The Mistress of Nothing

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, based on the real-life, Egyptian retreat of Lady Lucie Duff Gordon at the end of her life, when she was suffering from rampant TB.

The central protagonist and narrator of this story, Sally Naldrett, was the loyal and devoted lady's maid to Lady Duff Gordon but little else is known about her.

Lady Duff Gordon and Sally travel down the Nile and set up home in the arid air of the south of Egypt. Despite being good hearted and seemingly liberal (her ladyship trea... more

Wikipedia:

Lucy Christiana, Lady Duff Gordon (née Sutherland) (13 June 1863 – 20 April 1935) was a leading fashion designer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, best known as "Lucile," her professional name. The first British designer to achieve international renown, Lucile was a widely-acknowledged innovator in couture styles as well as in fashion industry public relations.

Amazon:

Lady Duff Gordon is the toast of Victorian London. But when her debilitating tuberculosis means exile,... more