An Ivory Chopstick Or The Shanghai Slattern
Soon thereafter, Rose and her mother were summoned for an audience within the Forbidden City.
Mrs. Muckerhaus left that evening with a fan painted by the Empress Dowager, and Rose left with the satchel and a burning passion that the dancing had awakened.
Rose arrived at a secluded manshion where a group of men rushed her into a rather opulent inner chamber. After waiting only a few moments, she heard the rustle of silk as a distinguished old man entered the room.
Once while surrounded by sycophants, Rose felt that she was like the Empress Dowager.
This book is lovingly dedicated to my fun girls: Teresa Norris, Debbie Lackey, and Lisa Byrd-Dinkens.
The Empress Dowager was enthroned upon a massive ebony chair and surrounded by ladies-in-waiting.
After the Empress Dowager’s death, the Muckerhauses left the imperial city with heavy hearts and settled in a drab Shanghai apartment.
Thanks to the eunuch’s influence, Rose became the glittering star of Shanghai nightlife. Each night she would appear in extravagant gowns in all the gayest clubs.
The next day, in high spirits, Qi took her on a tour of local antique shops, where Rose found a fan painted by the late Empress Dowager.