(by Polina Popova)
Only once there was the time of sweet dreams in her life… She met HIM. They were sweet lovers and loved each other as tender, as they could. Their names were Anna and Edward. Their sad romantic story happened in the 19th century… She was a Russian girl from a noble aristocratic family. And he arrived from England on military affairs. He was an officer in the British Army. Her father was a noble and very respectable person in the Russian army. He had to work with young British officers a lot. One day Anna’s father invited Edward to have dinner with his family. A young officer found it very exciting. That evening he saw Anna’s eyes for the first time. They were as blue, as the water in the deepest ocean. And her smile was like a ray of light. They were very shy during the dinner, but they were trying to look at each other all the time… The next day Edward told Anna about his feelings in a letter. Anna immediately fell in love with that charming young man. They were the happiest people in the world. They sang songs and wrote lyrics to each other…
And soon there was going to be their wedding. Anna bought a beautiful dress, a white dress. Her dream was about to come true. But the destiny didn’t want it. On the wedding day the English army made Edward go to England. There was going to be a very important battle. Edward was so sorry, he was so unhappy and Anna cried too much. But he had to go. The army has always been cruel. He died that day. It was the day of his wedding.,. Anna loved him with all her heart. She couldn’t live without Edward. That’s why she killed herself. At first, she wanted to drown in her tears, but she couldn’t do it. That’s why she jumped down from the Winter Palace. There was a great ball there that night… There was mourning in her family, but anyway they had togo there, because it was too important. At midnight, when nobody was looking at her she went to a secret door leading to the roof. She whispered; “I love you, Edward!” and jumped down. She was only 17… Soon her wedding dress disappeared. And people say that many times in different parts of Saint-Petersburg they have seen a very unusual ghost… It was like a young woman and it was wearing a wedding dress…. They have met it in the Hermitage, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, Peter and Paul cathedral… It has been wandering in Saint-Petersburg for more than 100 years already, but still can’t find Edward…
