It is not one of the windowless cells. Raoul wonders if this was Fabien’s idea of compassion, but the narrow, iron-barred slit in the wall allows Henri Bernard a glimpse of the open sky, where birds fly free, and of the river, where life continues unobstructed, so Raoul settles on cruelty. “This is the Marquis … Continue reading Chapter Seven-King of France, by Mordaunt
Chapter Six-Mirror of the Heart, by Corso
…Between the mirror and the heart is this single difference: the heart conceals secrets, while the mirror does not…Rumi At Royaumont Estate Sophia picks at the crumbs on her plate, the remains from her breakfast to stop herself from studying Marie too closely. Even with a casual gaze, she can see the pallor that accentuates … Continue reading Chapter Six-Mirror of the Heart, by Corso
Chapter Five-Love Unsought, Love Unaltered, by Mordaunt
Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better. Shakespeare, 1601 Twelfth Night, act 3, sc.1, l.154. Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds. Shakespeare, Sonnet 116 From the window of the salon she sees him galloping down the graveled path toward the house. Even at this distance Constance worries that his … Continue reading Chapter Five-Love Unsought, Love Unaltered, by Mordaunt
Chapter Four- Artful Diversions, by Mordaunt
From a young age he was taught to steer his way blindfolded through labyrinths. He has honed the skill at great cost, first navigating through the vagaries of court intrigue, a foreigner and the Dauphin’s favorite, then faced with the brutal realities of war, and later escaping the deadly labyrinths of Fez, and the treacherous … Continue reading Chapter Four- Artful Diversions, by Mordaunt
Chapter Three- Threads of Truth, by Corso
Now they know … she looks from one to the other, her boys … the day forever etched in her memory … early morning … soldiers on horseback in the yard, churning up the dust stinging her eyes… … soldiers marching toward her … Richelieu behind them, red robes billowing…’did you think you could hide … Continue reading Chapter Three- Threads of Truth, by Corso
Chapter Two- Oubliette, by Mordaunt
Above her, creaking floor-planks sag under the weight of armed men, their booted feet thumping as they march into the house. Every time one of them steps over the narrow gap between the planks, they block the ray of light that slithers into the cellar where she hides, the cellar where Mamma keeps the oils … Continue reading Chapter Two- Oubliette, by Mordaunt
Chapter One – The Long Ride, by Corso
Lucien is stunned …Athos steps back and time slows… he hears the words but cannot make sense of them …“What the hell are you rambling on about?” he growls, his sword still half-drawn. …”Oh no! Can it be that dear Maman did not tell you the whole truth? Tsk tsk tsk…Dear Maman was always such … Continue reading Chapter One – The Long Ride, by Corso
Twelve Years After 