30 The Countess of Bravada

I wore the earrings and the necklace that he gave me to show him my appreciation. I asked Amelie to sew my yellow dress to make it tighter and more revealing during breakfast.

I decided to put my hair up for a change and I wore a headpiece made of white feathers to match the fur coat that I was about to wear on top of my yellow dress.

The weather was quickly changing. It was getting colder and colder. I worried about my brother Alexei. He has always been sickly ever since he was very young. I instructed his nurse and his guard to keep him warm at all times and to closely monitor him every time he went outside the room to take a walk at the upper deck because a little wound from an injury would cause him to bleed to death because of his Haemophilia.

And when lunch time came, I was dressed to impress the Jose Manuel.. to keep him off his feet.. I went to the dining area and I saw him with another lady.. An older lady.. his mother.

" I'm so happy you are finally feeling better. I want you to meet my mother Eleanora, Countess of Bravada. I told her everything about you." He said.

The Countess was a shapy woman, about 40 years of age. She had white porcelain skin and copper brown hair. Her eyes were deep blue and her nails were deep red. She was wearing diamonds and draped with a fine fur coat.

She looked at me from head to toe and I knew that she didn't like me.

" What a lovely necklace.." She complimented.

" It was a gift from your son. I declined but he insisted.." I explained.

" Of course you did.." she replied back as she took off her coat and had her seat.

It was a 6 course meal.. It was actually a good meal. I felt so full and I felt like my dress was about to burst open.

" So Gisela, tell me more about yourself.." The countess said before sipping a wine from her glass.