Above: Countess Marie Larisch-Wallersee (1858-1940)

Source: Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek (Austrian National Library)

11. The Flight to Mayerling

Meanwhile, the Countess was desperate to alert Rudolf to the dangerous turn of events. Whether she was present when Helene and Alexander unveiled their wedding plan to Mary or whether she learned about it afterward, she sent a note along with Rudolf's cigarette case which she returned to him by public messenger the next day.

The note referred to "yesterday's incident with A. [Alexander] – I think him capable ot anything!" (Judtmann 42).

Baron Krauss's spies in the Hofburg duly reported that a public messenger delivered a package to Rudolf from the Countess and that he replied to her by the same messenger

At 1:30 that same Sunday afternoon Rudolf hurried to meet the Countess at the Grand Hotel. His purpose was to tell the Countess to bring Mary to him at the Hofburg the next day, but he was in such a state of agitation that he blundered into the servant's beer-saloon where some cabbies immediately recognized him and jumped to their feet. Rudolf retreated in confusion. This too was observed by one of Krauss's spies.

At this stage Helene was still unaware of the Countess's role as gobetween and still trusted her to keep an eye on Mary. She therefore agreed to let the Countess take Mary on a shopping trip on Monday morning.

One of the stops was to be the jewellery store where the Mary had purchased the gold cigarette case for Rudolf. The Countess promised to have the case charged to her own account rather than to Mary's in order to cover up evidence of Mary's indiscretion.

The real plan was for the Countess to take Mary directly to Rudolf in the Hofburg by way of the familiar black iron door. The Countess likely assumed that the three of them would be meeting to discuss Helene's plans for Mary and how to deal with them.

But Rudolf and Mary had a surprise for her. Rudolf had sent a note to Josef ordering him to show up at the iron door at 10:30 a.m. and to wait there for instructions.