As the only daughter of the household, and not one especially well-loved by her father, it would have naturally fallen to Izolda to take up the burden of the cleaning, washing, and cooking. But she had better things to do with her time, and there were several other woman all too willing to help Andrei with his poor, motherless children. To Izolda’s delight, she did not even have to cast a spell to encourage them.
Her desire for Nikolai had in no way abated. She wanted him, and she would have him, it was as simple as that. What was not as simple was how she was going to travel to America, where he now lived.
She was still Katrinka’s friend and confidant, privy to all of her plans. It would take a year, maybe less, for Nikolai to establish himself in the New World. He wanted to build her a proper house, and wasn’t that sweet of him? Izolda vowed that Katrinka would never set foot in that house.
Since Nikolai was no longer a presence, it was unnecessary to keep up the compulsion to keep the pair at odds with one another. Izolda’s new plan depended on Katrinka setting sail to join her lover. But she would not be going alone.
“As much as I am happy for your good fortune, dear Katrinka, I will be sorry to see you go,” Izolda said one day as they sat hemming towels for Katrinka’s trousseau. It gave her no end of satisfaction that her stitches were smaller and neater than the other girl’s. “I will be so lonely without you."
“I, too, do not wish to be parted from my dear friend.” Katrinka put her sewing down. “But I had an idea.”
Izolda stopped sewing as well. “I hope you are not considering staying,” she said quickly, playing her part.
“Of course not, this is even better. I want you to come with me.” She reached over and took one of Izolda’s hands in hers. “Don’t you see? It would be perfect!”
“I—I don’t understand.”
“We could travel together,” Katrinka said eagerly. “There are many young men who went to America with Nikolai, who are working with him. Surely there will be one to catch your eye. We can both be married, build our homes near to each other, raise our families together.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Izolda pretended to consider the offer. “But what about my father? My brothers?”
Katrinka waved a hand in dismissal. “Your father will have no trouble finding a new helpmate, and you know it. And your brothers – most of them are old enough to start families of their own. You should not have to spend the rest of your life looking after them all.”
On that, Izolda totally agreed. “I don’t know,” she hedged.
“Oh, please say yes!”
“I would like to,” Izolda said slowly. “But won’t we need permission? And what would I do until I find this imaginary husband? I cannot live off of your charity.”
“Mother said she wished to hire a companion for me, to accompany me on the journey and help me until I settle in. Why could you not take on the role of my companion?”
“I—I would not be opposed to such a position. But would we not have to have permission from your mother, and my father?”
“Leave my mother to me,” Katrinka said firmly. “She has always had a soft spot for you. And once we have her on our side she will help convince your father.”
Izolda merely smiled in agreement. She had already begun to lay her own groundwork in this respect, casting a spell here, a compulsion there. It was no coincidence that Marnya, Katrinka’s mother, had begun to think of Izolda as one of her own. Her father was even easier to manipulate. He had never cared over much for her in the first place.
Yes, things were progressing just as Izolda had hoped. Now it was only a matter of time before she had everything she wanted.
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