Chapter 99 Mary and William prepare to leave England...
Just as Mary and William were preparing to depart from England, they learned in London of Byron's death. The Romantic poet who wrote "Don Juan" had passed away, and they heard that the Greek government had held a state funeral for him.
“It’s such a pity I didn’t get to see him. Even though a person has left this world, their works live on forever; that’s a kind of immortality, isn’t it? Unfortunately, people are still focused on his scandals, and the gossip of high society hasn’t stopped after his death.” Mary sighed, thinking of William’s cousin, Viscount Caroline Lamb, who was infatuated with Byron.
William felt no regret. Although he had faith in Mary, he thought that Mary hadn't seen as good as him, considering the lord's talent and charm among women.
They didn't stay in London for long; soon the couple boarded a ship bound for France.
Although Mary was born in Portsmouth, a harbor city, and had seen countless sailing ships of that time, this was her first time traveling abroad on a three-masted sailing ship, and the experience was far less comfortable than that of later steamships.
Their first stop was Paris, which at the time was the center of fashion and art. But to Marie's disappointment, the streets there were even dirtier than those in London, and there was excrement everywhere.
Duke Louis-Philippe of Orléans warmly received them. The future King of France was now fifty-one years old, overweight, and his head looked like a pear.
Historically, his daughter will become the second wife of Prince Leopold, Princess Charlotte's husband, after he becomes King of Belgium.
The Duke of Orléans introduced them to the court ball, which was not much different from the one in London. If one had to say, the Parisians were more proud than the Londoners.
They considered themselves the center of fashion, and even though Mary was a duchess from England, she would only be ridiculed by Parisians if her fashion sense was lacking.
When Mary appeared at the court ball, she won everyone's praise with her beautiful face, exquisite dress, and graceful dance. Although the nobles at the ball enthusiastically praised Mary's beauty, receiving such praise did not make Mary proud.
Privately, Mary joked with her husband, "Dear William, if I keep going to balls like this and dancing with a bunch of nasty people, I'll regret becoming a duchess!"
“My dear Mary, it’s too late for you to regret this now. You should understand my pain by now. You’ve only suffered this for a month, but I’ve been enduring it for over a decade.” The husband retorted with the same playful remark.
That being said, after Mary's complaint, William quickly declined most of the invitations to banquets for the couple. The two retreated to a small estate they had rented on the outskirts of Paris, enjoying the exotic atmosphere.
Compared to attending those boring banquets and balls, Marie was much more curious about writers such as Hugo, Dumas, Balzac, and Stendhal. Following Parisian trends, she invited her favorite writers, poets, and painters to salons she organized at her estate.
At this time, although Hugo was famous for his poems praising royalism and religion, the corruption of the royal family and the spread of liberalism began to change his thinking. When Marie met the youthful Hugo, he was discussing poetry with someone.
This person was none other than Alexandre Dumas, who was just as young as him. Unlike Victor Hugo, who became famous at a young age, Alexandre Dumas, a scribe working in the secretariat of the Duke of Orléans, was flattered to learn that the Duchess of Devonshire, a guest of honor of the Duke of Orléans, had invited him to a salon.
In contrast, Marie-Henry Bell (Stendhal), who had personally experienced the revolution and war, thought that this salon might just be another prank by a noblewoman who was bored out of her mind.
He was neither famous nor young. Although he had published some essays and a novel, his audience was very limited. He also had no liking for Stendhal, the Englishman who had led Napoleon to defeat, but he came anyway, remembering the earnest invitation he had received.
The beautiful Duchess of Devonshire made a stunning entrance, her silky golden curls and blue-green eyes immediately captivating. In the ensuing conversation, Mary's extensive knowledge, quick wit, and innovative ideas left a deep impression on the assembled writers and artists.
The discussion initially focused on literature and art, but as the conversation progressed, someone brought up the current political situation.
King Louis XVIII attempted to emulate the British constitutional monarchy upon ascending the throne, but the reforms were thwarted by opposition from the Crown Prince, Count Artois (the king's brother and the future Charles X). Now, with the king seriously ill and the Count Artois wielding absolute power, informed individuals are filled with apprehension.
"Your Highness, where do you think France is headed in the future? Constitutional monarchy or absolute monarchy?" When this question was asked, no one expected the young duchess to offer any profound insights; rather, some people wanted to use the opportunity to elaborate.
Ultimately moving towards a republic, Marie thought, of course she couldn't say that, so she could only reply: "As a foreigner, my words don't count. It's up to the French people to think about it themselves. The future is in the hands of the French people."
Marie-Henry Bell, who had remained silent throughout the salon, gave the lady a deep look.
Unfortunately, Marie never got to meet Balzac, the master of realism, who was repeatedly failing in business and hadn't yet realized that his talent lay in writing rather than business. The servants couldn't find the perpetually bankrupt Balzac.
As the weather grew hotter, the Parisian atmosphere became unbearable for Marie. After spending some time with these now-famous writers, Marie exchanged addresses with them and left Paris with William for Italy, which he was more familiar with.
In the early 19th century, most of the time spent on long-distance travel was spent on the road, and women wearing long skirts could only travel long distances by horse-drawn carriage. This was fine on flat ground, but it became very troublesome when encountering mountainous terrain.
So, while traveling, Mary decided to design a pair of wide-leg trousers that looked remarkably like a long A-line skirt. When Mary walked out wearing the wide-leg trousers she had made from yarn-dyed twill cotton fabric she had bought in France, William hadn't even realized she was wearing trousers.
It wasn't until she mounted her horse and displayed excellent riding skills that William was reminded of their discussion at Chatsworth House.
"Didn't you say you didn't want to be a pioneer or a martyr?"
“Aren’t we traveling now? I don’t think any country would arrest a foreign duchess for this, would it?” Mary laughed.
“At least you’ll have to tone it down a bit in the city.” William smiled helplessly, already prepared for the arguments that would follow when they returned home.
Mary wasn't that foolish, of course. Before entering the city, she got into a carriage and changed her clothes at the manor where she was staying. Then she visited the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and Pompeii.
Afterwards, the couple also visited the sights of Venice, Florence, and other places... Thinking that William had spent nearly two years here a few years ago, Mary felt a sense of familiarity with the place.
This is a great country that never lacks artists, and even the Duke of Devonshire, an art lover, is just one of many nobles who pursue art here.
William's friend, the famous sculptor Antonio Canova, had passed away. His heart was hidden in the marble pyramid-shaped tomb he had designed for Titian. Mary and William went to the tomb to pay their respects.
Marie also met Etano Monti, a sculptor at the time, whose son Raphael Monti later became more famous than his father, though he was only a seven-year-old boy at the time.
They stayed in Italy for several months and learned of the death of King Louis XVIII of France. Knowing that the new King Charles X was an extreme royalist, Mary began to worry about her new writer friends.
“Mary, surely the new king isn’t that foolish. His brother spent ten years stabilizing the country. He should know that siding with either side now is not a wise choice,” William said to his wife.
“That’s our perspective as bystanders, but sometimes the people involved are just that stupid, walking step by step into a dead end.” Mary thought of the July Revolution that broke out in France six years later and believed that William had overestimated the king.
The unfolding events confirmed Mary's predictions, and she could only write to her friends to warn them to be careful, especially Stendhal, who was very dissatisfied with the now-restored Bourbon dynasty.
Considering the ongoing Greek wars, they did not go to Athens, which they had always wanted to visit, but instead went to Vienna, Austria, where people were discussing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
Since its premiere in May, Beethoven has once again won the hearts of the Viennese people. Marie attended one of the performances and felt the trip was worthwhile. She made a special trip to meet the great musician, who by then had completely lost his hearing and could only communicate through writing.
Mary paid the revered musician a hundred pounds as a deposit, requesting him to compose a piece of music for her. Beethoven's health was deteriorating, and Mary was unsure if she would receive the complete piece; she was already deeply honored to have met this "musical saint."
After leaving Vienna, William and Mary went to Weimar to fulfill his wife's wish to meet Goethe. For this great writer, who had met so many famous figures in his life, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire were nothing special.
“We are all Fausts, facing the devil’s dilemmas, and that is the greatest significance this book has given me.” This is how Mary answered when Goethe asked her why she loved this dramatic poem so much.
For Mary, there was always a lingering question: why was she the one who had been transported to this world? Like Faust, although she had achieved the financial freedom she desired and had a happy and fulfilling love life, she still felt incredibly lonely. This loneliness couldn't be alleviated by anyone else.
After leaving Weimar, they returned to France, the first stop on their trip, and from there went home. With the journey over, Marie was about to face new challenges. She didn't want to be just a simple lady enjoying life; she planned to use her current position to do something meaningful.
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Author's Note: The main story has now ended. There are two or three more chapters of side stories, and the side story about not getting married will be presented as a bonus side story.
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