Angélique, La route de L’espoir heb ik gelezen Vertaald door Jennifer Hetherington en te vinden via de Facebook pagina: Anne Golon – a celebration of her life and legacy
Dus als je een eigen exemplaar wilt hebben kun je contact met haar opnemen via de Facebookpagina van Jennifer Hetherington die in Brisbane woont. Ik mag mijn exemplaar niet weggeven.
First book: The wonders of Salem, Chapter 1
Angélique looked with compassion at the boy introduced into the Council Chamber, with an unceremonious push in the back with a halberd, by a guard wearing a British helmet resembling a steel shaving basin. She could sympathize with the young farmer, torn from his plough and his sheep and projected before an Areopagus of grave Councillors, dressed in black with white collars, assembled around a massive table in a room with panelling even darker than their raiment. He was there to tell the story of a terrible massacre, perpetrated out there on the green mountain side, during which he lost all his family. He blinked at first at the sight of all these stern and pale faces whose eyes were fixed steadily upon him, and turned to the face of this one woman, regarding him with an expression of kindness. And, as he also discerned that this grand and beautiful lady hid beneath the folds of a large silk mantle signs of a forthcoming maternity, his throat knotted and a lump rose, because she reminded him of his poor mother who almost every year had delivered a child into the world. But this memory gave him the courage to tell his story and answer the questions that were put to him in a deep voice, deliberately slow and solemn, as if to intimidate him. He was ready to tell all.’How are you appointed?’ ‘Richard Harper.’ ‘Where are you from?’ ‘Eden Falls on the Annonnosuc River.’ He became aware of the heavy glances being exchanged between these gentlemen of Salem. Now they were examining him from head to toe, taking in his straw coloured hair, his sunburned face and bare feet, wounded by thorns and sharp stones, in the oversized shoes they had loaned him. Again, he suppressed sobs. Looking with pale blue eyes filled with hope, the young Englishman turned to those of the woman, the only one of those present who resembled his mother, and at once the anxiety left him. He was ready to give his testimony. This continued on during the morning. The day before, Angélique and Joffrey de Peyrac, returning from a journey lasting nearly two months along the coast of New England to New York, had anchored in the harbour of Salem.
Fragment uit dit boek:
Angélique could still laugh on remembering the scene. What troubled her was that, turning back to her, with a pointing finger, the drunkard had said: “You will have six children.” This prediction, contained in a thick voice, had appeared at the time of the most ridiculous and less credible and she had been quick to forget. But as the years passed, was she not in the process of moving slowly towards the realization of the predictions of the drunkard? Three beautiful young women, three Poitevines, linked by their friendship even their provincial origin, stood that day in Paris, before the witch Mauvoisin: Athénaïs de Montespan, born Rochechouart, Angélique de Peyrac, born Sancé de Monteloup and Françoise Scarron, born d’Aubigné.
Wat gebeurt er verder in dit book:
Angélique bevalt van de tweeling: Raimon-Roger en Gloriandre in Salem met de hulp van 2 vrouwen. Ze verblijven een tijdje in Salem omdat Angélique heel ziek was geworden tijdens de bevalling. Nadat ze is opgeknapt varen ze via de kust naar New York en bezoeken Molines. Dan gaan ze naar Gouldsboro, waar ze daarna de winter doorbrengen in Wapassou. Aan het einde van deze periode zegt Honorine dat ze wil leren schrijven, lezen en rekenen en besluiten Angélique en Jeoffrey dat Honorine naar Montreal wordt gebracht door haar ouders en naar het klooster gaat. Ze varen langs Tadoussac waar Joffrey gevraagd wordt door M. de Frontenac om hem te assisteren om een gesprek aan te gaan met de Irokezen. Maar omdat ze Honorine had beloofd om haar naar Montreal te brengen doet Angélique dat maar alleen. Bij Montreal woont haar broer, Josselin, die ze samen met Honorine bezoekt. Ze laat Honorine achter bij Moeder Marguerite Bourgeoys en gaat dan terug naar Quebec. De politiechef Garreau d’Entremont al daar vraagt haar een lijst van de Dochter des Konings op te maken. Hoeveel waren het en wat is ervan ze gekomen? Angélique weet het antwoord niet direct dus neemt ze contact op met Delphine du Rosoy. Samen maken ze een lijst van de 27 dames wat er van hen is gekomen. Ze kunnen er 26 plaatsen. Beiden gaan aan het werk om op te schrijven wie is gedood of getrouwd. Eén naam blijft erover: Henriette Maillotin. Delpine vertelt over de droom die ze soms heeft dat Ambroisine du Maudribourg helemaal niet dood is. En de voorspelling van de non dat de provincie Acadia geheel zou worden doorgeschud, zou deze dan toch uitkomen…? En wie is de Aartsengel op zijn witte paard die de Duivelin uiteindelijke zal doden (zie hoe dit afloopt in boek 18!)