After the maids returned from their holiday, many things had changed.
For instance, Sophie, the former head maid, had left, and Countess Bilis, the new head maid, had taken her place. But she was not responsible for "serving"; she merely acted as Georgiana's secretary and collected novels.
So Georgiana had the bed in that lounge removed and replaced with a desk and a row of cabinets for Mrs. Bilis to use. Mrs. Bilis rather liked the curtains filled with Indian charm.
The first guest to arrive was Kokbeier de Mengbulei. After the Treaty of Amiens was signed, he would be sent to London as a representative of the French business community. Accompanying him would be Colonel Lorisdon, Napoleon's former classmate. They both hoped to meet Britain's business representatives while still in France.
Georgiana planned to borrow the Sèvres Porcelain Factory. It had been built with nearly the same grandeur as a palace. She then had Mrs. Bilis write the invitations and asked her to find the gardener at Malmaison. She hoped he could send over Violet Queen roses regularly, and she also wanted to order some deep-purple ribbons.
Mrs. Bilis meekly agreed to her requests. She did not use a typewriter, but wrote by hand. Aristocrats from the old era like her often had elegant flowing penmanship. With roses and purple ribbons added, an ordinary yet magnificent letter was completed.
Under Albus's "rule," Georgiana had known only restraint and thrift. But Napoleon had taught her that if the wealthy did not spend money, workers in industries such as furniture, porcelain, fine fabrics, perfume, construction, and so on would have no work.
Even the gardeners who cultivated roses would face unemployment. No one would buy the flowers they grew. Did they cultivate those roses merely as a hobby?
The Tulip Bubble