Тигрис Рафаэль - Letters from beyond

— So. With a load of resentment against Petipa, I showed up at Tchaikovsky's house.

— And you managed to seduce him? Robert asked.

— Hell no. As soon as I rushed to his chest with a cry, the bedroom door opened and from there came out in underpants the mustachioed Joseph Kotek, or as my Kotik affectionately called him.

— Well, what happened next?

— And then nothing. As soon as the half-naked Kotek appeared, I immediately realized that I had nothing to do here. I got dressed and left quickly.

Kshesinskaya stopped playing music and moved back to her chair.

— And you told the king about all this?

— Of course!

— And what was his reaction?

And he wasn't particularly surprised. He knew about it, but now he has received reliable evidence.

— Which soon killed Tchaikovsky.

Robert's words seemed to hang in the air. Matilda was the first to break the silence.

— You're right. After this incident, the tsar's entourage did not have to convince him to give tacit consent so that the court of honor sentenced the composer to suicide.

— Is the official version of Tchaikovsky's death from cholera a fiction?

— Of course it's a hoax. Where has it been seen that a person who died of cholera was buried in an open coffin, which was carried throughout St. Petersburg, accompanied by a huge crowd of citizens, some of whom kissed the deceased? Tchaikovsky was sentenced to suicide. The main instigator and inspirer of the court of honor was the head of the imperial stable, Count Stenbock-Fermor. Although our king did not like to ride, he was a frequent visitor to the stable, admired the handsome horses, caressed and fed them with carrots from his hands. Stenbock had an old grudge against Tchaikovsky. Allegedly, while studying law, he molested his nephew.

— Was it true?

— It was hard to say whether it was true or slander now, but the supreme equerry managed to convince the tsar to arrange a trial for Tchaikovsky. Arsenic was poured into a glass of water, and either he had to drink it or be dishonored. Tchaikovsky chose the first.

Everyone fell silent under the impression of what was said. Matilda was a living eyewitness of those events and there was no reason not to believe her.

— It turns out that Tsar Alexander was involved in the death of a genius? the American asked.

— It turns out so, and for this his conscience tormented him until the end of his life, — Kshesinskaya summed up.

— Okay! — Josephine decided to return the conversation to the previous topic, — you failed to seduce Tchaikovsky and you and Niky continued to commit adultery.

Kshesinskaya's face at the word "adultery" distorted a grimace.

— Adultery is 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.