Napoleon's reason for wanting to go to Milan was simple. Italy was abroad. Though separated only by the Alps, he would not be subject to any restraints there.
First, Josephine's parents had likely come to Paris under the pretext of visiting their daughter. If Napoleon went to Milan without taking Josephine, what excuse would they have to follow him?
Second, his way of life in Italy was exceedingly ostentatious. A carriage drawn by eight horses was a privilege reserved for reigning monarchs, yet in Italy no newspaper dared criticize him.
After returning to France, however, he had to put on a humble appearance. One of Georgiana's British countrymen had once seen the scene of his return. The Directory held a grand celebration at the Luxembourg Palace, where a circular arena had been specially set up. The Directors left the seat of honor for him. At that time, all of Paris's noblest and most distinguished people had come. When he entered, everyone rose in salute. The gentlemen removed their hats, while the ladies watched him with fixed attention.
Yet the atmosphere within the hall was icy. The Directors in their robes commended him coldly, while the crowds in the streets erupted in cheers and applause like crashing waves.
The scene truly resembled Caesar and the senators of the Senate.
Georgiana believed in curses. She had seen David's The Death of Marat. Marat, another Jacobin "regicide," had suffered from a severe skin disease and needed to bathe every day.
Napoleon himself could not explain how he had contracted his skin disease. In any case, he had not had it before the Battle of Toulon. Several times, Georgiana had seen him soaking in a bathtub filled with water black as ink, yet he himself could not see it. Perhaps it was because he