The Josephine B. Trilogy (96 page)

Characters

Adélaïde Hoche:
Lazare Hoche’s young wife

Agathe:
Josephine’s scullery maid

Alexandre Beauharnais:
Josephine’s first husband; guillotined during the Terror

Antoine:
the coachman

Barras, Paul:
a director; Josephine’s friend and mentor

Botot, François:
Barras’s secretary

Bruno:
Barras’s hall porter

Callyot:
Josephine’s cook

Caroline (Maria-Anunziata) Bonaparte:
Napoleon’s youngest sister

Charles, Captain Hippolyte (“Wide-Awake”):
Josephine’s intimate friend and business partner

Crény, Madame de:
one of the Glories

Désirée Renaudin:
Josephine’s godmother and aunt; she lives with the Marquis

Elisa (Maria-Anna) Bonaparte:
the oldest of Napoleon’s sisters; married to Félix Bacchiochi

Émilie Beauharnais:
Josephine’s niece

Eugène Beauharnais:
Josephine’s son

Fauvelet Bourrienne:
Napoleon’s secretary

Fesch:
Bonaparte’s uncle (by marriage)

Fortuné:
Josephine’s first pug dog

Fortunée Hamelin:
one of the Glories

Fouché, Joseph:
Josephine’s friend, talented in undercover work

Gontier:
Josephine’s manservant

Hortense Beauharnais:
Josephine’s daughter

Hugo and Louis Bodin:
Josephine’s business partners

Igor:
Barras’s parrot

Jérôme (Girolamo, Fifi) Bonaparte:
Napoleon’s brother, his youngest sibling

Joseph (Giuseppe) Bonaparte:
Napoleon’s older brother, married to Julie Clary

Julie Clary:
Joseph’s quiet wife

Junot Andoche:
one of Napoleon’s aides

Lazare (Lazarro) Hoche:
Josephine’s former lover

Lavalette:
one of Bonaparte’s aides-de-camp

Letizia Bonaparte:
Napoleon’s mother

Lisette (Louise) Compoint:
Josephine’s lady’s maid

Louis (Luigi) Bonaparte:
Napoleon’s younger brother whom he raised like a son

Lucien (Lucciano) Bonaparte:
Napoleon’s fiery younger brother

Marquis de Beauharnais:
the father of Alexandre, Josephine’s first husband, and François, Émilie’s father

Mimi:
Josephine’s childhood maid, a mulatto from Martinique

Minerva (Madame de Châteaurenaud):
one of the Glories

Moustache:
Napoleon’s courier

Napoleon (Napoleone, in Italian) Bonaparte:
Josephine’s husband.

Ouvrard:
a financial genius

Pauline (Maria-Paola, Paganetta) Bonaparte:
Napoleon’s beautiful and spirited younger sister

Pegasus:
Eugène’s horse

Père Hoche:
Lazare Hoche’s father

Pugdog:
Josephine’s second pug dog

Talleyrand, Charles–Maurice:
a former bishop, sometimes Minister of Foreign Affairs, always influential

Tallien, Lambert:
Thérèse’s husband

Thérèse (Tallita, “Amazon”) Tallien:
Josephine’s closest friend, one of the Glories

Toto:
Barras’s minature greyhound

Genealogies

Selected Bibliography

In addition to several hundred reference and general texts, I largely depended on the following books in writing
Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe.
I’ve starred the titles I recommend to readers who wish to read more about Josephine and the Napoleonic era.

Allinson, Alfred.
The Days of the Directoire.
New York: John Lane, The Bodley Company, 1910.

Aulard, A.
Paris pendant la Réaction Thermidorienne.
Vol. 3–5. Paris: Maison Quantin, 1902.

----------.
Paris sous le Consulat.
Vol. 1. Paris: Maison Quantin, 1903.

Barras, Paul.
Memoirs of Barras, Member of the Directorate.
Vol. 1–4. Edited, with a general introduction, prefaces and appendices by George Duruy. Translated by Charles E. Roche. London: Harper & Brothers, 1895.

Bernard, J. F.
Talleyrand, A Biography.
New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1973.

Bonaparte, Napoleon.
Letters and documents of Napoleon.
Vol. 1,
The Rise to Power.
Selected and translated by John Eldred Howard. London: The Cresset Press, 1961.

Bonnechose, Emile de.
Lazare Hoche.
Translated by Emile Pernet. Toronto: Willing & Williamson, 1881.

Bourrienne, Louis Antoine Fauvelet de.
Memoirs of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Vol. 1– 4. Edited by R.W. Phipps. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1892.

*Bruce, Evangeline.
Napoleon and Josephine: The Improbable Marriage.
New York: Scribner, 1995.

*Catinat, Maurice, Bernard Chevallier and Christophe Pincemaille, editors.
Impératrice Joséphine: Correspondance
,
1782-1814.
Paris: Histoire Payot, 1996.

Cerf, Léon, ed.
Letters of Napoleon to Josephine.
New York: Brentano’s, 1931.

*Chevallier, Bernard, and Christophe Pincemaille.
L’impératrice Joséphine.
Presses de la Renaissance. 37 rue du Four, Paris 75006. 1988.

Cole, Hubert.
Fouché: The Unprincipled Patriot.
London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1971.

*---------.
Joséphine.
London: Heinemann, 1962.

---------.
The Betrayers: Joachim and Caroline Murat.
London: Eyre Methuen, 1972.

*Cronin, Vincent.
Napoleon.
London: Collins, 1971.

Dupre, Huntley.
Lazare Carnot: Republican Patriot.
Philadelphia: Porcupine Press, 1975.

Goodspeed, D. J.
Bayonets at St Cloud; the Story of the 18th Brumaire.
Toronto: Macmillan, 1965.

*Hortense, Queen.
The Memoirs of Queen Hortense.
Published by arrangement with Prince Napoleon. Edited by Jean Hanoteau. Translated by Arthur K. Griggs. Vol. 1 and 2. New York: Cosmopolitan Book Corporation, 1927.

Hubert, Gérard.
Malmaison.
Translated by C. de Chabannes. Paris: Editions de la Réunion des musées nationaux, 1989.

*Knapton, Ernest John.
Empress Josephine.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1963.

Markham, Felix.
Napoleon.
New York: New American Library, 1963.

Mossiker, Frances.
Napoleon and Josephine: The Biography of a Marriage.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1964.

*Oman, Carola.
Napoleon’s Viceroy: Eugène de Beauharnais.
New York: Funk and Wagnalls, 1966.

Saint-Amand, Imbert de.
Citizeness Bonaparte.
New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1899.

Sorel, Albert.
Bonaparte et Hoche en 1797.
Paris: Librairie Plon, 1896.

Tourtier-Bonazzi, Chantal de, ed.
Napoléon Lettres d’Amour à Joséphine.
Paris: Fayard, 1981.

Woronoff, Denis.
The Thermidorean Regime and the Directory, 1794-1799.
Translated by Julian Jackson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984.

Notes

This novel spans the most controversial years of Josephine’s life. If she has what one would call a bad reputation, it arises largely out of her actions during these four and a half years—or rather, her actions as described by a number of historians. When I began my work on Josephine, I assumed that these scandalous stories about her were true. Through years of research and consultation, however, I came to change my view. I am well aware of the accepted version of Josephine’s life, well aware that this novel presents a view of her that is unique in the literature. It is my hope that a study of Josephine will someday be undertaken reexamining primary sources, and that the rumours surrounding her will then be reassessed.

The following have been excerpted from authentic documents: the letters from Napoleon throughout; Director Barras’s dinner menu on page 53; the Hoche letter that Eugène quotes on page 91; Dr. Martinet’s medical report on page 216; the article from
London Morning Chronicle
on page 234; the letter Eugène writes Josephine on page 235; Citoyen Chanorier’s letter regarding Malmaison on page 240; the musical score written by Hortense on page 338; the various passages quoted from Jean Astruc’s
A Treatise on All the Diseases Incident to Women
and other medical books. Note, as well, that the prediction that Josephine would become Queen of France is referred to as early as 1797, well before she is crowned in 1804.

Some readers may have noticed that the Hoche child was a boy in the early printings of
The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B.
, and a girl in
Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe.
In researching this novel I discovered my error.

Regarding currency: It is difficult to determine the value of a franc at this period in French history. Before the Revolution, estimates place the value of the franc (then called a “livre”) somewhere between $1.25 and $4.50 U.S. In the period after the Terror, the economy was unstable and inflation soared. In 1795, for example, the year before Napoleon and Josephine married, a loaf of bread could cost as much as 1,400 francs, and a barrel of potatoes, 17,000.

Acknowledgements

At times the creation of this novel resembled a team effort. Although solitary in my work, I could feel the collective goodwill of a number of people. First and foremost I’d like to credit my editor and publisher, Iris Tupholme, for the hours of creative think-sessions, her ebullient good humour, sound advice and inspired suggestions. Thanks also to Karen Hanson at HarperCollins Canada for her careful scrutiny, Valerie Applebee, who volunteered to be part of the editorial team, Becky Vogan for her sensitive final polish, and Maya Mavjee, for her editorial feedback in the early stages. Warm thanks to Carol Shields, who was closely involved in the first draft, for her encouragement and wisdom. Both Peggy Bridgland and Fiona Foster were perceptive and supportive editors.

A number of readers gave invaluable feedback at various stages: Janet Calcaterra, Thea Caplan, Dorothy Goodman, Marnie MacKay, Jenifer McVaugh, Carmen Mullins, Sharon and Bob Zentner. Two book clubs took the time to read a draft of this novel and meet to discuss it. I’d like to thank the members of the Scarborough Book Club IV in Calgary, Alberta, and the Chapters 110 Bloor St. Book Club in Toronto, Ontario, for their insights.

A number of men and women helped me in my travel research. Prof. Egmont Lee provided the information I needed to locate Mombello north of Milan. Maurice Moncet was kind enough to open up Grosbois (now a museum) after closing hours and give me a private tour. As well, I’d like to credit the many individuals whose names I do not know who went out of their way to help: the caretaker who showed me around
Mombello (now a school); the housekeeper who showed me Josephine’s rooms in the Serbelloni Palace (now government offices) in Milan; the men and women at Plombière-les-Bains who enthusiastically subjected me to a variety of water treatments.

I’d like also to thank Marc Sebanc for his help with Latin translations, Simone Lee and her mother, Prof. Valeria Lee, for help with Italian, and Translingua at the University of Ottawa (especially Christine Hug) for help with French.

A very special thanks to my two historical consultants, Dr. Margaret Chrishawn and Dr. Maurice Catinat, who gave generously of their time and knowledge. And thanks as well to Tony Kenny for passing on his extensive Napoleonic library to me: it is a daily blessing.

Story ideas come from far and near. In my community, specifically, I’d like to thank Christina Anderman for her ghost story and Fran Murphy for her parrot tales. Jim and Tish Smith put aside a stack of old medical books for me that inspired me to delve further. Chaz Este showed up at my door with a beautiful book on eighteenth-century interiors that he was willing to lend “indefinitely.”

I’d also like to thank my readers, especially Lady Corry, who kept asking, “When is it coming out?” For emotional support, thanks to WWW (Wilno Women Writers), my Humber group, and to Internet writing cronies. But most of all I give a heartfelt thanks to my family: my son Chet, my daughter Carrie, and especially, my husband Richard. I could not have written this book without their support, both tangible and emotional.