"Natalya, meet my friends, Karl and Eva," Michael said. "You will be safe with them until I return from Russia."

"Must you return to Russia right away?" Natalya was dismayed.

Michael nodded solemnly. "My troops need me, and my brother is counting on me. I'll return to you just as soon as I can."

Michael knew that Natalya was afraid, overwhelmed, alone in a foreign country amongst strangers. He embraced her tenderly and gently swept the hair back from her face. "Everything will be all right, malenkaya. Karl and Eva are good people. You can trust them."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you as well." Michael smiled. "May I kiss you good-bye?"

"Of course, I'd like that."

He softly kissed her lips, and their noses touched slightly. He wished with all his might that he didn't have to leave right away.

"Take care, malenkaya. I'll be back soon, I promise."

Natalya watched him walk away slowly. When he was almost to the corner she called to him and blew him a kiss. He laughed and caught it, then blew one back to her.

After Michael was gone, Natalya turned to look at Karl and Eva. Eva saw the fear in the young woman's eyes and hugged her tightly.

"Poor little thing," she said. "Look how skinny you are. I'll have you fattened up in no time."

"It's so kind of you to take me in," Natalya said. "I promise I'll try my best not to be a burden."

"Think nothing of it," Eva assured her. "Any friend of Michael's is a friend of ours as well."

Life in Karl and Eva's home soon settled into a comfortable routine. Natalya stayed in their guest bedroom, which was small but tidy and very comfortable. At night she lay alone in bed thinking of cuddling with Michael on the train and that helped her to get to sleep. Natalya helped Eva with cooking, cleaning, and laundry, and ran errands for her in town. She learned enough German to be able to communicate with store clerks reasonably well.

"You're so much help," Eva told her one day. "I'm glad Michael brought you to us."

"I'm happy to be able to help you any way I can," Natalya said with a smile. "I'm very grateful to Michael as well. He saved my life."

It was with very mixed feelings that Michael returned to Vienna several weeks later. He simply didn't know how to tell Natalya that the brute she had married was dead, that the wretched man had wrapped his car around a tree trunk while driving in a drunken stupor. For Michael himself there was only relief that the woman he was beginning to have very tender feelings for was safe at last, that her husband could never hurt her again. Yet how would Natalya herself react? Certainly she had loved the man at one time. Were there enough vestiges of love left in her heart that she would mourn his death in spite of everything?

Natalya saw Michael coming and her heart nearly burst with joy. Eagerly she rushed to meet him.

"Misha!"

"Natalya!"

He held her tightly and smothered her with kisses. Then he stepped back and took a good look at her.

"You look very well," he told her, pleased to see that there was now some color in her cheeks. She had looked so pale before.

"Thanks. So do you," she said.

He laughed, then grew serious. "Listen, Natalya, I have something very important to tell you. He has died."

She stared at him in surprise. "Who has died?"

"Your husband."