Now, we catch up with Andrew's family. They did not leave Bald Hills as instructed. Old Nikolai decided he was going to stay and defend it with his life, and wrote a letter to the commander in chief of the army to that effect, adding that if the commander-in-chief chose not to defend Bald Hills and allow one of Russia's oldest generals to be kidnapped and/or killed, that was his business. Old Nikolai did try to make Mary and his grandson, young Nikolai, leave, but Mary refused to leave him. He tried driving her away, by basically repeating all the horrible things he's been doing her whole life, but she takes the fact that he's trying to persuade her - rather than, for instance, having someone physically carry her away - as a sign that he's glad she's staying. At least young Nikolai is able to leave, with his tutor Dessalles.
The day after little Nikolai goes, old Nikolai is preparing to visit the Commander-in-Chief in person when he has a stroke (that's not how it's described, I'm reading between the lines with 21st century knowledge). Mary finally takes charge and the old Prince is moved to Bogucharovo. Little Nikolai and Dessalles have already moved on from there to Moscow. Old Nikolai lies at Bogucharovo for three weeks, mostly unconscious but twitching. The doctor says it's just restlessness, but Mary is convinced he has something important to say to her. This is all really sad. A little old man, dressed up in his uniform and medals, suddenly have a stroke, and the daughter who is trapped in an abusive relationship with him having to see him so ill. She does love him, after all - that's why she's trapped. She almost thinks it would be better for him to die than remain like this. She's also feeling guilty because all the personal dreams and wishes she's been suppressing have been awoken again. She tries to pray them away but it doesn't work. Meanwhile, everyone is telling her that it's not safe to remain at Bogucharovo, because the French are now less than 25 miles away and are likely to be upon them by the 15th. Mary decides to leave at the very last moment, on the 15th of August. The night of the 14th, old Nikolai seems more fretful than normal, as Mary can hear through the door, though she dare not go in. On the morning of the 15th, her father seems a little better and the doctor calls her in. Old Nikolai has something important to say to her, but, because he's paralysed, he physically can't form the words. Finally, he is able to say that he is sorry and that he forgives her, before asking for Andrew.
Mary has to tell her father that Andrew is at Smolensk, but she has a letter from him. Old Nikolai is now convinced that old Russia has been destroyed and begins weeping. Then he asks Mary to put on her white dress, because he likes to see her in it. She leaves to put it on, and he has a second - and final - stroke, once she leaves the room.
Mary has a bit of a break down. Amelie appears with an army officer who's come to tell them that they really must leave, but she ignores him except to offer him lunch. The maids prepare old Nikolai's body for burial, by tying a handkerchief around his head (so his mouth doesn't stiffen while open), tying his ankles together, washing up, and dressing him, again, in his uniform and medals. The wake - or the 1812 Russian equivalent - is held that night.
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