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Back The Empress Save as PDF
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1853
  4. PART I
  5. ONE
  6. TWO
  7. THREE
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. 1854
  42. PART II
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. THIRTY-NINE
  46. FORTY
  47. FORTY-ONE
  48. FORTY-TWO
  49. FORTY-THREE
  50. FORTY-FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. FIFTY-THREE
  60. FIFTY-FOUR
  61. FIFTY-FIVE
  62. FIFTY-SIX
  63. FIFTY-SEVEN
  64. FIFTY-EIGHT
  65. FIFTY-NINE
  66. SIXTY
  67. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  68. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sophie was the one to cut the thread of quiet. “So, this is she. Let him look at you, Helene. Doesn’t she look just like her portrait?”

Helene bowed her head, curtsied, then stood still to let them take her in.

Then Sophie’s eyes moved to Elisabeth. “And this is?”

“Sisi,” Mother answered before Elisabeth could.

“Elisabeth,” she corrected, before realizing that her correction might be seen as another rebellion. Her heart sank.

Elisabeth looked past Sophie and saw both Franz and Maxi staring at her. Their heads were tilted, identical—even if what she’d seen of their personalities was not.

Before she could apologize, Franz asked, “How is the bird?”

Elisabeth smiled, then immediately lowered her eyes and let her smile drop. Because she shouldn’t be smiling. No one knew about the bird, the garden, the surprise meeting. Their laughter. And—if she was honest—she didn’t want them to know, didn’t want them to break the magic of that memory. It was as fragile and perfect as a snowflake.

Now it melted in the heat of her family’s gazes.

FOURTEEN

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ELISABETH WAS SAVED FROM EXPLANATION BY A SERVANT’S interruption: lunch was about to be served. They moved to two tables set intricately for the meal. On the other side of the room, under a carved Habsburg eagle and against a backdrop of watery ethereal blue, two violinists began to play. The music danced around the room, cheerful.

“What was that about a bird?” Helene’s whisper was urgent as she passed Elisabeth on her way to the table.

“It was nothing. Please don’t worry about it.”

“It’s something if the emperor is asking about it.”

Elisabeth shook her head.

“Helene, dear, come sit here,” Sophie commanded. “Next to Franz.”

Helene closed her mouth, nodded slightly at her sister, and went. Elisabeth let out a quiet sigh of relief and followed Sophie’s next direction to sit at the other table, next to little Luzi and his elaborate doll, positioned in its own chair beside him. Her heart lightened. Luzi was the least likely of the diners to ask her for bird explanations at the table. Except perhaps for the Baroness Francesca, seated across from Elisabeth and very clearly not following the conversation in German. Maxi was at the table too, but Elisabeth hoped he’d ignore the bird in favor of his date.

Lunch was a rich tafelspitz beef boiled in spiced broth and served with minced apples and horseradish. Elisabeth attacked it with gusto; if her mouth was full, she could hardly embarrass Helene. Could hardly think about how just across the room, Helene was speaking in hushed tones with Franz. Him: leaning in to point out something about the art adorning the walls. Her: smiling.

Was this what falling in love looked like?