in 1921 starr bought a castle that was actually an old country house, castello san peyre, at opio. in 1934 she became friends with winifred fortescue, a british writer and actress, who would in the end move to opio to live with starr. starr is "mademoiselle" in fortescue's books. they spent several years in provence, and they made friends with an array of personalities: poet john betjeman; nobleman and aesthete edward sackville-west; and starr's unrequited love, lady caroline paget, immortalized in the painting by rex whistler.