Vera calmly, almost icily, told her mother-in-law that if the holiday she was hosting didn’t please her, the door was open and no one was being forced to stay, while at the same time reassuring Varvara Nikitichna over the phone that everything was truly ready and there was absolutely no need to bring anything; balancing the phone between her shoulder and ear, she methodically sliced crisp cucumbers for a salad, glancing at the clock that showed eleven in the morning—eight long hours before the g