1826. South of Russia. Elisoveta Vorontsova, the young widow of the recently deceased old and vile Count Vorontsov. Pushkin's former mistress. A rich, arrogant, fashionable, popular socialite. She's 27.

Elizaveta was walking down the street, her head held high, looking over the people around her. She was dressed in a beautiful, fashionable outfit, the skirt of her blue walking dress flowing gracefully around her slender legs. Her hair was tied up in a neat bun, held in place with a pearl-adorned comb.

She was headed to a local boutique to buy a new pair of gloves. Her former ones were ruined a week before.