The Master Craftsman by Kelli Stuart

Author:Kelli Stuart [Stuart, Kelli]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, contemporary, Fiction;Action and adventure fiction;Novels;FIC042100;FIC044000, christian, Women
ISBN: 9781493435715
Google: brc5EAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Revell
Published: 2022-04-05T13:01:50.686827+00:00

St. Petersburg, 1910

Karl ducked his head inside and let the door swing shut behind him. Stomping the dirt from the street off his boots, he unwound his scarf, removed his hat and coat, and hung all three neatly on the coat hanger by the door. He rolled his head around, stretching out the tension that had knotted his shoulders and neck. It was finished, the task accomplished.

He turned toward the stairs and walked up quickly, knowing that his employees were waiting for the news that the eggs had been successfully delivered and received by the royal family. Karl made the trip to Tsarskoe Selo every year to hand-deliver the works of art. There was a buzzing sort of energy in the air this time of year. Holy Week was generally their busiest season, as customers came in looking for last-minute Easter gifts, and sightseers came hoping for a glimpse of the newest eggs prepared for the tsarinas. It was an exhausting, overwhelming, and energetic time, and Karl found that he still enjoyed the thrill of the season, but he was more tired than usual this year. Perhaps it was his age, though he couldn’t possibly admit that out loud because it felt like a concession of the winding down of life.

He reached the top of the stairs and startled as his son Eugen popped around the corner.

“How did it go?” Eugen asked. “Were they pleased? Did they like the Colonnade Egg? How was the tsarina’s mood while you were there?”

Karl smiled and placed his hand on his eldest son’s shoulder. “It went fine, son. They seemed quite pleased with their gifts this year, as they have every year.”

All four of Karl’s sons now worked in the business, a fact that made his heart swell with fatherly pride. They were each gifted differently, and they managed to parlay those gifts in ways that benefited the House of Fabergé.

Eugen and his second-born brother, Agathon, both remained here in St. Petersburg. Karl suppressed a smile at the look of relief that washed over Eugen’s face at the news that the tsar had been pleased once again. His oldest child was a people pleaser, and he usually described himself as the public relations man of the company. But everyone knew, Karl included, that Eugen’s real talent lay in design. His brain popped with ideas and images that were increasingly incorporated into the pieces made in the workshop.

Agathon helped manage the St. Petersburg store alongside his brother, overseeing the gemology department. An expert gemologist, Agathon had taken this division of the company to new heights.

His third-born son, Alexander, now lived full time in Moscow and ran the store branch in that bustling city. Karl often asked Alexander if he really wanted to stay in Moscow, or if he’d prefer to return to the beauty and serenity of St. Petersburg, but he always turned it down. It appeared his son liked the hustle of Moscow, a fact that was mind-boggling to Karl.

Nicholas, the youngest, had taken over the management of the London office with Henry Bainbridge.

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