Anna and the Gardener's Gift

Sarah Alita Wark

Description

Coming of age with no parents and no home, is it even possible? Anna discovers that she has the courage and the support to choose her own path, with the help of prayer and friends. Set in Russia in 1912, she must learn from each adventure asking God to keep her safe in uncertain times..
Anna and her mother have lived and worked all Anna's life for the royal Romanov family. When her mother dies suddenly she is hidden by her friends to avoid homelessness. Several chance encounters with the princess make her more careful but what will become of her as winter approaches? Trying to make adult decisions is difficult when you are twelve, but she is assured that prayer will help her find God's plan. Will He tell her in time what she should do?

Sujets

• Fiction Jeunesse
• St. Petersburg
• Saint Petersburg
• San Petersburgo
• Juvenilee Fiction

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 13 avril 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664296114
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

THE GARDENER’S GIFT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SARAH ALITA WARK
 
 
 
 
 

 
Copyright © 2023 Sarah Alita Wark.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
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Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9612-1 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9611-4 (e)
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 04/11/2023
 
This book is dedicated to the avid young reader, 3 of whom, helped me to write it.
They are:
Phoebe Knox, my amazing neice and idea person,
Bentley Hamm, who has depicted the characters,
and
Eden Tyler, who has encouraged me from start to finish.
Enjoy!
CONTENTS
1       Midnight Scare
2       Chance Encounter
3       Surprise Invitation
4       Bonfire Night
5       Leaving Home
6       The Prodigal Returns

ONE
Midnight Scare
A nna’s mother, Sofia, died in service to the Romanov family in the spring of 1912. She was young and strong and had been a faithful servant in the palace since her teenage years. Anna and her mother had lived and worked in the luxurious Winter Palace in St. Petersburg for all but a brief time when Anna was first born. As soon as Anna was old enough, she had been put to work in the palace, doing anything her mother thought she could to help. The children of staff for the Romanovs were also given a small amount of time each day to learn, and one of the older valets assisted the children with their studies when able.
When Sofia took sick, the palace staff thought to shield Anna by keeping her away from her mother. The last few days of her life, Sofia was quarantined to an unused portion of the palace. So then it came as a complete surprise to Anna that she found herself orphaned within a week of her mother taking ill. Anna had not even said goodbye to her. In shock, Anna convinced herself that the death was all a ruse to escape the difficult life they shared. Several days went by after the brief funeral. Eventually Anna realized that it must not have been, for by now, her mother would have come for her, and she had not. Anna’s father had died years earlier, in service to the emperor of Russia, Nicholas II. As the tsar of Russia, Nicholas II and his imperial family were the ruling royalty for all of Russia. So now, without warning, Anna was officially an orphan. Her only other family was Peter, an older brother away in the military, training to serve the emperor as well. The staff wrote to Peter to inform him of the death of his mother immediately. Peter would not be released from service to come home, even temporarily.
The servants and maids—who all loved Anna’s mother deeply—were unsure what to do with Anna. She could see them whispering, staring, and weeping for her, and she despised it. Anna looked just like her mother had—slight in frame and tall for her twelve years. She had wispy black hair that was an almost shocking contrast to her pale skin. Her huge, dark, and serious eyes took up most of her face. The only other distinctive feature Anna possessed was a rather large apple-shaped birthmark on her neck. She had begun to be more conscious of it lately and normally kept it covered.
After several days of fuss and murmurings, she found herself being woken in the night by a servant. Due to her drowsy state, she was half carried and half ran to the nearby stable. It was a cold, dark night, and she could not remember ever being outside at such an hour. The faint light of the silver moon was barely enough to guide them from the palace, along the well-worn trail. Huge shrubbery banked both sides of the path, dark and thick and silent as they hurried through. It was so quiet, as if even the cedar of the hedge had been sworn to secrecy that night.
Suddenly the barn doors swung open with barely a sound. Anna was grabbed roughly in the dark, swung up and carried by strong, firm arms. She could not have escaped had she wanted to. A small cry of fear escaped her lips, and a quick but gentle hand slapped over her mouth. Feeling more curious than afraid, she did not make another sound or squirm to get loose. The gentle handling informed her that it was someone she knew carrying her. In the dark, they hurriedly moved through a massive space for several minutes before coming to a stop. She felt herself being passed to another pair of hands and carried gently along. She spotted a small light ahead, and at this point, she was lowered down to walk. Anna led the way into a room of sorts. It was dark with deep recesses and tresses that loomed large overhead, like giant beams of strength. There were few items to see in the space, most notably a candle burning in each corner. Peering at her were several faces, at least ten. It pleased her to see that she knew most of them. At least I’m not being kidnapped, Anna told herself.
She looked behind her to see who had brought her this far and saw several of the servants from the palace who she knew by name. The others present were staff as well—those who tended the kitchen fires with her mother and two who worked on the grounds. Lev, the stable hand and her dear friend, was there. She also saw Helena, her mother’s best friend since childhood. Anna peered back at each one. No one said a word.
Finally Anna turned to Lev, hands placed firmly on her hips, and said, “Now what’s this all about, Lev?”
Lev looked at her strangely, keenly, as if he had some grave news to share. His usually smiling face was serious, and his eyes were dark and somber. Lev was in his mid-thirties, tall, and lean. He had light-brown hair that stood straight up in places and dimples when he smiled. Lev was the lead stable hand with many staff under him. He worked very hard, long hours but always made time for her. Of all the staff, he was the one she knew best. Lev, in fact, was like a father to her. She couldn’t even remember life without him, and she confided in him often.
Coming toward her now, he stopped close and took both her hands in his. “Listen to me now, Anna girl. It’s you we are all thinking of.”
His look was so serious—such a departure from his usual ways—that it caused Anna to return it with one of her own.
Lev paused and looked around at each face in the tiny room. “We have discussed this and are determined, Anna, that our decision is your best chance for safety. We loved your mother—may God grant her peace—and feel obligated to help look after you. With you now being an orphan, we have had some discussions about what to do. If you will allow it, the staff here—each one—has taken a vow to hide you in this stable and work together to keep you safe until you are of age. Are you willing to agree to this arrangement?”
“But why, Lev?” she asked, her voice raising slightly. “What is the matter with me staying at the palace and carrying on with my chores? Mother taught me to do most of what the other women do. I am helpful and work hard, don’t I?” She looked about for a certain face. Not finding it, she directed her gaze to one of the kitchen staff. “Galina, you have seen me work with my mother. I am a good worker, aren’t I?”
Galina smiled and spoke quickly. “Anna, of course you are. You are just like your mother, both in appearance and in how hard you work. We all know that.”
Lev again spoke. “Anna, the royal family will not allow an orphaned child to work for them and live in their palace. If we do not take action, the family will when they return. The emperor can be a very harsh man, you know. We do not want you to be sent out, to wander alone through the miles and miles of woodland here. We have designed our own plan to keep you with all of us, and if you will hear me out, I will explain it to you.”
She nodded, looking down at her feet and trying to appear brave.
Lev continued, “We secretly sent word to your brother, Peter, about this plan, and he agreed to it. When he has completed his military training and earned enough funds to rent a home for you both, he will send for you. None of us know how long this will take, so while Peter works hard to save for you both, we wish to hide you here, in the barn. We have small chores that you can do each day and enough partners who are willing to share food and supplies.”
While Lev was speaking, Anna started to pace, arms at her side and head down, as she pondered his words. “What if I don’t want to stay? What if I want to try my luck, going to Peter? I believe I can find him.”
“That may be,” replied Lev, “but you know nothing of the ways outside this palace. You have lived here ever since your father died. You need to trust that we have experienced a world beyond yours and are doing what we all feel—as adults—is best for your safety. Can you do that, Anna? Do you trust me?”
She sighed loudly. “Of course I trust you, Lev. You are like a father to me. It’s just not fair; that’s all.” Fighting back tears, not wanting to cry, she took in several large