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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

But he didn’t allow it. “Luziwuzi, you’re making me lose my appetite,” Maxi said. “Maybe you could caress your doll in your room.”

Elisabeth’s head snapped up. Now, this was too far. She straightened her back and met his eyes. “How funny. I was about to request the same of you.”

She must have spoken louder than she intended because the entire room went quiet. She bit her tongue. Mother would not interpret this as behaving. She wondered, with a grim sort of humor, if the carriage would be sent for immediately to take her to the asylum. Or would Mother wait until they were back home? It was difficult to say.

But Maxi was staring at her with an expression of—not disgust or affront, as she expected. It was—

Admiration.

Delight, even.

Like at any moment, he might burst out laughing.

Elisabeth chanced a glance at Franz and what she saw in his face was similar: not affront but surprise. And there was mirth there, too, she thought. At the corners of his mouth, the edges of his eyes, the quirk of his eyebrow.

From beside him, Helene shot her an embarrassed glance. Elisabeth shook her head ever so slightly, hoping her sister would take it as an apology. She refused to meet her mother’s eyes.

Elisabeth leaned toward Maxi. “Please forgive me. I didn’t mean it like that.”

He laughed, his face bright as he shook his head in wonder at her.

Relief warmed across her skin. She was glad he thought it funny. Even gladder that the kind of outburst that had always earned her disapproving stares from Mother was now … What? A reason to be charmed by her.

She glanced toward Helene again and saw Mother and Sophie exchange a look. All right. So, not everyone was charmed.

Mother turned to Sophie. “How about a little walk? So the young people can get to know each other better—without interruptions.” Elisabeth felt the dagger aimed in her direction.

“A stroll in the afternoon sun—a wonderful idea.” Sophie stood, and everyone else followed suit.

Next to Sophie, Helene smiled shyly at Franz. Slowly, Franz’s eyes found Helene’s, and he smiled too.

Elisabeth pressed her fingernails into her palm.

Enough, Elisabeth.

Let your sister fall in love.

FIFTEEN

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FRANZ LEANED OVER THE GREEN-AND-WHITE SWIRLED basin and splashed water on his face. He’d spent the meal trying to focus on Helene, matching her smile for smile, nod for nod—but Elisabeth had tugged at the edges of his attention the whole time. Waving her little yellow fan against her face, whispering to Luzi, putting Maxi in his place.

Putting Maxi in his place. His smile had been real then, and it pulled at the corners of his mouth again now. How could he focus on Helene when all of that was happening at the next table over?