Chapter Summaries

Georgiana spoke with Maria Edgeworth about love, freedom, charity, and her relationship with Napoleon, while Mr. Turner and Fresnel discussed Fresnel’s lighthouse lens. The chapter ended with Georgiana and Maria glaring at each other after clashing over whether people could bring peace and happiness.

• Fresnel and Mr. Turner examined the challenges of making Fresnel’s lighthouse lens large enough for practical use, and Fresnel skipped class to look for a suitable lighthouse.
• Maria Edgeworth told Georgiana about a duchess who persuaded her husband to sell villages to rebuild their home, prompting Georgiana to think of Lannes and Napoleon’s decision to send him to Antwerp.
• Maria questioned Georgiana about Napoleon’s gifts and whether she depended on him, while Georgiana defended his support for her freedom and the laws protecting women.
• Georgiana and Maria argued over the work and education of children in Georgiana’s charity, and Maria warned that Napoleon might eventually abandon her.
• Georgiana explained the name Napoleon had given her and disagreed with Maria about where peace and happiness came from, leaving the women glaring at one another as Mr. Turner approached.

Georgiana reflected on the history of electricity before arguing with Bonaparte over love, loyalty, and the threat she might pose to France. Bonaparte confessed that he loved her and kissed her, while Georgiana wondered whether their changed history could still be trusted.

• Georgiana considered how early electrical experiments became public entertainment and how demonstrations could provoke fear and political controversy.
• Georgiana returned to the farmhouse angry about a children's writer and challenged Bonaparte over whether people only exploited one another.
• Georgiana reminded Bonaparte that she had threatened his lover and heir, and he warned her not to endanger France.
• Bonaparte left after Georgiana accused him of treating her like a brother, then returned and said he loved her.
• Georgiana prayed for Bonaparte and questioned whether he wanted love; he kissed her, and a tremendous boom startled them.

Georgiana reflected on Napoleon’s vulnerability and the political and military stakes surrounding Louisiana while organizing a large banquet in Boulogne. As she prepared for the celebration and considered Parma’s future administration, Fiegel delivered a Golden Snitch from a cloaked woman waiting by the stage.

• Georgiana considered how Napoleon’s wartime instincts and need for guidance could shape his decisions if Britain and France went to war again.
• Georgiana reasoned that Napoleon might sell Louisiana or use it to secure American support, while Spanish ships could block British merchants on the Mississippi and carry tobacco to France.
• Georgiana organized a banquet for two thousand people with Saint Merry’s help and noticed Watt had arrived in France amid rumors of a citizen exchange.
• Georgiana saw that General Andre was displeased after Luosidong took the ambassadorial post originally intended for him, and she considered appointing a steward for Parma.
• Georgiana worried that Fresnel might be pushed too hard before the celebration and hoped her involvement would not derail his scientific future.
• Fiegel gave Georgiana a Golden Snitch from a cloaked woman near the stage, and Georgiana went to meet her.

Georgiana met Cassandra, who warned that a catastrophe and famine would come in thirteen years and challenged her to consider how her choices affected people’s survival. Cassandra revealed that the world would be reset after the catastrophe, leaving Elba as an ark, and departed after calling Georgiana by the name Pomona.

• Georgiana asked Cassandra about her identity, and Cassandra warned that a prolonged catastrophe would bring food shortages in roughly thirteen years.
• Cassandra urged Georgiana to reconsider brewing beer and to think about grain reserves, agriculture, and the food consumed by soldiers and drinkers.
• Georgiana argued that people needed hope and happiness, while Cassandra challenged her claim that humanity would endure and said most spirits would be reset after the catastrophe.
• Cassandra called Georgiana Pomona and asked whether she knew how to make herself truly happy, then vanished behind the stage.
• Georgiana found a gold-plated pocket watch ticking backward and reflected on war, famine, population, and what people should do when the end came.

Georgiana prepared a truce banquet and considered how agriculture and political connections might help France, while privately struggling with fear and despair. Bonaparte lifted her spirits by arranging a gathering where people flew kites for her, and she joined him on the beach.

• Georgiana arranged wine and guests for the truce banquet and accepted bribes to help cover its costs.
• Georgiana considered fertilizer, rural cooperatives, and the political challenges of appointing Parma's Councillors of State.
• Georgiana designed a map table as Napoleon's birthday gift but kept Cassandra's prophecy from him and worried about her uncertain fate.
• Georgiana struggled to feel happy, ate chocolate, and wondered where she was as she examined her backward-running pocket watch.
• Bonaparte revealed that he had arranged for people to fly colorful kites for Georgiana, then led her to join them on the beach.

Georgiana reflected on Gustav's disciplined army and the story of the beer that earned a farmer a brewery, then worked on plans for a banquet and a report on military discipline and popular education. Polifonta brought news that Miss Raucourt would perform, but Georgiana found Napoleon's note said something else and burned it before the chapter ended.

• Gustav's army paid Saxon farmers for grain, and Gustav rewarded a farmer with a sapphire ring after drinking his beer; the farmer later built a famous brewery.
• Georgiana reviewed the banquet preparations, considered the value of education and military discipline, and decided her report should include Gustav's story.
• Polifonta told Georgiana that Miss Raucourt would perform at the banquet and replace Grassini in singing French opera in Italy.
• Georgiana recognized Napoleon's handwriting on Polifonta's note, discovered its contents differed from his claim, and burned the paper.

Georgiana received pink roses from Bonaparte and discussed her plans for St. Peter’s Church and a Belgian banquet honoring Saint Columban. After spending a tender afternoon together, she toured the old town and asked Matilda to have roses arranged wherever she went.

• Georgiana arranged the bouquet of pink roses inside the farmhouse and Bonaparte returned at noon, teasing her before drawing her onto his lap.
• Georgiana defended her wish to build St. Peter’s Church and proposed a Belgian banquet for Saint Columban’s feast day, telling Bonaparte stories about the saint and beer.
• Bonaparte kissed Georgiana, and she spent a relaxing afternoon with him before sleeping alone that night; the next day, he filled her room with pink roses.
• Georgiana continued preparing for the armistice banquet and toured the old town, reflecting on wealth, hardship, and the city’s history.
• Georgiana told Matilda to arrange roses wherever she went, making them her small personal indulgence.

Georgiana considered Napoleon’s Egyptian expedition and the spectacle she needed for an upcoming party before receiving star-stone earrings from Watt and an enormous diamond necklace from Bonaparte. Bonaparte invited her to see the Taj Mahal and insisted she wear the earrings and her black dress to the party.

• Georgiana reflected on the power struggle between the Ottomans, Mamluks, and Wahhabi followers over Egypt after France’s departure.
• Georgiana worried that the balloon demonstration would disappoint its audience and wondered how to create a spectacular attraction for the party.
• Feilier brought Georgiana a pair of star-stone earrings that Mr. Watt had sent, and Georgiana put them on.
• Bonaparte sent Feilier away, gave Georgiana a necklace set with the Great Mogul Diamond, and asked whether she wanted to visit the Taj Mahal.
• Georgiana kissed Bonaparte, agreed to wear her black dress and star-stone earrings, and called him Sultan as they danced around the house.

Georgiana reflected on the cycles of power and Napoleon’s ambitions while regretting that she had been drawn into wearing the Great Mogul Diamond. She left her room after Mr. Fargeon invited her for a walk.

• Georgiana considered how military victories, political alliances, and religious authority shaped the rise and decline of European powers.
• Georgiana worried that Napoleon expected her to wear the large diamond necklace to a ball and regretted being misled.
• Georgiana cried alone in her room and wished she could drink away her regret.
• Matilda told Georgiana that Mr. Fargeon had invited her for a walk, and Georgiana agreed to go.

Georgiana walked with Fargeon and Fresnel, discussing British glassmaking, Fresnel’s optical research, and ways to improve vanilla cultivation. Fargeon gave Georgiana a book about John Ray, leaving her with a new subject to read about.

• Georgiana and Fargeon watched marching troops and discussed Napoleon’s preparations and Britain’s industries.
• Fargeon explained how Fresnel needed purer glass for his research on light polarization and had arranged for him to work with skilled craftsmen.
• Georgiana and Fargeon discussed British glassware, perfume, and the expense of vanilla ice cream.
• Georgiana suggested hand-pollinating vanilla flowers and considered having orphanage children do the work.
• Fargeon asked Georgiana about John Ray, then had Fresnel hand her a book about him.

Georgiana discussed the history of chemistry and the dangers young scholars faced under older patrons before asking Bonaparte to help find James Watt’s son. She left Bonaparte irritated after criticizing his choice of friends and urging him to spend more time with scholars.

• The chapter recounted Lavoisier’s execution, his experiments establishing the conservation of mass and the composition of water, and the controversy with Priestley over the discovery.
• Georgiana reflected that young researchers such as Fresnel could be controlled by older patrons, and noted Madame Lavoisier’s contributions to her husband’s experiments.
• Georgiana used the Farmer's Growth Charm to grow vanilla pods, harvested them for the kitchen, and returned to the farmhouse after dark.
• Georgiana asked Bonaparte to help James Watt find his son and explained that James and his brother Gregory had difficult relationships with their family and peers.
• Georgiana criticized Bonaparte for spending time with actresses instead of French Academy scholars, and Bonaparte angrily stood up as she ran away inside the farmhouse.

Georgiana reflected on authority, belief, education, and the soul while considering Pomona’s doubts about Harry being Voldemort’s final Horcrux. After closing Fargeon’s book, she went to sleep beside the man sharing her bed.

• Napoleon asked how young James Watt had escaped, and Fargeon recounted the young man’s Jacobin sympathies, arrest, and connection to Boulton’s family.
• Pomona reasoned that Voldemort would not knowingly destroy Harry if Harry were his Horcrux, and she linked Cedric Diggory’s death to the creation of Wormtail’s silver hand.
• Georgiana reflected on belief, political power, education, and the value of religion amid Voldemort’s oppressive rule.
• Georgiana read Fargeon’s marked passage about John Ray’s arguments on human anatomy and the purposes of bodily parts.
• Georgiana closed the book, wished the man beside her good night, kissed his forehead, and fell asleep.

Georgiana prepared the banquet celebrating peace between Britain and France and advised Layla on navigating its social and political dangers. Layla left to take up her duties, while Georgiana remained uncertain whether the girl sought a match or a different future.

• Bonaparte inspected the troops as Georgiana coordinated the banquet preparations with Madame Geoffrin, Countess d'Haussonville, and the other organizers.
• Georgiana asked Layla whether she hoped to find a husband or had another purpose for attending the gathering.
• Georgiana explained that Layla needed to show restraint and poise, then tested how she would handle a soldier demanding entry to the banquet hall.
• Layla said she could manage her duties, and Georgiana told her to ask for help if needed.
• Layla curtsied and left the sitting room as Georgiana sighed at the military music outside.

Georgiana considered the pressures facing Alice and Layla and the schemes surrounding Napoleon, then received Madame de La Rochefoucauld. She left the farmhouse in legally permitted men’s clothing, inviting Alice’s mother to accompany her despite the woman’s disapproval.

• Georgiana reflected on Layla’s difficult path and the risks and expectations facing women in political society.
• Matilda revealed that a young woman was targeting Napoleon and hoped to drive Georgiana away with Josephine’s tacit consent.
• Georgiana prepared to leave and received Madame de La Rochefoucauld, who thanked her for caring for Alice.
• Georgiana invited Madame de La Rochefoucauld along and explained that she had permission to wear men’s clothes for riding.
• Madame de La Rochefoucauld said she rode side-saddle, and Georgiana urged her to learn to ride astride before leaving the farmhouse.

Georgiana discovered that the expensive mineral water ordered for the evening party carried royalist associations and decided to keep it off the table. At the docks, Stanley warned her that British politicians were interested in Trinidad and that Mexican silver had reached Boulton’s mint, leaving Georgiana to wonder whether she should tell Napoleon.

• Georgiana tasted the Chateldon mineral water Madame Balrong had ordered and found it foul, while La Rochefoucauld identified it as water once supplied to Louis XIV.
• Georgiana told Madame Balrong to take the water up the mountain for now and checked the other party supplies, including ribbons and rose decorations.
• Georgiana met Stanley at the docks, where he showed her his small fishing catch and questioned her about the evening’s performers.
• Stanley told Georgiana that Britain regarded the French Republic as an ally it could not trust and that British members of Parliament were interested in Trinidad.
• Stanley revealed that Mexican silver coins had arrived at Boulton’s mint and urged Georgiana to keep it secret.
• Georgiana learned Napoleon was watching a naval drill and wondered whether Stanley had intended her to pass the information on to him.

Georgiana reflected on monsters, power, history, and the costs of changing the past while grappling with her feelings for the man beside her. As she rode through the wind in tears, she accepted that she had mistaken a dream for reality and resolved to spare a possible daughter from this world.

• Georgiana woke to find the man dressing and asked why he wanted her to wear black.
• The man teased Georgiana about her former fear of Sean, while she compared herself to monsters and questioned whether people could change.
• Georgiana considered how rulers, elections, and revolutions shaped France, and realized she had already disrupted the government and changed history.
• Georgiana thought about motherhood and decided that, if she had a child, enduring more herself would be her final effort for that child.
• Georgiana rode through the wind with tears on her face and understood the mineral water's taste as salty, like her tears.

Georgiana inspected the preparations for a major banquet and considered how religion, political legitimacy, and succession shaped France and Europe. As she confirmed that the Champagne was chilled, cannon fire sounded and a British fleet appeared offshore, suggesting the guests had arrived.

• Georgiana inspected the tent, kitchen, seating arrangements, and preparations for a banquet serving two thousand people.
• Madame La Rochefoucauld asked whether priests would attend, and Georgiana reflected on the Church’s decline and Napoleon’s political authority.
• Georgiana considered Napoleon’s power to appoint an heir and compared it with Roman succession and Britain’s choice of monarchs.
• Madame Balrong confirmed that the Champagne had been chilled with ice.
• Georgiana heard a cannon blast and saw a British fleet anchored offshore with its flags flying.

Georgiana met the sixth Duke of Bedford and his fiancée, Georgiana Gordon, at the dock while Ledrell escorted them to meet the First Consul. As they walked, Georgiana learned about their tangled family connections and presented herself as a gardener rather than an agricultural scientist.

• Georgiana greeted the sixth Duke of Bedford, who discussed the Alert and its service alongside the Sybill during the American Revolutionary War.
• Ledrell urged the duke and his party to continue because the First Consul was waiting for them.
• Georgiana Gordon corrected the duke’s account of the Alert and introduced herself as his fiancée and the fifth daughter of the Duke of Gordon.
• Francis teased Georgiana Gordon about how people mistook her wet nurse for her mother, and Georgiana learned that the duke was her fiancé despite their age difference.
• Georgiana Gordon asked whether Georgiana was an agricultural scientist, and Georgiana modestly said she was a gardener who tended flowers and plants.

Georgiana reflected on British politics, the blockade of France, and the shifting interests of the aristocrats accompanying her and Bonaparte. The Duke of Bedford’s family departed from the party, and Georgiana ended the meeting joking with Miss Gordon about being a witch.

• Georgiana observed that Francis Russell remained gloomy over his mother’s death while the Duke of Bedford seemed cheerful with his young wife.
• Georgiana considered the political tensions surrounding Earl Saint Vincent, Earl of Chatham, William Pitt the Younger, and the British blockade of France.
• The Duke of Bedford regretted that Canova was absent and indicated that his family would not continue traveling with Georgiana and Bonaparte.
• Miss Gordon asked Georgiana how she had predicted a freeze, and Georgiana dismissed it as a guess.
• Georgiana jokingly called herself a witch, and Miss Gordon gave her candy while Bonaparte and the Duke of Bedford laughed.

At a seaside truce banquet, Georgiana was challenged by Miss Gordon to a horse race, with Bonaparte offering an ornate dagger as the prize. Georgiana mounted a horse to compete, while Miss Gordon sent a British soldier in her place.

• Ledrell told Georgiana about the handsome fourth Duke of Gordon, and Georgiana asked about the Bedford family’s sons while watching Francis Russell and Robert Peel.
• Georgiana followed Francis and Robert out of the restaurant, but Miss Gordon distracted her by challenging her to play the piano and then to race horses.
• Bonaparte offered a jeweled dagger as the wager, and Miss Gordon chose a chestnut thoroughbred before ordering a British soldier to ride for her.
• Miss Gordon suggested Georgiana had staged the foxglove incident, but Georgiana denied it and ignored a guard who offered to compete for her.
• Georgiana mounted her horse and followed the soldier toward the starting line, wondering what Miss Gordon wanted and whether Napoleon cared about her safety.