If you caused trouble, of course you wanted to run as far away as possible.
The commotion on the Left Bank of the Seine had not reached the Right Bank. The coachman took Georgiana and Sophie to the Basilica of Our Lady of Victories near the Louvre Museum.
Louis XIII had built it to celebrate his victory over the Protestants at La Rochelle. He attributed that victory to prayers to the Blessed Virgin. During the Directory, it had been used as the headquarters of the lottery and the stock exchange. On July 15, 1801, the day after France's national holiday, the Concordat of 1801 was officially signed, and the church resumed its original purpose.
In the past, she would certainly have supported peace without reservation, because even the worst peace benefited women.
But men did not merely fight wars that promised profit. They also fought wars with no profit at all. Such wars defended the righteousness in their hearts, along with things they believed were worth devotion and sacrifice.
It was understandable that the Directory did not believe in God, but they should not have defiled this peaceful church with lotteries and noise.
The church was famous for its votive offerings. No sooner had the nuns tidied it enough to receive visitors than someone placed a prayer plaque on the shrine. Besides that, she noticed several military medals.
Someone's hope of persuading Chaptal through Georgiana to accept the Legion of Honour at the national-day banquet had come to nothing. Chaptal still refused it and remained at Rambouillet overseeing the sugar factory.
He truly was doing a dreadful job as her guardian, so much so that the First Consul wanted to replace him again.
She did not know whether Leon Sterndale was doing this to save face or for political reasons.