Chapter Summaries

Georgiana handled a dispute over Elizabeth’s stolen body by easing French hostility toward the British settlement, then met Thomas Granet to discuss Britain’s coming naval battle and political affairs. Granet left without answering when the next ambassador would arrive, while Georgiana wondered why the men around her kept withdrawing.

• Elizabeth’s mother discovered that her daughter’s grave had been dug up, and the townspeople blamed the neighboring British military settlement.
• Georgiana used an indirect approach and borrowed from Salic Law to calm the French crowd and prevent a confrontation between French and British soldiers.
• Caprara left Paris after expressing his preference for Bernadotte as Governor of Piedmont.
• Georgiana met Thomas Granet, who said he had warned Nelson about the icy waters around Amsterdam and discussed the coming naval battle.
• Granet urged Georgiana to remind Napoleon that Britain had stopped providing military aid to Portugal, then abruptly ended their meeting and drove away.
• Georgiana returned to her carriage, muttering about Granet’s departure and thinking she could ask Madame de Montesquieu to advise Demirld.

Georgiana reflected on Napoleon’s political power, financial recklessness, and the dangers of his rule while considering how to preserve his public support. At Versailles, Severus searched for Marie Antoinette’s ghost, while Gong Saiyi urged him to go elsewhere.

• Georgiana considered using Greek Fire against British ships at Malta but decided against it.
• Georgiana reviewed France’s debts and Napoleon’s misuse of money, then hid the evidence in a drawer.
• After Versailles closed, Severus asked Kreacher whether the pool had opened, but Kreacher shook his head.
• Severus told Gong Saiyi about British tourists who had encountered Marie Antoinette at Versailles and said he wanted to find her ghost.
• Gong Saiyi called them insane and walked away as Severus began searching the palace.

Georgiana considered the costs of a national grain system and roads, then planned to turn the Industrial Exhibition into a grand event for the French Republic’s tenth anniversary. With Napoleoni away, she learned that Sieyès was pushing for a Judicial Review Court and asked Poitevin to monitor Parliament and protect the government from political upheaval.

• Lan Zhi estimated that creating the Grain General Directorate would cost 1.275 billion livres, while poor roads and wartime requisitions prevented grain from moving between provinces.
• Navshato told Georgiana that the Industrial Exhibition might feature British steam engines, and Georgiana postponed it until 1802 so a grand exhibition hall could be built for the Republic’s anniversary.
• Georgiana asked Sophie to record their plans and summon Poitevin, then reflected on the political unrest stirred up while Napoleoni was away.
• Poitevin told Georgiana that Sieyès was urging Parliament to establish a Judicial Review Court that could strike down existing laws.
• Georgiana asked Poitevin to oversee preparations for the exhibition, watch Parliament, and keep an eye on a woman at Malmaison while Napoleoni was away.

Severus refused Lyall’s proposal to put Lily’s soul into an empty shell and planned to destroy what remained of the dead man’s work. Lyall urged him to seek another solution with the healers at Paroldo, but Severus insisted on finding Marie Antoinette first.

• Severus reflected on Napoleon’s deceptive politics and his history of pursuing war despite professing a desire for peace.
• Lyall offered Severus a repaired shield that Lily had left behind and suggested they continue her research.
• Lyall proposed placing Lily’s soul in an empty shell and fabricating memories, but Severus rejected the idea.
• Lyall urged Severus to seek the healers at Paroldo and learn about their spiritual vessels, but Severus said he would find Marie Antoinette instead.
• Lyall reminded Severus that Lily was about to die and invited him to go with him while his friends searched for Marie Antoinette.

Georgiana met sculptor Antonio Canova while Napoleon was absent, and Caprara confronted her over Napoleon’s unexplained trip and the political dangers surrounding her. Caprara ordered her to stay home and warned her to give Dermide to Josephine; Georgiana stormed off to the greenhouse.

• Caprara introduced Antonio Canova to Georgiana, and Canova said he would rather sculpt her than Napoleon.
• Caprara told Georgiana that Napoleon had skipped the Lyon inauguration and asked whether he had sent troops out; Georgiana said he had gone to inspect the Western Army.
• Caprara warned Georgiana that political factions were pressing for hereditary succession and that Dermide’s presence with her could endanger the child and Napoleon.
• Caprara told Georgiana to stay home, give Dermide to Josephine, and find a quiet hobby.
• Georgiana refused Caprara’s restrictions and left for the greenhouse to grow flowers and plants.

Georgiana weighed Napoleon’s dynastic plans and her own political survival while considering how to win Italian goodwill by returning artworks and directing resources to the people. Napoleon arrived at the greenhouse, where their conversation turned playful, leaving them briefly reconciled.

• Georgiana considered how Napoleon might use her and Dermide to secure an heir, while Lucien sought power behind the scenes.
• She planned to sell Italian artworks from the Louvre to fund useful resources and earn the goodwill of Italy’s people.
• Georgiana grew angry over Caprara’s blame and Napoleon’s failure to attend the inauguration, and she wondered how the political deadlock could end.
• Napoleoni entered the greenhouse and offered to punish whoever had angered Georgiana.
• Georgiana told him she had sent Dermide to his mother, then joked about the illustrated paper and Napoleon wearing women’s clothes.
• Napoleoni swept Georgiana into his arms and spun her around the greenhouse.

Georgiana and Napoleon shared an intimate encounter at the bathhouse while discussing the peace negotiations and Britain’s financial and political troubles. Their conversation ended with Georgiana revealing that the iron in human blood came from a dead star, as Napoleon pressed her about her origins and alchemy.

• Georgiana massaged Napoleon with olive oil at the bathhouse, and they flirted over their wager and her fear of becoming a subject of gossip.
• Napoleon told Georgiana that the Tsar had mediated a settlement allowing British troops to remain in Malta for three years, while the Duke of Orange’s compensation claim would be negotiated in Berlin.
• Napoleon explained that Britain’s gold reserves were depleted and that the Prince of Wales feared revolution at home, then described Grand Duke Constantine as obedient and unambitious.
• Napoleon said he wanted a child with Georgiana, and they joked about her rumored sculpture and the goddess of harvest before tumbling from the oil-slick chaise.
• Napoleon asked Georgiana why she had withheld the secret of Greek Fire, and she explained that using it would have caused catastrophic destruction.
• Georgiana told Napoleon that the iron in human blood came from a dead star, and he questioned whether she was Helen, Pandora, or someone else before kissing her.

Georgiana considered trade, finance, and transport projects that could strengthen France, including a timber mill and provincial banking. She left the chapter planning to consult Gaudin and study British industry before pursuing her broader economic plans.

• Napoleoni pursued timber imports from Russia in exchange for French woolens, while Georgiana planned a lavish coffeehouse-style reception room at Saint Luke Palace.
• Cambacérès dismissed twenty-six deputies and tribunes, and Georgiana declined to recommend Lucien’s Republican candidates.
• Georgiana assessed France’s grain supplies and the risks of hoarding, drawing lessons from the commoners’ role in the French Revolution.
• Georgiana examined France’s trade bills, bank financing, and dormant savings, and considered bringing Italian bankers into provincial France.
• Georgiana decided she could entrust a timber-mill venture to Gaudin and planned to study British industry before seeking engineers.

Georgiana planned an Arab-inspired reception room and used stories from One Thousand and One Nights to talk with Napoleon about luck, danger, and escaping reality. Napoleon ended the chapter lying across her lap and angrily complaining about Sieyès’s attempt to resign.

• Lannes advised Georgiana to abandon her forest-like décor and arrange the reception room with cushions on carpets, inspired by Arab customs and storytelling.
• Georgiana imagined decorating the room with stained-glass windows and Arab lamps after recounting the story of Aladdin.
• Napoleon arrived and asked Georgiana which story she had chosen, and she told him a tale about a woodcutter who released a spirit from a bottle.
• Georgiana warned Napoleon that Aladdin’s apparent good fortune might bind him to the genie after death, then invited Napoleon to share what was troubling him.
• Napoleon complained that Sieyès wanted to resign and continued angrily railing about him while lying across Georgiana’s lap.

Napoleon complained to Georgiana about Sieyès’s opposition, and she went to confront Sieyès over his support for restoring the tithe. She insulted him and fled, then asked Maret to keep Sieyès away from her for a few days.

• Napoleon told Georgiana that Sieyès resisted him and complained that he was difficult to deal with.
• Georgiana offered to vent Napoleon’s anger, and Maret took her to the gardens at Saint Luke Palace to find Sieyès.
• Georgiana found Sieyès speaking with Carnot beside a bust of Caesar and challenged him about restoring the tithe.
• Georgiana called Sieyès a scoundrel and ran away when he angrily ordered her to stop.
• Georgiana told Maret she wanted Napoleon’s former resting room for her office and asked him to keep Sieyès away from her for a few days.

Napoleon and Georgiana discussed Sieyès’s proposals, political emergencies, and Napoleon’s ambitions while sharing a private drink. Napoleon recounted how he discovered Lannes during the Italian campaign, and Georgiana pressed him about his plans before the two ended the conversation with a kiss.

• Napoleon showed Georgiana his study and military documents, then toasted with her and asked whether she thought Sieyès was right.
• Georgiana argued that laws should allow flexibility during emergencies, and Napoleon distracted her by teasing her about her scent and offering her a reward.
• Napoleon told Georgiana how hunger and disorder plagued his 1796 Italian campaign and how he discovered Lannes during the fighting at Dego.
• Napoleon spoke about his despair and his refusal to destroy himself for love, while Georgiana warned him about trusting foreign armies and questioned his plans to retire.
• Georgiana asked to go to Venice with Napoleon and proposed Bernadotte or Lannes as Piedmont’s new governor; Napoleon also explained that he wanted a separate constitution for the Cisalpine Republic.
• Napoleon asked Georgiana to tell him an enchanting story, then requested a kiss, and she kissed him.

Georgiana prepared a room at the Tuileries Palace and traveled with Napoleon’s party to Lyon, where a ball awaited Josephine. Along the way, Georgiana received a gift from Narbonne-Lara and planned to give Napoleon trousers and wear men’s clothes to the ball.

• Georgiana ordered sandalwood furniture for her sitting room and left Matilda and the workers to arrange it before setting off for Lyon with Sophie, Michelle, Madame Lannes, and Phyllis.
• Georgiana traveled in Napoleon’s procession alongside Josephine, officials, and returned émigrés, including Narbonne-Lara, whom Talleyrand had helped secure a place in the party.
• Narbonne-Lara visited Georgiana at a post station, gave her emerald jewelry from Talleyrand, and offered to interpret for her; Madame Lannes then told Georgiana he might be Louis XV’s illegitimate son.
• Georgiana noticed Napoleon’s thinning hair and decided to find a tailor and silk so she could give him trousers, while also buying wool cloth for her own outfit.
• Georgiana told Madame Lannes and Sophie that she intended to wear simply tailored men’s clothing to the Lyon ball.

In Lyon, Georgiana prepared to meet Italian delegates and raise funds for roads while trying to restore Napoleon’s confidence and encourage him to change his appearance. Napoleon revealed that he and Josephine had argued over whose bed he wanted, then invited Georgiana to accompany him to inspect troops returning from Egypt.

• Georgiana dressed in men’s clothes to meet the Italian delegates and said she planned to raise money for roads first.
• Georgiana gave Napoleon an Arabic-style outfit and urged him to regain his confidence and believe in love again.
• Napoleon told Georgiana that he and Josephine had argued over whose bed he wanted to sleep in.
• Georgiana reminded Napoleon that Josephine was his lawful wife, and they danced together without music.
• Napoleon invited Georgiana to inspect the troops returning from Egypt on January 25 and told her to dress beautifully.

After Josephine’s objections forced Georgiana to leave Fesch’s home, Madame Récamier sheltered her and French cavalry guarded the estate. The next morning, Georgiana rode through Lyon, where she confronted Sir Merry and Charles Cornwallis II before turning back toward the estate.

• Georgiana lodged at an inn after Josephine objected to her staying with Fesch, but Madame Récamier brought her party to her estate.
• Gaudin returned with two squadrons of cavalry led by Major General Louis-Narbonne-Lara to guard the estate.
• Georgiana rode out alone in men’s clothes, accompanied at a distance by French cavalry, and reflected on Lyon’s history and Napoleon’s military policies.
• Georgiana met Sir Merry and Charles Cornwallis II beside a bridge, and Charles taunted her about being turned out of Bonaparte’s home.
• Georgiana rebuked Charles for mocking her and criticized the city’s gentlemen for failing to help a woman in distress before riding back toward the estate.

Georgiana decided to leave Lyon for Paris after Josephine pushed her out of favor, but first she planned to humiliate her rivals at the opera. She discussed Napoleon’s ambitions and projects with British visitors, then eagerly announced she had a play for the performers to stage.

• Georgiana resolved to return to Paris after making a scene in Lyon.
• Georgiana joined Madame Récamier, Young Charles, and Sir Merry, and discussed Josephine, Napoleon, and his promise to make her child his heir.
• Georgiana explained that the Saint-Martin Canal and inoculation efforts could serve France by improving public health and keeping Napoleon occupied with domestic projects.
• Young Charles challenged Georgiana about her relationship with Napoleon, and she said he was clever and that they sometimes controlled each other.
• Narbonne-Lara and Gaudin proposed attending the opera, and Georgiana agreed because she had a play she wanted staged.

Georgiana avoided Napoleon’s former lovers and visited Miss Chamoro at the Lyon Opera to offer her a role in a British historical drama and seek her friendship. Chamoro remained wary of Georgiana’s invitation, while Georgiana left hoping she would read the script.

• Georgiana learned that the officer who had taken her from the convent to the canal was Menou, and she had Gaudin adapt the soldiers’ Egyptian comedy into a one-act play.
• Georgiana decided not to approach Georgina and instead went to see Miss Chamoro, accompanied by Lord Blom.
• Georgiana gave Chamoro roses and Gaudin’s script, then invited her to take a walk near Notre-Dame Cathedral.
• When Chamoro rejected the invitation, Georgiana told her about the friend she had buried and explained why she wanted to be honest with her.
• Chamoro asked whether Georgiana liked men or women, and Georgiana promised to answer on their date if Chamoro accepted the invitation.
• Sophie called Georgiana away because Gaudin had assembled the actors, and Georgiana left asking Chamoro to read the script.

Georgiana reflected on the French soldiers returning from Egypt and planned to employ some of them as potato-growing instructors. In Lyon, she heard a strange song and was unsettled when Gaudin suggested Napoleon had been intimate with men; Gaudin led her away before she could press the subject.

• Georgiana decided to fund an agricultural program that paired civilian promoters with French soldiers to teach potato cultivation in the countryside.
• Georgiana chose to return to Paris and consult the Paris Agricultural Association about examinations for the program.
• Georgiana, Sophie, Gaudin, and Michelle heard fragments of a strange song near Trajan's Forum, though Sophie heard nothing.
• Georgiana asked Gaudin whether Napoleon or Josephine had kept her from social events, and Gaudin said Napoleon had sat on his secretary's and General Lannes's laps.
• Georgiana yelled at Gaudin to stop, and he grabbed her wrist and led her away.

Napoleon confronted Georgiana over her defiance, then gave her a magical ring that restored her sense of power. Their argument turned intimate, while Napoleon revealed that he expected peace with Britain to fail and wanted Georgiana to raise his heir.

• Napoleon led Georgiana to his study and slashed her clothes with the Regent Diamond sword before wrapping her in a striped cloak.
• Georgiana challenged Napoleon over being excluded from social functions and asked to return to Paris to manage the Egyptian soldiers and their promised land.
• Napoleon explained that he planned to use peace treaty clauses to prepare for another war and asked Georgiana to raise his heir.
• Napoleon gave Georgiana a ring once owned by Ali Bey, and she recognized its fire magic and eagerly put it on.
• Georgiana told Napoleon about magic and her shackles, and he kissed her on the writing desk.

Georgiana watched Napoleon’s celebrations and reflected on his Egyptian campaign, his ambition, and the political game surrounding peace with Britain. As Napoleon prepared another grand spectacle, Georgiana worried that Lannes’s punishment might send her away too, and wished for a quiet place to withdraw.

• Napoleon returned to Paris in 1792, reunited with Mariana, and eventually sailed with her from Marseille to Ajaccio.
• Georgiana considered replacing the setting on Napoleon’s ring and hoped to approach Miss Chamoro’s secret group and the missing diviner Maria Adelaide Lenormand.
• Napoleon recounted his Egyptian expedition, including the Suez survey, the Nile flood celebrations, and the French festivities in Egypt.
• Georgiana weighed how Britain might respond to France and Germany, while Napoleon celebrated with Josephine before the Egyptian expeditionary force.
• Napoleon sent Lannes to Antwerp after Lannes misused Imperial Guard pay to renovate his house, and Georgiana feared she might be sent away as well.

After the parade, Georgiana wrote to Letizia about finances and worried over Napoleon’s changing presence, so she consulted her tarot cards. Napoleon comforted her, showed her the Five of Swords, and invited her to meet returning troops at headquarters before they discussed their relationship and he coaxed her to rest.

• Georgiana received Letizia’s letter about Dermide and household expenses, then replied using Letizia’s baptismal name and sealed the letter with her sun-orchid seal.
• Concerned by Napoleon’s changed aura, Georgiana laid out her tarot deck and drew the Five of Swords.
• Napoleon arrived in his French Academy uniform, embraced Georgiana, and asked about the card; she warned him that its victory was brief and joyless.
• Napoleon invited Georgiana to headquarters to meet the troops returning from Egypt, suggesting they might listen to her as his wife.
• Georgiana told Napoleon she had once thought of him as the swan-knight who would take her around the world, and said she did not want him to end up isolated like a locked-away emperor.
• Napoleon said he would spend only half an hour at the ball and, after asking about friendship, led Georgiana to the chaise lounge for an afternoon nap.