Chapter Summaries

Georgiana heard Bougainville recount how he encountered monkeys and a statue on an island, then discussed the danger of taking souvenirs and the approaching Versailles investiture with him. The conversation left Georgiana wondering what Bonaparte said about her and facing the temptation of the unopened question represented by Bougainville’s Champagne.

• Bougainville told Georgiana how he shot a monkey, watched the others carry it away, and later found a statue in a cave that his sailors believed was a monster.
• Georgiana warned Bougainville that taking souvenirs could bring misfortune, while he urged her to let go of painful attachments.
• Bougainville told Georgiana that the First Consul planned to use the Bayard Helmet at an investiture ceremony in Versailles.
• Bougainville asked Georgiana whether she thought Bonaparte’s efforts were worthwhile, then told her that Bonaparte loved another woman and had complained about dealing with her.
• Bougainville went to call Bertin, and Georgiana came out from behind the screen and looked at the Champagne he had left behind.

Georgiana prepared for an encounter with Napoleon, then experienced a vision that connected a fable about souls with Harry, Voldemort, and Dumbledore’s conversation. She woke beside Napoleon with fragments of the vision still in mind and hurried to write them down.

• Bertin dressed Georgiana in a gaudy gown, and Georgiana used a Color-Changing Charm to turn it silver before Hathor appeared and told her she could leave her image.
• Hathor kissed Georgiana, and Georgiana found herself walking through darkness as Dumbledore and Severus discussed Harry’s connection to Voldemort and their damaged souls.
• Dumbledore questioned Pomona about the word mind and the Inquisition, then offered her a silver snowflake locket.
• Georgiana recalled a fable about birds choosing a king and found herself in a blue room beside a man wearing a black silk pouch.
• Georgiana spoke to Napoleon about Milan Cathedral and Saint Bartholomew’s sculpture, then jumped up to find paper and a pen so she could record her dream.

Georgiana researched the meanings of “imagine” and “mind” before discussing political honors, Severus, and love with Bonaparte. Bonaparte then asked whether she would take charge of a proposed police office on the Seine, and Georgiana denied having deliberately pursued the connections that led to it.

• Georgiana hid her notes on the words “imagine” and “mind” in her locket when Bonaparte asked about them.
• Bonaparte defended holding the investiture ceremony at Versailles and argued that soldiers deserved glory, dignity, and rewards.
• Georgiana and Bonaparte discussed Severus, his treatment by others, and Georgiana's refusal to love Bonaparte.
• Georgiana urged Bonaparte to treat Josephine well or divorce her, and he mocked her as an impartial judge.
• Bonaparte asked Georgiana to take on a proposed police office on the Seine and pointed out her connection to Bessières's father-in-law.
• Georgiana insisted she had not pursued the Seine Fundraising Office connection on purpose, and Bonaparte laughed at her explanation.

Georgiana met with Augustin de La Fayette to discuss forming a Seine River Police Department and pressed him to join despite the risks of opposing Fouché. The conversation was interrupted when Margarita arrived and Augustin reacted with surprise.

• Georgiana recalled the history of river policing and prepared to receive Matilda and Augustin de La Fayette in the Tuileries Palace.
• Augustin warned Georgiana that creating the Seine River Police Department would put them against Fouché, while Bougainville said the Navy would support the effort.
• Georgiana urged Augustin to consider his duty and asked what he would do if someone harmed his sister; Bougainville questioned him about his uncle and treated his answers as agreement to join.
• Bougainville explained how the British Navy could seize people and force them into service, while Georgiana questioned whether France could adopt such powers.
• Matilda returned with Layla and Margarita, and Augustin stared in surprise when Margarita appeared.

Georgiana reflected on justice, conscience, and her own exhaustion while Matilda shared a private scandal involving General Bessières. After speaking with Chateaubriand, Georgiana tried to comfort Bertin and remained uncertain whether she belonged in the world she inhabited.

• Matilda told Georgiana that Virginie Oreille had written to General Bessières hoping to build a family with him, despite knowing he was married.
• Matilda said Bertin seemed unhappy, and Georgiana agreed to speak with her despite feeling exhausted.
• Chateaubriand asked Georgiana how far conscience could lead someone, and she decided she could choose not to sacrifice herself for the greater good.
• Georgiana asked Bertin what was wrong, and Bertin said Georgiana had washed away the patterns in her design.
• Georgiana urged Bertin to accept death as part of life, rise from the ashes, and free herself from what weighed her down.

Georgiana confronted Bonaparte about Bessières’s betrayal but refused to expose or punish him directly, wanting to spare Jane and Virginie from harm. She decided instead to write and stage a play about the Swiss witch trials, then began destroying the room as Joker laughed beside her.

• Georgiana reflected on Dumbledore’s influence, women’s survival, and the violence underlying laws and order.
• Bonaparte told Georgiana that Bessières could arrive the next day, but she said she had never asked for him.
• Georgiana rejected the idea of punishing Bessières through the church and explained that she did not want to destroy Jane’s happiness or hurt Virginie.
• Georgiana announced that she would write and stage a play about the witch trials in Switzerland to make people confront their consciences.
• Georgiana picked up her wand, began destroying the room, and laughed along with Joker.

Georgiana questioned Bessières about his relationship with Miss Virginie, then wounded him with magic and healed him. She ordered him to have his marriage declared invalid and offered to help Miss Virginie leave Paris, while reflecting that the First Consul had no authority to invalidate Georgiana’s own previous marriage.

• Georgiana reflected on justice, conscience, and the trials of Orestes as she practiced yoga at Rambouillet.
• Georgiana questioned Bessières about his views on the French Revolution and his two-year relationship with Miss Virginie.
• Georgiana struck Bessières with Sectumsempra, then healed him with Episkey before he could die.
• Georgiana told Bessières to find a notary and declare his marriage invalid, offering to arrange a place for Miss Virginie to stay if she wanted to leave Paris.
• Bessières challenged Georgiana about her marriage to the General, and she said the First Consul lacked authority to invalidate her previous marriage.

Georgiana confronted Bessières about his completed marriage paperwork with Virginie and the choices that had led him to marry Jane. After Bessières left, Mr. Martin arrived to meet Georgiana, leaving their business discussion to begin.

• Bessières told Georgiana that he had completed the paperwork to marry Virginie, and she challenged him about it.
• Georgiana explained why Virginie would face a military court if she tried to sue, then told Bessières to pass a message to Bougainville about the British Navy.
• Bessières bowed and left Georgiana’s reception room, and she reflected on Augustine and Gaudin.
• Saint-Bleuchain announced that Mr. Martin, president of the Lyon Chamber of Commerce, had arrived.
• Georgiana invited Mr. Martin to sit as Margarita went to fetch wine.

Georgiana accepted Ms. Martin’s house deed after learning of political and legal concerns involving Fouché, Murat, and the maritime court. She then reflected on divine rules, political ambition, and tragic deaths as she headed to the small theater with Ms. Martin.

• Ms. Martin offered Georgiana a house deed in the Marais, but Georgiana said she wanted to live at the Jardin des Plantes and then agreed to accept the house as well.
• Ms. Martin explained Fouché’s influence over French policing and industry, and Georgiana agreed to live at the Jardin des Plantes after hearing that Murat was also a concern.
• Ms. Martin raised the question of whether France should classify its maritime court as civil, and Georgiana asked her to handle the post office matter.
• Ms. Martin told Georgiana that Chaptal wanted to become her guardian again, and Georgiana changed the subject by suggesting they listen to music.
• Georgiana reflected on the stories of Hippolytus, Napoleon, and other figures, decided to give away the painting of Antony receiving Cleopatra, and went with Ms. Martin to the small theater.

Georgiana attended an exhibition of a circular panorama of Paris, where she met the Marquis de Lolepang, a traveler who had rescued Marie Thérèse from France. After hearing that the panorama was painted by Robert Barker, she left with Mr. Martin to find a vacant room for music.

• The chapter described Murat’s lavish Paris household and his interest in buying the Élysée Palace.
• Georgiana and Mr. Martin arrived at a small theater hosting a panoramic exhibition, where Matilda showed them a view of Paris from Flora Hall.
• Saint-Bleuchain explained that the panorama had been donated by the Marquis de Lolepang, who had helped Marie Thérèse escape France after the Revolution.
• Matilda brought the marquis to meet Georgiana, and he discussed his travels and the painting by Robert Barker.
• Mr. Martin asked Matilda for a vacant room so they could listen to music, and Georgiana left the exhibition with him.

Georgiana listened to an actress sing for her and Mr. Martin, but her thoughts drifted through love, beauty, war, and her place in the world. When the first song ended, she asked for another piece, and Mr. Martin chose The Marriage of Figaro.

• Matilda brought Georgiana and Mr. Martin to an empty room, where Georgiana asked her to find someone who could sing Handel.
• An actress sang a slow aria, and Mr. Martin translated its lyrics for Georgiana.
• Georgiana grew drowsy and thought someone had kissed her, but Mr. Martin appeared to be listening intently to the music.
• Georgiana reflected on her past, her connection to Severus, and the losses and debts surrounding Bonaparte and Lannes.
• Georgiana asked the actress to sing something else, and Mr. Martin requested The Marriage of Figaro.

Georgiana considered the political maneuvering around Napoleon, Louisiana, and the émigrés while Mr. Martin tried to persuade her to comfort Bonaparte. She declined to intervene, leaving him to face his vulnerability without her.

• Jefferson and Adams recalled their humiliating audience with George III, while Washington's neutrality had kept America from aiding France against Britain.
• Napoleon's pressure on Hamburg shelved a plan to force neutral ships through British ports, as France's finances and the Louisiana negotiations remained unsettled.
• Alexandre de Mazis, Napoleon's impoverished former classmate, sought his help, leaving Napoleon unusually distracted.
• Mr. Martin encouraged Georgiana to comfort Bonaparte, but she hoped another woman would win his affection and free her from their relationship.
• Georgiana stayed to listen to the opera rather than approach Bonaparte, while Chateaubriand sought to soften the wording of Bonaparte's reference to fate.

Georgiana considered the escalating conflict between France and Britain before meeting Napoleon, whose questions about her motives unsettled her. The chapter ended with Georgiana kissing Napoleon, awakening the passion between them.

• Georgiana recalled the attack on French forces in Venice and France's preparations to defend itself, while Napoleon sought ways to challenge Britain's blockade.
• Henry Petty and the British First Lord of the Admiralty dealt with maritime strategy and the risk of naval mutiny as Britain pursued Napoleon.
• Georgiana wore the emerald olive-leaf jewelry Martin had given her when the wife of the Batavian envoy summoned her.
• Napoleon asked Georgiana to shave him and questioned whether she had acted proactively to prove she could control him.
• Georgiana told Napoleon that he had left Mantua's swamp behind, then kissed him as the drums of a charge seemed to awaken a hidden beast.

Georgiana recovered in Napoleon’s room and resisted his plan to give her control of the Land Registry and the Paris Agricultural Society. She left to study the map and consider how France should define and survey its territorial waters.

• Georgiana woke exhausted beside Napoleon, who had cooked and eaten while she recovered.
• Napoleon returned her missing olive-leaf earring and proposed placing Mazzi with her, along with giving her the Land Registry and the Paris Agricultural Society.
• Georgiana objected that the institutions belonged to the nation and warned Napoleon that replacing Fouché would corrupt his followers.
• Napoleon offered to have her sent back, and Georgiana dressed and left his room with his support.
• Georgiana studied the map and considered the difficulties of surveying France’s borders and defining its territorial waters.

Georgiana learned why Oriani was measuring the meridian arc from Rimini to Rome and wondered whether Napoleon planned to establish Rome as the prime meridian. She also saw an old essay Napoleon had written as a student, then secretly copied it before Talleyrand could deliver it to him.

• Alexandre de Mazis brought Georgiana a map, and he pointed out Rimini on Italy's Adriatic coast.
• Georgiana and Catharina Schimmelpenninck discussed Napoleon's order to measure the meridian arc from Rimini to Rome.
• Catharina pressed Mazis about his school days with Napoleon, and Mazis revealed that they had written a dialogue about love together.
• Talleyrand brought Mazis an old essay Napoleon had submitted to a prize competition, and Georgiana read its confused reflections on Alexander the Great and Cromwell.
• Georgiana caught up with Talleyrand, used Geminio to copy Napoleon's essay, and let him take the original to Napoleon.

Georgiana learned about Napoleon’s impoverished school years and his friendship with Mazzi while preparing for a journey to Rimini, then discussed the blockade and Napoleon’s finances. After dinner, Napoleon took her to a damaged room and asked her to help plan its decoration.

• Mazzi recounted Napoleon’s bookish school life, his essay contest, and how his mother’s fears led him to choose artillery.
• Georgiana’s librarian brought books about Rimini, and Georgiana and Mazzi discussed the town, the blockade, and ways French ships could move cargo inland.
• Mazzi explained that the Bonaparte family’s debts had left Napoleon and his siblings struggling, and Georgiana considered paying Napoleon’s old bills.
• After an official dinner, Napoleon brought Georgiana to the room he wanted to redecorate and suggested adding a mirror or a statue of himself.
• Georgiana asked why Napoleon was measuring the distance between Rimini and Rome, and he said he wanted to know the straight-line distance.

Georgiana and Bonaparte argued over ideas, politics, and a hurtful article as they prepared to return to Paris. Bonaparte admitted he had not wanted anyone to see the article, then invited Georgiana to write with him.

• Georgiana was distracted by thoughts of Rome and nebulae before Captain Nightingale glared at her in the doorway.
• Bonaparte asked Georgiana what she thought of making reliefs, but she told him she had been thinking about nebulae and discussed astronomers instead.
• Georgiana reflected on Bonaparte's education, Laplace's support for talented students, and the value of being recognized.
• Bonaparte criticized Georgiana's idea of combining divine and human law, and she told him she would not discuss political leanings.
• Bonaparte said they would return to Paris the next day, and Georgiana eagerly agreed before asking whether Talleyrand had upset him.
• Bonaparte admitted he had not wanted anyone to see the article, then teased Georgiana about writing dialogue of love with him; she asked him for geometry problems instead.

Georgiana learned about the nationwide cadaster and Bonaparte’s plans to carry it out, then worked through geometry problems with him. Bonaparte hinted at a letter he wanted her to burn, while Georgiana left wondering where the future would lead.

• Georgiana told Bonaparte about the Cadastral Office’s plans, and he dismissed the heads of two tax departments and the cadastral administration.
• The government prepared to survey every plot in France and extend cadastral work into northern Italy and Belgium.
• Bonaparte set Georgiana geometry problems and helped her correct her proofs.
• Bonaparte told Georgiana how he had recognized San Marino’s independence and asked whether she wanted to stay away from politics.
• Bonaparte told Georgiana to burn a letter, and she left the suite after directing the people waiting for an audience to enter.

Georgiana considered the political crisis surrounding Napoleoni and realized he wanted the British exiles driven out rather than Malta or Hamburg. After urging Captain Nightingale to keep the British expatriates inside their camp, she spoke with Chateaubriand about exile, loyalty, and why she remained with Napoleoni.

• Georgiana reflected on Hannibal, broken obligations, and the danger of misreading Napoleoni’s aims.
• Georgiana told Captain Nightingale that Napoleoni wanted the exiles removed from Britain and asked him to keep all British expatriates in the camp.
• Georgiana rested on a sofa and questioned whether she could rule the world with magic or become a female Merlin.
• Chateaubriand asked Georgiana to go to America with him and recounted his return from America during the King’s flight and his failed efforts to support the royalists.
• Chateaubriand said Napoleoni already knew his views about the exiles, and Georgiana said she might be staying to protect the leader.

Georgiana tried to persuade Sir Merry to protect the expatriates and her student, using historical examples and a promise to guard the girl. After Sir Merry left, Genevieve revealed that his strength had increased and asked what they should do next.

• Feilier read Monge's speech aloud while Georgiana listened and imagined tuning a magical frequency.
• Pomona read Snape's reflections on magic, and Snape said the Dark Lord had taught him to approach ancient powers with reverence.
• Georgiana awoke beside Sir Merry, who demanded proof for her warnings and explained the government's planned Habeas Corpus act.
• Georgiana vowed to protect her student as a life-debt and insisted Sir Merry must protect her too.
• Sir Merry hinted that Georgiana had awakened from a dream, then left the reception room.
• Genevieve, dressed as a nun, told Georgiana that Sir Merry had become stronger and asked what they should do next.