Status Updates From Catalina la Grande: Retrato...

“Orlov may have mistaken Catherine for a needy woman; she was not. She was brave, proud, and confident. He wanted Catherine to belong to him during the day, in public, not merely for a few nocturnal hours behind silk curtains. For Catherine, this was impossible. She was no longer a grandduchess and could not remain simply a loving mistress. She was empress of Russia.”