Did Something Happen in Talcum?

The archduchess didn't know if it was because that she was already home, but the air in Ellis Plains was a lot fresher to her lungs. After having a 'poolside' lunch with Larkin, she changed into new clothes and had her hair in a snood again. It was hard to keep her hair clean this way, and five days without her washing it made her feel like her whole life was wrong with that greasy hair.

She was walking around the castle again, hoping to find sights that she hadn't seen in a long while. Actually, she wanted to stare at the painting Larkin made for her, but her self-esteem wouldn't let her indulge in its beauty. She would instantly dissociate with the image of the woman in the painting. That was why she wanted to see more familiar things… like the courtyard.