INT. NICHOLAS' BEDROOM -- NIGHT
Alexandra and her daughters sit on the floor covered with heaps of JEWELRY: diamond rings, golden brooches, silver bracelets, pearl necklaces, diadems, tiaras, jeweled sabers and varieties of other jeweled objects of art.
ALEXANDRA
I've always craved to live tranquilly, to live a life of an ordinary family, outside of politics, struggle and intrigue. So, your Papa can be a farmer.
ANASTASIA
Papa wants to be a farmer?
ALEXANDRA
Yes, to be a farmer is your Papa's lifelong dream.
TATIANA
Mama, maybe, we can use these jewels to buy our freedom.
ALEXANDRA
Well, we'll disperse most of them to our trusted servants to smuggle out.
They wrap jewels in paper and cloth and then conceal them beneath the clothing of their servants.
EXT. GOVERNOR'S HOUSE -- NIGHT
The servants walk through the garden on tiptoe and sneak out of the rear doors of the house in the darkness.
INT. LIVING ROOM -- GOVERNOR'S HOUSE -- CHRISTMAS -- DAY
Marie and Anastasia put their Christmas tree, a Siberia spruce, on the floor.
ANASTASIA
What a shame. We don't have any toys to decorate the tree.
Tatiana puts a homemade diary under the tree.
MARIE
Tatiana, is it a gift to Mama?
TATIANA
Yeah. It's just a quadrille note pad for a diary. Mama always keeps a diary, you know.
MARIE
You've sewn a beautiful cloth cover for it.
ANASTASIA
In lilac, Mama's favorite color.
TATIANA
The cloth is from a scrap of Mama's scarf.
Tatiana opens the cover and shows her writing in English.
TATIANA (CONT'D)
(reading)
To my sweet darling Mama with my best wishes...
Suddenly, they are distracted by Alexei's cry and rush out of the living room.
INT. STAIRCASE -- DAY
Alexei lies on the floor, bruised and bleeding, wailing in pain. The whole household is in panic.
ALEXANDRA
Oh, my darling, dear, what happened?
OLGA
Alexei rode the railing down the stairs from the second floor and crashed on the ground.
NICHOLAS
Doctor, send the Doctor please.
Dr. Botkin hurries up to give Alexei the first aid.
INT. LIVING ROOM -- DAY
Alexei sits in a wheelchair, wrapped up in blanket, grunting and moaning. Jemmy crouches beside him, whimpering. The worries show on the FACES of his folks, siblings and servants surrounding him. Alexandra fidgets with a ball of wool while knitting socks.
ALXANDRA
Oh, my Little One, I'm knitting socks for you. You asked me for a new pair. Your old ones are full of holes.
ALEXEI
I'm not only in pain, but also bored. It's boring. What boredom. Today is like yesterday, and tomorrow will be like today. God have mercy on us.
ANASTASIA
Hey, let's have fun. Let's do something interesting.
MARIE
How about rehearsing a play?
TATIANA
What a good idea. Let's do a play of Chekhov's, such as, The Bear.
ANASTASIA
Sounds great, what's the show about?
OLGA
It's about a middle aged landowner named Smirnov who, at first, intended to collect a debt from his tenant Popova, a dimpled little widow, and at last, fell in love with her.
ANASTASIA
Ha, ha, it's really funny.
MARIE
Well, Papa can play the landowner.
NICHOLAS
Me? Come on.
ALEXANDRA
You can do it, darling, to entertain our Little One.
ALEXEI
(fretting)
Papa, I'm so bored. Please cheer me up.
NICHOLAS
Okay, okay, I'll do it.
OLGA
Let me try to play the little widow.
ALEXEI/ANASTASIA/MARIE/TATIANA
Hurray, hurray, hurray.
Dr. Botkin hands a copy of Chekhov's book to Nicholas. Nicholas opens the book and begins to rehearse.
A nervous Nicholas stands on his knees before Olga who poses as a pathetic but elegant lady tenant.
NICHOLAS
(performing)
I love you as I have never loved before. I have left twelve women, and nine have left me, but I never loved one of them as I love you.
The servants present burst out laughing. Alexei and his sisters giggle loudly. Alexandra looks at her happy son and chuckles.
