Anna: I saw him again Lys. He came to see me.
Lysander: Who do you mean?
Anna: You know who. Yusupov. He came to see me and recited Pushkin's poetry.
Lysander: Which one?
Anna: He sang to me. You can guess which one now.
Lysander: To the Baby
Anna: As always, you're right. You know, I was going to name her Natalia.
Lysander: After Pushkin's wife.
Anna: Right again Lys. Those couplets of his always gave much joy to both Yusupov and I. It's how we bonded, you know.
Lysander: I remember.
Anna: Tell me Lys. Have you ever loved?
Lysander: This isn't about me.
Anna: Play along boy.
(Lysander sighs and closes his notebook.
Anna looks at him and smiles)
Anna: You can't help it can you?
Lysander: Once, must be over 4 years now.
Anna: And what happened with her?
Lysander: She died on the day I was supposed to wed her.
Anna: Was she happy?
Lysander: I like to think so.
(Anna nods to herself, a flicker of real emotion showing on her face)
Anna: Do you think Yusupov forgives me?
Lysander: I can't speak for the dead.
Anna: Of course not. (She pauses for a moment). For what it's worth, she loved you ti ll the end.
Lysander: I know.
(There is another pause between the two for a while. Anna hated the quiet when she had company).
Anna: If Natalia were alive today, maybe I could have been a grandmother by now.
Lysander: Too young.
Anna: Too kind. You've seen my charts. I'm already forty-eight. To be young and in love. I remember those days when we were still getting to know each other, Yusupov and I would ditch our classes and play in the family orchard. Ilya was so overprotective of me.
Lysander: Oh?
Anna: I've never mentioned my dear brother have I? Ilya was my rock. When father and mother were away on their trips, Ilya and I would take unescorted trips of our own to Moscow. Two young children, holding hands walking along the river banks with no real destination. (Anna laughs) it was a real sight to be seen. Frankly, I'm surprised that we made it out alive. Of course, we had our maids watching us from the distance, but we didn't know that till we were much older.
Lysander: Tell me more about Ilya.
Anna: Ilya was handsome, I suspect my girlfriends were a ll after me to get to Ilya. He was well read and well mannered. Not around me though. He and I used to have so many fights over many stupid things. At the end of the day, Ilya would come to me with the candied apple and a bedtime story. He was a wonderful story teller and a poet. I still remember how he was the one that turned me and Yusupov to Pushkin.
Lysander: What happened to him?
Anna: After I lost Yusupov and Natalia...l don't know. Ilya was with me then. I haven't heard from him since I came here. Last I remember he was badly injured in the accident as well. He couldn't make it to the funeral. I was too devastated to notice. I'd lost my husband and child.
Lysander: It's painful.
Anna: If only I could go back in time. I would have had that man thrown out from my manor. He had the look of the devil in his eye. He was the one that sent me here. Ilya was never a good judge of character. He trusted everyone too much.
Lysander: What was his name?
Anna: I only know his first name. Joseph Grigori, but he went by Joseph.
Lysander: How did he send you here?
Anna: He...
(Anna trails off lost in her thoughts. Lysander sits in silence as he waits for her to regain her thoughts. She looks back up to him and smiles).
Anna: Lys! You're here. I didn't even notice you come in. I saw him again Lys, he came to see me.
(Lysander smiles at Anna and opens his book again. Maybe the third time's the charm).
Lysander: Who do you mean?
