She pulls me into a hug, surprising me with her warmth.
“And I'm Katya, the youngest,” says another woman, shorter than Tatiana but with the same confident posture. “We've been dying to properly meet you.”
One by one, they introduce themselves. Bogdan, with his beard, is the oldest brother after Agafon. Faddey is leaner than the rest and a bit aloof. Ilariy wears sunglasses that make him look like he’s walked off a runway. Melor seems to be around the same age as me and has a boyish charm. Rurik is the one who spotted me first and is insanely tall.
“Where's Agafon?” asks Bogdan, looking past me as if expecting him to materialize.
“Working, I assume,” I reply. “I don't see much of him.”
The siblings exchange glances.
“That's our brother,” Tatiana says with a roll of her eyes. “All business, all the time.”
“Well, his loss is our gain,” says Rurik. “Now we get you all to ourselves.”
They usher me inside, bringing life and noise into the quiet house. I instantly begin to feel less lonely. The staff seems startled by the sudden invasion but quickly adjusts, bringing refreshments to the sitting room where we all settle.
“So, Lilibeth,” Faddey says, leaning forward, “what do you think of being a Letvin so far?”
I pause, considering my answer. “It's... different from what I expected.”
“Different good or different bad?” asks Katya.
“Just different,” I say diplomatically. “I'm still getting used to everything.”
“The house is too big,” Tatiana declares. “I told Agafon when he bought it. Who needs fourteen bedrooms?”
“A man with plans for a big family,” suggests Melor with a wink.
I nearly choke on my tea, and they all laugh.
“Don't mind him,” Katya says, patting my hand. “He was dropped on his head as a baby.”
“Multiple times,” adds Ilariy.
The conversation flows easily, jumping from topic to topic. They tell me stories about growing up together, about Agafon as a teenager, who happened to be serious even back then.
They ask about my family too, and I tell them about my brothers, careful not to reveal anything too personal or sensitive.
It strikes me then that none of them have mentioned Nikandr, not even while sharing stories of their childhoods. I glance around, wondering if it's appropriate to ask about the missing brother.
But for some reason, asking such a loaded question to the whole group seems unnerving. I don’t want to set off any alarms. They’ll only wonder what I could possibly have to glean from them that I can’t from Agafon. And just like that, to my luck, the boys declare they don’t mind playing some pool over in the basement game room and leave us girls to ourselves.
And that’s how I find myself in the sole company of Tatiana and Katya. I should feel nervous, but the girls have been friendly from the onset and I immediately feel right in place in this intimate setting.
“So…” I begin. “Were you looking for Agafon for some specific reason? I could leave a message, you know, in case he doesn’t return before you leave?”
“Oh, you’re kicking us out!” Katya’s eyes widen. I panic, wondering if I made a mistake, and begin to fumble.
“No! Of course not. Gosh, that’s not what I meant. I was only trying to be help—”
But Tatiana cuts me off with laughter. “Katya’s a practical joker. Ignore her.” She gives her sister a warning glare, and Katya shrugs before meeting my eye with a wink.
To say I feel relieved is an understatement.
“We just dropped by to see how you two were settling into married life,” Katya offers up the truth.
“Besides, we wanted to make sure he’s taking good care of you,” Tatiana said.