Anna's reception is full swing. As Tolstoy describes, "The spindles hummed steadily and ceaselessly on all sides." The patrons settle into a number of groups and discuss how an alliance is needed to stop Napoleon and that Russia should spearhead the effort. 

The beautiful Hélène gets a chance to walk between the groups and garner quite a bit of attention. A French expatriate, the Vicomte de Mortemart, tells a tale about Napoleon ordering the killing of a rival. The Vicomte explained that it was a romantic rival but historically it was a political rival from France, Louis Antoine de Bourbon, (the duc d'Enghien), who was generally regarded as a threat to the French Republic. 

Prince Andrei Bolkonsky arrives and is NOT thrilled to see his peers from High society, nor his lovely wife, who is pregnant.  He announces that he will be heading to war as an aide-de-camp to the historic General Mikhail Kutuzov.  Andrei is very happy, however, to see his old friend Pierre Bezukhov. The two agree to break bread after the event. Both acknowledge the loveliness of Hélène.