Joseph had originally been meant to go to America with Ledrell to discuss the sale of land. Now he remained in Paris to stand guard, while Ledrell had become part of the entourage for this journey.
Georgiana had not gone to pray as Duroc had said. Though Caprara was not an especially competent guardian, he had not been so derelict that he needed replacing. Unless something unexpected had happened, there must have been another problem.
"Good evening, Madam," Ledrell said after Margarita closed the door.
"What happened?" Georgiana asked bluntly.
Ledrell said nothing for a long time.
"The Church or the Pope?" Georgiana asked again.
Rather than asking how she had known, Ledrell fell silent, as though considering how to phrase his words.
Georgiana was thinking as well. The Church was a useful assistant to kings. Could it be...
"When Alexander the Great was in revolt, Napoleon ordered it suppressed," Ledrell said. "Not only were those involved to be executed, but their entire homes were to be demolished as well. General Kléber did not strictly carry out that order. He only executed the rebel who had seriously wounded and killed Frenchmen, and he did not destroy his house."
"All right, I know they were not so close in Egypt," Georgiana said indifferently. "Two generals even fought a duel over it."
"Leuven," Ledrell said.
"Oh!" she wailed.
"Even without public seminaries, there are secret ones. Napoleon does not want priests to be monks of another world, but men who understand this world, who are useful to secular society and loyal to civil rights. A princess waiting in a tower for a knight to save her does not happen in real history, though there are other ways to curb her freedom. Now he intends to put reins on the clergy, so they