Volume 2: Book 8 - Chapter 21

Characters Present:

Count Pierre Bezukhov
Natasha Rostova
Prince Andrew Bolkónski
Old Prince Nicholas Bolkónski
Princess Mary Bolkónskaya
Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova

Location:
Location:

Moscow: Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova's home, and then, the Bolkónski home.


Pierre goes to inform Márya that Anatole has left Moscow and discovers that Natasha is deathly ill, having taken arsenic upon learning of Anatole's marriage.  

According to Márya, she panicked and told Sonya, so they were able to give her an antidote in time.

Prince Andrew arrives back in Moscow, and learns much through rumour, and that Natasha has broken things off with him.  

He summons Pierre, and gives him letters from Natasha, and her portrait, to return to her. 

Old Prince Nicholas and Princess Mary are both smugly satisfied that the engagement is over.

Volume 2: Book 8 - Chapter 19

Characters Present:

Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova
Natasha Rostova 
Count Pierre Bezukhov
Count Ilya Rostóv

Location:
Location:

Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova's house

Pierre, who has just returned to Moscow, since leaving to avoid his wife Hélène, receives a summons to Márya's house.

Márya tells him about Natasha and Anatole, and beseeches him to make Anatole, who is his brother-in-law, leave Moscow as soon as possible. 

Natasha refuses to believe that Anatole is already married and makes Pierre swear on his honour that it is true.  She asks to be left alone.

Count Ilya Rostóv is depressed and baffled over Natasha breaking things off with Prince Andrew Bolkónski, and tells Pierre that it is hard to look after his daughters without his wife around.

Volume 2: Book 8 - Chapter 18

Characters Present:

Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova
Natasha Rostova 
Sonya Rostova

Location:
Location:

Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova's house

Márya had found Sonya weeping in the hall, and had made her reveal the letter and Natasha's plans. 

Márya confronts Natasha and tells her that Anatole and the others escaped the ambush.

Natasha insists that Anatole is a great man, and Márya calls him a scoundrel, and wonders why he had tried to keep everything secret, since Natasha had not been kept under lock and key. 

Márya says that she will stay quiet about Natasha's dishonourable behaviour.

Natasha goes into a kind of shock, and takes to her bed.

Volume 2: Book 8 - Chapter 17

Characters Present:

Anatole Kurágin
Fedor Ivanovich Dólokhov
Balagá (Anatole's roguish driver)

Location:
Location:

Dólokhov's house then Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova's house

Anatole has celebratory drinks with Dólokhov and Balagá, and they all sit down before leaving, as Russian tradition dictates they do prior to commencing a long journey. 

They drive to Márya's house, where a maid ushers them into a courtyard.

It turns out to be an ambush, and Márya's giant footman, Gabriel, invites Anatole to see his mistress. 

Dólokhov calls out that they have been betrayed.

Volume 2: Book 8 - Chapter 15

Characters Present:

Natasha Rostova
Sonya Rostova

Location:
Location:

Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova's house

Sonya finds the letter from Anatole to Natasha and confronts Natasha.  Natasha cannot keep her love for Anatole a secrete from Sonya any longer, and reveals all.

Sonya tells Natasha that she doesn't trust Anatole, and that he is dishonourable, and they have a massive argument.

Natasha sends a letter to Mary Bolkónskaya, refusing her brother, Prince Andrew.

A second letter is delivered from Anatole, and Sonya, listening at the door, learns that Natasha intends to run away to elope with him that very evening.

Volume 2: Book 8 - Chapter 14

Characters Present:

Natasha Rostova, 

Count Ilya Rostóv
Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova


Location:


Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova's house

M

Márya reports her visit to Old Prince Nicholas Bolkónski to the Rostóvs. 

After being shouted at by him, she has concluded that the family would best return to Otrádnoe to wait for Prince Andrew's return. 

Márya also delivers a warm, conciliatory letter from Princess Mary to Natasha.  

As Natasha sits to reply, she is brought a love letter from Anátole, and she becomes almost convinced that she must break things off with Prince Andrew.

Volume 2: Book 8 - Chapter 12

Characters Present:

Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova
Countess Hélène Berzúkhova
Natasha Rostova, 

Location:
Location:

Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova's house


The day after the opera, Hélène visits Natasha at Márya Dmítrievna's house. 

Natasha is quite taken with Hélène, and agrees to go to an event in the evening at her house.

It is revealed that Hélène finds it amusing to try and bring Natasha and her brother, Anatole together. Natasha is embarrassed, but thinks it must not be very serious since the matter is being treated so lightly by the countess. 

Volume 2: Book 8 - Chapter 6

Characters Present:

Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova 

Natasha Rostova

Count Ilya Rostóv

Sonya Rostova

Location:

Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova's house, Moscow

The Rostóvs have arrived in Moscow, and since they are selling their Moscow home, they are staying with the cantankerous but seemingly kind-hearted Márya Dmítrievna Akhrosímova .

Prince Andrew is due to arrive at his father's house in Moscow any day, and Natasha will go to meet Princess Mary on the morrow.