Excerpt from Antoinette's Sister by Diana Giovinazzo, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

"This is why you must have a trusted regent. The corruption is astounding." Leopold's face softened. "How is the baby?"

"Strong," I said, wincing as my soon-to-be-born child proceeded to kick at my insides.

"Good," he said, with his hands on his hips. "And the rumors?" I sighed. "Do we need to discuss them?"

"I need to know if my favorite sister is safe."

"Of course I'm safe. These rumblings from Mother are unfounded."

"He has never hit you?"

"No." I winced as a sharp pain radiated across my lower back. "The ambassador said that he was slapping women, yourself included."

"We were playing a game. Ferdinand was blindfolded, and he had to find us, and when he did, he slapped our bottoms."

"Hitting your ladies? And you? Charlotte, you are a Habsburg. Don't you understand the responsibility that comes with that?"

"I have been reminded of it since the day I was born." I slammed the top of my closed parasol down into the stone, the act reminding me of my mother. My fist closed around the handle, and I braced myself against the wave of memories of her reminding me and my sisters of our duty to the Habsburg crown. And what did this sense of duty get me? I was not equipped for the world I was thrust into. "Leopold, you have no idea what I have to deal with. I want to help my people. I want to civilize the court. But there is only so much I can do in my present circumstances. Do you know how guilty I feel about not wanting a daughter when you know as well as I do that our mother ruled Austria better than any man that came before her?" My voice caught. "I dread having another daughter because of that damned clause."

"What clause?"

"I can't get a seat on the governing council until I have a son. An heir to the throne. And it's killing me that, every day, I am stuck here unable to do anything because my kind is continuously underestimated." I stretched again, still trying to ease my aching back.

Leopold's anger faded. "You know I never truly believed that Ferdinand abused you."

I raised my eyebrows in response.

"You are far too stubborn for any of that. I imagine you'd lick your wounds for a spell and then rain fire down on the city. If not the whole country."

I let out a small laugh. "I can assure you: My husband has not caused me to rain hellfire upon the city yet. His council on the other hand ... " The words trailed off as I struggled slightly to get up. Leopold reached his arms out, and I gladly used them to brace myself as I moved to an upright position. "Let's not talk about this anymore," I said. "We should go inside. Luisa will murder me if you fall ill."

July 27, 1773

We held our banquet in front of the Fountain of Diana and Actaeon, at the base of the Great Waterfall. The statues, newly finished, depicted the story of Actaeon spying on Diana in the midst of her bath. As punishment, the goddess turned the hunter into a stag so that his dogs would rip him apart. While the palace of Versailles was adorned with paintings and statues of Apollo, I could think of no better goddess to be a patron to our palace than Diana. She, too, would not allow a man to get the best of her.

The Great Waterfall, fed from the Carolino Aqueduct, flowed into all the pools that lined the long walkway that led to Caserta. Looking down from the fountain, I marveled at the garden, illuminated by thousands of small candles, it was so beautiful that it put the heavens above to shame.

Leopold and Ferdinand found a tentative truce in their war. Leopold gained a fresh understanding of my life in Caserta, while my husband recovered from his momentary lapse of insanity. I was feeling relieved by the general pleasantness of the evening.

Ferdinand rose, goblet in hand. "It has been a great pleasure having Leopold at Caserta. He brings with him all the charm of my Habsburg in-laws. To my brother!" he exclaimed, raising his goblet into the air.

Excerpted from the book Antoinette's Sister by Diana Giovinazzo. Copyright © 2022 by Diana Giovinazzo Tierney. Reprinted by permission of Grand Central Publishing, New York, NY. All rights reserved.