‘Yes, you will. I cannot tell you how much I’m looking forward to it.’ It was perfectly true, she thought. She would dance all night. The event wouldn’t end until the early hours by which time she’d be too tired to do anything more than fall into a deep and dreamless sleep. How appealing that was. Claudia waved her friend farewell and then went into the house. It would take her hours to get ready for the evening, her mind occupied with trivia and not with her disastrous private life. In order to be able to stay the course, she had a nap in the early part of the afternoon and then, with Lucy’s help, began her preparations. These began with a leisurely bath and the softening of her skin with sweet oils, and then went on to the arranging of her hair, dressed high in a knot from which fell in a profusion of glossy curls. The lightest touch of powder and rouge highlighted her cheekbones and lips. She had purchased a new gown for this occasion, a confection of exquisite, gossamer-fine Indian muslin with an overskirt spangled with tiny faceted crystals that caught the light with every movement.
What do You think about The Caged Countess (2012)?
