Fall of the House Of von Kloberg

Now the younger man took to calling himself Baron Darius von Lubicz Monkevicius. He frequently accompanied von Kloberg to Washington parties, sporting sashes and medals of his own.

A lengthy news release put out by Washington World Group announced that Baron Monkevicius, a Renaissance man "fluent in six languages," would eventually succeed von Kloberg as chairman. It quoted Monkevicius as if he were an expert on post-Soviet states: "The future peace and harmony of the world depend upon an enlightened understanding of these new political entities."

The release also trumpeted his "lifetime goal": to return to Lithuania and become its president.

Several of von Kloberg's friends smelled a phony. At least von Kloberg did his "baron" act with a robust sense of irony, whereas Monkevicius seemed to be really trying to pull it off. "He was some third-tier royal from a fourth-tier nation, trying to socially climb," says Mullinax.

The pair also set tongues wagging with their hysterical fights, some of which played out in public. Friends warned von Kloberg that the relationship was doomed.

"They made Tristan and Isolde look like Barbie and Ken," says writer Alexa Gelmi, who met von Kloberg 15 years ago when she was an editor at Washington Dossier magazine. She recalled this exchange between the couple in a restaurant one evening:

"Edward said to Darius, 'Why do you hate me so much?'

"Darius said, 'Why do you love me so much?' "

Gazing at the Castle

In 2002, during a flight from Ivory Coast to Paris, von Kloberg suffered a heart attack. He suffered from diabetes (exacerbated when he drank), recurring bouts of skin cancer and an inner-ear disease that caused dizziness and an incessant ringing.

He closed his office and this time would not bounce back. After years of wanton spending, he had no savings. The penthouse had to be sold. Sometime in 2004, Monkevicius broke off the relationship. In mid-December he went back to Lithuania.

At that point von Kloberg faced eviction from his apartment. Even his splendid wardrobe was in hock: He owed a $1,000 dry-cleaning bill.

He started distributing paintings and other prized possessions to friends. He consigned his furnishings and antiques to auction.