neously presented her fingers to the attaché, who brushed them
with his lips before standing straight again, under the murderous
gaze of the groom. Seeing the tsar’s rage, Millesimo’s friends took
him by the elbow and propelled him into the crowd, where they
disappeared. At this point Prince Vasily Dolgoruky, one of the
most eminent members of this large family, felt that the proper
time had come to address a short homily to his niece. “Yesterday,
I was your uncle,” he said, facing a circle of attentive listeners.
“Now, you are my sovereign and I am your faithful servant. How-
ever, I call upon my former rights in giving you this advice: do not
look upon the one whom you are marrying as your husband only,
< 56 >
but also as your master, and make it your only concern to please
him. . . . If any member of your family asks you for a favor, forget it
and consider only the merits of the situation. That will be the
best means of ensuring all the happiness that I wish you.”1
These judicious words completely spoiled Peter’s mood. He
scowled until the end of the reception. Even during the fireworks
at the end of the celebration, he did not so much as glance at the
woman with whom he had just exchanged pledges of eternal love
and confidence. The more he looked out at the faces surrounding
him, the more he felt that he had fallen into a trap.
While he had allowed himself to be buffeted about between
political intrigues, women, drink and the pleasures of hunting, the
Supreme Privy Council had, after a fashion, managed the affairs of
State. At the initiative of these wise men and with the tsar’s con-
currence, measures were taken to reinforce their control over the
magistrature, to regulate the use of bills of exchange, to ban the
clergy from wearing lay clothing and to keep knowledge of Rus-
sia’s problems reserved to the Senate. In short, in spite of the em-
peror’s defection, the empire went on.
Meanwhile, Peter learned that his sweetheart Ivan Dol-
goruky was planning to marry little Natalya Sheremetiev. To be
honest, he did not see much problem in giving up his former favor-
ite to a rival. It was agreed that, to affirm the bond of friendship
between the four young people, their two marriages should be
celebrated the same day. However, this reasonable arrangement
still troubled Peter. Everything and everybody had disappointed
him and annoyed him. There was no place where he could feel
comfortable and he did not have anyone whom he felt he could
trust.
Shortly before the end of the year, he paid a surprise visit to
Elizabeth, whom he had neglected for the last several months. He
found her poorly housed, poorly served, and lacking the essen-
< 57 >
tials — whereas she should have been the first lady in the empire.
He had gone to her to complain about his own distress, and in-
stead it was she who complained to him about her destitution.
She accused the Dolgorukys of having humiliated her, of ruining
her and of preparing to dominate him through the wife that they
had tossed into his arms. Shaken by his aunt’s complaints (and
still secretly in love with her), he answered, “This is not my fault!
No one obeys me; but I will soon find the means to break my
chains!”12
These remarks were reported to the Dolgorukys, who put
their heads together to work out a response that would be effec-
tive while preserving the appearance of respecting the tsar. More-
over, they had another family problem on their hands that re-
quired urgent intervention: Ivan had fallen out with his sister Ka-
tya, who had lost all sense of restraint since her engagement and
was laying claim to the late Grand Duchess Natalya’s diamonds,
saying that the tsar had promised them to her. This sordid quarrel
over a box of jewels was liable to irritate Peter just at the moment
when they needed more than ever to dampen his mistrust. But
how could they make a woman listen to reason, when she was less
sensitive to male logic than to the glitter of precious stones?
On January 6, 1730, at the time of the traditional blessing of
the waters of the Neva, Peter arrived late at the ceremony and po-
sitioned himself behind the open sledge in which Catherine was
seated. In the frozen air, the chanting of the priest and the singing
of the choir resonated weirdly; vapor rose from the mouths of the
singers. Peter shivered throughout the interminable service. Re-
turning home, he could not stop shaking; he was put to bed. They
thought he’d gotten a chill. And anyway, by January 12, he had
recovered. But, five days later, the doctors detected symptoms of
small pox, which was often fatal at the time. Receiving this news,
all the Dolgorukys gathered together at the Golovin palace in ter-
< 58 >
ror. They already foresaw the worst and started looking for ways
to avert the catastrophe. Amid the general panic, Alexis Dol-
goruky stated that only one solution existed, should the tsar die
