“An odd, humid ridge had formed above Katrin Mountain, and the entire spa village of Bad Ischl would soon be blanketed in the sort of stifling weather that sent ladies for their powder and fans. Clearly the archduchess would be in a mood, and the odor of the many bodies in the summer ballroom, where we were to feast and dance later this evening, would make it hard to breathe—as would the corsets we were all bound by for the gala occasion. Up at dawn, I ground slugs for a facial mask and pres...ented Nené’s beauty-cure tincture to her when she arose. Nervous as a cornered vixen, my sister’s eyes were puffy, her shoulders slumped; her nose was crimson around the nostrils. She looked startlingly unattractive. “We have several hours, Duchess Helene,” I said, pulling her toward the dressing table. “Let us pinch some rose in your cheeks.” Nené yanked her arm away from my grasp. “It’s so hot already. I shall sweat like a sow.”MoreLessRead More Read Less
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