Déroulède smiled. “Does it not seem amusing to you, Blakeney, that you should sit there and condemn anyone for planning mad, insane, senseless things?”
This is the story of Juliette de Marny and Paul Déroulède, with only minor appearances by Sir Percy, or mentions of the Pimpernel at all. Déroulède had killed Juliette’s brother in a duel years ago, and she had sworn to be avenged for it. But matters become complicated when she tries to carry out her revenge…complicated by love.
“To love is to feel one being in the world at one with us, our equal in sin as well as in virtue. To love, for us men, is to clasp one woman with our arms, feeling that she lives and breathes just as we do, suffers as we do, thinks with us, loves with us, and, above all, sins with us.”
I enjoyed this novel quite a bit, despite the weak Pimpernel connected. (I’m more than a little biased towards the character of Percy. 🙂 Orczy obviously knew a great deal about the Revolution, and the detail she brings, and the intertwining of fact and fiction are immensely interesting. I picked out Percy’s disguise pretty quickly, though he had me fooled for a while! 🙂 I won’t give away too much more of the story, but I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy the other novels!
And she knew that he had forgiven–nay, that he had naught to forgive–for Love is sweet and tender, and
judges not. Love is Love–whole, trustful, passionate. Love is perfect understanding and perfect peace.