He was teasing Alice, but she parried,
“Of course I will be interested. I cannot tell you how excited I really am at being here and seeing this wonderful Château.”
She put out her arms as she spoke almost as if to embrace all of Chaumont itself.
Alice had already told the Duc what she most wanted to see, so he took them first to the bedrooms of the two rival owners of Château Chaumont, Diane de Poitiers and Catherine de Medici.
He also showed them the bedroom of the Astrologer Ruggieri, an inveterate plotter and the Queen’s so-called evil adviser.
There were some beautiful pieces of furniture and tapestries dating from the Renaissance period and Alice also saw the letter ‘D’, which Diane de Poitiers had ordered to be carved on the parapet.
She put out her hand and touched it very gen
