The Ancient Goddess' Joke

By Olga Kryuchkova

Imperial St. Petersburg. End of the 19th century. Eighteen-year-old Pauline, daughter of Antonina Zabrodina and Konstantin Matveev (Book 1. Diana the Huntress), attends the University and meets the student Gregory Veniaminov. The student falls in love with a charming girl, but cannot reveal his feelings to her. Gregory is too timid with girls. He writes a letter to Pauline, in which he confesses his love to her with the help of Shakespeare's sonnet. Pauline is intrigued by Gregory's attention.
However, after partying with friends, his behavior changes dramatically. Gregory's timidity disappears and he becomes a womanizer. And Sigmund Freud and the ‘Ancient Goddess of Love and Fertility’ are to blame for this. So what happened at the student party? Will Pauline and Gregory stay together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Olga Kryuchkova
• Release date: Mar 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215675625

Olga Kryuchkova

Olga Kryuchkova began her creative career in 2006. During this time, the author had more than 100 publications and reprints (historical novels, historical adventures, esotericism, art therapy, fantasy). A number of novels were co-written with Elena Kryuchkova.

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Olga Kryuchkova

Love Mysteries Book Series

The Ancient Goddess' Joke

Book 2

Cover Design: Cover Generated by AI (Stable Diffusion, NightCafe)

1898, St. Petersburg, The Russian Empire

The St. Petersburg mansion of the spouses Matveevs was especially prominent on Furshtadskaya Street. The house was two-story, with two outbuildings on each side, surrounded by a beautiful wrought-iron fence, which was surrounded by wild grapes. Columns lined the front door. The mansion was more reminiscent of a traditional manor house, rather than the local modest houses built in the German style. The ancestors of numerous minor nobles and officials who lived on this street probably fell under the influence of the Germans who settled on the nearest Kurlyandskaya street. And therefore Furshtadskaya street began to resemble, rather, a small provincial German town, rather than the capital street of the Russian Empire.

Antonina Petrovna woke up, as usual, at exactly eight in the morning. This habit came to her long ago, almost sixteen years ago, when she and her husband, Konstantin Petrovich, and their little daughter Pauline moved from the Pskov estate to the capital.

At first, Antonina Petrovna did not like life in the capital. After all, she was accustomed to the countryside and the simplicity of provincial life. She missed her estate Zabrodino for a long time, as well as the estate of her second husband, where she lived with him for two years after the wedding.

The Matveevs implemented their plan: on the lands of Remizovo, they built a summer cottage settlement and leased it profitably. Nikolai, who was the nephew of the time-tested Fyodor Ilyich, became the manager of the Matveevo-Orlovo estate. Having settled all the affairs in the estates of Zabrodino, Remizovo and Matveevo-Orlovo, the young family moved to St. Petersburg. And the Matveevs settled in a luxurious mansion on Furshtadskaya Street.

Antonina Petrovna did not contradict her husband about the move, realizing that her daughter needed to grow up in a decent society. In addition, Konstantin Aleksandrovich had many useful acquaintances in Petersburg.

And now Pauline, the only daughter of the Matveevs, is eighteen years old. She looked like my mother: medium height, slender. The girl was styling her thick auburn wavy hair into a fashionable intricate hairstyle. Her expressive gray eyes, plump lips and strong-willed chin could not leave indifferent any man regardless of his age.

Konstantin Aleksandrovich often admired his daughter. At these moments, he involuntarily was recalling his first meeting with his wife, whom he called ‘Diana the Huntress’. Pauline looked like my mother in character: she was intelligent and reasonable and decisive to the extreme. In addition, the girl knew how to stand up for herself and protect her interests.

Konstantin Aleksandrovich was especially worried about the fact that his daughter, like many young ladies of the late 19th century, was overly progressive views. He believed that it is dangerous to have a young girl on all their minds, and even challenge the views of parents. But Pauline was not at all embarrassed by this. Moreover, she expressed a desire to attend university lectures as a free listener.

Konstantin Aleksandrovich, although he considered himself a man of modern views, could not stand this and expressed his categorical protest to his daughter. But this did not stop Pauline. She told daddy that he was behaving like the last satrap, and in spite of everything she would attend the university.

During this skirmish, between father and daughter, Antonina Petrovna kept an enviable calmness. For she knew that Pauline would get her way. And it is better not to contradict her, but to immediately allow her to attend lectures as a free listener. Moreover, Antonina did not see any harm in this, but only benefit.

And for almost a year, Pauline woke up at the same time as her mother, at exactly eight in the morning. She washed herself every morning, dressed herself, and had breakfast in the living room with her mother.

Every morning after breakfast, Pauline got into the carriage and went to the university on Vasilievsky Island (except Saturday and Sunday). At first, Konstantin Aleksandrovich accused his wife that she indulges her daughter and modern ladies are too free in their behavior and judgment. Antonina Petrovna kept silent, in her heart agreeing with her husband, indeed, newfangled views changed young people.

Less than an hour later, Pauline rushed off to the university. Konstantin Aleksandrovich woke up and went into the living room in a dressing gown. Antonina Petrovna was looking through the fresh newspaper.

Good morning, Antonina! said the head of the family and yawned. That our emancipated daughter has already rushed away? he asked and sat down on the sofa next to his wife.

Yes, my friend, she ran away. Confirmed by Antonina Petrovna.

What do the newspapers write?

Yes, everything is the same: again the revolutionaries showed up. They blew up a warehouse on the outskirts of the city.

Outrageous! exclaimed Konstantin Aleksandrovich. "What is going on!