Bonaparte’s Granddaughter

By Olga Kryuchkova

Imperial Russia. War of 1812. France invades the territory of Imperial Russia. The main headquarters of Napoleon Bonaparte is located in the house of the landowner Goryunov in Smolensk. The serf girl Lizaveta serves the French and becomes the mistress of the French orderly (aide-de-camp). French troops leave the burning Smolensk and move on to Moscow. The orderly gives Lizaveta a golden louis at parting. Sometime later, the girl realizes that she is pregnant.
Half a century passes. Maria, Lizaveta's granddaughter, becomes a pupil of the landlady Goryunova. When the Mistress dies, the master marries a young woman a second time. The new Mistress dislikes Maria. And she is sent to work for seamstresses.
The young mistress hires a French-born tutor named Serge Schaeffer. The young man learns that Maria is Napoleon's granddaughter. A romantic-minded tutor offers her a hand and a heart. Serge takes Maria's passport from her owner Goryunov, now an employer. (Indeed, in 1863, the emperor abolished serfdom, and all the peasants gained freedom). In the passport, the girl is listed as Maria Frantsuzova.
The spouses Schaeffer live in Moscow, they lead a secular lifestyle and visit the fashionable Salon of Mrs. Skobeleva. Regular visitors to the Salon learn about the origins of Maria, and she becomes the center of attention of his visitors. A certain Prince Rokotov, an inveterate gambler, womanizer and adventurer, falls in love with a provincial beauty.
Maria is unable to resist the temptation and becomes the mistress of Prince Rokotov. She has always been attracted by wealth and adventure. Viscount La Charité, also an adventurer, swindler and friend of the Prince, decides to use Bonaparte's granddaughter for his own insidious purposes. What will happen to Maria next? Will she be able to resist the Viscount? Or, on the contrary, will she take an active part in the fraud he is planning?
Historical reference: Napoléon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a French military and political leader who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led several successful campaigns during the Revolutionary Wars. He was the de facto leader of the French Republic as First Consul from 1799 to 1804. As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 until 1814 and again in 1815. Napoleon dominated European and global affairs for more than a decade while leading France against a series of coalitions in the Napoleonic Wars. He won most of these wars and the vast majority of his battles, building a large empire that ruled over continental Europe before its final collapse in 1815. One of the greatest commanders in history, his wars and campaigns are studied at military schools worldwide. He remains one of the most celebrated and controversial political figures in human history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Olga Kryuchkova
• Release date: Mar 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215249550

Olga Kryuchkova

Olga Kryuchkova began her creative career in 2006. During this time, the author had more than 100 publications and reprints (historical novels, historical adventures, esotericism, art therapy, fantasy). A number of novels were co-written with Elena Kryuchkova.

Book preview

Olga Kryuchkova

Swindlers Book Series

Book 1

Bonaparte’s Granddaughter

Cover Design: Cover Generated by AI (Lyra, Starryai)

Chapter 1

Imperial Russia. War of 1812. France invades the territory of Imperial Russia.

August 1812, Smolensk. The occupation of the territory of Imperial Russia by French troops.

In the town house of the landowner Peter Anisimovich Goryunov, bustle and disorder reigned. The reason for this concern was the approach of the French army to Smolensk. Servants urgently packed valuables. The air of the mansion was saturated with dust. The wife of Pyotr Anisimovich, Glafira Sergeevna, a magnificent and decisive lady in all respects, loudly gave orders:

Anfisa! Dasha! Girls, hurry up! Cannonade is already heard! The Frenchman will find us right in the house with all our belongings. God forbid! The enemy will then get rich booty!

The maidservants looked at each other: they didn’t want to fall into the hands of the terrible French at all, and with great zeal they began to pack the master's dresses.

Peter Anisimovich didn’t yield a general panic and hectic. He walked around the house, silently, contemplating a depressing picture: the paintings were removed from the walls and wrapped in canvases; Persian carpets were rolled up into rolls; dishes were carefully packed. Servants took clothes from numerous closets to finally pack them. Servant girls Anfisa and Dasha carefully packed the dresses of their mistress.

The lady's words had an extraordinary effect on the girls. With fright, they wiped away snot and tears with the sleeves of chintz shirts, or even with the hem of colorful sundresses, and hastily packed the dresses.

Peter Anisimovich! Glafira Sergeevna bellowed. Peter, order the peasants to load carpets, paintings and dishes into covered wagons.

The master once again looked at the house turned upside down in haste. He understood that he could return and see only charred embers instead of a house. He ordered:

Trofim, load the chests into the carts!

The manager Trofim immediately appeared along with the peasants, also tormented by fear and doubt.

Master... began one of them, let me ask you.

Peter Anisimovich was surprised: what can you even talk about at such a moment?

Well, what do you want?

And what if these Frenchmen burn down the mansion? Or will the enemies catch up with us on the way? What are we going to do?

Goryunov pondered: such thoughts haunted him for the second day.

God forbid from such a misfortune! We must rely on our army. Perhaps, with God's help, everything will be formed.

The men looked at each other: well, yes, they forgot that in Russia everything is decided by His Majesty ‘Perhaps’!

***

Lizaveta! Glafira Sergeevna called out to the servant. Well, why are you sleeping right on the go? Did you pack the bedding as I told you to?

Yes, lady, everything is as it is said...

Lizaveta pointed to a chest loaded to the brim with fine Flemish linen.

Okay…

Lady… Lizaveta began.

Speak quickly!

Let me stay, my mother is very ill. She will die on the way to your country estate in Goryunovo.

The case is yours. Look, don’t regret it later, the lady replied. Keep an eye on the house, since you are staying.

Yes, Glafira Sergeevna.

Two men entered the living room, they grabbed the chest with linen by the forged side handles, and dragged the load into a covered wagon.

Victor, whom until recently Glafira Sergeevna, following the fashion, called in the French manner, pronouncing the name of his son with an emphasis on the last syllable, ran around the house. The servants had difficulty avoiding the overly active youngster. He brandished his father's saber and shouted:

Give me Napoleon here, I will pierce him through with a saber!

Stop running around! Cried the mother. You are fifteen already, and you still play with toys. You better help your father.

Victor stopped, upset that his entertainment was interrupted in such a rude way, and reluctantly trudged away from the living room, in the hope that he would not meet his father.

***

Lizaveta, trying not to attract attention to herself, left the master's house, however, none of the masters or servants would have paid attention to her anyway. It was not up to that.

However, suddenly someone called out to her:

Lizaveta!

The girl turned back. The coachman of the neighboring landowner Sazonov was walking towards her. Peter Anisimovich Goryunov had been friends with Sazonov for a long time. And their servants also communicated.

Frol! The girl rushed to her lover. Lord, what will happen now? She could not resist and burst into tears.

The coachman hugged his beloved and tried to calm her down.

Nothing, we will beat the French! Do not hesitate... He drew Lisa and kissed her on the lips. I am leaving with the master and his family to Nizhnie Veshki in the estate. The master thinks that the French will not get to the estate.

The girl sobbed.

I stay here.

How? Frol was surprised. What for?

My mother is very ill; she may die on the road. Who will bury her if not me? Goodbye, Frol. Will we see you again? Lizaveta cried again. If we do not meet, know this: I love you.

The coachman was moved, shed tears and once again drew his beloved to him.

We will definitely see you, do not hesitate.

He walked away from the girl and quickly left the yard. She remained standing, not noticing anything around her. Tears dripped from her eyes.

Lizaveta entered the room, it was semi-dark, her mother was lying on a bench, covered with a fur winter sheepskin coat and, despite this, she was shaking with fever.

Daughter... sweetheart… she moaned. Why is someone screaming loudly?

The owners are leaving for the Goryunovo estate, which is east of the city, they think the French will not get there, Lizaveta explained.

And you go ... I will die anyway. And you could be in danger.

Mother! The girl fell to her knees in front of the modest bed of her sick parent and burst into tears. How are you without me?

Nothing ... Go ... insisted the mother.

But Lizaveta knew for sure: she would stay in the house, next to her mother.

***

When the French occupied Smolensk, abandoned by the Russian troops, they set up their headquarters in the house of the landowner Goryunov, as one of the best houses in the city. At this time, Lisa was on her knees in front of her deceased mother.

A young man in a blue and white uniform entered the servants' room. He saw a grief-stricken young attractive girl who was kneeling beside the bed beside the dead woman. The Frenchman behaved nobly, he ordered to help the unfortunate Russian girl to bury her mother. Lizaveta herself returned to her former duties: washing and cleaning in the master's rooms, which were now occupied by the commander-in-chief of the French army Napoleon Bonaparte and his headquarters.

Recovering from grief a few days later, Lisa finally returned to reality and realized that the French were in charge in the city and in the house, and she, as if nothing had happened, was doing her previous job.

She saw a man, small, growing, strong in appearance, one might even say stocky, with a ‘belly’ that could be seen from under a green uniform. The Frenchman's uniform was hung with all kinds of orders and awards. The girl