After a brief spell of warmth, bitter cold once again enveloped Lyon.
The snow had not yet had time to melt. Though it was not cold enough for dripping water to freeze instantly, it was still cold enough to make people prefer staying indoors where it was warm.
Such weather was common in Scotland. Besides, horseback riding was a fine form of exercise, so rather than remain indoors in a plain dress beside a fireplace like Madame Récamier, she donned men's clothing, wrapped herself in a dark gray cloak trimmed with gold, and rode about the wilderness outside Lyon with Major General Louis de Narbonne-Lara.
The cavalry trailing far behind them was a unit of Mamluk horsemen. They had originally been Syrian Imperial Guards and Mamluk guards captured by Kléber during the siege of Acre. On July 7, 1800, Menou reorganized them into the "Republican Mamluks." In 1801, they were sent to Marseille, where General Rapp commanded a Mamluk cavalry squadron of 250 men. On January 7, 1802, it was reduced to only 150 men.
The Mamluks under General Rapp belonged to the regular army, while the hundred men cut from the unit were placed under Major General Lara's command to protect Georgiana. In Napoleon's teasing words, Georgiana was now a centurion.
Supporting a hundred private soldiers was no difficulty for her. Their pay could temporarily be sponsored by the Bonafou Company. Napoleon's inauguration was more like a vacation; he was in no hurry about the situation in Paris, as if he were letting the people of Paris grow accustomed to maintaining order while he was absent.
His inauguration was also conducted like child's play. Thirty members led by Francesco Melzi d'Eril nominated Napoleon as the Italian Republic's Supreme Chief Executive before the assembled councilors. To prevent anyone from rashly