Lannes, commander of the Imperial Guard, had not only taken part in many important battles, but had also entered the Papal States with Viktor.
It was precisely because he was Napoleon's confidant that he had been placed in command of the Imperial Guard.
He had once served as a quartermaster in Egypt, and had done fairly well at it. But after joining the Imperial Guard, he had become lavish when purchasing supplies for the "favorites," out of consideration for their feelings.
He had a problem with unclear pronunciation because a bullet had passed through both his cheeks outside Acre, leaving him unable to speak clearly afterward. Before he returned from Egypt, his wife had given birth to a son. He suspected it was illegitimate. That year, Napoleon was not the only one whose marriage had fallen apart.
Unlike Napoleon, however, he had chosen divorce. Then he had joined Napoleon in the second Italian campaign. After returning home, he had married Louise Antoinette, the daughter of a high official, according to Napoleon's arrangements. Their marriage was remarkably happy—so happy that he even brought her to Georgiana's side to keep her company while he was at work.
Georgiana had not asked about Louise's father's position. As Josephine had said, women should not meddle in politics. She had originally had only Sophie as a maid, but now there was another one. Along with Madame de Montesquieu and Joseph's wife, Molly, she already had more than enough female companions.
Her hobby was reading rather than chatting. While reading, she could stare blankly into space and think.
Belgium lay on the western coast of Europe, bordering Germany to the east, the Netherlands to the north, France to the south, and the North Sea to the west, facing Britain across the water.
Such a place was