Drumroll, please! After several chapters with little overt action, we have reached the very heart of the intrigue — a great tangle of raw material that Marianne must patiently unravel and analyse.
All the rumours, hints, and facts presented in this chapter have been drawn from a variety of sources, differing widely in type and historical value. Bringing them together produced that remarkable collection described in the narrative, revealing the full extent of the absurd tales circulating about Princess Schwarzenberg.
I then faced the methodological challenge of how to present such chaotic material. Ultimately, accumulating all the information and allowing the reader to confront it head-on seemed the most effective solution. If the reader finds it difficult to digest — well, yes, I agree. It is very likely that Archduchess Marianne had (or could have had) a similar reaction.
Finally, who in Marianne’s circle would have been best suited to deliver such a bedlam of gossip with enthusiasm? My choice fell on Countess Strassoldo — an elderly lady-in-waiting, not exactly a brilliant mind, but a living archive of the courtly news of bygone days.
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