The conductor of the palace band raised his hand vigorously, and Bach's "First Orchestral Suite" came to an end with its lingering echoes.
Joseph walked towards the sidelines, with Sophie still murmuring beside him:
"There are rumors that Lady Adelaide once fell in love with her guard, but that man was dispatched to the remote mountains by His Majesty Louis XV with 4,000 levas.
"Later, this poor woman desperately saved up a dowry for herself to have a marriage. Now she has some money, but her beauty has faded..."
Joseph escorted her to the circle of noble ladies, then returned to Archbishop Brienne.
"Your Highness, your dancing skills are truly becoming more and more exceptional."
"Yes, that spin just now, even Viscount Lege was full of praise."
"Your Highness's dance steps perfectly embody the soul of the music..."
First, the others, including Brienne, routinely began with compliments.
