Top: The Karntner Ring with the Grand Hotel, 1888 (detail). The Karntner Ring is one of the nine sections of the Ringstrasse, the circular boulevard that rings the city centre.

Source: Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library)

10. The Crisis

On January 26th a crisis occurred that caused the lovers to hastily reschedule their final rendezvous. Helene, tipped off by a friend who had accompanied Mary to the jewellery store where she bought the gold cigarette case, confronted her daughter about Rudolf and forced her to open her private strongbox.

Helene was appalled to see Rudolf's steel cigarette case and even more appalled when Mary confessed that she had given Rudolf (anonymously, she said) an inscribed gold cigarette case. The exchange of gifts was evidence of scandalous intimacy that would cause Mary's downfall if it leaked out.

Helene also found Mary's will in the strongbox but she did not realize its sinister import.

Following their stormy confrontation mother and daughter went out for their customary Saturday afternoon walk together. The atmosphere must have been tense. The leisurely stroll belied what they both knew – Mary and Helene were competing in a desperate race and time was running out.

Mary was frantic to warn Rudolf about her mother's discovery of their liaison. At about 6 o'clock that evening when Helene checked on her she found that Mary had disappeared. Helene tracked her to the Grand Hotel where she learned that Mary and the Countess were already on their way back to the Vetsera home.

When Helene returned she found Mary in a state of collapse and unable to speak. Whether Mary was genuinely distraught or simply avoiding further interrogation by her mother, she had at least managed to alert the Countess to the dangerous situation that threatened them both.

Helene's discovery threw the Countess into a panic because her own complicity was in danger of being exposed. To save the situation she told Helene that she herself, not Mary, was the recipient of Rudolf's gift of the steel cigarette case and that she in turn had given it to Mary as a souvenir.

This momentarily soothed Helene's fears, as did the Countess's promise to return the steel cigarette case to Rudolf and get the gold one back from him.

Nevertheless, Helene was now fully aware of the extent of Mary's infatuation and the danger it posed to Mary's reputation.