#alexandre monsieur

[hermie62]

Quand tu regardes Secret d'histoire que d'un œil et que tu reconnais une voix familière....

[dragongutsixofficial]

THOUGHTS ON EPISODES 7 AND 8:

Episode 7:

RICHELIEU MY POOR LITTLE MEOW MEOW

A Richelieu-centric episode ??? Sign me THE FUCK IN (seriously though he may be my favorite character in the book i'll take any crumbs I can)

Also loved to see him and Milady interacting more !!! Super nice 🖤⚜️

GO APESHIT RICHELIEU

FUCK THE POPE RICHELIEU

In the book (SPOILER ALERT) Milady tells a story very similar to the false testimony she gives in court in order to make Buckingham's right-hand man believe he abducted and raped her and turn him against him- it's really nice to see that referenced in the show

Like to see Louis actually having a personnality

Liked Ninon ! But why would you fall for Athos when ARAMIS IS RIGHT HERE

Also I do think they didn't need her to romance anyone to make her interesting in that episode ? I understand it's the usual plot device but ah well

Love how the last shot of the episode is Constance pining d'Artagnan against a shelf. We all know who's the top in the relationship

To conclude: great episode, did I mention i loved to see more of Richelieu ?

RICHELIEU MY POOR LITTLE MEOW MEOW

Episode 8:

MILADY MY POOR LITTLE MEOW MEOW

Love how the skirt-chasing for money is exactly how it works in the book

Alice (Porthos' love interest) is a pretty good reference to his mistress in the book and a very nice lady but I think the hilarity of Porthos having to deal with her original version would've been amazing (an older woman married to a cupid man who won't spend a dime while they're both just desperately waiting for him to pass to inherit his fortune)

Love how (in the French version at least) d'Artagnan is barely portrayed as actually caring for his farmers' lives, only his cash xD

De Tréville is a good dad

Love d'Artagnan just walking into Richelieu's office like he owns the place

Richelieu is having a mental breakdown

GOOD FOR HIM MY POOR LITTLE MEOW MEOW

But don't be mean to Milady >=(

Milady and Athos being like: love in the air ? Wrong ! Gas leak =D

Mr. Bonacieux is very nice with Constance though. Like I would not have reacted that well

Also nice to see him working for Richelieu. The people who made this show clearly dearly care for the book

d'Artagnan getting promoted !!! Yeah =D now he's got the cool shoulder pad

d'Artagnan in the book 5000000000% wants Milady and does still a dude's identity for the second time in order to essentially rape her though so it's nice to see d'artagnan having a moral backbone more solid than that of a chocolate éclair

So uh. I do think Aramis took his own sword back from his ex's grave

Btw in French at least right before they start the duel d'artagnan says something like "speaking from personal experience, never trust in love" and Athos gives him a dramatic side eye. This can be explained in two ways: 1- he relates 2- d'artagnan YOU'RE SAYING THAT IN FRONT OF YOUR POLYCULE

Also once Alice dumps Porthos in the French version him and Aramis have an exchange that's like "So you're not gonna marry her" "Who would take care of you if I did" and I love them

Before he gets dumped, Porthos also says something to the effect of "there's a life after being a musketeer" to shut Aramis' criticism down. Boy don't give him ideas. If this was book! Aramis he'd take it to heart have an existential crisis lock himself in a room for weeks and whip himself crying about how he's gonna become a cleric

Edit: fixed a typo from Milady and Porthos to Milady and Athos

[kajaono]

D’Artagnan: *totally in love with a married woman*

Monsieur de Treville: And where are Athos, Porthos and Aramis?!

D’Artagnan: OMG!

[alexlacquemanne]

Joyeux anniversaire AA ♥️

[dondalsy]

growls foams at the mouth

[didierreclouxsblog]

Review of my upcoming album “Monsieur Linh and His Child” , release is 07.03.24

[apurpledust]

Junot crying for Napoléon in Montbard

This excerpt is from the Narrator’s POV . He was visiting Junot shortly after he was sent back home to “recuperate”. Narrator's name is Pierre.. based on the Monsieur Vial i assume.

— I see him decline too quickly my poor Alexandre*, and I am not wrong on the real cause of his unhappiness... At night I barely sleep i hear him sobbing during hours muffling his cries on his pillow. Sometimes he says « He doesn't love me anymore ! Its certain he doesn't love me anymore ! Everything is over between us! ... » « Toulon! my god, what a memory ! ... How could he forget Toulon! ...» I asked him about one of his meeting with the emperor, he told me : « The emperor told me : but I still love you my poor Junot ! » and this break me more than anything , because this sentence ....he told this in such a fake tone! » But what power have this man on him , he can kill or heal as he likes? It was like one of those wizards in Martinique that the empress Joséphine told us about.... *Alexandre was also a name Junot used

just a few pages after this, the author continues to write that due to Junot's deteriorating mental state, he had "believed himself to be the wife of Bonaparte" and says to Pierre "He loves me no more, because I am no longer beautiful…"

i skipped through the part about Albert de Permon being annoyed at his behaviour but seeing that nothing can console Junot, Pierre basically plays along and tells him:

— Patience, your husband will be back soon.

Junot proceeds to ask if there had been a courier from the Emperor yet but the answer is always no. This is one S-tier fic :)) reminder this was written way back in 1926 Naps is the top confirmed /jk

~~

In real life , i believe Junot has indeed uttered the line "He doesn't love me anymore" but in different variations. It’s a possibility that this line isn't completely fiction

in Laure's memoirs, Duroc had to yell to convince Junot that Naps still loves him after Russia:

in the book Wellington Against Junot by David Buttery he also mentions this anecdote:

*sobbing* see you guys in my next napjuno post🥲

[angelasscribbles]

What Once Was

Fandom: Vying for Versailles (Romance Club)

Rating: Teen

Warnings: none

Summary: Renee married someone else. But what happens when Alexandre comes back into her life?

“Madame, you have a visitor.”

Renée looked up from her writing desk curiously. She hadn’t been expecting anyone. “Who is it, Beatrice?”

Beatrice had served Renee since she had first set foot in Versailles all those years ago. She had risen from lady’s maid to maîtresse d'hôtel. Her duties now involved overseeing all the other household servants at Chateau de Marly.

“It’s Monsieur Bontemps, Madame.”

The door to the study swung wide as the mistress of house backed away, revealing Alexandre, his fingers twisting nervously at the hat clasped in his hands.

Renee rose from her desk with surprised delight and swept across the room to greet him with a hug. “Alexandre! This is a pleasant surprise! Wait….” She drew back with a worried crease across her brow, “Is all well? The king—”

“The king is fine, Madame.”

Her good mood faltered as her eyes tracked his face noting the agitation in his stance. Very little rattled the king’s spymaster. “Then why are you here?”

“I was hoping we could have a private conversation.” His eyes darted around the room. “May I come in?”

“Certainly, but I think we would be more comfortable in the small sitting room.” She stepped out of the study and led him down the hallway to the smallest of the sitting rooms. It was cozy, plush, and private.

She gave Beatrice instructions to send a maid in with tea service then she shut the door. Turning back to him, she crossed her arms and studied him closely.

He was fidgety, clearly wound up about something, which was completely out of character for him. She couldn’t help the smile that crawled across her face as she took in his agitation. “Do I still make you nervous, Alexandre?”

“You do have a way of knocking my equilibrium off balance, Madame.” He gave her a small smile.

The affection and heat in his gaze sent butterflies exploding through her stomach. “That is good to know, Monsieur.”

He arched an eyebrow skeptically, “You think me indifferent to you?”

“Perhaps.”

“I could never be indifferent to you.” The pure, undisguised longing on his face sent shivers cascading down her spine.

There was a brief lull in their conversation as the tea was served. Renee watched the maid retreat as she stirred her tea. With her eyes focused on the cup in her hand, she softly said, “You should have stayed.”

“Renee…I couldn’t stay in close proximity to you knowing I could never touch you again.”

She glanced up at him and her tone was sharp as she told him, “Those were the choices you made.”

He sighed as he carefully sat his cup on the table. It was the same argument they’d had before he had left for Geneva to serve the king’s interest in Switzerland. “You didn’t choose me.”

“I did. I simply didn’t choose only you,” she reminded him. “And it’s not like you were ever going to marry me anyway.”

“A spymaster—”

“I know. Believe me, I remember all your excuses.”

“They weren’t excuses.”

“Weren’t they?”

He didn’t answer. He had told her that they could never be a couple. He hadn’t had a noble title back then and his work made it almost impossible to conduct a love affair. But when she had accepted a proposal from the Prince du Sang, it had felt like a knife plunged into his heart.

He drew in a deep breath and decided to tell her the truth. “There’s something you don’t know, Renee. I did approach Louis about a possible match. The king had been offering to ennoble me for years. I thought, maybe…”

Renee jerked in surprise, nearly spilling her tea in the process, “What?”

“My request was rejected out of hand and when Philippe got down on one knee in front of the entire court a mere day later, I understood why.”

Louis loved him like a brother. But Philippe was his brother. And he had probably asked first. The prince was a better match for her anyway. He knew that.

Renee quickly sat her cup down and tried to quell the shaking in her hands. “Alexandre…why didn’t you tell me?”

“After witnessing firsthand your pure joy at accepting another man’s proposal? What would have been the point?” He had, instead, determined to keep his distance from her.

And yet when their paths crossed, he had found that he still could not resist her. “Do you remember that night in Paris, right before your wedding?”

Madame de France, princess, duchess, and marquise did not blush easily, but her cheeks colored at the reminder. “Of course I do. But why are you bringing that up? Why are you bringing any of it up now?”

“Pardon?”

“Why discuss these things now? After all this time?”

“Ah, yes.” And here was the reason for his visit. “Do you remember when you told me that you would recognize me anywhere?”

“Yes. And you said the same. What does that have to do with why you’re here?”

“Only that I by chance saw you last time I was in Paris on the king’s business. I only saw your profile as you climbed into your carriage, but I knew it was you.”

“And you didn’t think to say hello?”

“I started to but then I saw your son.”

“Louis-Philippe?”

“Yes. One of the servants handed him up into the carriage to you and I got a clear view of his face, Renee.”

Her heart stopped. “And?”

“And he favors neither the prince nor a certain count that you are overly fond of.”

She ignored his reference to Armand as her heart started to thump even harder. She knew exactly who the child favored but she wasn’t going to make this easy on him. Her hands and her voice were steady as she looked him directly in the eye. “What are you asking me, Alexandre?”

“Is he….is he mine?”

She jumped up from her seat and stalked across the room to stare out the window. After a long pause, she replied, “You are not a father in the way that Philippe is. You do not tuck him into bed at night nor ease his fears when the thunder booms. He does not know you.”

He stood and followed her across the room, resting a hand on her shoulder. “That’s not what I’m asking, and you know it.”

Without turning to look at him, she whispered, “Yes, he was conceived that night in Paris.”

Alexandre’s world tilted on its axis. He had known, of course, the moment he had seen the child’s face. But to have confirmation…. He dropped his hand and stepped away from her. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Anger flared through her as she spun to face him and flung his own words back at him. “What would have been the point? You ran away from me fast enough the moment you didn’t like my choices.”

“But a child, Renee!”

“By the time I knew I was with child, I was already married! What would you have had me do? Put it in a letter so your enemies could use it against us both? You well know how easy it is to intercept correspondence.”

He nodded in acquiescence. He could not fault her logic. “And the Prince du Sang... does he….”

“Philippe knows. He does not care.”

“I find that hard to believe, Madame.”

“Did you think we were cuckolding him every time we were together?”

“Well…”

“I told you, before he even proposed, what our arrangement was!”

“Yes, but I—”

“You what? You thought I was lying?” She stepped closer. So close she could smell the vanilla and cardamom scent that always clung to him. So close that she could feel the heat radiating from him, sense the tension in his body, “I may lie to everyone else in service to my king and my country, but I have never lied to you nor him! I do not lie to the people that I love.”

Alexandre froze, shock, pleasure, and disbelief coursing through him at her words. She loved him?

Oblivious to his reaction to her unintentional confession, she plowed on. “And your assertation that I would have divided loyalties was preposterous! My loyalty to my husband would never put me at cross purposes with you, Alexandre and you know it! Philippe loves his brother and is loyal to him. Furthermore, I do not tell him everything that I know or that I do. He understands and respects the need for discretion when it comes to my duties as a spymaster! He would never ask me to betray—”

“Alright! Alright!” He held both hands up in surrender with a bemused chuckle.

“It’s not funny, Alexandre!” She stood in the middle of the room, just inches from him, cheeks red and chest heaving with emotion.

He was struck nearly speechless by her beauty. She was even more breathtaking when she was angry. How was that possible? He took an involuntary step toward her.

She froze, her eyes trained on him, but she didn’t back away.

He took another step toward her, this one purposeful.

They stood, unmoving, staring into each other’s eyes; two hearts pounding in anticipation. He lifted a hand and reached out for her just as the sitting room door banged open.

“There you are, my love! I—oh! I didn’t realize we had company.” The prince stopped short, causing the chevalier who had been hot on his heels to collide into his backside.

Alexandre jerked his hand back and stepped away awkwardly. “My prince! I…” he executed a low bow. “So lovely to see you again.”

Philippe’s eyes took in the valet’s flushed and guilty expression and then his wife’s stoic demeanor. Renee had not backed away when he entered the room. She had stood her ground. Her ire was evident and he smothered a smile. He understood everything. “It’s always a pleasure to see you, Alexandre, but let’s not pretend you came here for me.”

“I….” For the first time in his life, Alexandre was struck completely speechless.

Renee finally moved, closing the distance to greet her husband with a hug and a quick peck on the cheek. She murmured in his ear, “He knows about Louie.”

“Hm,” he hugged her back, but his gaze was trained on his brother’s spymaster.

Renee moved around her husband to greet the chevalier with the same hug and kiss she had just given her husband. “How was grouse hunting?”

“As usual, we didn’t find a single grouse but at least we didn’t end up drunk in a fountain again.” The chevalier laughed at his own joke as he returned her hug. Not a day passed that he didn’t count his blessings.

There had been a time when the king had been adamant that Philippe make a political marriage, likely to some English noblewoman who would expect fidelity from him. He would forever be grateful that Louis had allowed the prince to marry Renee and that Renee had never blinked at the relationship between the two men. Now he practically lived at Chateau de Marly and was both a godfather and cherished uncle to their son. They functioned very well as a threesome and while his whole heart belonged to the prince, he wasn’t completely indifferent to Renee.

He also liked the life they had built together very much so he glared suspiciously at the intruder. “Why are you here, Monsieur Bontemps?”

Finally recovering, Alexander stiffly replied, “I had some…business to discuss with the duchess.”

Renee snorted. “Business? Is that what this is, Alexandre?”

He flushed scarlet which caused the other two men in the room to laugh.

The prince spoke first. “Let’s drop the pretense, shall we? Renee and I have no secrets from each other nor do I keep secrets from the chevalier. His discretion is not in question. You may speak freely. Everyone in this room knows that Louis is your son. So why are you really here?”

“Do you wish to challenge me to a duel, Monsieur?” Alexandre asked carefully.

Philippe looked at him askance. “Why would I do that?”

Alexandre shook his head slowly. “Most men in your position would.” It was dawning on him that Renee had been telling the full truth of the matter. Philippe showed no signs of rage or jealousy.

Of course, it was an open secret at court that his affair with the chevalier never ended, but for most men indulging their own desires did not mean they were tolerant of their wives doing the same.

Philippe’s face broke into a wide smile. “When have you ever known me to be like most men? Come now, stay for dinner and we can discuss everything.”

“As tempting as that sounds…I have some urgent business matters I must attend to tonight. However….”

“Yes?”

“With your leave, I would like to visit the child. As a family friend, of course. I would never disclose the true nature of our relationship to him.”

“You want a relationship with our son?” Renee asked so quietly he almost missed it.

Turning to face her with beseeching eyes he answered her. “If it pleases you, then yes.”

Renee closed her eyes briefly as she fought against the onslaught of conflicting emotions that collided inside her at the thought. When she opened them again, she blinked up at him. “I think I would like that very much.”

Profound relief swirled through him at her answer. He had not known what to expect when he knocked on her door, but things had gone better than he could have imagined. Turning his attention back to Philippe, he asked, “And this is alright with you?”

“It is. You’ll find Louie is a capricious and wild little hellion who delights in his friendships with children and adults alike. I think he’ll be good for you.”

Alexandre barked out a surprised laugh. “He’ll be good for me?”

“Yes….” Philippe drawled out with a mischievous grin. “I think you need to loosen up and he’s just the person to help you do it.”

The king’s valet turned to go but an idea had taken root in his mind and he could not let it go. Turning back he asked, “And your wife?”

“What about her?”

“May I have permission to resume our….friendship?”

“Oh, he wants to court your wife!” The chevalier chortled out loud.

“Monsieur,” Philippe shook his head. “You disappoint me. I thought you understood. You do not need my permission. You need hers.”

Alexandre turned slowly, his heart thudding in his chest. “Madame. I would be most grateful if you would agree to indulge me in a conversation soon. I think we have many things to discuss.”

“For how long?”

“I’m sorry?”

“How long will these discussions go on? When do you leave again?”

He nodded in understanding. “Given today's revelations, and assuming you will continue to welcome me as a visitor in your home, I will start making the preparations to return to my house in Paris immediately and permanently.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.”

She regarded him thoughtfully for a moment and then she nodded. “I would like you to get to know our son and I would be open to you and I having a conversation about where we go from there.”

He couldn’t help the smile that crawled across his face. He left the chateau with a spring in his step.

The truth was, he had not been happy since he’d left court shortly after her wedding. He hadn’t thought he could share her, open relationship with her husband or not. But an even larger concern had been his fear of openly loving her, thereby making her a target for his enemies, which were many.

He would never be comfortable being physically affectionate with her in front of others, he was more private than that, but if there was still a relationship to be had with her, there couldn’t be a more perfect cover than her marriage. No one ever had to know what she meant to him, or that he had a child. They could therefore never be used against him.

The thought of rekindling what they once had made him feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time….happiness.

It was entirely possible that things had worked out for him after all.

[katabay]

monsieur. you are not polite.

The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas (trans. Pevear)

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[josefavomjaaga]

(Sorry to bother folks with yet another non-art post about non-popular guys but I was so excited to find this I just have to tell somebody!)

The "Revue du Rhin" from September 1937 published a letter from Eugène de Beauharnais and another from Jérôme Bonaparte to Eugène. And the letter scribbled written by Eugène is the earliest I've come across so far - his dad is still alive at that point and still at the head of the army (while he has already failed to defend Mainz).

The letter is directed at one Louis Apffel, an obviously somewhat older friend, as he seems to be already with the army. It's undated, but the recipient has noted on top that he believes to have received it in August 1793, which would fit the events mentioned in the letter. The translation, including random capitalization and lack of punctuation, reads:

- Dear Friend, I saw with pleasure that you have already made a campaign but I would have had much more Pleasure to learn that Mayence was not under the power of the Austrians, bad news one says in Strasbourg that my papa is in Wissembourg that the army of Ferrière is surrounded and the vanguard of Houchard is also surrounded a letter of Macé says that we had 2 hundred men killed in Vorth is of the number tetrel is wounded, the republic should sound the tocsin of legality and each citizen would put himself under arms would acquire glory and the trade which since the revolution was destroyed would come back more beautiful - Chairoux, henrion and Lestranges will write to you when they have time. Monsieur Rivage told me that I would be going to see my papa during the holidays. Adieu a thousand times, love me as much as I love you Beauharnais

-

Eugène at this point is 11 years old, and as the article states, him talking about events in the war in such detail and especially him considering the effects on trade are somewhat strange for a boy his age. What Eugène obviously does not suspect yet is the consequences the loss of Mayence would have for his father, who would soon leave the army and try to make himself forgotten, before being arrested and, not quite a year after Eugène wrote this letter, executed.

The article continues to describe Alexandre de Beauharnais' military record in not exactly flattering terms 😋 and to identify the generals, classmates and teachers Eugène mentions.

The second letter is one of recommendation, written four years later, in 1797, by Jérôme, most likely for the same Louis Apffel who had come to visit his former classmate in his college of Saint-Germain (probably in order to get in contact with Eugène's new stepfather), only to learn that Eugène three months earlier had left for Italy as general Bonaparte's aide-de-camp. Apparently he was going to follow him there and wanted to make sure he would be allowed to approach the general's family.

And if you thought Eugène's handwriting was bad, here's Jérôme:

Translation:

My dear Eugène One of your close friends, as he tells me, came expressly to St. Germain to see you, but on learning that you had left 3 months ago for Italy, they asked me for a letter for you, fearing that they would not be able to see you. In the name of your friend I gave him a letter and would have given him everything I hold dearest in this capacity. Farewell, I embrace you and I am your faithful friend. Jérôme Buonaparte -

I like how Jérôme is obviously not stupid (your friend "as he tells me" - who however doesn't know your whereabouts). And as he speaks of several people who wanted to get in touch with Eugène, now that Eugène was the stepson of the most famous army general, I wonder if this may have been the whole family of Louis Apffel, trying to take advantage of the fact their son had once been in school with Eugène.

[diari0deglierrori]

Can I say something cursed? Ok I’ll do it:

Rose Vilaine, Dieudonné, Alexandre Mahmoud, SouteQuaranteQuatre, Saint-Jean, Claire, NoirAmer, Alexandra Aimant, Les Kouleurs, Fred(Éric) De Palme, Fleurette, Saints Français, Emma Marron, Lauraine, Grande Maman, François et Philippe, Philippe Marie Fantassins, Angeline Mangue, Geôlier, Petites mains (with a bit of fantasy daje), Cher, Annelise, Gazelle, Le Vol, Alfa, D’argent D’amis, La Triste, Le Trois, Monsieur Pluie, Riches et Pauvres

[ninadove]

🇫🇷 – Ah çà, mais…, continua Athos parlant moitié à lui-même, moitié à d’Artagnan, ah… çà, mais si je vous tue, j’aurai l’air d’un mangeur d’enfants, moi !

– Pas trop, monsieur, répondit d’Artagnan avec un salut qui ne manquait pas de dignité ; pas trop, puisque vous me faites l’honneur de tirer l’épée contre moi avec une blessure dont vous devez être fort incommodé.

– Très incommodé, sur ma parole, et vous m’avez fait un mal du diable, je dois le dire ; mais je prendrai la main gauche, c’est mon habitude en pareille circonstance. Ne croyez donc pas que je vous fasse une grâce, je tire proprement des deux mains ; et il y aura même désavantage pour vous : un gaucher est très gênant pour les gens qui ne sont pas prévenus. Je regrette de ne pas vous avoir fait part plus tôt de cette circonstance.

🇬🇧 ‘Well, but then,’ continued Athos, speaking half to himself, ‘if I kill you, I shall have the air of a boy-slayer.’

‘Not too much so,’ replied d’Artagnan, with a bow that was not deficient in dignity, ‘since you do me the honor to draw a sword with me while suffering from a wound which is very inconvenient.’

‘Very inconvenient, upon my word; and you hurt me devilishly, I can tell you. But I will take the left hand—it is my custom in such circumstances. Do not fancy that I do you a favor; I use either hand easily. And it will be even a disadvantage to you; a left-handed man is very troublesome to people who are not prepared for it. I regret I did not inform you sooner of this circumstance.’

— Alexandre Dumas père and Auguste Maquet, Les Trois Mousquetaires [Ch. 5]

Left hand symbolism in Western literature… Bad omens and death and all things devilish… I am taking notes.

[ballerinaleapmovie]

The Juleap event is officially closed, and these are the final results for each character!

- Félicie Lebras/Milliner:

108 + 80 + 75 + 74 + 60 + 74 + 40 = 511 points

- Victor Hubert:

80 + 75 + 60 = 215

- Monsieur Louis Mérante:

60 + 79 = 139

- Madame Odette:

74 + 60 = 134

- Camille Le Haut:

60 + 60

- Régine Le Haut:

60

- Rudolph Rankovsky:

60

- Monsieur Luteau:

60

- Rosita Mauri:

0

- Nora:

0

- Dora:

0

- Mathurin:

0

- Mother Superior:

0

- Auguste Emmanuel Vacourbeil:

0

- The Opera Janitor:

0

Winner: Félicie Milliner, with 511 points!

Second place: Victor Hubert with 215

Third place: Louis Mérante with 139

Links to all the entries:

• "Félicie - Wood Princess" by @livehorses :

• "Once in a Pink Sky!" by @fariadraws

• "An Epoch-making Discovery" by same author.

• "Yummy" by same author.

• "And she turned into a graceful ballerina!" by same author on Tumblr:

• "Camille - Porcelain Doll" by livehorses

• "Meet the Ballerina Leap Characters" by same author on TikTok

• "Ballerina/Leap! - Le Lac de Fées crossover" by Felicitas Winter on Instagram.

• "Louis Alexandre Mérante portrait" by livehorses

Thank you all who participated! See you next year! 😃

[kajaono]

Okay how much are we gonna bet that Villefort tried to kill the newborn baby on purpose and it was an accident during birth? He sure as hell tried to get rid of a child out of wedlock. What an intense scene.

[thebookhoard]

Title: The Count of Monte Cristo

Author: Alexandre Dumas

Pages: 1243

"Thrown on prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to use the treasure to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas' epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialised in the 1840s."

The book club strikes again. I have to say that I needed some time to get into the story. The plot summary (above) didn't quite convince me that it's enjoyable, BUT I stand corrected. Although I was able to guess many plot points and relations between the characters I had fun in doing so and even more when I was right. As someone who doesn't speak French I sometimes had difficulties with pronouncing the names of people and places, but it was only a small hindrance.

Which amused me the most was that a book written 180 years ago uses the saying "cool as a cucumber" (at least the English translation, I don't know how it was written in French).

Memorable quotes:

'So remain a fisherman, don't dream of things that will make reality seem even more terrible to you - and be content with my friendship, because I cannot give you anything else.'

'In business, Monsieur, as you very well know, one has no friends, only associates.'

'But there are twenty-four hours in a day, sixty minutes in an hour and sixty seconds in a minute. A lot can be done in eighty-six thousand four hundred seconds.'

'Human justice is inadequate as a consolation: it can spill blood for blood, that's all. But one must only ask it for what is possible, not for anything more.'

'(...) all human wisdom is contained in these two words: 'wait' and 'hope'.'

[selidren]

Automne 1921 - Champs-les-Sims

5/10

Il faut dire qu'Adelphe est le genre d'homme égal à lui-même qui n'a nul besoin de hausser le ton pour se faire entendre. Il a une façon à la fois douce et inflexible de parler quand il souhaite imposer quelque chose, qui décontenance son interlocuteur. Constantin dit qu'il a appris cela de sa Tante Lucrèce quand il était jeune, elle qui était alors la seule personne à pouvoir tenir tête à Maximilien. Plus j'entends d'anecdotes sur cette femme, plus je regrette de ne pas l'avoir connue. J'ai bien tenté d'en savoir plus après votre lettre, mais encore une fois, c'est compliqué. Adelphe est le moins casanier, mais sa tante est une sujet sensible, et il m'a fait savoir fermement (mais encore une fois avec une grande douceur) qu'il y avait des choses qu'il valait mieux laisser derrière soi. Je me suis ensuite tournée vers le rumeurs que colportent parfois les anciens du village. Le vieux Monsieur Jacqmarcq, qui va sur ses quatre-vingt ans et qui aime bien se délasser sur les bancs devant l'église le dimanche m'a raconté une histoire abracadabrantesque de disparition inexpliquée et que Lucrèce Le Bris, ainsi que Clémence, la mère de Constantin, étaient soupçonnées du meurtre de Maximilien avant que la police ne conclut à une attaque d'animal sauvage. Le vieil homme s'est montré surpris de mes questions, car personne ne connait mieux l'affaire qu'Adelphe Barbois selon lui, le même Monsieur Barbois qui a oeuvré à enterrer l'affaire en faisant jouer ses relations. Puis Monsieur Jacqmarcq s'est fait rabrouer par sa fille qui lui a rappelé de ne pas colporter de ragots malveillants.

J'ai découvert ce jour là une facette nouvelle d'Adelphe que je ne connaissais pas. Je pense également que c'est là que mes recherches se heurtent à un mur. Je l'ai bien entendu confronter suite aux dires du doyen. Son visage est alors devenu de marbre et il m'a indiqué que personne ne saura jamais ce qu'il s'est passé la nuit où Maximilien et Lucrèce Le Bris ont disparu, et qu'il en allait de l'avenir de la famille.

Transcription :

Eugénie « C’est sans doute de ma faute je l’admet. Mais parfois, il me semble que mes petits-enfants ne font des choix que pour me contrarier : Rose et ses études, Constant (paix à son âme) qui a épousé sa souillon, et maintenant Alexandre qui se complaît dans le célibat. Pourquoi ne peuvent-ils pas être comme toi, conscient de leur devoir. »

Adelphe « Il y a mille façons d’accomplir son devoir. Et quand à mon fils, il n’en a aucun, quoi que vous imaginiez. Le seul devoir que je pourrais lui souhaiter est celui de mener sa vie comme il l’entend afin de devenir un homme heureux. »

Eugénie « Tout de même, il courtise cette fille depuis un moment. Et s’il n’avait jamais d’enfants ? »

Adelphe « Cela le regarde. »

Eugénie « Et d’où te vient cette fermeté soudainement ? »

Adelphe « Alexandre est mon fils, Grand-Mère. Mon fils. Et il a déjà bien assez souffert de ma négligence ou des atrocités de la guerre pour qu’on lui impose encore des choix qui ne sont pas les siens. Je vous le redemande. Laissez-le ! Il épousera sa Sylvette si cela lui chante, et cela ne nous regarde pas. »

Adelphe « Je vous ai toujours obéit car je savais que vous aviez à coeur mes meilleurs intérêts. Mais il faut que vous compreniez que cette jeune génération qui devient adulte n’a pas connu le même monde que nous. Tout est différent, la société, les coutumes… En façonnant mes enfants ou ceux de Constantin comme vous avez façonné nos parents, vous vous heurterez à un mur. »

Eugénie « Ils ont besoin qu’on les guide. »

Adelphe « Je pense qu’ils ont besoin qu’on les laisse faire leurs propres choix. »

Eugénie « Mais la famille, l’entreprise... »

Adelphe « Oncle Maximilien l’a développée, je l’ai consolidée, et notre petite Noé s’en tirera très bien. C’est une jeune fille intelligente et travailleuse, et vous en avez déjà fait un parangon de responsabilité. Il n’y a pas d’inquiétude à avoir. Croyez vous que j’ignore la manière dont vous avez éduqué son frère pour qu’il remplisse mon rôle ? »

Eugénie « Tu l’as dit toi-même, passé un certain âge, on ne peut plus vraiment changer. J’ai fait ce que je devais faire pour pérenniser l’avenir de cette famille. »

Adelphe « J’aurai au moins essayé de vous faire changer d’avis. Mais si jamais Noé et Antoine vous échappent, n’insistez pas. »