grew wider and more open as the coach carried them into the broad bowl of the populated valley below. Helene, who had not spoken since her very meager breakfast, looked out the window now. “We aren’t there yet, are we, Mamma?”
“We’re close, darling. We are outside the town.” The duchess pointed farther down the road, where the outline of yellow limestone buildings sat nestled in the valley like a large cluster of edelweiss flowers.
“That is Bad Ischl. The mountain town fit for an emperor,” the duchess mused, watching the village as they approached. Individual buildings now began to take shape, and Sisi spotted a church spire rising up above the other structures, piercing the blue skyline like a thin stone finger.
Up ahead on the side of the road sat a modest limestone building, like a roadside tavern or café of sorts.
“Stop the coach!” Ludovika called out the window above the rattle of the horses and wheels. The groom obeyed, and the carriage slowed to a halt. Now the faint sound of birdsong, mixed with the quiet hum of the Traun River, filled the silence around them.
“We’ll change our clothes here at this tavern, girls, so we’re fresh when we arrive at the imperial retreat.”
“I can’t wait to get out of this black,” Sisi admitted, already removing the dark cap she’d traveled in and shaking her curls loose. “Black is stifling in this heat. And so bland—I want to put on my most colorful dress.”
“Don’t be immodest, Elisabeth.” The sharp look her mother shot in Sisi’s direction told her that she’d once more irritated the duchess.
The carriage door opened and the groom extended his arm to assist the ladies out into the sunny afternoon.
“Hans, where is the other coach?” The duchess exited first, looking from the groom to the empty mountain road. Nearby, a short man with a stocky build emerged from the tavern, intrigued by his new visitors.
When Sisi stepped down onto the road beside her mother, she noted that the second coach, the one carrying Agata and the luggage, was not in sight.
“If you please, my lady.” The groom, Hans, held Helene’s hand as she stepped tenuously down from the coach.
“Well, Hans?” Ludovika looked at the groom. “The second coach?”
Now Hans lowered his eyes. “Madame . . . we lost the others.”
“You lost them? What do you mean, you lost them?” The duchess, in spite of her headache, appeared suddenly alert, as alert as Sisi had ever seen her. She threw a glance at the tavernkeeper before looking back to the driver. “What do you mean, Hans? How?”
“We got separated, Duchess Ludovika.”
“Tell me, Hans, how does one lose sight of a giant coach pulled by four horses?”
The groom kept his gaze fixed on the muddy road as he answered: “You see, my lady, we stopped so many times on the road . . . on account of Your Excellency’s headaches, and such.” Hans stuffed both hands into his trouser pockets.
“That doesn’t explain anything. Where are our dresses?”
“We seem to have become separated a short while ago, my lady. During one of our unexpected stops.”
The duchess cursed under her breath, pacing a small circle in front of the coach. When she looked once more at her daughters, their road-weary frames standing opposite her in their drab black clothes, her entire face seemed to sag.
“Not to worry though, my lady,” the groom said. “I’m sure the dresses made it safely to the palace already.”
“Yes, but we don’t need them to be safely at the palace, we need them to be on us when we enter the palace!” The duchess fumed, looking from the groom to her eldest daughter.
“Helene, don’t cry. Oh please, don’t cry.” The duchess folded her daughter into a hug, looking to Sisi with eyes that did not mask her panic.
“I’ve been in this dress for weeks, Mamma, I can’t wear this to meet him.”
“You look lovely, Helene.”
“Rubbish, Mamma.”
“The emperor will commend you on
“We’re close, darling. We are outside the town.” The duchess pointed farther down the road, where the outline of yellow limestone buildings sat nestled in the valley like a large cluster of edelweiss flowers.
“That is Bad Ischl. The mountain town fit for an emperor,” the duchess mused, watching the village as they approached. Individual buildings now began to take shape, and Sisi spotted a church spire rising up above the other structures, piercing the blue skyline like a thin stone finger.
Up ahead on the side of the road sat a modest limestone building, like a roadside tavern or café of sorts.
“Stop the coach!” Ludovika called out the window above the rattle of the horses and wheels. The groom obeyed, and the carriage slowed to a halt. Now the faint sound of birdsong, mixed with the quiet hum of the Traun River, filled the silence around them.
“We’ll change our clothes here at this tavern, girls, so we’re fresh when we arrive at the imperial retreat.”
“I can’t wait to get out of this black,” Sisi admitted, already removing the dark cap she’d traveled in and shaking her curls loose. “Black is stifling in this heat. And so bland—I want to put on my most colorful dress.”
“Don’t be immodest, Elisabeth.” The sharp look her mother shot in Sisi’s direction told her that she’d once more irritated the duchess.
The carriage door opened and the groom extended his arm to assist the ladies out into the sunny afternoon.
“Hans, where is the other coach?” The duchess exited first, looking from the groom to the empty mountain road. Nearby, a short man with a stocky build emerged from the tavern, intrigued by his new visitors.
When Sisi stepped down onto the road beside her mother, she noted that the second coach, the one carrying Agata and the luggage, was not in sight.
“If you please, my lady.” The groom, Hans, held Helene’s hand as she stepped tenuously down from the coach.
“Well, Hans?” Ludovika looked at the groom. “The second coach?”
Now Hans lowered his eyes. “Madame . . . we lost the others.”
“You lost them? What do you mean, you lost them?” The duchess, in spite of her headache, appeared suddenly alert, as alert as Sisi had ever seen her. She threw a glance at the tavernkeeper before looking back to the driver. “What do you mean, Hans? How?”
“We got separated, Duchess Ludovika.”
“Tell me, Hans, how does one lose sight of a giant coach pulled by four horses?”
The groom kept his gaze fixed on the muddy road as he answered: “You see, my lady, we stopped so many times on the road . . . on account of Your Excellency’s headaches, and such.” Hans stuffed both hands into his trouser pockets.
“That doesn’t explain anything. Where are our dresses?”
“We seem to have become separated a short while ago, my lady. During one of our unexpected stops.”
The duchess cursed under her breath, pacing a small circle in front of the coach. When she looked once more at her daughters, their road-weary frames standing opposite her in their drab black clothes, her entire face seemed to sag.
“Not to worry though, my lady,” the groom said. “I’m sure the dresses made it safely to the palace already.”
“Yes, but we don’t need them to be safely at the palace, we need them to be on us when we enter the palace!” The duchess fumed, looking from the groom to her eldest daughter.
“Helene, don’t cry. Oh please, don’t cry.” The duchess folded her daughter into a hug, looking to Sisi with eyes that did not mask her panic.
“I’ve been in this dress for weeks, Mamma, I can’t wear this to meet him.”
“You look lovely, Helene.”
“Rubbish, Mamma.”
“The emperor will commend you on
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