'But Roman! The expense alone-'
'Is well within my means,' Roman told her.
'Why was he asking me those questions? What is going on? Is he just guessing at something, or is something going on that I should know about?'
'At the moment,' Roman told her, considering his words carefully, 'there are . . . certain things . . . that you are safer not knowing. And don't give me that look! You do not know it, but your ignorance is probably solely responsible for keeping you alive this long.'
'Oh, so what I don't know can't hurt me?' she said with more sarcasm that she intended.
'It is not something to joke about,' he told her seriously. 'But enough! The minister arrives this afternoon. You had best use the time to prepare yourself.'
The next days went by in a seemingly discontinuous series of incidents and occurrences that seemed paced much in the same manner that a stream will slow almost to a stop as it encounters a logjam, will surge ahead once past the obstruction, then, though slowing to its former pace, will be changed forever beyond recognition. All the while Kara felt like an observer, and once the vows were exchanged and her personal and living arrangements changed for ever, she felt strangely uprooted from her old life and its habits.
To her great relief, Roman turned out to be a patient, kind man where their marriage bed was concerned. She was not yet ready to consummate their relationship, and he made no complaint, nor did he try in any way to coerce or influence her judgement or her feelings in the matter. Their relationship was far from cold: she very much liked being held by him, and she awoke every morning in his arms, head pillowed on his shoulder, or his arm if her back was to him. Nevertheless, she worried that he would become impatient with her, and late one evening, as she lay drowsily in his arms, she broached the subject.
'Roman?'
'H'm?'
'I- I'm sorry . . . I'm not being a very good wife to you.'
He lifted his head to consider her face. 'What do you mean?'
Reddening, clenching her fist against his chest, she forced herself to continue. 'We haven't . . . a man and woman . . . they're supposed to . . . we're supposed to . . . there are things they're supposed to do in bed together-'
He smiled and lay his head back down. 'When you are ready, my love, I will know and it will happen. For now, you are not yet even used to the fact of our marriage.' He chuckled. 'Neither Mother nor Maria know what to make of you these days. You were born to a wealthy family, yet you work hard and now you put your energies into all the things that a maid normally does.'