When Laurent returns to France in 1814, Napoleon has already been defeated, but the court intrigues are rife with treason and treachery. In such a climate, he and his best friend Aymar get arrested on a false charge of sending crucial information to the enemy. Moreover, it is almost certain that Aymar will be killed. Can Laurent handle the change of circumstances? Will Aymar be saved?What will happen to these two friends who are deeply attached to each other? Excerpt: "The lady who was writing at the rosewood escritoire near the window paused, and with the feather end of the quill traced along the days of the month on a little calendar headed "1814" which was propped up behind the ink-stand."April the twelfth," she murmured, and wrote it at the top of the already finished letter under her hand.She was not young—forty-five at least—but she was distinctly charming in her very short-waisted, close-fitting gown of lilac sarcenet."