As she regarded the dress, Miss Sunnington murmured, "What was that contessa's name... Marguerite. Marguerite de Alsace."

"Who was she?" asked Mr. Flowers.

"A lovely woman, supposedly, but her family's circumstance was such that no one wanted to marry into it. Before she pined away, she had this dress commissioned - some scholars have suggested that it's somehow an embodiment of her longing and frustration, but regardless, it's quite a beautiful piece of clothing. I admit a certain temptation to lift the veil, if only to see whether anything lies beneath."