We're now back at Bald Hills, the home of old Prince Nicholas Bolkonski, father of Prince Andrew Bolkonski. I've had to go back and look at my notes from the end of book 1 to remember who's here. Prince Andrew's pregnant wife is - I'd actually forgotten he had a pregnant wife waiting back home, but, to be fair, he didn't think of her once in the whole of book 2. So is Prince Andrew's sister, Mary or Maria. She's the pious one I wanted to slap because she snottily insisted on rereading the bible instead of reading another book. I did like old Prince Nicholas though - he thinks the only evils are idleness and superstition, and the only virtues are activity and intelligence. God only knows how he ended up with a daughter like Mary.
Prince Nicholas has received a letter from Prince Vasili, announcing his visit and the fact that he's bringing Anatole, and Prince Andrew's wife drily remarks that they certainly don't need to go finding suitors for Maria when they just invite themselves. The old Prince is not at all impressed by Vasili's sudden and meteoric rise to power and wealth, and he likes him even less when he reads between the lines and realises that Vasili is proposing that Anatole marry Maria. Old Prince Nicholas is certainly not a big dumb kitten.
On the day that Vasili et al are expected to arrive, the road is blocked by snow. The old Prince goes out to see if it's cleared, but is greatly offended when his servants believe he want it cleared so 'the minister' (prince Vasili) can come in rather than so his daughter can go out. He is grumpy all day, and calls his daughter "fool...or dummy!", which cheers me up a bit. She's come to cheer him up with her companion, Mademoiselle Bourienne. Prince Andrew's wife - the little princess, as the narrative calls her - has heard the old prince is in a bad mood and is hiding. It's probably the right idea, since he throws his plate at the wall as soon as anyone dares talk to him.
I just did a bit of confused googling, because, at the end of Book 1, Maria received a letter from Julie Karagina, which said that Julie was being pushed to marry Pierre. Pierre is now married to Helene Kuragina, and I was briefly puzzled as to whether they might be the same person, Julie and Helene, but they are not - they just have last names which are almost identical, which you can understand is very confusing. But Julia Karagina is just Julie Karagina, and not part of the plot right now. And nor is Helene. Also, I've been told that a fair English substitute for the Russian 'prince' is 'duke', so I'm mentally substituting that the whole time. I ended by skimming the wiki page for Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812, which is an adaptation of 70 pages of this book. It's 70 pages I haven't read, so I did learn at least one spoiler. I also learned that Josh Groban played Pierre, so that pleases me.
Anyway, Mademoiselle Bourienne asks the old Prince about Prince Vasili's visit, and he insists that he has absolutely no idea why they are coming, and particularly he has no idea why Anatole is tagging along. He asks if Maria or Mademoiselle Bourienne know, but they insist they don't either.
After dinner, he goes to see the princess, who is hanging out with her maid. She tells him she just didn't feel well - she is heavily pregnant - and that she doesn't need anything. Then he goes to check on the servant, to make sure he's put all the snow back on the road properly. He has, and later, Vasili's footmen and coachmen have to drag the coach over it. I am enjoying the old Prince's pettiness.
Anatole "regarded his whole life as a continual round of amusement which someone for some reason had to provide for him". He's looking on this visit to "a churlish old man" and an "ugly heiress" as one of those amusements. He thinks, why not marry her, if she's rich? "That never does any harm". Then he goes to see his father, who has separate rooms. Prince Vasili compliments his son on his attire, and Anatole responds by asking whether Maria is very hideous. His father reminds him to take this seriously. Careful Vasili, your gold-digging is showing.
Downstairs, everyone is gossiping, particularly about Anatole's looks. They approve. Maria is nervous. The little princess - Lise! - and Mademoiselle Bourienne do a quick romance-movie makeover.
Maria is a bit offended, both by the fact that she's nervous because a suitor has arrived, and the fact that no one thinks that's out of character for her. She may also have picked up on the fact that, as the narrative explains, both Lise and Mademoiselle Bourienne think she's so plain she couldn't ever be a rival, so they're both really doing their absolute best to make her pretty. They do three outfit changes, and Maria nearly bursts into tears looking in the mirror and makes them stop. The only bit of her the narrative thinks is pretty is her eyes. Both Mademoiselle Bourienne and Lise think she looks worse than ever, but stay quiet and leave the room, while Mary falls into a quiet despair over the fact that she's too ugly to ever have the handsome loving husband and child that she dreams of. I don't want to slap her any more. She does quick prayer and considers joining a nunnery, but then goes back to the marriage daydream, especially the bit about the handsome loving husband. Even though she's pretty sure it's a temptation from Satan.
Chapter 4
...then she goes downstairs and is so struck by Anatole's physical beauty that she can barely look at him.
Anatole isn't good at conversation, but he's so confident and pretty that staying silent works for him and makes people want to impress him. Lise ends up carrying the conversation, because she's a very good socialite. Anatole finds himself quite attracted to Mademoiselle Bourienne, especially when she speaks French to him, and hopes that Maria will bring her along when they marry. The old prince is sulking in his study. He doesn't want his daughter to get married and leave him, and he doesn't like acknowledging that to himself either. Even he thinks no one could marry her for love, "plain and awkward" as she is, and wonders if she might be happier to be a spinster. He decides that he won't accept Anatole's proposal unless he is worthy of Maria. Then he goes downstairs, and immediately sees that, firstly, Maria does not look good dressed up in Mademoiselle Bourienne's things, and, secondly, Mademoiselle and Anatole are having lots of eye-sex.
The old prince has a brief chat with Vasili, then tells his daughter she looks like a fool and she is banned from dressing up, reducing her to tears. Then he goes to speak to Anatole, to ask if he's going to the front (I think the old prince knows perfectly well that he isn't). I am really hoping he stops this marriage. I am starting to think that everyone might be better of if they'd just let Helene and Anatole do some weird incest thing so they left everyone else alone. The old Prince lets Anatole go back to the women, and Prince Vasili immediately proposes marriage between their children. Old Prince Nicholas protests far too much that no one could think he was unable to part from his daughter - no one did, until he said that - but that he would like to know his future son-in-law better.
The three women have so long been starved of young male company that they're drinking Anatole right up like a tall glass of water. Maria is convinced he is kind, brave, determined, manly, and magnanimous.
Meanwhile, Mademoiselle Bourienne has long been daydreaming of a Russian prince who will recognise that she is far, far more beautiful than Princess Maria and sweep her off her feet instead. She's pretty sure Anatole is that prince. She doesn't yet know about his menage-a-trois idea yet, the one where he's married to an actual Princess, with money, and Mademoiselle Bourienne - Amelie! -is his mistress.
Lise, the little princess, is just flirting from old habit.
Poor old Maria. While she plays the clavichord, Anatole and Amelie and standing next to each other, playing footsie out of sight. She thinks their smiles are for her, and thinks herself lucky to have such a supportive friend, and such a supportive and handsome future husband.
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