The Wounded Name

A quiet English garden room becomes the backdrop for a tender yet uneasy correspondence in the spring of 1814. A poised woman, dressed in lilac silk, pens a letter while her son, Laurent, prepares to fish on a swollen river, their banter tinged with the weight of recent wars and the lingering presence of the fallen Napoleon. Their conversation weaves personal longing with the larger currents of history, hinting at the fragile ties between England and a France on the brink of restoration.

Through intimate dialogue and lingering glances, the story explores how loyalty, love, and identity clash when borders shift and old regimes crumble. As the Allies close in on Paris, the characters grapple with the expectations of duty and the pull of home, setting the stage for choices that will shape their futures. The narrative balances the tenderness of family bonds with the tension of a continent in transition, inviting listeners into a richly textured, emotionally resonant early‑19th‑century world.