took a nudge from Leon Naryshkin, Sergei Saltykov’s cheerful
companion in adventure, to push Poniatowski to declare his inter-
est. Miss Vladislavov, Catherine’s chambermaid and confidante,
facilitated their first meetings at Oranienbaum. Always well-
informed about such intrigues, the tsarina soon heard that her
daughter-in-law had found a substitute for Saltykov, that her lat-
est lover was Poniatowski and that the lovebirds were together
constantly while the husband, indifferent, closed his eyes.
Elizabeth didn’t mind that her daughter-in-law was stray-
ing, but she did wonder whether there might not be a political
motive behind this love affair. It suddenly occurred to her that
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there were two rival courts in Russia, one centered around Her
Majesty and one centered around the grand-ducal couple — and
that the interests of these two centers of power were at odds.
To secure the sympathies of “the great court,” traditionally
Francophile, Louis XV sent to St. Petersburg a high-level emis-
sary, Sir Mackenzie Douglas. A Scotsman by origin, he was a par-
tisan of the Stuarts and had taken refuge in France; he was part of
the “parallel cabinet” of Louis the Well-Loved, called “the King’s
Secret.” His purported mission in Russia was to buy furs; mean-
while, he took the opportunity to communicate to the tsarina a
confidential code that would enable her to correspond directly
with Louis XV. Before he even started out, Douglas had been in-
formed that his mission had become more delicate than envisaged,
for Bestuzhev was now in the pay of London and was serving the
British cause. Even the grand duchess, supported by her current
lover, was said to be inclined in favor of the English. And Ponia-
towski, during his temporary absence from the Polish court, had
just been granted a prominent official position: he was named
Minister for the King of Poland in Russia. Thus his presence in
the Russian capital was made more reliable, long-term, giving
Catherine more confidence in the possibility of a peaceful future
for their relationship. She was further comforted by a certain eas-
ing of restrictions in her regard on the part of Alexis Bestuzhev.
Having joined the chancellor in the pro-England clan, she was less
liable to attack. The odious espionage to which she had been sub-
mitted, on behalf of the empress, was removed. The only reports
Elizabeth now received from Oranienbaum were in regard to the
pro-Prussian extravagances of her nephew.
In this atmosphere of reciprocal surveillance, cautious bar-
gaining and courteous deception, a first treaty was concocted in
St. Petersburg in an effort to specify how the various powers
would respond in the event of a French-English conflict. But sud-
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denly, following secret negotiations, a new accord was signed in
Westminster, on January 16, 1756. It stipulated that, in the case of
a generalized war, Russia would join France in its fight against
England and Prussia. This abrupt inversion of alliances shocked
the uninitiated and appalled Elizabeth. Without a doubt, Bestuz-
hev, better paid by someone else, had sacrificed Russia’s honor-
bound commitments to Prussia. And Catherine, that hare-brained
young lady, apparently was very happy to follow Bestuzhev in this
scandalous about-face. She always had shown herself to be too
much impressed with the French spirit! Her Majesty’s fury was a
combination of political frustration and wounded personal pride.
She regretted having trusted Bestuzhev to conduct the interna-
tional talks, when the vice-chancellor, Vorontsov, and the Shu-
valov brothers had been advising her to bide her time.
In order to try to limit the damage, she hastily convened a
“conference” in February 1756, where Bestuzhev, Vorontsov, the
Shuvalov brothers, Prince Trubestkoy, General Alexander Butur-
lin, General Apraxin and Admiral Golytsin met under her effective
presidency. All these minds, working together, would find a way
out of this mess — if anyone could! In the worst case they had to
decide whether, assuming a confrontation did take place, Russia
could accept “subsidies” in exchange for its neutrality. Draped in
imperial honor, Elizabeth said no. But then came word that Louis
XV was on the verge of signing a pact of reciprocal military assis-
tance with Maria Theresa, in Austria. Bound by its former en-
gagements to Austria, Russia became, at the same time, an ally of
France.
Trapped in spite of herself by Louis XV and Maria Theresa,
Elizabeth was obliged to take on Frederick II and George II.
Should she be pleased or frightened? All around her, the courtiers
were divided between national pride, shame at having betrayed
their friends of yesterday, and fear that there would be a high
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price to pay for this unnecessary change of course. Behind closed
doors, it was said that the Grand Duchess Catherine, Bestuzhev,
