
In the cramped attic of a Breton furniture dealer, a band of weary soldiers and refugees huddle around flickering candles, their lives reduced to the rhythm of card games and whispered complaints. The wounded Chouan officer, Roland de Céligny, struggles with a makeshift bed while his comrades argue over the fairness of fate, hinting at deeper loyalties and hidden ambitions. Amid the clutter of old wardrobes and the scent of oil‑soaked wood, a mysterious token—the enigmatic “gift” of Mirabel—begins to surface, promising both salvation and danger.
As night deepens, the characters’ conversations turn from petty squabbles to the weighty question of what Mirabel truly represents, setting the stage for a tangled web of honor, intrigue, and the lingering shadows of the Revolution. The atmosphere crackles with the tension of unfinished wars and the faint promise of a yellow poppy, a symbol that will shape the choices and sacrifices to come.
Language
en
Duration
~14 hours (827K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Marcia Brooks, Al Haines, Paulina Chin & the online Project Gutenberg team at http://www.pgdpcanada.net
Release date
2019-07-17
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1877–1950
Best known for bringing Jacobite history to life in vivid, romantic adventures, this English novelist wrote popular historical fiction with a strong sense of atmosphere and drama. Her best-known book, The Flight of the Heron, began a widely read trilogy.
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