The Scourge of God

Rank and ceremony surround the Princesse de Rochebazon as she nears death in her Paris mansion. Waiting for Monsieur Ashurst to arrive from England, she speaks with her attendant Manon about family names, affection and the fortune she intends to leave. The church has its claim on her wealth, while the grand furnishings of her room display her family's social standing. John Bloundelle-Burton sets these private concerns within a historical novel about inheritance and religious persecution under Louis XIV.

A later scene brings Martin to a guarded château, where soldiers arrive with prisoners and an officer claiming a distinguished connection. The commandant presses his visitors to stay for supper, while Martin struggles to place a familiar face. Courteous exchanges run alongside threats against the captives, giving the scene its uneasy suspense. Readers of historical fiction can follow how manners, religious allegiance and the exercise of power intersect in conversations charged with suspicion.