Until Tuesday, Eleanor had given some thought to her grandmother’s observation regarding the countess, not that she would ever admit it. Giulia’s suggestion did have merit. Sophie von Hagendorf was unlike anybody else Eleanor had ever met. She was a contradiction. Up front, brash, but at the same time, soft and vulnerable. Her intellect was as intriguing as her occupation was fascinating.
With great anticipation, Eleanor looked forward to their museum visit because she was convinced that Sophie would go out of her way to be the perfect guide. She wondered what lay underneath the many layers of Sophie’s personality. She would see and maybe they could at least develop a friendship of some sort. Sophie would be so much more interesting than all the other women she had met since Cathleen’s death.
Exactly at one o’clock, Benson announced the arrival of a guest. Giulia had agreed to welcome the countess and keep her company until Eleanor was ready.
“Contessa Silvestri asked me to show you to the drawing room until her Grace is ready,” Benson informed her and led her to the indicated room. He opened the door for her with a haughty expression on his face, “Countess von Hagendorf, madam.”
Giulia approached and greeted Sophie warmly. “Welcome, my dear.”
“Good afternoon.”
“Eleanor will be here shortly.”
Sophie seemed nervous in the presence of the contessa. Giulia sensed her unease but would have none of it, so she simply took Sophie’s arm and led her to the sofa where they sat down.
“Why don’t you tell me what you have planned for this tour?” she inquired politely, trying to put her guest at ease.
“Since I know the museum quite well,” Sophie said, “I thought I would let her Grace decide what she wishes to see.” She frowned. “My expertise
lies with the Greek and Roman collections, of course, but there are many interesting pieces of art there.”
Giulia would have loved to ask about the countess’ past, but the door opened, and Eleanor joined them.
Sophie rose when the duchess entered the drawing room. She was rendered tongue-tied and breathless. In a light summer dress of pale blue with a closed umbrella in gloved hands, Eleanor looked magnificent. She wore a dainty matching bonnet, and her short hair was swept back in waves.
“I’m so sorry you had to wait, but I couldn’t find my gloves.”
“That’s quite all right,” Sophie choked out, finding it hard to breath. She wanted to be alone with this woman, to know her, to be close to her. She was mesmerised, with impossible thoughts running through her head. The most prominent one was that she should leave right this instant because try as she might, she could think of no way her feelings could lead anywhere at all.
She could come up with an excuse for why she had to go, and it might spare her a lot of heartache in the long run. The duchess was probably only being polite anyway and possessed no more than a general interest in Sophie’s knowledge for the Museum visit. How could there be anything more to it? And what was the point then?
At least that was what Sophie tried to tell herself, but she could not force herself to make an excuse. It was all she could do not to go insane. Yes, the other day they had found common ground. She felt the duchess respected her now, but what more could she hope for? Friendship? Who was she fooling but herself? Friendship was the best she could hope for and be willing to accept because Sophie was convinced Eleanor could never be more than that. The woman was married, with children, and obligations to see to. She had a lot to lose and probably was not so inclined anyway.
Somebody in the position of the duchess would never allow herself to be associated with a woman such as herself in any other capacity than a friend or companion or minor acquaintance of the platonic sort.
What was she thinking? She hadn’t been thinking at all, that was the point. The other day, Sophie had blurted out the invitation without a second thought. Now she had to follow through with it.
“Shall we?” The duchess’s voice broke through her thoughts.
“Yes, of course.”
Eleanor kissed her grandmother goodbye and followed Sophie to the waiting carriage.
Eleanor opened her umbrella to keep the sun from burning her pale skin. Sophie had decided to take the open carriage so they could enjoy the gentle breeze and the warmth of the sun. Although it was frowned upon if a woman of a certain class wore a tan, she had to admit that it suited her companion, and Eleanor highly doubted Sophie would care what others thought of her when she obviously had no regard for their opinion about her attire.
The driver turned onto Ringstrasse, letting the horses trot at a leisurely pace along the grand boulevard.
Eleanor broke the companionable silence. “I know little about this area of the city. What are all these buildings? When we arrived, I didn’t pay much attention because I was rather exhausted from our journey, and the few times I’ve taken this route in a carriage, I have to admit I didn’t give it much thought either. This, I’m afraid, must sound very ignorant.”
“Not at all,” Sophie assured. “These buildings are fairly modern and hold no historical significance at all. After the Emperor demolished the city walls in the 1850s, the Ringstrasse and its most important buildings were planned and built in its place. The bourgeoisie, like my father, also built their homes along both sides of the boulevard. This new class of factory owners, bankers and patrons of the arts own the many palais, and only a few noble families included.”
Eleanor nodded thoughtfully.
“We’re just passing the new university.” Sophie pointed out a building to their right. “Over the last century the city has been steadily growing, and with the ever-increasing population, the capital was still confined within its medieval walls. To maintain this structure was no longer feasible. So, it was decided to get rid of the walls—or the ‘Bastien’ as they were called in German—to build this boulevard and connect the oldest part of the city with the suburbs.”
“What is that building?” Eleanor asked, as they passed a park in front of what seemed like a gothic cathedral with its tower and arches.
“The town hall.” Sophie drew her attention to a building on the opposite side of their carriage. “That is the new court theatre. Can you see the three figures on the top of the entrance?”
“Yes, I do.”
“The one in the middle is Apollo, and on his left and right are two of the Muses, Thalia and Melpomene.”
“And what does the frieze underneath depict?”
“That would be Bacchus and Ariadne.”
They left the town hall and court theatre behind and passed another building Eleanor had found most peculiar ever since the first time she had come across it.
“This one resembles a Greek temple; at least the centre part of it reminds one of the Parthenon in Athens.”
“Yes, quite so. It is the seat of the Imperial Council or Parliament, the legislature of the Austrian part of the Empire.”
“Who does the statue behind the fountain represent?”
“Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom.”
“Is there a reason why she has her back to the building?” Eleanor asked with a mischievous glance at her companion.
“I have asked myself that same question ever since the statue was put up.”
“I can’t imagine why.”
Sophie chuckled at the dry comment. “What do you think so far?”
“It is the most unorthodox mixture of architecture.”
“True.”
They arrived at their destination, and Sophie helped Eleanor out of the carriage. She dismissed the driver to return to the palais. The countess offered her arm, and the duchess took it with a hint of a smile. She should have known Sophie would be the perfect gentlewoman.
In the middle of the square between two identical buildings was the monument of the current Emperor’s most famous ancestor.
“Maria Theresia.” Sophie explained at the questioning look.
“Ah! Your highly regarded former monarch. I recall that somebody said she actually never was an empress, is that right?”
“Quite right. I’m surprised that you know that. It’s one of the greatest misconceptions.”
“And why is that?”
“Maybe because it is a little complicated. She was a queen and an archduchess but never an empress. As long as the Holy Roman Empire existed, there was no such thing as an Austrian Empire. Her husband and her son afterward were the elected emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, but she wasn’t. Nevertheless, she reigned wisely over Austria—and every other part of her inheritance—with the help of her advisers. Quite a few significant changes were made, much to the great advantage of the Empire.”
“So, which is the museum we are visiting?”
“The one on our left.”
“Lead on!”
“Before we enter, I meant to ask you which exhibition you would prefer to see. The building is huge, and we could come back any time to walk through any part you want.”
Eleanor blushed. “I’ve read about the salt bowl by Cellini, which I would wish to see and, of course, the Greek and Roman collection if this is all right with you?”
“Good choices.” Sophie beamed, and Eleanor thought it changed her demeanour entirely, as if Sophie was a rather different, more agreeable person than Eleanor had thought.
As soon as she stepped into the entrance hall, Eleanor discovered the building itself was a wonderful piece of art. The hall and the staircase they ascended were decorated with paintings indicating the themes of the collections in a perfectly fitting manner. Although they had to climb quite a lot of stairs, it wasn’t such a difficulty for Sophie.
Eleanor did not expect that Sophie would be such a wonderful guide. She brought history to life and had a short anecdote for each and every important exhibition piece they encountered. It made for the most enjoyable visit to a museum Eleanor had ever had. Being in Sophie’s company was pleasant, and her understated way of gentle guidance and closeness was most agreeable. Eleanor rued that their time would eventually come to an end, but she hoped it wouldn’t be any time soon.
Sophie was pointing at a bronze tablet and describing the oldest surviving senatorial decree when two men came their way. One of them was older with unruly white hair, and the younger one was more composed and meticulously dressed.
“Sophie, my dear,” the older gentleman exclaimed, his voice echoing in the quiet room, “the guards told me you were here. I need to show you something. The package arrived only this morning.”
Sophie smirked at the man’s exuberance; he was completely lacking any manners when something had piqued his interest.
“Professor Maierhofer, please let me introduce you to her Grace, the Duchess of Darnsworth,” Sophie tried nonchalantly to remind her friend and mentor of his manners.
He goggled uncomprehendingly at her before he coughed in embarrassment to cover his faux pas.
“Please, your Grace, forgive my manners, or, rather, the lack of them.” The professor bent over the gracefully held out hand.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, professor. I am very impressed by the museum.”
“Thank you, your Grace.” Maierhofer shuffled his feet as if nervous. “Would you mind if I borrowed Sophie for a minute?”
“Go ahead. I do understand the excitement of a new discovery. So please, go on, take her with you. I only ask you to let her come back before tomorrow.”
“Why would I . . . oh, yes, of course. Come, my dear,” the Professor was already shuffling away, expecting Sophie to follow right behind him.
“I am sorry. I will be back shortly.”
Eleanor smiled at her with understanding. “Go!” she said with a soft chuckle. “I’ll wait.”
She watched the retreating form for a moment before she became aware of a presence behind her. It was the man who had accompanied the professor.
“Yes?” she asked tersely. “Was there something you wanted?”
“It was my understanding I was supposed to keep you company until the countess returns,” the young man informed her with a frown.
“Was it? Let me assure you I’m quite capable of finding my way through the exhibition on my own.”
“As you wish.” He bowed and turned to storm off in the direction he had come from.
In the professor’s office, Sophie congratulated her mentor on the discovery of the extraordinary artefact he had shown her. So far it was the most important piece they had received from the excavations in Ephesus. Now she understood why he had been so excited and had forgotten everything and everyone around him. Sophie agreed to meet him again the next day for a closer examination of all the artefacts from the last shipping.
When she left his office, she bumped into his assistant. He muttered something under his breath and threw her a poisonous glare but didn’t dare to say anything. Sophie knew that the man detested her, but it couldn’t be helped. With a shrug she continued on her way, searching for the duchess.
She found Eleanor sitting on one of the plush sofas in the portrait gallery contemplating the picture of one of the emperor’s ancestors. As Sophie admired her profile from the doorway, she seemed lost in thought. Her hands were folded on the handle of her umbrella, her head slightly tilted to the side, and her back was ramrod straight as she sat there. A smile stole over her face as Sophie approached, as if she sensed Sophie’s presence without even looking.
“Are you going to stand there and stare at me for the rest of the day, or are you going to join me?”
“I’m sorry.” Sophie blushed at being caught. She did as she was asked, exhaling with relief when she sat. It felt good to be off her feet. Although it was very soft Eleanor heard it and gazed at her with worry in her eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell me you needed a break?”
“Because I didn’t know until now,” Sophie lied through her teeth. The last thing she wanted was for Eleanor to think her weak.
“Liar.” The soft tone of her voice took the sting out of the accusation.
Sophie felt flustered. She opened her mouth to answer but when nothing came out, she closed it again in consternation. Eleanor covered
one of Sophie’s hands with her own, forcing her to face her as if what she had to say needed to be fully understood.
“I didn’t mean to upset you. But I could tell from the way you moved and from the lines around your eyes that you were tired for a while and stubbornly refused to sit down.”
“So,” Sophie said angrily, “you decided to take pity on me and forced me to sit.”
“No! I do not pity you, for heaven’s sake. For one, I am tired myself. Strolling slowly through an exhibition is quite exhausting, and it’s all right to admit being tired. It is not a sign of weakness to do so, on the contrary.”
Sophie saw the honesty in Eleanor’s gaze and faltered. Once again, she had acted appallingly. “I am sorry. Again.”
“Not everybody has ulterior motives, you know. That is what friends do for each other. They care for the other’s well-being.”
“Are we friends?” Sophie asked shyly.
“I would care to think so, yes.”
“I like that.” Sophie smiled with pleasure. “I was wondering if I could tempt you to a wonderful cup of coffee and the most delicious dessert you have ever eaten.”
“I won’t say no to that.”
Eleanor said, glad they had mastered another hurdle in their rocky friendship.
They left the museum sated after indulging thoroughly in the arts and took a carriage to a place where they could indulge in other delicious pursuits. It only took about ten minutes to reach their destination, a side street of Kärntner Strasse. Sophie opened the door of the Frauenhuber, the oldest coffeehouse in Vienna, and Eleanor proceeded inside.
The furniture was a combination of the typical coffeehouse with tables and chairs in the middle and red sofas and tables lining the windows. From the back, the laughter and conversation of gentlemen playing billiards could be heard while in the front of the shop, couples and groups of men and women talked over their coffees and desserts.
Eleanor followed Sophie to a table by the window and both sank gratefully into the soft seats. Before Eleanor could comment on the cosy and comfortable surroundings, a waiter appeared.
Eleanor took off her gloves while she ordered. “A cup of coffee, please.”
“Certainly, madam,” he nodded dutifully. “Grosser Brauner, Kleiner Brauner, Melange, Einspänner, Kapuziner—”
“Franz!” Sophie interrupted his rattling. “Give us a minute, please.”
“As you wish, madam.” The man sniffed haughtily, turned on his heels and tended to another table.
Eleanor pursed her lips and in a mock indignant voice said, “You did that on purpose.”
“Sorry.” Sophie twinkled benignly. “But the look on your face was just too precious. Please, forgive me for the outburst, but I simply couldn’t let that pass.”
“You are an awful tease. Now I think you should make it up to me and help me with my order.
“Of course. There is one simple rule you must remember when going to a coffeehouse in Vienna.”
“Which is?”
Solemnly, she said, “Never ever ask for a mere cup of coffee. You just experienced first-hand what happens when you do. You have to be quite specific about it, otherwise you get swamped with suggestions. Take a gander at the menu and decide before you order.”
Eleanor pouted at the suggestion. “But my German isn’t that good. Would you order for me, please?”
Sophie rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “I think I know the right kind of coffee and dessert for both of us.” She unobtrusively raised her right hand to call Franz back to their table.
“Yes?” he said.
“An Einspänner for my guest, a Melange for me, and for each of us, Kaiserschmarren with Zwetschgenröster.”
“Certainly, madam.” Franz departed to place their orders.
Eleanor had no idea what her companion had ordered. She simply had to trust her. Her discomfort was written on her face, so Sophie leaned forward and covered one of her hands with her own.
“Don’t worry! I promise you will enjoy it. The coffee is good, and the dessert is excellent.”
“I feel a bit out of my depth here,” Eleanor admitted readily.
The feeling of Sophie’s soft hand over hers made up nicely for it. She savoured this feeling of another woman’s touch even if it was completely innocent. It had been too long since she had felt the warmth and gentleness of a woman’s touch. Eleanor moaned at her train of thought, but she couldn’t help it. Ever since Giulia made the observation about Sophie, her thoughts were regularly moving to the woman opposite her.
Her musings were interrupted when Franz put a small tray with her coffee in front of her. Sophie let go of her hand but gave it a squeeze before she did so, causing Eleanor to steal a glance at warm brown eyes that twinkled at her.
“What is this called again?” Eleanor asked as she eyed her order.
“Einspänner is a coffee served in a glass with whipped cream on top. Mine is a simple mix of coffee and hot milk.”
Eleanor put a little sugar in her glass and took a tentative sip from her coffee while Sophie watched her with a hint of trepidation.
“It’s delicious.” Eleanor smiled, feeling delighted wonder as she met Sophie’s gaze. “You were right.”
“I thought you would like it, especially the whipped cream. Wait until you taste the dessert.”
Sophie was telling Eleanor about the new artefacts Professor Maierhofer had shown her when dessert was brought by one of the so-called piccolos. To Eleanor it seemed like a plate full of fluffiness combined with a small bowl of fruit. She peered expectantly at Sophie who chuckled softly at her lost expression.
“Kaiserschmarren with Zwetschgenröster.”
“Which means?”
“A combination of sweet and sour. You see, Kaiserschmarren is made of eggs, flour, milk, and sugar or honey, baked in a pan, and cut into chunks. Zwetschgenröster is a sort of compote of plums. Go on, try it.”
Eleanor took the spoon and put a piece of fluffy Schmarren and a little bit of the compote on it to taste. Sophie was right; the combination of these different flavours was incredible. She closed her eyes and hummed in appreciation.
“Well?”
“Sinful,” she said with a dreamy smile on her lips.
Sophie watched in rapt fascination at the expression on Eleanor’s face. It took her breath away how beautiful she was, how sensual, how . . . She shook her head to get rid of the inappropriate thoughts running through her mind and returned to her own dessert.
Conversation flowed easily and lightly between them. There were so many things they could talk and laugh about. Time flew by and before they knew it, it was time to part company and go home. A carriage brought Eleanor to her palais, where she left Sophie with the promise of meeting for a ride through the Prater on Friday.
“There you are,” Henry exclaimed as he exited the library at the same moment his wife strode through the hall towards the stairs. She had the most peculiar expression on her face; her eyes were shining brightly like he hadn’t seen for a long while.
“You seem to be in an extraordinary good mood today, my dear. Did you have a nice afternoon?”
Eleanor stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned towards her husband. Apart from the small misunderstanding at the museum, she had to admit that her afternoon had indeed been more than nice. Sophie was a wonderful companion—educated, funny, full of interesting stories, and quite the gentlewoman.
“Yes. Yes, it was quite nice.”
With a new spring in her step, she went upstairs to change for dinner and talk to her grandmother.
She found the contessa reading in her sitting room and asked her to join her in her own rooms which Eleanor knew she would gladly do because, try as she might, Giulia could not help but be curious about Eleanor’s afternoon, much less her life.
Without the help of her maid Eleanor undressed and refreshed herself in the bathroom before she went to her bedroom to put on her gown for dinner. All the while her grandmother was watching her with hawk eyes, impatiently wringing her hands to find out what had happened.
“Oh, please Eleanor, stop torturing me and tell me!” the contessa complained with a mock stern gaze.
“This is unlike you, Nonna, to be so impatient,” Eleanor teased her gently. But she showed mercy to her grandmother and finally told her about her time with Sophie.
“So, the two of you are friends now,” Giulia asked knowingly.
“Yes, but you make it sound sinister.”
“No, not at all. When will you meet again?”
“Friday. We are going for a ride in the Prater.”
“How exciting!”
“It is.” Eleanor felt as though she was glowing from inside with excitement. “She also promised me a special surprise for the end of the month.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Giulia muttered.
“We have quite a few things in common which makes her wonderful company,” she said, her words tumbling out fast. “I enjoyed our time tremendously. She’s funny and knowledgeable. You have no idea how pleasant it was. Oh, look at the time! Now I must have my hair done, Nonna. I spent so much time with her that I’m running a bit late. I’ll let you know what happens Friday. I’m sure it will be a delight.”
“Mm hmm, that’s what I thought.”
“Quite, yes. Now where is Rose when you need her? Oh, for goodness’ sake!” She moved to ring for her maid, already forgetting that her grandmother was still in the room.
Giulia smirked as she turned away. Oh, yes, this was going to be interesting. Maybe Sophie von Hagendorf was indeed the right person to help Eleanor overcome her pain. Their growing affection was there already, she could grasp it from her granddaughter’s obvious happiness, but the question was: would either of the two women be brave enough to take it a step farther?