a mortal sin. And we loved each other, and passionately and selflessly.

— So much so that Princess Alex became the chosen one of the heir? — quipped Josephine.

Matilda's face was even more distorted by the surging negative emotions, which made Dr. Marek tense.

— She climbed into our bed, — Kshesinskaya literally hissed with anger and repeated the same thing in Polish, adding the savory word “whore” to the sentence.

— She went down the aisle with the heir and was later crowned, — Josephine continued to sting.

Matilda turned sharply to Marek.

— I'm tired and want to sleep! Order to take me to the bedroom.

Matilda left in a carriage, accompanied by a doctor. After some time, Marek returned.

— Jose! I asked you a thousand times, don't talk about this topic, don't provoke her to have a heart attack. You're creating extra trouble for me.

— And what? Am I telling lies? Solid historical facts.

— Your historical facts one day will bring her to the grave.

— Isn't that what you want?

The doctor blushed indignantly.

— Maybe this is your secret desire?

— It seems that you know the contents of her will? — answered Josephine, — I would not be surprised if your name appears there more often than mine. You are her personal doctor.

— Yes, personal. If it wasn't for me, she would have gone to the kingdom of heaven long ago.

Why are you arguing in vain? Robert intervened.

— Marek, didn't you tell our guest the real reason for his visit?

— Interview the former mistress of the last Russian tsar, — Robert answered for the doctor.

Josephine with the words — "I must dedicate you to something" — took Robert by the hand and led him to the exit to the garden.

Marek followed them.

— You understand Robert. Kshesinskaya, in addition to real estate, has wealth in the form of a variety of jewelry. During the years of her fame, she managed to collect such an amount of gold and other precious items that the Count of Monte Cristo could only dream of.

— Are you sure about that?

Josephine looked ironically at Robert.

— Malya had more lovers than the stars in the sky and everyone gave her jewelry. After the heir to the throne, his brother, uncle and other great princes took turns in her bed. Most of all, she was bestowed by the tsar's brother Sergei Mikhailovich. During the war, he was in charge of procurement for the army and appropriated huge sums of money from the treasury. Needless to say, most of them were spent on gifts to Male. He bought her vast land, a house on the Cote d'Azur of France, built her a chic mansion in the center of St. Petersburg. Grand Duke Sergei Mikhailovich was captured and shot by the Bolsheviks, and the mansion was confiscated.

— Correctly! And from the balcony of my house, Lenin spoke with fiery speeches.

Everyone turned around and saw Kshesinskaya, who rolled out in a wheelchair straight into the garden.

— I got sick of sleeping and here I am again with you and ready to continue the conversation with Robert. Only, I beg you, let's go back to the house, to the fireplace. It's cold here.

Everyone obediently returned to the house and Matilda continued:

— Lenin's office was in my bedroom, and in the nursery, where my son Vova lived, was his reception room.

— Apparently the leader of the Bolsheviks liked the aura of your bedroom? Robert asked with a grin.

— At first, I myself sympathized with Lenin and his campaign, but when I realized that this whole revolution was turning into a barnyard from Orwell's book, I sued the Bolsheviks and, to my amazement, the then Provisional Government Court ruled to return my property.

— And you were able to evict Lenin himself from there?

Do I look like such an idiot? I acted differently. Having changed into a Bolshevik dress, I came to my house.

— You dared to go where the crowds of armed people were rampaging? Robert was surprised.

— Malya! I hear about it for the first time! Josephine, in her turn, was surprised.

— So listen to me. The Bolsheviks rummaged everything there. They were well aware of my wealth and zealously sought it. They broke open the floors, ransacked the walls, but found nothing.

— And no one recognized you and did not suspect anything?

— Nobody. The house was a terrible mess. Everyone was darting somewhere, hurrying, pushing, In short, they were not up to me. Out of curiosity, I went into Vova's nursery and asked a woman dressed in a man's dress, with a cigarette in her mouth, with a red scarf on her head:

— Who owns this space?

— To the working people, — was her answer.

— Where are the previous owners? — I did not let up.

The woman looked at me angrily and threw back:

— We shot them.

— Mala! You could be identified and really shot! Josephine was horrified.

— Could, I do not argue. But what was the point? They have already robbed my house and turned it into a revolutionary platform.

— Would they start torturing you to find out where you hid the jewelry?

Kshesinskaya began to giggle softly.

— You're having fun, but I'm scared of your memories.

— I have laid out a small fraction of my jewelry throughout the house in visible and hidden places. These freaks immediately seized them and were satisfied, thinking that this was all I had.

Matilda's giggle turned into a sarcastic laugh, which made those present feel embarrassed.

— So, you managed to save the main part and take it out? Josephine asked directly.

Kshesinskaya looked at her with a smile.

— Josiah, dear! Then all our lives were in mortal danger. We realized this in time and thank God we survived. The most valuable thing is life, everything else is nothing before it. Do you disagree with me?

— That's right, — Josephine agreed with annoyance, having not received an answer to the question that tormented her.

Suddenly Kshesinskaya turned to Robert and said in a stern voice, minting