Louis the Well-Beloved by Jean Plaidy

Author:Jean Plaidy
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2011-02-20T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter VII

DUCHESSE DE CHTEAUROUX

A penitent King, in the eyes of such rakes as the Duc de Richelieu, meant a dull Court. Moreover ambitious men, such as the Duc had time to be when he was not indulging in his amours, had always dreamed of promoting some woman of their choice to the position of King’s mistress, thus ensuring special favours for themselves.

The celibacy of a man such as Louis could not be of long duration. Louis did not know himself if he imagined it could be. But Louis, in many ways, was taking a long time to grow up. His natural innocence was so deep-rooted that only a long life of depravity could destroy it.

Louis had a fondness for the Nesle girls. The Marquis de Nesle had had five daughters; the family was of the old nobility and, like so many in that category, had outlived its wealth. It seemed strange that these women should appeal in a sensual way to the King. Neither Madame de Mailly nor Madame de Vintimille had been beauties; yet for years the former had remained the King’s only mistress, only to be displaced by her ugly sister.

There is some quality in these Nesle girls which only Louis has discovered, thought Richelieu; and he considered the rest of the family. Of the three remaining sisters one was ugly, even more so than Madame de Vintimille had been, for she lacked her extraordinary vitality. She was Diane-Adelaide, the youngest of the family. Then there was Madame de Flavacourt who had some beauty and a great deal of charm. But the one on whom the attention of the Duc de Richelieu became fixed was the widowed Madame de la Tournelle, for she was a beauty – the only beauty among the Nesle girls. Her complexion was dazzlingly clear, her wide eyes deep blue in colour, her face perfect in its contours; and above all she had a grace and elegance which were outstanding even at Court.

Richelieu considered her. She was his cousin and he knew her to be the mistress of his nephew, the Duc d’Aiguillon, and that the two of them were passionately in love with each other; so enamoured was the Duc that he was contemplating marriage.

Marie-Anne de la Tournelle could be, thought Richelieu, an ambitious woman; she was also a clever one. At the moment her love for the weak but handsome Duc d’Aiguillon obscured her judgement, but Richelieu believed that if she made herself agreeable to the King he would be ready to desert his life of piety, and the Court would grow lively again.

Why should he not be interested in the young widow? She was beautiful and she had the mysterious quality of being a Nesle.

Walking with the King at Saint-Léger he talked of her.

‘My nephew gives me some concern, Sire,’ he said. ‘He hopes to marry Madame de la Tournelle.’

‘You do not approve of the match?’ asked Louis.

Richelieu was momentarily thoughtful. ‘It is good enough.’

The King’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Is she not the sister of .

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