Konrad and Alexandra (pdf) - Rolf Gross

Alexandra let out a peal of laughter. "Not only did they become Christians five hundred
years before the Russian Bojars forcefully dunked their subjects in the Dnieper, but some of
the oldest Georgian churches are in Svaneti. David Dadeshkeliani is a highly cultured man with
a large library of valuable incunabulae and ancient religious art, besides he is a most charming
man."
Uncharacteristically fidgety, Nomikoff blushed. "What do you suggest should be done to
redress my son’s indiscretion? He told me that you wrote to your father to ask him to help. I
find this very laudable. It alone would earn you the position of Vladimir's mother at this
wedding."
He bowed to her. "Would you think that a letter from me to your father would be in
order?"
She nodded. "I am sure it would be highly appreciated. My father is a modern, worldly
man, not at all narrow-minded. I did tell him the entire story of Vladimir and Tamara, which I
advised the two not to broach to her father as yet."
M. Nomikoff raised his glass to her. "May I drink to our acquaintance, you are a perfectly
charming lady. I should count myself lucky to find you at my side during the occasion. I trust
your husband does not object to a temporary liaison of his beautiful, young wife with this old
man?"
She smiled at him and reassured him that Konrad fully approved of her engagement.
He took the trouble of accompanying her home in his car and kissed her gloved hand
most respectfully.
Alexandra was immensely pleased with herself, as woman and as diplomat.
Irakli wrote back immediately assuring Alexandra that he would negotiate the wedding to
take place at his house in the last week of May. David Dadeshkeliani’s reply took much longer.
The letter was stamped in Tiflis. Apparently David had got on his horse and traveled to Tiflis to
discuss the case with Irakli, who must have explained the facts to his cousin.
The tone of David Dadeshkeliani’s letter was friendly and gracious, he welcomed
Vladimir as his son-in-law and praised him as a person, but raised several reservations. One of
them was the question of Vladimir’s profession. Would he be able to support Tamara and a
child in time of need? Tamara was assured of a generous dowry, and he assumed that
Vladimir’s inheritance would allow him to support himself and a family without any gainful
occupation, but the future was not auspicious. His inherited support was not guaranteed to the
end of their lives, as it had been for generations.
Tamara raged against this admonition. Her father was an old-fashioned man. The
uncertain future was exactly why she had become a lawyer. But Vladimir was less sanguine,
he felt reprimanded, asked to pull himself together and write a serious, publishable novel. "The
Last Princess of Svaneti" was being printed in Paris, and the publisher had promised him a
sizable return. But, of course, he could not publicly own up to this source of income. It was
most vexing.
This time, Alexandra did not spare him her biting sarcasm, and he admitted that she had
some justification for her dressing him down.
He sighed. "It is hard to shape up to conventional bourgeois reality as a spoiled heir to a
good fortune."
Tamara defended Vladimir fiercely against Alexandra’s accusations. Vladimir finally
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