Médicis Daughter (56 page)
Authors: Sophie Perinot
And what about the cause of the rupture between Anjou and Margot? After years of being everything to each other, I sought a convincing reason that Anjou would turn so viciously on his sister. A dislike of the Duc de Guise driven purely by military and political rivalry did not seem sufficient. There have long been rumors about Marguerite’s alleged incestuous relationship with one or more of her brothers. While I reject the idea that she slept with any of them, I chose to accept the premise that Anjou came to feel a romantic attraction to her. After all, hell hath no fury like a man spurned, and if Anjou saw Guise as a rival for his sister’s love, his violent reaction to Marguerite’s attachment to Guise becomes understandable, as does the antagonism between brother and sister that replaced their former
amitié
.
Finally, there is an event in the book created out of whole cloth. On June 4, 1572, Jeanne d’Albret was seized by a fever that was to be her final illness. On her deathbed she went unvisited by any member of the royal family, though they made a great show of paying their respects when she lay in state. This behavior probably contributed to rumors that Jeanne had been poisoned, even though an autopsy by the royal physicians suggested she died of tuberculosis. I added a fictional visit to Jeanne as she lay dying because it seemed a dramatic moment for the discussion in which the Queen of Navarre asked Margot to promise to be kind to her son, a pledge that led to unexpected places.
The Valois dynasty’s last years were plagued by bloodshed, betrayal, scandal, and fanaticism, and marred most shamefully by the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. But the best of the Valois came into her own during that massacre when she saved the life of Henri of Navarre, who would become Henri IV of France.
Henri le Grand
granted religious toleration to the Huguenots, brought discipline and regularity to the finances of France, increased the prosperity of his subjects, and became one of the most beloved kings in French history. Marguerite de Valois may have been ill treated by her family and slandered by history, but her forgotten strength, faith, and resourcefulness paved the way for France’s salvation—a legacy worthy of any sovereign queen.
An author may put the first words of a manuscript on the page, but it takes a team to produce a novel. My faithful critique partners, Frances and Kate, see things in my manuscripts that I am often too close to recognize, and their honesty and humor in commenting on my work not only helps me to make my books better but keeps me sane. I am immensely grateful for the support, guidance, and hard work of my agent, Jacques de Spoelberch—a gentleman in an era when they are increasingly rare. I am thankful also for my editors, Toni Kirkpatrick and Jennifer Letwack, whose enthusiasm for
Médicis Daughter
equaled my own.
Finally, my husband, Michael, and my parents, Barbara and Henry, believe I can do anything and everything, and all have been exceedingly patient while I tried.
SOPHIE PERINOT
is the author of
The Sister Queens
. A former attorney, Perinot is now a full-time writer. She lives in Great Falls, Virginia, with her three children, three cats, one dog, and one husband. You can sign up for email updates
here
.
ALSO BY
SOPHIE PERINOT
The Sister Queens
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CONTENTS
Part One:
Si jeunesse savait … (If only youth knew…)
Part Three:
La mort n’a point d’ami … (Death hath no friends…)
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin’s Press.
MÉDICIS DAUGHTER.
Copyright © 2015 by Sophie Perinot. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover design by Elsie Lyons
Cover photographs: woman © Elisabeth Ansley / Trevillion Images; castle © Victor Torres / Shutterstock; wreath © vectorkat / Shutterstock
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Perinot, Sophie.
Médicis daughter: a novel of Marguerite de Valois / Sophie Perinot. — First edition.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-250-07209-2 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4668-8348-2 (e-book)
1. Marguerite, Queen, consort of Henry IV, King of France, 1553–1615—Fiction. 2. Catherine de Médicis, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of France, 1519–1589—Fiction. 3. Henry IV, King of France, 1553–1610—Fiction. 4. Guise, François de Lorraine, duc de, 1519–1563—Fiction. 5. Saint Bartholomew’s Day, Massacre of, France, 1572—Fiction. 6. France—History—House of Valois, 1328–1589—Fiction. 7. France—History—16th century—Fiction. 8. France—Court and courtiers—Fiction. 9. France—Kings and rulers—Fiction. 10. Nobility—France—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3616.E7446M43 2015
813'.6—dc23
2015034669
e-ISBN 9781466883482
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First Edition: December 2015