Jeu de la Bête was a 17th c French trick-taking card game, derived from the earlier (16th c) Spanish game Ombre (Homme, in French). It is named after the bête (beast), a term that referred to the penalty for failing to take the required number of tricks or for various infringements. The silence that envelops … Continue reading Chapter Seventy-Nine, Jeu de la Bête, by Mordaunt
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
Château de Bourron-Marlotte
This small château, which in the story serves as one of Rochefort's many safe-houses, is not too far from Fontainebleau and is a hotel today. The owners provide a brief history of the place, and it is in that history that we discovered a way to connect this charming place with our story. M. de … Continue reading Château de Bourron-Marlotte
Twelve Years After 