After having walked away – at least temporarily – from Charles, I returned to the ballroom as if nothing had happened.

I walked into the living room refreshed, dispensing greetings and courtesies to all the guests. The daughter of the Marquis pointed out to me that I had some petals still through my hairs, but I quickly found an excuse without getting perturbed. The evening ended peacefully and I managed to excellently interpret my role of “perfect daughter”.

The next day I found myself waiting impatiently that the gate of our building would got open: I was standing outdoor, strut, in a point from which I could see with pride the extension of the park to the main entrance. The sun was beating strong, and so that i would not have got burnt, my maid made me shade with an umbrella.

She was supposed to arrive soon: I couldn’t wait!

< come="" on,="" please,="" come="" quickly!="">>.

I was so excited that I soon found myself smiling, when I heard the sound of a carriage stopping at the gate.

< she="" has="" arrived!="">>.

< please="" miss,="" please="" get="" over="" here="">>.

The gate opened to let in the carriage: the domestic urged me to move to the side of the road, but I refused.

< no,="" i’ll="" wait="" here="">>, I said stubbornly, remaining motionless in the middle of the driveway.

Since I had been waiting for her arrival for all that time, I wanted at all costs that she would have noticed me once entered, and that she would not have pa.s.sed with the coach without seeing me – either by distraction or deliberately.

Being stopped in the middle of the road, she couldn’t have avoided to see me in the point where I was waiting – not to mention that her carriage should have had to forcely stop in order to not hit me.

< okay="" miss…="">>.

Seeing that I was so resolute even my maid gave up to convince me. She stood next to me indeed, keeping to shelter me from the sun with her parasol: I was very grateful, to her and to the servants, for their loyalty.

< finally!!="" and="" now="" stop!!="">>, I said as soon as the carriage was in front of me.

The coachman, one of my servants, looked dismayed to me, I saw him turning to the person sitting inside the carriage sharing a few words with her. Then, the doors of the carriage opened and came down with a sigh Marie Toinette, my private teacher: she did not seem very happy that her arrival had been antic.i.p.ated with such an enthusiasm.

< welcoming="" me="" in="" such="" a="" way="" could="" mean="" that="" you="" are="" full="" of="" desire="" to="" study="" today.="" i="" am="" grateful,="" miss="">>, she said approaching me.

< do="" not="" be="" stupid="" marie,="" a="" genius="" like="" me="" can="" learn="" everything="" perfectly="" even="" without="" the="" desire="" to="" study.="" actually="" i="" want="" to="" talk="" about="" something="" else="" today!="">>.

< you="" should="" watch="" your="" language,="" miss.="" contrary="" to="" what="" you="" seem="" to="" think,="" it="" is="" not="" easy="" to="" become="" a="" lady="" in="" every="" way="">>.

On hearing these words, the coachman and the maid looked away.

< yes,="" yes,="" i="" agree…="" however,="" i="" must="" speak="" of="" an="" urgent="" thing="" marie!="">>, I cut short.

< yes,="" i="" know.="" it’s="" miss="" toinette="" anyway,="" please="">>.

What did she know of any of this?… She could not know. She was saying so just to speak!

< marie,="" last="" night="" at="" the="" ball="" i="" showed="" to="" all="" how="" you="" are="" educating="" me="" well="" …="" well,="" even="" more!="" you="" would="" have="" been="" proud="" of="" me!="">>, I bragged.

She clenched her eyes and looked at me suspiciously:

< oh,="" even="" more="" than="" i="" may="" have="" taught="" to="" you?="">>.

< and="" how="" too!="" i="" was="" twinkling="" with="" satisfaction="" as="" the="" full="" moon="" would="" have="" done="" in="" the="" heavens="" tonight!="" you="" can="" also="" ask="" for="" confirmation="" to="" my="" father="" if="" you="" want.="" i="" repeat:="" i="" definitely="" went="" beyond="" any="" of="" your="" expectations!="">>.

My father even asked me if I was ok, because I wasn’t seeming to him like the “usual Christina”. Soon my name would have been on everyone’s lips in high society!

< come="" on="" marie!="" don’t="" i="" deserve="" your="" praises?="" a="" little="" pat="" on="" the="" head?="">>, I laughed helding out my head to her.

I really deserved it: perhaps this would have been the only time in which I would have been worthy of her approval and affection.

< …="" sure="" …="" why="" not="">>.

I eagerly waited to feel her hand on my head, warm like the time I felt it in the pantry; However, in the end, I felt an unexpected noogie.

< marie?="">>, I asked hesitantly, looking up at her.

Why did she beat me? Why couldn’t she be sweet and nice to me? What had I done wrong to deserve this treatment?

My doubts were immediately dispelled when I met her gaze, cold and cruel, looking at me like a demon.

< …="" marie?="">>, I ventured again, seeking rea.s.surance.

< miss="" christina.="">>, she said rigid.

She pushed harder the knuckles of her hand against my head, as if to pierce them inside, and she did it so suddenly that I did not have even the instinct to react to the pain.

< i="" have="" no="" doubt="" that="" it="" is="" as="" you="" say,="" miss.="" falling="" and="" damaging="" the="" king’s="" flowerbed="" definitely="" belongs="" among="" the="" things="" which="" i="" have="" taught="" to="" you="" and,="" indeed,="" surpa.s.ses="" them.="" really.="" you="" did="" it="" much="" more="" seriously="" than="" i="" would="" have="" ever="" expected.="" i="" guess="" you="" might="" be="" aware="" of="" that="">>.

I was petrified: < buuuuut, ="" how…="" how="" did="" you="" find="" out???????????="">>.

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