15
RAINY NIGHT
LONJUMEAU- SEPTEMBER 1718
No, of course not, you never look for trouble. You don't have to. You are a bright seashore beacon in the night, and trouble is a ship sailing toward you.
Henri de Brangelton to Charlotte de Brangelton – 1714
The approaching autumn storm enticed many travelers to take refuge early in the afternoon, and no lodgings were available in the town of Lonjumeau. The steady drizzle, the remote flashes of lightning, and the distant rumble of thunder punctuated the early darkness, deeming the possibility of finding accommodations at this hour even bleaker. Straight ahead, military troops occupied the small town square. The carts and the horses faced in the northern direction, and the soldiers carried lanterns. Antoine reined in his horse to follow Charlot
