Born into the lap of luxury and a time of turmoil, Duchesse Eleonore Vigneron experiences her coming of age in the Court of Louis XVI . Embroiled in the chaos that surrounds Versailles, Eleni uses her unique blend of wit, charm, and beauty to ensure...
"If I stayed here, something inside me would be lost forever—something I couldn't afford to lose. It was like a vague dream, a burning, unfulfilled desire. The kind of dream people have only when they're seventeen." - Haruki Murakami
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20 auguste 1803 Roma, Italie
Dearest Journal-Friend,
The thing that has been a long time in deciding has been done. I shall be grateful for it to all be over, only if because there shall no longer the indignity of feeling like a piece of merchandise sold at market. It is hard to sit quietly while men you do not know are permitted to stare at you and someone else speaks of you as if you are not in the room at all. Of course, there is the somewhat joyful part that follows. I do enjoy the chatter of getting to know someone over meals I pretend to eat and the endless walks where I am meant to talk about myself. It is a good thing many men desire women who shall not eat much and yet enjoy the taste of wine and cordials. I have realised that much of life is spent eating, and yet, I come from a country on the brink of starvation. No one in this city is truly that hungry.
My favourite outings are to the opera and ballet. Not only do I enjoy being shown off in my prettiest gowns and throwing flowers to the stage in appreciation of the performers, the music that means something and tells a story that has nothing to do with austere topics such as religion and politics. One man seemed surprised my face looked as if I were heartbroken when the woman in the opera died singing of love. He told me many present did not truly understand opera, it was a place to see others and to be seen by others, and that was the height of concern. I do not dislike that part, but who could watch something so beautiful as the performers upon that stage and not be transported from our dull and overly serious world?
I am arranged to marry the Duc Antonio Orsini at the end of this month's time, celebrating the arrival of Autumn. The timing is considered to be good luck It is nice that this time, I had a bit of a say in the matter and could meet the man before being sent to a new world for my wedding. Lucretia and the Cardinale introduced me to a number of eligible Catholic men who would make good matches. They all think I shall give them many children, which is of the utmost importance. The fact I am a widow who has already borne a child proves to them I am not barren nor frigid. These also appear to be qualities of the utmost importance. I have been fretting over what to do as a solution to that problem. My look is an unusual one. Maman, Odelie, and a girl in Versailles I never knew but gossip told me is a half-sister to me are the only people I have ever seen who look something like I do.
I told Lucretia of my dilemma, and she smiled and said not to worry. She encouraged me to choose the Duc Antonio, who is slightly my better in status, being the third eldest brother to the Italian King. It is unlikely he shall ever rule and has no aspirations to do so, which is a relief to me. Too much of my world has been taken from me because of fear and contempt over who might rule.
