Because It Is My Blood (Birthright #2)(42)
I have filed the paperwork, and all is proceeding as we discussed.
Re: the manner in which you left New York
Though there was some interest in your disappearance in the days after, the official word from the city is that they have neither the resources nor the manpower to devote to tracking down Anya Balanchine.
Re: when you will be able to return
There is a new regime at the DA’s office and I do not know if they will be sympathetic to our interests or not.
Re: your uncle Yuri
He is still alive.
Re: the Family business
Mr. Green believes that Fats may be trying to take a more active role in the company.
Know that you are often in my thoughts and Keisha’s and Grace’s as well.
Happy holidays,
S. Kipling, Esq.
December 5, 2083
Dearest Sister,
(Do you like the greeting? I saw it in one of Imogen’s books.)
Well, it’s been almost two months since you left. At first I was mad, but then Simon Green explained that you couldn’t tell anyone where you were going or even that you were going and so I’ve more or less forgiven you. That’s the nice thing about sisters, if I do say so myself.
Things have been tolerable—at first I wrote “okay,” but I thought you’d prefer a better word here. The day after you left, they came to search the house but they didn’t find anything.
School is tolerable, too.
Win comes to see me sometimes. He is so nice, Anya. Seriously, he is the nicest boy in the world. He walks me to class sometimes, too, and he even came over for part of Thanksgiving.
Oh, Charles Delacroix lost the election! Did you hear that where you are? I think Win was happy that he lost, but he stood by his dad’s side at the concession speech.
The other thing that happened is that Scarlet is pregnant. I know she’s writing you a letter so I guess you’ll hear more about that from her. She isn’t saying who the baby’s father is, but everyone thinks it’s Gable Arsley even though he isn’t her boyfriend anymore. People are being kind of mean to Scarlet at school. I found her crying in the third-floor bathroom one day, and she said how much she missed you and wished you were here. She was so sad. (The funny thing is, I had gone up there to cry myself.)
Well, that’s about it. I think about you all the time. I wonder where you are, and I hope everyone’s being nice to you there.
Like I said before, I’m not mad, Anya, but I wish you had told me where you were going. I am your sister, and I would rather have decided for myself whether to come with you. I don’t mean to complain.
Your Loving Sister,
Nataliya Balanchine
P.S. Are you okay with the plan to have Mr. Kipling become our guardian?
P.P.S. I don’t want to bother you, but when will you be home?
P.P.P.S. Writing a letter is harder than I thought it would be.
P.P.P.P.S. I haven’t had that many nightmares.
30 November 2083
Anya,
A brief note to let you know that Natty is fine. She misses you a great deal, but your friends Win and Scarlet have done their best to cheer her up. I admit that the apartment does feel large without you, and we consume peas at an even slower rate than before. We all hope you can return soon. I have not been told where you are, but I know it can be a disorienting experience to be away from home for the first time. Here is a quote from one of my favorite novels—I believe you will readily recognize which one: “It is a very strange sensation to inexperienced youth to feel itself quite alone in the world, cut adrift from every connection, uncertain whether the port to which it is bound can be reached, and prevented by many impediments from returning to that it has quitted. The charm of adventure sweetens that sensation, the glow of pride warms it; but then the throb of fear disturbs it; and fear with me became predominant, when half an hour elapsed and still I was alone. I bethought myself to ring the bell.” It seems to me good advice, Anya. If all else fails, ring the bell.
Imogen Goodfellow
My Darling Annie,
My life has fallen into utter tragedy!
Do you remember how I threw up when you were in the hospital at Liberty? Well, I never got the flu, and I thought, Oh, Scarlet, how lucky you are! But then I kept throwing up every afternoon at exactly the same time, and it turned out that I, your silly, love-crossed friend, was pregnant! And by Gable Arsley, that monster. I haven’t told him it’s his, but he knows, I’m sure he knows. Actually, I haven’t even spoken to him since the day we broke up. He tries to talk to me, but I ignore him. I don’t care. I would never raise a baby with him. I wouldn’t even raise a kitten with him. I wouldn’t even raise a stuffed kitten with him.
As for being pregnant … The biggest tragedy is that I was cast to be Juliet in Fall Shakespeare and then that beast Mr. Beery threw me out of the play when I told him I was with child! Can you imagine, Anya? The show goes on without me.
Also, my breasts are now as big as yours. Where before I had kiwis now I have grapefruit! I am not terribly fat yet but soon I’ll have to get a Trinity skirt with an elastic waist! Can you imagine? Scarlet Barber in an elastic waist?
Also, also, I have no friends. All the drama people are busy in the play, and everyone else is kind of ignoring me. Win is pretty much my only friend these days. He talks about you constantly. It would be incredibly boring if I didn’t miss you so much myself.