A Confession and a Royal Portrait

Elisabeth's portrait of Marie Antoinette is a dream come true—but is she ready for the treachery of Versailles? Elisabeth begins her married life after Pierre's business dealing falls through, and receives the hoped-for commissions for royal portraits. Her brother returns home from school with ambitions to be a playwright, and Elisabeth introduces him to the exclusive salons. But along with her new notoriety come unanticipated challenges, and the realities—and disappointments—of marriage threaten to undermine her equanimity. When a handsome nobleman notices her at a salon, her world slips sideways, and she begins to suspect that there is more to love than the comfortable relationship with her husband.