lost a very close friend. I'd like to see if I can have the friend back."
"Not like before," said Ivan. "I'm part of something else now."
"I know, Ivan. But what if she likes me, too? Then maybe I can be friends with the two of you."
He regarded her for a moment.
What, you think you have polygraph eyes? You can tell if I'm lying just by looking at me?
"You're a class act, Ruth," said Ivan.
"Also, the lunch is good. But simple. I was going to get really fancy, but I didn't dare serve caviar to a Russian."
He laughed, turned around, and continued around the outside of the house.
Katerina had no idea what to make of Ivan's exaggerated sense of courtesy. Yes, he had broken his betrothal to this woman, but that was all the more reason to avoid her. Ivan insisted that there was nothing to fear except, perhaps, an emotional scene, and they could avoid that just by being generous and natural and patient in their conversation.
Katerina had much more specific fears, mostly involving poisons in the food and drink. To her, it was an immediate danger sign that Ruthie had insisted on providing all the food herself. She found it incomprehensible that Ivan thought this was a laughable idea. Had they never heard of poison here?
Esther had reassured her. "All our food comes from outside the house," Esther explained, "so I have many charms and spells against it here. And not just poisons, but against potions and powders and whatnot. Vigilance is always good, but I don't think you'll take any harm from what you can eat. Or at least you won't be able to eat what would do you harm."
She showed Katerina what charms she used, and at Katerina's insistence provided Ivan and Katerina with additional charms that they wore around their necks - not that either of them told Ivan what his charm was for. "There's a general spell to protect you by sensing if someone at the table knows that some of the food is poisoned," Esther explained, "and there are charms that should make it impossible to eat anything that is not what it's supposed to be. But I'm no match for the knowledge of the Wicked Widow, so keep your own watch."
With those protections and warnings, Katerina felt barely reassured enough to go ahead with the picnic. And she had to admit to herself that part of the reason she dreaded the event was because, after all, this was the woman that Ivan had chosen for himself without an angry bear looming over him.
Ruthie was gracious enough - no sniping remarks, or at least nothing that made Ivan hesitate in his translation. But it was obvious that Ruthie loved the fact that the conversation was in English, and that much of it moved so rapidly that Ivan could only translate the gist of what was said, and then only after the fact. Katerina was being systematically excluded. But that was to be expected. As long as Katerina didn't let it get her angry enough to leave, she was fine.
Ruthie set out the chicken on their plates and then handed several jars to Ivan to open. Katerina reached for one - her grip was as good as Ivan's, or better, as they both knew - but Ruthie babbled something in English to Ivan, who turned to Katerina and, with only the faintest hint of a smile to let her know that he was aware of how Ruthie was manipulating them, he translated: "She forgot the salt. She wants you to go get it from the kitchen."
Esther felt it as a chill creeping up her back. She shuddered. Something had just come into her protected realm. But not a person. She wasn't sure what it could be.
She looked out the window into the back yard, where Vanya was having his incomprehensible picnic with Ruthie and Katerina. It reminded her of those old pictures of Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin. Except none of them was wearing such an obvious wig as Ruthie. What kind of fashion statement was she trying to make? Or was it just a terrible haircut or dye job that she had to cover up for a few weeks?
Esther watched them setting up the picnic - laying out a couple of blankets on the grass, setting out plates and glasses, pulling food out of the hamper Ruthie had brought.
Things Ruthie brought. There were charms to protect from the food, but was it possible she carried