“Madame!” “What do you want?” Sylvine knows not to disturb her mistress when she is in such a temper, which everyone in the household can hear even though Madame de Chevreuse keeps the door of her chamber locked. The crashing sounds of glass and porcelain, shattered in fury, leaves little room for doubt. Two days … Continue reading Chapter One hundred two, The Confessor of Saint-Lazare, by Mordaunt
Chapter One Hundred, The Parisian Life, by Mordaunt
I have trod a measure. I have flattereda lady. I have been politic with my friend,smooth with mine enemy…W. Shakespeare, As you like it, Act 5, scene 4, 46-48 (The Folger) Athos enters Alessandra’s salon, carrying a sheaf of papers and drops into a chair, stretching out his legs and letting out a long exhausted … Continue reading Chapter One Hundred, The Parisian Life, by Mordaunt
A famous neighbor: Madame de Sévigné
The Marquise de Sévigné, ca 1665 by Claude Lefèbvre . 19th century copy after a lost 17th century original. Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné (5 February 1626 – 17 April 1696), known as Madame de Sévigné or Mme de Sévigné, was a French aristocrat, known for her letter-writing. Celebrated for their wit and vividness, her … Continue reading A famous neighbor: Madame de Sévigné
Chapter Ninety-Eight, House of Bourbon, by Mordaunt
At Fontainebleau, the King is irritable and quick to take offense. Everything displeases him, beginning with the weather. Too many summer storms have been interrupting the garden fêtes, and spoiling the riding parties. The hunts have been disappointing and unrewarding. Even the ballet inspired by French proverbs, ardently promoted by Monsieur de Saint-Aignan, has turned … Continue reading Chapter Ninety-Eight, House of Bourbon, by Mordaunt
Chapter Ninety-Six, House of Stuart, by Mordaunt
Marie Cessette is not surprised by Raoul’s pigeon post. Part of her wonders whether she has not known the truth already. “Is it bad news?” Père Gazil wrings his hands anxiously. The visit to Le Maupertus has left him unnerved, and he has not kept his fears to himself. “We should never have come to … Continue reading Chapter Ninety-Six, House of Stuart, by Mordaunt
Chapter Ninety-Four, House of Richelieu, by Mordaunt
Messages and letters have been piling on Raoul’s desk throughout the night and continue as dawn breaks over the Faubourg Saint-Germain. He is used to being thus inundated despite the fact that to sort his office’s regular vast correspondence he employs a few competent and trusted secretaries. But this morning he is neither at his … Continue reading Chapter Ninety-Four, House of Richelieu, by Mordaunt
Chapter Ninety-Two, Le Maupertus, by Mordaunt
“Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold.” W. Shakespeare, As You Like It. Act 1. Scene 3. The only sign of the night’s violent storm is the sheen of rain on the flagstones of the inner courtyard, glistening beneath the early morning sun. Marie Cessette stands at the window of her bedchamber, transfixed by the … Continue reading Chapter Ninety-Two, Le Maupertus, by Mordaunt
Chapter Ninety-One, Mistress of Normanville, by Mordaunt
First, a little bit from the Canon, for inspiration. Alexandre Dumas, The Man in the Iron Mask, chapter 83, ‘Porthos’s Will’: “As to my personal or movable property, so called because it can be moved, as is so well explained by my learned friend, the Bishop of Vannes—” (d’ Artagnan shuddered at the dismal remembrance attached … Continue reading Chapter Ninety-One, Mistress of Normanville, by Mordaunt
Chapter Eighty-Eight, What we leave behind, by Mordaunt
Bianca has shifted from sitting, to kneeling, to standing on the kitchen bench so that she can reach easily over the great table where her shells are spread, separated according to shape, size, and color. She is engrossed in her work, stringing them into bracelets and necklaces with colorful glass and silver beads, using the … Continue reading Chapter Eighty-Eight, What we leave behind, by Mordaunt
Chapter Eighty-Six, First Light, by Mordaunt
“I meant to wait for Alexandre in the carriage,” Constance says. “Madame Charbonneau tells me Athos is not here. She insisted I come inside.” Perhaps it is Constance’s apologetic tone or perhaps it was something in the air at Glénay, in the sidelong glances and the measured confidences, that Alessandra perceived even though she was … Continue reading Chapter Eighty-Six, First Light, by Mordaunt
Twelve Years After 