked up at me, as if she wanted me to confirm this. “I didn’t know you’d miss me at all. It seemed like you decided to be friends with Mary and Gertie instead of me. You were with them that one day.”
“What day?”
“The day I was sick and they told everyone.”
Rose’s mouth formed a circle before she sucked in a breath. “How could you think such a thing? They’re terrible. I would never be friends with them. In fact, they both were sent home for a whole week after you left. Miss Swallow said she’d had enough of their behavior. I think she even called their mothers in to talk to them too.”
“That must have been awful for them.” Addie smiled.
“I think it was.”
Viktor nudged me. “Let’s skate and leave them be,” he whispered in my ear.
As much as I’d have liked to stay and make sure this Rose was telling the truth, I knew he was right. It was better for Addie to navigate through her own childhood. If there were battles to fight, she would have to do them herself. If there were friendships to forge, she must do those alone as well.
“We’ll see you later, Addie,” I said.
“All right.” She gave me a quick wave, already focused on her friend rather than us.
Viktor offered his hand, and I took it. We sped away, skating in perfect harmony. Li and Fiona started to play a rollicking tune on the other end of the pond.
“That Rose better have good intentions,” I said. “I’m not sure if she’s telling the truth.”
“Addie’s smart. She’ll discern for herself.”
I glanced up at him. A muscle near his eye twitched. Now that I thought about it, he’d been quiet. Was it because he couldn’t get a word in between Addie and me? Or was something bothering him? “Is everything all right?” I asked.
“With me? Yes, yes. Fine.”
“Have I done anything to upset you?” I asked.
“What? You? Never. No, I’ve been preoccupied. I want this moment to be perfect.”
“What moment?” We turned the corner, still holding hands. Delphia was no longer at the racing section and instead was twirling in the middle of the ice with a friend.
“The moment we tell our children about.” Viktor veered to the right, pulling me into the middle of the ice. We came to a stop. He took my other hand and drew me around to face him. “I’m going to pull a ring from my pocket and offer it to you.”
Startled by this sudden turn of events, I was speechless. The music from Li and Fiona had changed to the unmistakable melody of “When My Baby Smiles at Me.” One of my favorites from the underground club.
Viktor reached into his pocket and came out with a ring. He held it between his thumb and index finger. A simple design with a small sapphire and a few tiny diamonds, it shone under the lights. “Do you like it?”
“It’s pretty,” I said. “But I didn’t need a ring. You’re enough.”
“I wanted to get you the best ring in the world, but this is all I could afford.”
“I like it very much.” My vision blurred with tears.
“I picked it because it goes with your eyes—both the blue sapphire and the way the diamonds shine.”
I drew in a shaky breath. Had he asked me already? Was I supposed to say something now? “Is this the part where you ask me or did you already?”
“I haven’t yet, but I’m about to. Should I get down on one knee?” Viktor asked.
“No, then everyone will look.” I wiped my eyes to rid them of the tears that gathered in my lashes before they froze.
“Too late,” he said.
Glancing about, I realized everyone had stopped skating and were gathering in a circle around us. Papa and Mama were standing with Viktor’s parents. The twins and their wives were with Phillip and Jo. The whole town appeared to be here, and they were all focused on us.
“I didn’t think anyone would notice what I was doing. “ From the flushed look on Viktor’s face, it was clear he hadn’t anticipated this.
“Look in my eyes. This is still just us. Pretend no one else is here.”
His eyes seemed to come into focus. For a second, we centered ourselves in the other’s gaze. “Cymbeline Barnes, will you be my wife?”
I was overcome with emotion and also embarrassment because of all the onlookers. My legs were shaking so hard I thought I might fall over, but I managed to whisper, “Yes.”
From the crowd, a voice shouted, “What did she say?”
Another voice, a woman this time said, “I can’t tell.”
“She said no, I think.”
That rippled through the crowd. There were a lot of sighs and “poor boy.” A myriad of opinions were uttered about me, ranging from dying an old maid to wild child and dancing fool.
“What a shame,” an elderly lady behind us said.
“I told you she’d never marry.”