Catherine and her parents Jacquette and Gaucher Legoix live on the bridge called 'Pont-au-Change', where her father is a respected goldsmith. Her mother is from Burgundy where her brother Mathieu Gautherin is a merchant and winemaker... ubsequently, Catherine decides to hide the young nobleman Michel in the cellar of her parents at the Pont-au-change. While the young nobleman is hidden in the cellar, Landry left to get a rope ladder and a boat... Catherine brings Michel food and wine and he tells her about his homeland in the Auvergne. That his father died when he was only six and that his mother had raised him and taken care of everything. Also that he had a little brother, Arnaud, whom he loved very much and who would one day want be a famous captain...

 

... but the fugitive is betrayed by the Legoix's drunken servant Marion. He is dragged out of the cellar and literally massacred by one of the Legoix cousins ! Catherine who had wanted to go upstairs hits her head and faints - she does not see her father returning from his meeting. He is hanged in front of his house by his own cousin Guillaume Legoix and the leader of the riot Caboche - and then thrown into the river Seine. Landry, with the help of Barnaby the beggar, can hide the girl and her mother from the henchmen in the Cour de Miracles at his place, where the beautiful young gypsy woman called: Sara, the Black lives with him.  She was born on the island of 'Cyprus' and once sold to a merchant from Venice. She nurses the young girl who has caught a nervous fever with various herbs.

 

Catherine has just learned that her father and Michel are dead. ...

 

Sara, is reading her cards and Catherine hand, who predicts that she will become a beautiful woman with whom many men will fall in love. However, she will only love one man... yet the girl is heartbroken and says she will never love any man...her heart belongs to Michel de Montsalvy....

Escaping one night from Paris...

The Route of Flanders
 



 

As predicted years ago by Sara, Catherine has become the most ravishing creature in sight. They live with her well-to-do uncle Mathieu Gautherin in Dijon - whom she often accompanies on his travels. While they are at an Inn in Bruges, Catherine wants to go and see the "Procession of the Holy Blood" and her uncle cannot deny her anything...

 

During the 'Procession of the Precious Blood', a merchant gropes Catherine indecently and she slaps him. She is immediately arrested as a disrupter of the Procession of the Holy Blood -and taken to the palace. Later, the young maiden meets the Duke of Burgundy in "strange" circumstances - who immediately desires the young beauty. He gives her a beautiful mantle and a safe-conduct and the protection of Captain Jacques de Roussay on her way back to Dijon.

 

On their way to Dijon - Catherine sees a knight lying on the river bank. They take the seriously wounded knight to the inn of the 'Grand Charlemagne 'where they were heading...

 

When they remove the wounded Knights  helmet, he is the spitting image of Catherine's  first lost love "Michel de Montsalvy". Chance has it that a Moorish doctor named Abou-al-Khayr (on his way to the 'Dauphin of France') is staying also at the Inn. When the young man wakes up, he cannot take his eyes off Catherine. Abou-al-Khayr, is able to treat the Knights wounds - and he will become a very good friend of Catherine...

 

When she is sent to her chamber by her uncle, Sara returns to tell her the name of the knight: it is "Arnaud de Montsalvy, Lord of the  la Châtaignerie in Auvergne, captain in the service of Dauphin Charles" - the younger brother of Michel...

Love at first sight...
 

While everyone is asleep, Catherine can't resist taking a look at the wounded and still sleeping young knight. When he wakes up, they immediately fall in love. However... when he learns that her name is 'Catherine Legoix', he chases her away, for he has sworn to kill everyone who bears the name of Legoix. He insults her and will not let her explain that she had tried to save his brother Michel and because of that, her own father had been hanged... A devastated Catherine leaves the room but not before telling him that one day he will go down on his knees in front of her and asks her forgiveness..

The treasure guardian from Dijon




 

It is the Duke of Burgundy orders Garin de Brazey, the treasurer guardian, one of the richest men in Burgundy, to marry Catherine and present her to his court in 'Dijon'- with the ulterior motive of making her his mistress... Garin de Brazey arrives at her uncle's house and asks Catherine to marry him. The girl is devastated and so unhappy but has no choice but to obey, afraid that her mother and uncle will have to suffer the consequenzes if she refuses... and is now engaged to him. But her love belongs to Arnaud de Montsalvy...

 

Catherine does not want to marry Garin de Brazey and in her despair begs of Barnaby to kill him. Yet the plan fails. Garin showers his young fiancée with precious gifts. He shows his fiancée his treasures and offers her jewels. Among other things, a fabulous black diamond... which is said to be cursed...

Madame de Brazey


 

On a night in Dezember a very unhappy Catherine becomes the wife of Garin de Brazey. At the wedding banquet, there is at least one Chevalier who spontaneously befriends her, Jean de Rémy... Garin comes to the bride chamber, but strangely enough does not take advantage of his right as husband...

 

Suddenly, the feast is interrupted by the arrival of a black knight. It is none other than Arnaud de Montsalvy (with his friend and Brother-in-Arms Chevalier Jean Poton de Xaintrailles) who comes to challenge the Duke himself - calling him a traitor! The challenge is taken up by Lionel de Bourbon, called the Bastard of Vendôme. Arnaud de Montsalvy accepts and before leaving the square glances at Catherine, who is on the verge of tears. The duel is to take place iat Arras.

Under a blue silk tent


 

Arnaud, the Count of Montsalvy in the tent with the colours of the French King, before his combat against the men of the Duke of Burgundy.

 

During the combat which starts well for Arnaud, he is wounded... without listening to anyone who tries to hold her back, Catherine follows her heart and rushes to the knight's tent... all under the eyes of her husband Garin and the Duke of Burgundy... Arnaud, at first aggressive, wants to send her away - but he confesses to Catherine that he has not forgotten her, but has always thought of her...

 

All his resentments against Catherine are reawakened and he suspects she is the Duke's mistress and has come to detain him so they can arrest them... He doesn't believe that she had nothing to do with their arrest... and tells de Luxembourg to take him aways from this women...

 

A shattered Catherine goes to the castle and demands to see the Duke, carrying Arnaud's helmet with her and accusing him of soon being known as the least honourable prince in Christendom... !

A strange night


 

An angry Duke Philippe promises Catherine that he will take care of the matter. He returns and tells her that it was indeed a mistake and that the two knights will be released the next morning. She must stay in the chamber where she was brought and he tells her he will see her later. Catherine can well imagine what he wants in return. Fatalistically, she puts on the nightgown intended for her and eats her meal. However, the Duke does not return until the next morning...

 

Duke Philippe arrives in the morning, wearing his morning robes - smiling at Catherine and asking if she had a good night rest... He wants to know about her relationship with Arnaud de Montsalvy. Catherine invents the story that Arnaud's family had been doing business with her father in Paris. Still looking at her he goes to a lectern and picks up a little clock and tells the servant to go to Captain de Roussay, who he will know what is expected of him... shortly after, 'Arnaud' and his friend 'Xaintrailles' enter. Philippe apologizes for the inconvenience and gives Arnaud back his helmet with the 'Fleur de Lys' on it and tells them they are free to go...

 

Lying in that princely bed, Catherine suffered like never before... Arnaud takes his helmet and thanks the Duke. He never looks at Catherine, his face is frozen and he leaves with Xaintrailles, more than ever convinced that she is the Duke's mistress and that she had trapped them in the tent...   to be continued next  → page...

~~~~~~~~~~



Anne et Jacquette Legoix
Le parents de Catherine



Claudine Ancelot in the role of Catherine Legoix



Pierre-Marie Escourrou in the role of Arnaud de Montsalyv




Gérard Chambre in the role of Jean Poton de Xaintrailles

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