A Rival and a Looming Crisis — Susanne Dunlap

As Elisabeth tests the waters in a clandestine dalliance, her reputation as an artist and a saloniste grows. But tragedy strikes close to home, and the queen suffers not just calumnies, but terrible losses. Elisabeth's loyalty is unwavering in the face of growing popular animosity to Marie Antoinette, as is her belief that life will continue as it is. When she is betrayed by someone she thought was her friend, the boundaries of her privileged world start to crumble.