“The two Kings will declare war against the United Provinces of Holland. The King of France will attack by land and will receive the help of six thousand men from England. The King of England will send fifty men-of-war to sea, and the King of France thirty. His Britannic Majesty will be content to receive Walcheren, the mouth of the Scheldt, and the Isle of Cadzand, as his share of the conquered provinces. The King of England will make a public profession of the Catholic faith and will receive the sum of two millions of crowns in the course of the next six months.”

Louis looked up from the paper. “We were ready to go up to three million.”

Henriette, seated across from the King, said, “I wasn’t.”

All the men smiled and nodded.

Louis put the paper down and stood. “This calls for a celebration!”

Henriette nodded weakly, and as she stood her legs gave out and she braced herself against the table to keep from falling. Louis’ smile vanished. “Bontemps,” he said, “see that my doctor attends to her immediately.”

“Mother!” Sophie hurried into Beatrice’s apartment, filled with energy and enthusiasm. “Mother, Her Highness has promised to present me to the Duc de Quercy. She says he may be a good match! Can you imagine? Me, a duchess!”

Beatrice stood at the wardrobe, rummaging through her dresses. She glanced over her shoulder and Sophie saw the tension in her face. “I thought you were in love with a builder,” she snapped, turning her attention back to the dresses.

“You told me to forget him.”

Beatrice continued to paw through her gowns, feeling the hems as if something were missing.

“What are you doing?”

“I lost a brooch.”

Sophie put her hand on her mother’s shoulder. “What is wrong, Mother?”

“Nothing.”

“What news of our situation?”

Beatrice pushed Sophie aside and hurried over to the trunks by the wall. She opened the first and searched inside. “I believe our situation may soon be resolved.”

“If I marry a duke, we will be safe, will we not?”

“Yes.”

Sophie watched as her mother flung garments here and there. “The day we left, you wished me a happy trip to England. How did you know I was going to England?”

“Court gossip.”

“Mother, you’re hiding something from me, I know it.”

Beatrice stared up at Sophie. Her eyes were hard and frightening. “If I’m hiding anything from you, it is for a good reason.”

Philippe and Chevalier gave their list of new etiquette rules to Bontemps, and ordered the valet, by word of the King, to transmit the information to all nobles living in court, regardless of how they might balk. It was clear Bontemps wanted nothing to do with it, but Chevalier also knew that Bontemps was Louis’ lap dog and while he might question, he would never disobey.