Le Secret du Roi

racaille @ 10:28 pm: First and last OOC post !
Let me take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for taking part in Le Secret du Roi, the first Noteworthy game ever!

While I knew from Vampire LARP that some of you were skilled backstabbers I really enjoyed seeing everyone put on their best conspirator face and come up with nasty ways to kick the others out, all in a creative manner, without any number-crunching.

If you enjoyed this play-by-LJ game, I know toast3r has something in the works, feel free to pimp out your game in the comments if player slots are available.

Finally, I joined the ST team of a Dangerous Liaisons one-shot LARP to be held at the end of the month in a castle in the south of France. I'll be very busy with plot and preparations but if you want to see pics of it when it's done, let me know and I'll send you the link.

Thomas B., racaille, the mad Frenchman of the secret :)

racaille @ 10:27 pm: The Comte de Broglie to His Majesty Louis the Fifteenth, King of the French
Sire,

Please let me reiterate my best wishes to Your Majesty for this New Year. Here is my final report on the experiment I attempted to weed out your Majesty’s secret service of its English infiltrators. My services started by disseminating the rumor that I was looking for candidates to the secret. After a few months of listening to potential candidates, seven were contacted. You have received my frequent updates on their selection so I will only let you know what happened to them in the past month.

Sylvestre-Jean de Savetier, the feeble-minded Vicomte was assigned to remain in his lands. He has received nearly every possible doctor known to man, the latest being an Austrian named Franz Anton Mesmer. Let’s hope that his “animal magnetism” cures the poor Vicomte of his illness.

Monsignor Philippe-Louis de Bourbon-Conti, our latest Cardinal, is now serving the Holy See to the best of his abilities. Vatican intrigue is a high-stakes gamble and he seems to be fully immersed in it as I haven’t heard from him since his nomination.

Alexandre-Philippe d’Osny seems to have stopped his counter-nature ways with the enemy, only to refocus them on the more youthful elements of Your Versailles court. I have various reports of his activities in the bushes of the park and will gladly send them to you should you find this entertaining. In the mean time, his frequent reports on Parisian nightlife are dark gems filled with filthy secrets.

For his treasons against the Crown, the Baron de Vergy was banished to Nouvelle-France according to your orders. He’s been amassing an impressive amount of wealth trading with the natives and financing plundering raids against the English. I heard he is also battling a nasty case of variola vera, possibly gained from his encounter with Lisette de Marsan.

The Vicomtesse was imprisoned in a special asylum for women of ill-repute. She promptly assessed the local politics and I heard that this house is now the most attractive brothel in Paris. I allowed her to keep her activities in exchange for weekly reports on her patrons.

While Vergy and Marsan were traitors, Henri de Volanges was the real English mole I had attempted to uncover through this selection process. He was the last missing piece of the King George-Duc de Saint-Fargeau-Comte de Saint-Germain-Baron d’Enfou puzzle. The Duchesse de Saint-Fargeau, who, by some extraordinary circumstances also happened to be a candidate revealed critical parts of his network in London. Further investigation by the Chevalier d’Eon following Mme Fournier’s letters led to the secrets that made Volanges a slave to the English. They held proofs that the old Marquis de Volanges and his first born did not die of old age and debauchery, but were murdered, in succession, poisoned by the second son, Henri de Volanges who wanted to inherit the title. As your Divine Law requires, he will be strapped to a wheel on the place de Grève, his bones broken with an iron bar and his limbs ripped apart by four horses.

During this selection process, I couldn’t help but notice Vivianne de Saint-Fargeau’s skill and dedication. While her husband will be taken care of, I humbly suggest she be sent to Venice. One of our agents there, one Giacomo Casanova has been imprisoned in “the leads” by the Inquisition with some important documents. I think only the Duchesse could find a discrete way of freeing him, as well as show enough self-control to resist his legendary persuasion powers once freed.

I remain….

Charles-François, Comte de Broglie.

ptevis @ 08:35 pm: 3 January, 176-

My dear Comte,

As you are aware, I have been these last several weeks in England, in pursuit of that perpetual thorn in our side, the Comte de Saint-Germain. I was loathe to break off my surveillance of him, but at your request I did so and focused instead on the Duc de Saint-Fargeau. My investigations bordered on fruitless until a chance encounter changed my fortunes substantially. On the streets of London (about which the less is said, the better) I was surprised to encounter Mme. Fournier. She and I had known each other previously, and it was no surprise to me that she was eager to resume our previous arrangement. I was also not surprised to discover that she still talked in her sleep.

What did alarm me was the content of her nocturnal transmissions. She repeatedly used the words "treason," "murder," "Vivianne," and most disconcertingly, "God save the King" (in English). Knowing her to be a deep sleeper, I availed myself of the opportunity to examine the contents of her writing desk. I'm sure your Grace will find the attached contents most interesting.

The following night, as we dined in her quarters, she offered me a toast to the success of both our missions. When I expressed puzzlement at this, she said that she everything would be made clear the morning. The morning was anything but clear. I awoke to find Mme. Fournier dead. A cursory examination revealed that poisoning was likely the cause of death. My suspicions were confirmed when I sniffed her wine glass, discovering traces of hemlock. (As you are no doubt aware, I am an avid gardener, and I have for several years cultivated hemlock in addition to my other poisonous plants. You must come see my garden sometime.)

Between what I discovered in her drawers (by which I mean the documents) and the words she let slip in her sleep, I am forced to conclude that she meant to poison me. Fortunately, she never noticed my habit of never choosing from the wine glass in front of me. My agents in France inform me that the Duchesse de Saint-Fargeau was in close contact with Mme. Fournier, and from the attached papers, I believe you can see why. Your suspicions concerning her were correct, and I hope that message reaches you in time to prevent her plot from hatching.

Your servant,

Henri, Marquis de Volanges

loopygirl @ 12:02 pm: My dearest Comte,

It is with a heavy heart that I pen this missive to you. I have, just this very hour, completed the last of a series of meetings with my agents, all of whom returned to me bearing ill news of their findings in England.

After receiving your last note, I arranged for the repayment of a favor long owed to me by Mme. Fournier, a retainer of the Marquis de Moreau. As I am sure you are aware, the Mme. Fournier was greatly respected in certain circles as a seer and spiritualist. At my request, she agreed to travel to England along with three of my other agents, with the intent of investigating the Comte di Cagliostro. I am distraught to report that while Mme. Fournier made a number of critical discoveries, she paid for these with her very life.

Mme. Fournier became convinced that Cagliostro is a charlatan of great skill, but a fraud nonetheless. Before her murder, she was able to determine that the Comte is using the guise of a medium to deliver encoded messages to agents of the English crown. In her last letter to me, she provided samples of the Comte’s messages along with her rudimentary translations of certain codes used to conceal information contained within. Some of these messages are quite interesting – pay particular attention to the series of messages indicating the “delivery of payment” by an individual known as “V.”

Not long after sending her final correspondence, Mme. Fournier was found murdered in her rented London flat. My agent, who discovered her body, is convinced that the true method of murder was hemlock poisoning – the knife wounds on Mme. Fournier’s body seemed to be inflicted after her spirit fled, presumably to implicate another for this ghastly crime.

Not content with his findings, my agent continued his vigilant investigations, including surveillance of the Comte de Saint-Germain. My man was able to intercept a letter, delivered to the Comte the same evening of the murder. This note said, simply: “The deed is done, and my loyalties to you are thus proved. Our debts are settled. V.” Although my agent felt it would endanger our investigation to keep the letter, he swears the note was written in a hand bearing a striking resemblance to that of our dear Marquis de Volanges.

The following day, a knife, still bearing the dried blood of Mme. Fournier, was discovered by the English authorities at the home of a rival of Cagliostro’s. It seems they received an anonymous letter and were prompted to investigate this individual’s home. It is also worth noting that this same rival had spoken out against Cagliostro on numerous occasions, claiming that the medium’s gifts were merely clever playacting.

Suspicious, my agents arranged for one of the Marquis’ servants to encounter a lovely maid in the marketplace the following day. This seductress was able to ensure an …invitation, and spent the evening in the servants’ quarters of the Marquis’ home. While her access to the building was somewhat limited, she did discover, in one of the sitting parlors, a strange plant. This plant showed signs of recent and dramatic trimming, and our spy was able to obtain a sample of it for our inspection.

It is, without a doubt, a hemlock plant.

These distressing findings have left me convinced that the Marquis de Volanges is indeed conspiring with the Comte de Cagliostro and his circles. I believe, though it horrifies me to write such, that the Marquis murdered the Mme. Fournier to prove his loyalties to the Comte, and framed an innocent man to strengthen the Comte’s standing within the occult community.

Furthermore, it is my suspicion that the Comte drew the Marquis to such depths of depravity through neither alchemy nor bribery, but blackmail. I do not yet know what act the Marquis might have committed that would require him to pay the Comte for his silence, but I am convinced that all shall become clear as soon as your skilled agents decode the messages discovered by Mme. Fournier.

I have made the necessary arrangements, and am traveling to Paris to deliver all of the evidence in question. I only wish I had happier tidings to bring, and beg your aid in bringing the Marquis de Volanges to justice.

Respectfully,

Vivianne, Duchesse de Saint-Fargeau

racaille @ 12:38 pm: The Comte de Broglie to the Candidates
Paris, 23 December 176-

Dear Marquis de Volanges and Duchesse de Saint-Fargeau,

I am writing this letter in the Chatelet police headquarters of Monsieur de Sartine. The Vicomtesse de Marsan and the Baron de Vergy are in his custody, as are a dozen Englishmen. Upon receiving your last letters, I immediately contacted the royal guard and stormed the de Vergy estate. Not only were the two candidates locked up in the cellar, but I also found the English actress and d'Enfou in a comfortable position in de Vergy's master bedroom. The rascal had escaped the Bastille through accomplices that have been hanged today in the prison's courtyard. Based on preliminary interrogations (that is without the help of Monsieur Samson, the King's executioner) it seems that both de Vergy and de Marsan had been their agents for quite a while. De Vergy was smuggling goods, letters and persons accross the Channel and de Marsan using her animal magnetism to extract classified information during her irresistible pillow talk sessions. The English most recently used them to infiltrate our secret and hoped that one of them would get selected. To ensure this neither de Vergy nor de Marsan was aware of the other's most secret mission until recently, and it's no doubt de Marsan wanted to be the one by confounding de Vergy. Of course, their employers, being treacherous Britons, betrayed them and sequestered them until further notice.

To establish that kind of network outside of your own country requires an extensive group of collaborators. The pox-infected actress was found by d'Enfou, who got pox from her and was working himself for none other than the Duc de Saint-Fargeau, our Duchesse's beloved husband. As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I started active surveillance of his correspondence to prevent him from hindering the Duchesse in her investigations. I discovered that the Duc wanted to destabilize the Bourbon dinasty, starting with Monsieur, to better place himself in line for succession. He thus contacted the English through famous socialite Comte de Saint-Germain and proceeded to recruit d'Enfou as his Parisian liaison. One of my elite agents, the Chevalier d'Eon, obtained this information using the de Marsan approach on Saint-Germain. Saint-Germain also revealed a few embarassing things about you, Volanges. The man claims to be centuries-old so he may just be lying, but at this stage I cannot dismiss any testimony.

Marquis de Volanges, you will stay in England and find whether the Duchesse de Saint-Fargeau is part of her husband's plot. For this I will need proof coming from King George's administration.

Duchesse de Saint-Fargeau, you will infiltrate Cagliostro's circle and see if, as claimed by Saint-Germain, the Marquis de Volanges has become Cagliostro's puppet through alchemical means or maybe more mundane corruption in gold and diamonds.

I want your reports by the end of the 3rd of January.

All other candidates are requested to investigate one or the other of these issues so that they don't stretch their ressources too thin and comment on one of the last two candidate's reports. De Marsan and de Vergy will be freed so that they can use their networks but followed by agents of Monsieur de Sartine and shot on sight of any suspicious movement.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Charles-Francois, Comte de Broglie

exquiscadavre @ 08:47 am: My Dearest Comte,

If this letter comes to you properly sealed, then you may trust the young man who carries it to take you and your men to my location.

I am being held prisoner at the de Vergy country estates, after having discovered a horrible secret.

Of course, I was incensed with the lies in de Vergy's last missive, so I rushed to take my carriage to his estate and confront him on his horrible behavior toward me. I was greeted at the door by a servant with pronounced accent in his speech, who told me I would not be seen. I made as if to leave, and sent my coach away, gaining entrance through the servants' quarters in the East wing.

Imagine my surprise to find the kitchen full of men speaking in English!

I attempted to slip right back out, but was discovered.

They have locked me in a basement with de Vergy, who seems to have gone more than half mad with ill treatment. Judging by his breath, they have been keeping him drugged with some foul substance to break his mind as well. I have refused all food, to avoid the same fate, but my strength wanes, and I shall have to eat soon.

The boy they sent to carry away our night dirt is half French, and speaks our language in a rudimentary way. I have bribed him with jewels I keep hidden for such a purpose to take you this letter.

I beg you make haste. There is really no telling what these English dogs mean to do with de Vergy and I.

In gravest need,

Lisette

ptevis @ 10:18 pm: 19 Decembre, 176-

My Dear Comte,

I hope this letter find you well. I am now in London, where I pine for la belle France. Yet, in the King's service, I take on this hardship willingly.

As you are no doubt aware, the reputed Comte di Cagliostro has a reputation as a medium, a mystic, and an alchemist. Through my sources I was able to trace his path back to England, where I discovered he had made the acquaintance of another disreputable noble, the Comte de Saint-Germain. As my sources here have been able to confirm, Saint-Germain is an agent of George III. I have reason to suspect that Cagliostro is in his employ as well, and the British intend to use him as agent provocateur. His alleged alchemical abilities are nothing but a convenient cover.

Your servant,

--Henri, Marquis de Volanges

ajpursell @ 08:43 am: Cabin Boy
I admire the various attempts to link my ships with the port of Dover. And am greatly amused that the nephew of one of the captains has been cast as a grand conspirator against France. The boy is 10. If the Comte wishes to meet him, I'm sure that I can arrange it.

Yes. The ship did put in at the port of Dover, where, unregistered and posing as a Dutch vessel, it unloaded several of the lesser beaver pelts that had grown quite worn and some of the sugar which had gone bad with age as well as purchasing information to be used in the current situation that is taking place in the New World.

Interestingly enough, although she alludes to a previous encounter where I put off her most erstwhile advances, I am reminded of a tale that was shared at cards the other night that one of the younger sons of the Duke du V___ told. It recounts the liasons of a young French Libertine who goes off to the Continent where she comes into an aquaintance of an English gentleman also traveling. A young, much much younger than she is now, engenue. She experiences much of the pleasures that are to be had along the Coast and in the Countryside. She then travels to L'Angleterre, where she develops the skills she will most be known for, le gout angleterre.

The lithograph, with several flattering etchings I'm told, ends with this unnamed libertine returning to France where she marries well and for convenience and takes a title.

I find it amusing that the Vicomtesse is supporting the good father's story, no doubt based on information that she has placed and is looking to provide corroboration for to add credence to her machinations. One wonders if there isn't some attachment still to the English person that she met oh so very long ago. I'm told the gentleman has the ear of the Chamberlain and several connections to their Navy.

That the Comte hasn't taken her up on her many desperate and eager invitations shows that he is a man of taste and dedication who puts the King first before pleasures that are akin to aged cheeses and old wines that are just about to turn to vinegar. As I said previously, one should not consult with mistresses things they are not trained to deal with.

I hope you are in good health, I pray for your strength and the strength of the King.

Baron de Vergy

racaille @ 12:07 pm: The Comte de Broglie to the Candidates
Dear candidates,

What an amazing week full of revelations! I knew that asking you to uncover hidden truths about your fellow candidates would bring out the best in this country’s aristocracy. Remember that, whatever my weekly requests, I am always interested by such information. Let us review the various claims made this week.

The Baron d’Osny seems to have been misled in his appreciation of the Vicomtesse de Marsan's linguistic skills. While a “crumpet” does indeed sound like a dreadful attack to our noble French palate, domine salvum fac regem was stolen from us by the rosbifs as the Vicomte de Savettier mentioned and the Vicomtesse can rightfully participate in the fight to reclaim it. Or more than misled, the Baron d’Osny may have been trying to divert our collective attention from his counter-nature trysts with treacherous Britons. On that note, let me congratulate the Vicomtesse de Marsan on her meticulousness, she packaged the handkerchief so well it still contained what I assume to be dried bodily fluids. Sleeping with the enemy is indeed a threat to the kingdom’s safety, and the Baron will not be considered for membership in the secret. Should he wish to partially clean his honor by providing us with additional information in the coming weeks, he is more than welcome to do so.

Maritime intrigues of the d’Osny kind seem to have confused Father Philippe-Louis de Bourbon-Conti. This will not be an issue anymore as he will join our Holy Father Pope Clement XIII in the Vatican. The Vicomte de Savettier was well informed and we should soon call Philippe-Louis “Monsignor de Bourbon-Conti”. The Vicomtesse de Marsan’s fears are unfounded as the Duchesse de Saint-Fargeau's pecuniary power vastly surpasses that of the Cardinal Le Camus (His Eminence has a some debts with the King’s treasury and we’ll make sure he reimburses them before trying any sort of ecclesiastical promotion for his bastard). As the Holy See requires full-time attention and loyalty, Father-Louis will not be considered for membership in the secret, though we will still enjoy his correspondence, should he find the time.

I am deeply saddened by the Duchess de Saint-Fargeau’s revelations on the Vicomte de Savettier. Leaving one’s health in the hands of miscreants like Huguenots is surely a liability we cannot afford in the secret. What if they used potions and filters to cloud your keen intellect, or blackmail you with indispensable medicines? These are the people who burned Joan of Arc after all. Silvestre-Jean de Savettier will not be part of this service but can for now still partake in our correspondence from his bed.

As a side note, it seems that the Baron de Vergy misaddressed this week’s missive. His revelations, while very interesting, will thus be ignored this week as other candidates may not have had the means of verifying their authenticity. He is more than welcome to try again.

Based on your contributions, I had d’Enfou arrested by a lettre de cachet from His Majesty. Swiss guards were sent to his house and found him in the company of his stable boy in a position that the presence of Ladies amongst us prevents me from describing further. He is now sequestered in the Bastille and will remain there until we find the English actress.

Finally, some of you may have heard about the commotion caused in some Parisian circles by the arrival of one Comte de Cagliostro. My transalpine informers seem to have heard of the man as actually a commoner by the name of Joseph Balsamo. While this would not be the first case of cross-border noble impersonation I have come across during my career in contre-espionnage, the credit that this Cagliostro has acquired among some court members is impressive. Members of the prestigious Rohan line confirmed me that he was able to produce diamonds out of thin air, and to create gold as well. If this man is a charlatan, he shall be punished, but if he is truly gifted, we should promptly put his skills to the King’s service. Of course, he could be neither but just the agent of foreign power who came up with a particularly creative cover. Please let me know your findings by next week.

I remain,

Charles-Francois, Comte de Broglie

ptevis @ 05:59 pm: 13 Decembre, 176-

My dear Comte,

The rascal d'Enfou is certainly up to something, as he has managed to intercept my mail for nearly a fortnight now. Despite his best efforts, however, I immediately became aware of this deception. I am certain the misinformation I have fed him will keep him chasing his tail for quite some time.

While it pains me to give up such an excellent device, I have discovered further information that must be made known to your person. While I was thrashing the servant who provided d'Enfou's man access to my correspondence, he cried out, "D'Osny!" When I demanded to know what he meant by this, he refused to speak further. At first I thought that this was merely a ruse of d'Enfou's, to throw me off the track and make us suspect one of our own. But now that the Vicomtesse de Marsan's evidence has come to light I cannot afford to doubt it. It seems that one of the traitor's men has penetrated our very circle.

Your servant,

Henri, Marquis de Volanges

loopygirl @ 10:53 am: My dearest Comte,

I trust this missive has reached you with greater haste than the last, now that I have abandoned more secret channels of delivery. I am cautious by nature, as you know.

I am delighted that the collective effort of my fellow candidates has unraveled the mystery of the woman in blue. As I read each letter delivered to me, I find myself in great respect of this group’s talents, with some few exceptions.

In response to your request for information regarding ties to rival nations, I have discovered one tidbit worth notice.

I found myself regretting the fact that I have not yet had the opportunity to meet the respected Vicomte de Savettier in person. It is most unfortunate that his illness, mentioned in his previous letters, prevents him from traveling to many social events where we might have had the chance to make introductions.

Determined to see if I might assist the Vicomte in regaining some portion of his health, I made inquiries with some of France’s greatest physicians. One of my contacts informed me that he would be only too delighted to assist the Vicomte; however, he’d already been turned away by our dearest comrade. It seems that the Vicomte de Savettier has rejected the physicians of France in favor of the medical treatments of Switzerland, Belgium and England.

Indeed, I was shocked to learn that the Vicomte was, for some months, receiving aid from one of Britain’s most famous physickers, a gentleman known for his development of new, experimental treatments.

While I am relieved that the Vicomte de Savettier has the means to treat his longstanding illness, I confess the situation does also bring great concerns to my mind. How might such treatments leave one vulnerable to the physicians of England, and what dependencies might they create to tangle the loyalties of our dearest friend?

Comte, if any of the other candidates of our circle have further information on this matter, I humbly request that they share such with us. I believe it would bring great relief to all parties to have the matter settled.

Respectfully,

Vivianne, Duchesse de Saint-Fargeau

exquiscadavre @ 08:54 am: My Darling Comte,

It is a peculiarity of men that they tend to consider a woman least dangerous, when she is, in fact, at her most dangerous. Through such hubris, many have fallen at the whim of the woman who they wake beside.

However, it is not just our femininity which deceives, I assure you, for those men who have the scandalous taste for their own sex seem to similarly discount the powers of those young men whose honor they ravish.

Such was the case with d’Enfou, I fear, for it seems he had taken to using the services of young men who could not speak our beautiful French, so that they could not betray his unusual habits and bring him to disgrace. Thus he would have his valet haunt the harbors and lure suitable candidates into his clutches.

This is how our enemies in England first gained control over him, for his tastes became known among the sailors and a young man of suitable talents was sent to seduce and then blackmail d'Enfou.

All this might have remained hidden, except that some of the man's earlier dance partners were most put out at being abandoned for the new boy. It seems that d’Enfou was generous with those he made use of in that way.

I have spoken with two of these poor unfortunate young men, and it has cost only a little time and sympathy to locate the source of d’Enfou's downfall. Such are the benefits of a rigorous education.

The man you want is disguised as a cabin boy on the English trading ship Clement. He is the blond one, whose hands are suspiciously free of callouses.

Oh, and as a side note, could you kindly forward this handkerchief, bearing the embroidered d'Osny arms back to its owner, since I am not aware of his city residence? One of the English sailor boys was gloating about stealing such a thing from his romantic rival, a petty revenge being better than none. I immediately took the most elaborate pains to claim it from his, since I would not want such an upstanding name to be embarrassed in any way. I am a woman of the world, and am no longer shocked at such things, but their are more tender ears than mine.


Pining for you,

Lisette

toast3r @ 12:01 am: Forgive me mon conte.
Apologies that my letters are simple and not simple.
Thank you taking the time to notify me of these things.
Had I offended you in being cryptic, that was not my intention.
Every letter sent, i assure you, i always put some thought.
Rather much thought than to make scribble.

I do have some note of import i wish to share
Something that i hope is worth your while.

Understanding someone's loyalty is rather key.
Next to keys are locks, behind those locks are secrets.
There are secrets among all those who assemble.
Recently there was an assembled group of cardinals.
Unique in their song, when they flock together they sing like a choir.
So before my ears the cardinals flocked and called forth father philippe-louis.
They called him to join their choir of cardinals in rome.
When father philippe-louis becomes a cardinal, we should all congratulate him.
Often this is an honor not many fathers can receive.
Rather than serving just the king or just the church, he honors both.
The fifth commandment is honor thy father.
His forth commandment will come from which family?
Yes, understanding a father's loyalty is rather key.

silvestre-jean, vicomte de savettier

fungol @ 11:59 pm: My dear Comte,

My apologies for the lack of a reply with regards to the english woman. With the information provided by my fellow aspirants, especially Baron de Vergy, I entered into communication with the clergy of Calais, hoping to find more information of the ship that was seen in the channel.

Unfortunately, the news I have gathered is not what I had hoped. A priest of Calais has recently taken the confession of a morose young sailor, led into treasonous activity by the promise of a full purse.

It seems that the sighting in the channel came as the Baron's vessel returned to Calais from a journey to the shore of our enemies.

At first, I could not believe that one as esteemed as de Vergy could be involved in such activity, I had hoped that perhaps his actions were on behalf of the crown. I had hoped to learn that it was tasked with bringing letters of instruction to our agents, or providing payment for information.

I immediately traveled to Calais and interviewed the young sailor.

His recollections were the opposite of what I had hoped. It seems that letters were exchanged in a fog shrouded meeting, but a full pay chest was brought aboard the vessel rather than removed.

I hope that this revelation is of use to you.

Father Philippe-Louis de Bourbon-Conti

scola @ 01:17 am: Osny, 12 december 176-

My dear Comte,

I hope you are having a pleasant and restful december. As the cool winds crossing our continent turn bitter, I habitually remind my friends and relatives not to neglect their health. Not one of us can best serve our King if we succumb to some seasonal malady!

The instructions provided in your letter of 8 december are well received. I trust this letter will reach you in a punctual manner, and that you will find it free from all unnecessary ciphers and innuendos. I believe, as my dear father did, that Men must be straightforward and precise in their correspondence. "Say what you mean... and nothing more!" he would always say, God rest his soul.

Your third instruction, "On Loyalty", was similarly well received, but perhaps unnecessary in this instance. Comte, you could not have recruited a more loyal group - to a man (or, to a woman) we are all loyal servants of His Majesty and France! For instance, consider our mutual friend, Lisette,Vicomtesse de Marsan: Never was there a more loyal subject to our King. Last week, having recovered from my recent holiday, I ventured out of my home to Paris, where I was obligated to resolve a few dreary matters relating to my estate. While I was there, I visited my favorite cafe for breakfast. It so happened that the Vicomtesse was there as well! I ordered my usual buttered croissant, she opted for an unusual round pastry called a "Crumpet" - one which appeared to confound the chef there. As she nibbled her pastry-disc, she was apparently conversing with a young male companion - in English! What commitment, what an overwhelming sense of duty would inspire our Vicomtesse to so diligently practice this foreign tongue - just in case the Secret might ever call upon her to infiltrate the British nobility. As Lisette left the cafe, quietly whistling a tune that sounded vaguely like "God Save the Queen", but certainly must have been a similar melody of which I am unfamiliar, I thought to myself: Here is a woman whose loyalty to His Majesty is beyond reproach.

Yours in Service to France,
Alexandre-Philippe, Baron d'Osny

racaille @ 03:46 pm: The Comte de Broglie to the candidates
Versailles, 8 december 176-

Dear candidates,

Some congratulations are in order. The Lady in blue indeed seems to be an English actress hired to provoke some sort of distraction in the court though I must admit, I did not expect the flurry of debauchery-related information surrounding this young person. I will send a few constables to look for women wearing the Vicomte de J______ ‘s clothes and keep you up to date on the situation, but before that, a few comments:

On punctuality. Now that everyone had a chance to make their voice heard at least once, I expect flawless service in the coming days. This means I need to receive your letters by Monday morning. Any latecomer will still be privy to our correspondence but will not be considered for promotion to the secret. This should only scare the Marquis de Volanges and the brother of a former head of the secret, Father Philippe-Louis de Bourbon-Conti.

On secrecy. I urge the Duchesse de Saint-Fargeau to abandon such secret ways of communicating: they take extra-effort and money on the cabinet noir’s side to intercept. Please keep to royal mail, it is much easier for me to “handle”. On that note, I will make sure the Duc de Saint-Fargeau receives adequate misinformation to keep him off your trail for the next few weeks.
Likewise, I would humbly request that the Vicomte de Savettier feel free to use non-cryptic phrases when communicating with us. If allowed in the secret, you will learn the fine art of ciphers but until then, common French is perfectly suitable.

On loyalty. I find it interesting that the name of d’Enfou resurfaces in a scandal involving England. He was famous for sponsoring disgusting libels written in London only to be spread in Versailles a few days later. It goes without saying that if any of you have connections with the British crown, they will never be part of the secret. I will welcome any such revelations that you can find on any member of the court -even your fellow candidates- by next week.

I remain,…

Charles-Francois, Comte de Broglie

loopygirl @ 04:39 pm: My dearest Comte,

I must beg your pardon for the lateness of this letter. I have recently become aware that my husband has yet again set his interests to my affairs, and I spent some time arranging for this letter’s safe and secure arrival. It may interest you to know that he is also in the process of planning a hunting retreat for himself and several gentlemen whom we have discussed previously. Should you wish, I shall arrange an invitation for an agent of yours to attend the hunt.

As it pleases you, I shall provide a summary of the talents I could bring to the service of our beloved King. It is true that I have no small skill in the manipulation of wealth, having been educated in such matters while assisting my noble father in managing his estate, previous to my marriage. Indeed, I have had great success in using my family’s funds to permit myself a great deal of freedom from the machinations of the Duc Saint-Fargeau, my husband.

Such freedoms have enabled me to spend much of my time in the social circles of Paris, where I’ve developed contacts throughout the nobility. I find these contacts to be most advantageous in my personal efforts, and I am delighted that these same connections might be called into the service of the King.

This conveyed, I am delighted to provide you with additional intelligence regarding the now-infamous damsel in blue. My agents were not idle as I worked to ensure my letter’s secure delivery.

Your other contacts have admirably described this mysterious woman’s arrival, her possible connections with Monseiur and the dramatic methods she used to flee the city. But perhaps I can more directly address one of your original questions – the woman’s identity.

As was so deftly discovered by the Baron de Vergy, the woman acted as a most successful distraction during the performance, permitting the Baron d’Enfou to conduct more discreet transactions without notice. One of my other routine correspondents, the Marquise de Baux, noted the woman during the debacle, commenting to her companions that the lady bore a strong resemblance to an actress of note. The Marquise had the opportunity to see the actress perform in a small production by another theatrical troupe visiting her own demense.

I have since determined that the woman is indeed this same actress, and she resigned from a playacting company in the country some two months previous with no reason given. Her loss is much mourned by the acting troupe, as her talents were vast. Perhaps she was hired to feign the disturbance and create a passionate romance with Monseiur?

I do not wish to become overly long-winded on these topics, but please know, esteemed Comte, that I stand ready to offer further services to our King as needed.

Respectfully,

Vivianne, Duchesse de Saint-Fargeau

ajpursell @ 11:41 am: Comte de Broglie
While the woman in the blue dress with her pointed stares at the King's brother was one to garner attention, I fear that I would not care to make the claims that dear Silvestre-jean has made nor care to repeat them, I am sure, as under french law, the child, if born, would be well take care off. We all know of the Baroness more interesting proportions and I commend the Baron for being able to loosen the purse strings long enough to hire a reputable dressmaker. I recommend the Vicomtesse to get the name, but that would lessen the scandalous whispers she creates when she enters a salon and I'm sure that there is no surprise at saying that I believe she enjoys it more than a summer's day. One should enjoy these pleasures while one can. As long as the Father is not too shocked that he can not pray for our souls.

I have heard of the woman in the blue dress with the odd accent. While I had not heard about poor Vicomte J______'s misfortunes, I have heard that one of my captains that they came across a small vessel while in the channel on their way to Calais. The vessel bore no markings and when hailed attempted to make with haste away. Now, while the captain had at times expeditated shipments quickly through tarriffs and taxes, while making sure that the King's accountants were paid for their troubles, he thought nothing of this mentionning that perhaps it was some tryst fleeing a jealous wife as it seemed to be two people, a man and a woman.

What is also interesting to note is the meeting that I'm told was witnessed at the play between a Baron d'Enfou and a rather non pur laine individual that he met in the salon during the intermission. No doubt the interest of most was on the woman in the blue dress but this individual was seen handing something to d'Enfou and leaving shortly after the WITBD stormed off after some comment was made about relations with neighboring states.

Yours, service, humility, etc etc
de Vergy.

exquiscadavre @ 10:18 am: My Darling Comte,

Why this is a truly amusing story, which I would no doubt have shared with you even if you had not asked.

Just as our stalwart Baron has uncovered the prelude of the blue dress, I have had the good fortune to know its denouement.

My dear friend Marquise S___ and I were talking the other day, when she related to me this strange tale. She had slipped in to the country home of her lover Vicomte J____, and had arrived so early that she had to entertain herself in his chambers awaiting his arrival. Crumpled in a drawer, she discovered a lovely blue dress. It was somewhat ripped, but she could see it was of fine origin, and clearly neither hers nor belonging to that harpy the Vicomte married.

When the Vicomte arrived, she challenged him, enraged at his apparent infidelity. The poor man was beside himself to explain. He showed my friend a tremendous goose egg on his head, and said that the lady belonging to the dress had met him on the road, claiming to have been robbed, and asking for his aid as a gentleman. He had brought her home, and as soon as there were no servants in the room, she had attacked him, and stolen a suit of clothes belonging to his son, some money, and a horse.

Well, of course the Comtesse forgave her poor, foolish boy, and all was well between them afterwards. However, she did insist on bearing away the offending garment, and I have aquired it for your amusement, enclosing it with this missive.

It may also interest you to know that the horse taken was one of those distinctive dappled ones the Vicomte is so famous for prefering.

Visit me soon, I languish for your attentions,

Lisette

scola @ 09:08 pm: My dear Comte,

I offer a thousand and one apologies for the delay in my reply to your message of 22 November. Recent months have found me on holiday - a delightful trip to the sea! Alas, subsequent weeks have found me confined to my bed, recovering from an assortment of seaside overindulgences. I am, after all, known for my tendency toward excess - a tendency that assuredly pertains to my feelings of admiration, loyalty, and love for our King.

As an active and enthusiastic Patron of the Arts, I have sponsored the creation of various works, designed especially for the pleasure of our King. For instance, a charming portrait I commissioned of His Majesty's beloved dog, Pelucheux, currently hangs in the Royal Kennel, just outside Versailles. Confidentially, I am also told that a series of ribald sketches produced by an artist I support is currently displayed within His Majesty's personal lavatory - amusing illustrations of an Englishman repeatedly falling off a horse.

However, my patronage of the arts may prove to benefit France in other, rather indirect ways. In my constant engagements with art and artists, I often mingle with elements of society that a man of my station wouldn't otherwise. Why, just the other day, I had summoned a brilliant young dressmaker to my home to fit one of his masterworks to my spouse's distinctive frame. This procedure proved more complicated than expected - the Baronne is a woman of rare proportions, scant in certain regions, voluminous in others. As he stitched and measured, this genie de tissu spoke of his previous masterwork - a certain blue dress designed for a certain striking young woman. When pressed for information about this mysterious opera-lover, he had little to offer except this: the woman spoke with an unusual dialect, one that suggested our mother tongue was more of a step-mother in her case. This is to say, she speaks our language studiously, but not naturally - as if she learned the language abroad.

Who is this woman?

Yours in Service to France,
Alexandre-Philippe, Baron d'Osny