In November, the rest of Napoleon’s family arrived in Paris. He had sent word of his success to his mother, Letizia, at the house she had been renting near Marseilles. She was still bitter at having lost her home and possessions when the family had been forced to flee from Corsica two years earlier. Napoleon and his brothers, who shared his revolutionary politics, had taken a stand against Pascal Paoli, who - with English backing - was now virtual dictator of the island, and the family had only just escaped the murderous rage of a Paolist mob. Napoelon knew that his mother blamed their misfortune on France in general, and the revolution in particular. Yet it was the same revolution that had given Napoleon the chance to prove himself and he was keen to show his mother, and the rest of his family, the results of his fame and good fortune. Now he could afford to keep them all in comfort.

When his older brother, Joseph, stepped through the door of Napoleon’s new home and beheld him in the uniform of a general, tears of selfless pride pricked at the corners of his eyes before he hugged his brother.

‘If only Father could see you now!’

Napoleon nodded. Their father, Carlos, had sacrificed much to send his two oldest sons to good schools in France. It had been a cruel fate that he died too soon to see their success.

Joseph released Napoleon and stood aside to allow Letizia and the other brothers and sisters to crowd round.There was Lucien, the next boy, who had already made a reputation for himself in Marseilles, espousing the radical politics of the Jacobin party. Louis and Jérôme were already attending a school near Paris. His sisters, Caroline, Pauline and Élisa, stood round him, admiring his best uniform coat with the gleaming braid that marked him out as a general.

Letizia held off until the last before she kissed her son formally on each cheek. ‘I knew you had it in you to achieve greatness. But keep your feet on the ground, my boy. There are people in this world who will try to use you and your new position for their own ends.’

‘Mother!’ Napoleon laughed.‘I am a grown man now. I know how to look after myself.’

‘You are your father’s son,’ she replied wearily. ‘And I know how easily led he was.’

Napoleon frowned. ‘I am no fool, Mother.’

‘We’ll see.’

In view of her smothering attitude it was nearly a month before Napoleon revealed to his family that he intended to get married.

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

‘Congratulations, sir!’ Murat grinned as he strode up to them in the hall of Madame Sinoir’s house. ‘She’s a lucky woman.’

Napoleon’s blood froze and he sensed his mother bristle beside him as he replied, ‘Thank you, Murat.’

‘Well, can’t stop, sir. Some of us bachelors still have a busy love life.’