The next few days were spent almost entirely in Mikhail's company. He took me all over the town of Port Crescent and its environs, exploring parks, gardens, and galleries, or we simply lazed about on the sandy beach, soaking up the sun. He showed me some of his favorite haunts, and we dined at cozy bistros and trendy restaurants. The weather was perfect—nowhere near as hot and humid as back home, but still clear and sunny, with a delicious breeze carrying the scents of salt water and flower gardens and the cries of gulls through my windows and across town every morning and evening.

On the third day after my arrival, the first of Mikhail's "prior engagements" cropped up. He had offered to play the ceremonial music for a friend's wedding. It was a small affair held on a sunny afternoon in a beautiful seaside garden full of roses and lilies and many other fragrant flowers. Mikhail's violin was the perfect touch, soft and romantic. At the reception afterwards, he introduced me to the groom, Stuart, and his new wife, Elena. "So, this is the lovely Alice," Stuart smiled at me as he took my hand. "She is stunning, Mikhail. Let me remind you that I look forward to one day playing for your wedding."

I blushed and, hoping to turn the subject away from the subject of our relationship, I asked, "Are you a musician, too?"

"Yes, my dear. I am a cellist, and my Elena is a violist. We enjoy performing together with Mikhail whenever he is in town, but alas, we lack the second violinist required to form a proper string quartet. But perhaps you, too, are a violinist?"

"No, I'm a farmer, not a musician."

"Indeed? I never would have imagined Mikhail enamored of someone who was not musical."

"She does play the violin, as a matter of fact," Mikhail interjected with an amused expression, "just not professionally. As an amateur, however, she is quite talented. I've been giving her lessons recently...."

His friend raised an eyebrow, commenting with smirk, "Yes, I don't doubt that for a moment."

I blushed even pinker at the innuendo, but before I could speak, a large, glittering woman swooped in and wrapped her arms around Mikhail in a smothering embrace. "Mikhail!" she shrieked in a rather strident voice. "Imagine seeing you here! How delightful!"

"Hello, Mrs. Bennett. How do you do?" Mikhail murmured, gently freeing himself from her grasp.

She clicked her tongue, saying with a playful jab of her finger, "Now, now, Mikhail—how many times have I told you? You must call me Mary. There's no need to be so formal!" Turning to look behind her, she called out, "Lizzie! Look who's here! Come say hello, darling!"

A rather skinny, pale young woman drifted over. "Yes, mama?" she asked timidly.

"Darling, look! It's Mikhail! Isn't it wonderful? Oh!" she exclaimed turning back to him. "I've just had a fabulous idea! There will be dancing very soon, won't there? Why then, you can dance with Lizzie! She'll be thrilled! Isn't that right, my dearest?"

"Ahh, sadly, I will have to decline," Mikhail said, firmly but with a ghost of a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. "You see, my dance card is already full, so to speak. One dance with the bride, of course, then the rest of my evening will be devoted to my enchanting companion. Alice," he said, turning to me, "allow me to introduce you to Mrs. Mary Bennett and her daughter, Elizabeth. Mrs. Bennett, Miss Bennett—Miss Alice Tremayne."

Mrs. Bennett turned towards me with a baleful glare. "And just who is she?" she sniffed, pulling herself up to her full, not-insignificant height.

I smiled sweetly at her, and replied, "How do you do? It's a pleasure to meet you. Mikhail and I are very old friends—since we were scarcely more than children."

"Really. How very odd that I've never seen you or heard him so much as mention you until now," she replied stonily.

Mikhail stepped in, his eyes twinkling at me, and said, "Alice owns two farms in the mountains some ways south and east. This is the first vacation she's taken in some time, and I am delighted that she chose to spend her time here with me."

The older woman again glared at me, then with nothing more than a loud "Harrumph!" turned on her heel and stalked away, dragging her harried daughter, who kept glancing back at us wistfully, along behind her.

I looked at Mikhail, and started to giggle, trying without success to stifle it. He smiled, then he, too, began to chuckle. We enjoyed a good laugh together, then he steered me to the refreshments and selected two glasses of champagne. As he handed a glass to me, there was a call to order and the best man, Stuart's brother, toasted the newlyweds with a short, teasing speech.

Afterwards, there was a light buffet in the garden, followed by dancing on the terrace. Mikhail danced every dance he could with me, and when it was his turn to dance with Elena, Stuart swiftly stepped in.

Stuart was witty and entertaining, and he regaled me with stories of his and Mikhail's exploits over the years. The two apparently enjoyed a firm friendship, despite the fact that they typically only saw each other a few months of the year. Stuart lived there in Port Crescent, while Mikhail only spent summers there. He went on to describe how the flamboyant Mrs. Bennett had been chasing after him for a few years now, attempting to "land" him for her daughter—but that he was having none of it. "And now I see why," he added with a smirk. "Who would settle for a glass of water, having partaken of champagne?" Just then, the dance ended, and Mikhail appeared at my elbow to reclaim me for the remainder of the evening.

"What is that look in your eyes?" he inquired as we slowly circled around the stone terrace to soft music.

"Oh, just thinking of something Stuart said while we danced," I said, grinning at the apprehensive look that came over his face. "You look worried," I teased. "Are you afraid of what he might have told me? Have you been keeping guilty secrets?"

Ignoring that last part, he asked, "All right, what was it he told you that had you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" I asked innocently.

"Like a cat toying with a mouse," he said rather drily. "Come now, what did he tell you?"

I laughed and said, "Does this ring a bell? The new moon, a 'somewhat unpaid for' jug of wine, a coal chute, and a gigantic mastiff?"

He cringed and groaned, though I caught a sparkle in his eye. "I knew it was a mistake to leave you alone with him. I can still feel those teeth!" he replied ruefully.

"Yes, it must have been some time before you could sit down properly," I laughed.

"Indeed. And the icing on the cake? I had an important solo performance two nights later—I had to sit still for over an hour on a hard chair and look exalted."

"Poor you," I murmured, trying hard not to giggle at the thought. "And I bet the wine wasn't even worth it."

"It was not," he replied emphatically.

After the bride and groom departed and the reception ended, we strolled along the boardwalk towards my lodgings. When we were about halfway there, I stopped at a bench and sat down, looking up at him. "Mikhail... there was something else that Stuart mentioned." He sat next to me, putting his arm around my shoulders and looking down at me. I knew he was anticipating my question; I could feel the tension in his shoulders.

"The times we've kissed—and more—I've wondered... it seemed to me that you weren't exactly inexperienced, like you knew exactly what you were doing. And then tonight Stuart mentioned... more than a few women and implied that you... well, that you had known them rather well."

He sighed, then looked out across the water. After a few minutes, he spoke in a low voice. "During that time after Emil and I left, when I both hated and loved you... I turned to other women in an attempt to... to forget you. I found that older women in particular were attracted to me, and I learned quite a bit from them as a result. Of course, it failed—no matter who I was with, nor how many, you remained at the forefront of my mind. It was all just so... meaningless. I learned to please others, yet in the end, none could satisfy me, simply because they weren't you." He turned to me again, asking, "Do you despise me now? Are you repulsed by my behavior?"

I looked away, considering before I answered him slowly. "I'm not exactly sure. I don't quite know how I feel. You see, I swore to hold onto my virginity solely to avoid being used and hurt by someone who only wanted me for my body. And now you tell me that you've done just that to other women. So I don't really know what to make of that. Right now, I feel a little disturbed at the thought, and a little hurt, and, well, kind of betrayed to be honest—not because there were others, but more because of the how and the why, and also because you hid it from me. I also can't help wondering now about those times when you tried to push me into going farther than I was ready to go—what you would have done afterwards if I had given in to you. Yet at the same time... I-I have to admit, I find myself curious about your experiences, ignorant as I am of such things." I stood up and turned towards the boardwalk, then looked back at him. "I need some time to absorb all this. I'm not angry, but I am confused. I need some time alone to think, so I think I'll head back to my room now."

He sighed and nodded, then stood up. "I understand, and I'm sorry. I know I should have told you myself right at the beginning rather than delaying until you found out. I just couldn't quite bring myself to introduce the subject. I... I'm not especially proud of it. And for what it's worth, those women used me just as much as I used them. They were nearly all bored housewives or lonely widows, and they were all older than me, most of them by many years. That's why it was just so meaningless—afterwards, nothing had changed. Not for them, not for me. That doesn't excuse anything, I realize, but still I wanted you to know that it wasn't, well, all one-sided." He stepped over to my side, and tucking my arm into his, said, "At least let me walk you home. This is a very peaceful town, but I'd still feel better seeing you safely to your door."

When we reached the front door, I turned and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. "I want to write some letters tomorrow and then do some shopping. Would you join me for dinner? Then afterwards we can talk. If you're free?"

He nodded, saying, "Yes, I'd like that. And Alice, I truly am sorry—not just for what happened in the past, but also for the manner in which you learned of it. Now that I've found you again, though, I can say with absolute certainty that no other woman will ever do for me. You're the only one I want."

I frowned slightly as I looked into his eyes. "That's... a rather bold statement to make, Mikhail. What if I don't choose you in the end? What then?"

He placed his hands on my shoulders and kissed my forehead. "Then, my dear Alice, I will remain unwed and celibate until the end of my days. I will never again attempt to settle for less." And he turned and left me standing in the doorway, watching as he disappeared into the night.