PRESENTS
Subtitles by explosiveskull www.OpenSubtitles.org
THE BLACK BOOK OF FATHER DINIS
A FILM BY
That winter, my master, Don Paulo d'Albuquerque,
Portuguese representative to the Roman curia,
was suddenly struck down by a mysterious illness.
His best friend, the Marquis of Lusault,
rushed to his bedside.
Are you sure he's not my father?
I've told you that your father is far away and won't return.
Who is he then?
The Count's friend.
A French Marquis. An important man.
Why must I go with him, if I am nobody to him?
Enough now. We've already discussed this.
Remember, your tutor is very ill.
Don't tire him with questions.
Forgive me for insisting, Paulo.
Let me call my doctor.
He's very competent. I promise.
No, Leopold. It's pointless.
It's too late.
There's nothing more to do.
Yes, come in.
Go closer. The Count will talk to you.
This is the Marquis of Lusault.
Greet him.
Good morning, Sir.
The Marquis has kindly agreed to look after you during my illness.
We shall get on well. You'll see.
In any case, it won't be for long.
The Count will recover in less time than we'll need
to become best friends.
Of course.
Have you prepared his things?
All is ready, Sir.
His things and mine.
You may leave when you wish, Leopold.
Please accompany the child, Miss.
My coach is out front. I will join you shortly.
Say goodbye to his lordship.
Goodbye, my son.
I leave you in good hands.
Be good.
Goodbye, my Lord.
Goodbye, Laura.
Tell me the name of the scoundrel who poisoned you.
I will seek revenge, I swear.
Thank you, my dear friend.
But it's done.
I took care of it myself.
When I realized what he had done to me,
I gave him a taste of his own medicine.
He will soon die the same death as I.
Then you will know his name.
I don't want you involved in this.
At least tell me why?
For what reason?
The young woman of whom I spoke to you.
Serena.
- Do you remember? - Yes.
Your mistress? The one who killed herself?
Yes, that's the one.
The one I dishonored,
may God forgive me...
was his niece.
Here, take this.
Everything is inside.
Paulo, my friend.
Don't be too sad, my son.
The Lord, our God,
chooses to call to him, in their prime,
those he cherishes the most...
to save them the sadness of growing old.
He took him so soon, your Eminence.
Forgive my blasphemy.
Your suffering is your pardon,
my dear Marquis.
What a pity we didn't ask two pretty women
to do him this last service.
It would have been to his taste, wouldn't it,
my dear Marquis?
Possibly.
But where he is now, he wouldn't care.
You never know, my son.
You never know.
But...
There's as much mystery above as there is below.
Come to my house tonight.
Don't stay alone.
It isn't good to isolate oneself at such a time.
Come share my supper.
That's not possible.
No, no, don't refuse.
I'm counting on you.
Suddenly, the marquis was sure
it was he who had conspired against his friend.
He thought the Count's revenge had somehow failed.
He decided there and then to fix this failure.
It's here that the Borgias had parties that were legendary
for good and bad reasons.
They tell me that the Count's mistress
suffered from the same illness as he.
Poor child, so young!
The plague, no doubt.
The plague, you think?
I heard talk of poison.
Poison? That's gossip, my dear Marquis.
Don't pay attention.
After all,
Rome is no longer ruled by the Borgias.
And by the way,
I hear you intend to leave us.
Is it true?
Yes, Eminence. I am returning to Paris.
That would be a mistake.
You know, all roads lead to Rome...
but Rome
leads nowhere.
But...
Come on, Concettina, sing us a song.
No, sing us "La Cammesella"
in honor of our guest.
It's a marvelous, very old Neapolitan song.
A newlywed man on his wedding night
asks his wife
to remove her cammesella,
her blouse.
It would be salacious,
if it weren't sanctified by the sacrament of marriage.
Of course!
Someone important has died.
Those bells give me goose bumps.
Do you think my father is dead too?
I don't know.
Maybe. Maybe not.
Thinking about it is pointless.
It will only hurt you.
- You never think of yours? - No.
Go on, time for bed.
I'm sure my father is alive.
Why?
I dream of him. In my dreams he's alive.
Don't be silly.
You never saw him. How could you know him?
I saw him when I was a baby.
We don't remember such things.
It's true. I don't remember.
I don't see his face in my dreams.
But I know it's him.
How do you know?
Because in my dreams, I call him father.
- It's the Marquis. - Yes. I have to go.
Don't you think the Marquis, could be my father?
No, my dear, he can't.
He is too young.
Is my father old?
No. I'm sure he isn't. He's not old.
It's time for bed now.
I knew nothing of the secret of his birth.
I barely knew more of my own.
That's also what created such a bond between us.
That evening, the Marquis told me he would return to Paris.
My heart stopped beating.
I wanted to believe it was the thought of separation from Sebastian.
But what really made me distraught
was the thought of living far from the Marquis.
I dared not admit the feelings for him that grew inside me.
Will you take the child?
Of course.
Of course, in a large city like Paris,
my Lord will easily find someone to take care of him.
Someone like me, I mean.
Certainly. Very easily.
Well, my little Laura, that's it.
I'm off to bed. I'm exhausted.
Wait. I was thinking
How long have you been with him?
Sebastian?
- Six years, my Lord. - That long?
It must grieve you to leave him.
Very much.
Why not come with us, then?
I would be happy to, my Lord.
Then come.
I won't have to find someone.
I knew we wouldn't be separated!
Never! Ever!
We will marry and have many children!
And always be together.
So?
Left at dawn. The house is empty.
He'll be over the border by now.
- With the child? - Yes.
- And her? - Her too.
It's not important.
Paris isn't far. People die there too.
I'd like to look like him.
I bet he's like in the picture.
Stop talking of that constantly! Let us work.
But I want to help!
This isn't work for a gentleman.
I don't want to be a gentleman!
What do you want to be?
I don't know.
Go study your lessons in your room.
Your new tutor will be here soon.
Gentlemen, fanaticism and superstition must make way for philosophy.
Gentlemen, be content.
You shall all see this great revolution.
I'm something of a prophet.
There's no need to be a wizard for that.
It's true that our friend Cazotte has a tendency to daydream.
Do you know what will come of this revolution?
You, Mr. Chamfort, will die stretched out on a dungeon floor.
What can all that have in common with philosophy and the reign of reason?
You, Sir, will die on the gallows
and will see that before six years pass, all I have told you will be done.
We are happy to have nothing to do with this Revolution
and that the finer sex should be left alone.
Your sex will not save you this time, Madame.
You will be treated like the men.
Mr. Cazotte, is this the end of the world?
Ladies, you will be led to the gallows.
And many other ladies.
Enough of these gloomy jokes, Mr. Cazotte.
Let us move on to happier things.
Laura, I'm not tired.
Fear not, Laura. It's me.
Is something wrong, my Lord?
Are you unwell?
Don't worry, my child.
I am very well indeed.
The evening didn't go well?
Horribly.
Duchesses are so disappointing!
The child is next door, my Lord!
He's fast asleep, the poor thing.
Are you ill? You're not getting up?
Heavens! What time is it?
Late.
- The Marquis? - He left on horseback.
- He was whistling. - He was whistling?!
Come here. Give me a kiss.
Let me do that.
Go wash the dishes. I don't need you.
I had never been so happy
as I was in the following weeks.
I never imagined they heralded misery
worse than I had ever known before.
I only had eyes for the Marquis.
I thought only of him.
Our new relationship
changed none of the Marquis' habits.
My Lord, your coffee.
He continued going out almost every day.
I keep the scar from my riding accident,
when Your Majesty bet that I could not jump the hedge.
Ah yes!
I still see you flying over the hedge
like a woeful duck!
You ride very poorly, dear Marquis.
Admit it.
I confess. But the truth is
that Your Majesty intimidated me horribly at the time.
I don't intimidate you now?
Just as much, Majesty, but in a different way.
Miss de Vigny,
bring me Miss de Montfort.
I wish to present her to the Marquis.
You shall see.
Suzanne de Montfort is a lot like you.
She is very witty
and a good alliance.
I bet she's the one for you.
Another bet, Majesty?
I hope this time
I won't be left with a scar.
Your Majesty.
They instantly liked each other.
My jealousy would be warranted
more than I could have feared.
Her Majesty spoke to me of you.
You met when you were children?
Yes. When my father was Ambassador of France in Vienna.
We played together often.
Was she already so beautiful?
Oh yes!
I was even a little in love.
That shows you had good taste.
Not as much as today.
Laura! Laura! Laura!
I saw him! Here! Close!
He was looking at me.
Who was here?!
The man from the other day
who I saw downstairs.
What are you talking about?
The black man... with the eyes.
He scares me. He wants to hurt me.
No one will hurt you. I won't let them.
It was a nightmare.
He was here!
I saw him. It wasn't a dream.
Of course it was.
I saw no one. How did he leave?
I don't know. I closed my eyes.
I was scared.
I don't want to stay here!
Don't leave me alone.
No, of course not.
I won't leave you alone, my darling.
We'll both go to my room.
He came home later and later.
Some nights he didn't come home at all.
I knew he was avoiding me.
His attitude had changed.
Heavy hearted, I feared I knew the reason.
No, not tonight.
I'm too tired.
No, not tonight.
Get off me!
I'll do it myself.
And no breakfast.
I don't want to be woken.
He came to my room two or three more times.
But his clutches were frigid,
and his kisses tasted of wine and contempt.
He entered without a word and left in silence,
like a thief.
And I dissolved into tears.
Then he stopped coming.
And I couldn't stop crying.
Don't cry, Laura. Please.
Please, don't cry. I'm here.
I will never leave you.
I promise.
I clung to him like a lifeline.
But my heart had hardened.
Off we go.
I eventually found on one of his papers the address he went to every day.
I went once. I needed to know.
I bitterly regretted it.
She was so graceful that I couldn't hold it against her.
Yet, in spite of myself, I started to hold it against him.
He summoned me,
and delivered his final blow to my heart.
I wanted to tell you that I am getting married.
Certain measures must be taken.
You know I can't keep the boy with me after the wedding.
You are abandoning him?
No, of course not.
I keep my promises, especially those made to a friend on his deathbed.
Can I ask why you can't keep him?
I thought it was obvious.
Can you imagine him as part of the dowry for my future wife?
What would she think?
Whatever you tell her.
Heavens! What woman would believe such a story!
Would you believe it if you were her?
I would never dare imagine myself in her place!
This is what I have decided...
either I put the boy in an institution
or I give him to you.
In which case, of course,
I will house you and provide for your needs.
I accept, my Lord.
Thank you for your trust.
Don't thank me. You've earned my trust.
We will see the details later. You can leave.
Suzanne de Montfort wanted to marry
in the church near Paris where she had been baptized.
Do you take as your wife
Suzanne Claire Beatrice,
to love faithfully in happiness and adversity
till death do you part?
I do.
Suzanne Claire Beatrice,
do you take as your husband
Leopold Honore Euzebe
to love faithfully in happiness and adversity
till death do you part?
I do.
May the Lord bless your wedding rings
and keep you both in love
and faithfulness.
That day, before their radiant faces
my heart died forever.
I returned home through the forest.
I wasn't even aware of the rain.
I remember nothing.
A stranger found me at dawn.
To my sorrow, he saved my life.
I don't know how long I was unconscious.
I wondered where I was before recognizing
the house where the marquis had lodged us,
and the young maid, Gervaise, who he had lent us.
I had a raging fever.
I coughed a lot. I spat blood.
The doctor didn't hide his pessimism.
I didn't care. I wanted to die.
This is for the marquis.
Give it only to him, in person.
It's important.
Wait for his answer.
Hurry up, go now.
Right away?
Yes.
Wait! Come back.
It's best you know what's inside.
I tell him of my condition.
I ask him to take back the child
as I can no longer care for him.
If something happens to me, I don't want him to see it.
Don't say that. Don't do it. Wait a while.
You'll see, everything will be fine.
You'll soon be better.
Don't argue.
I don't have the strength to argue.
I wrote "urgent" on the note. It's urgent.
Laura?
There's Madam the...
She insisted. I...
I beg your pardon, Miss,
for intruding on you unannounced.
I fear I have committed an unpardonable indiscretion.
Unintentionally, of course.
I thought it was right.
Excuse me, I haven't even presented myself.
- I am the Mar... - I know.
You know?
Yes, I've seen you before, my Lady.
Gervaise, a chair, please.
I apologize for receiving you like this. I am very ill.
I know. I read the letter.
I apologize. Please excuse me.
I saw the word "urgent."
I thought that, in the haste of departure, Leo...
My husband...
The Marquis,
had forgotten to open it.
I feared it may be important.
It effectively was.
Which is why I decided to come.
I hope you understand.
I do, my Lady.
Tell me, Miss...
The child I saw in the courtyard,
is he the one you speak of in your letter?
Yes. That is him.
- He doesn't look like him at all. - Sorry?
He's his son, isn't he?
Whose son?
My husband's of course.
You are mistaken!
Absolutely not!
He is not his son at all!
Why would my husband look after your child,
if it wasn't also his?
He's not my child either!
- This is all a joke, isn't it? - I would have never!
The child was entrusted to the Marquis
by a friend to whom someone had entrusted him.
Who?
I don't know. It was before me.
Who are his parents? Where is he from?
I don't know.
Your husband may know.
A child from nowhere. Out of the blue!
You are telling tales, Miss.
You don't think I will believe this?
Yet it is the truth.
In your letter, you asked for him to take the child back.
I agree to it.
Really? Would you?
Right away, if you wish.
No. I don't want to!
Please, Laura, Don't give me to the lady!
Come, my darling, you must go.
I am very sick. I can't look after you.
It is better for all if you go with her!
Don't you love me anymore! Don't you want me!
Come along.
Let go! Don't touch me!
I won't go with you! I'd rather die.
Laura!
Help!
- Call the doctor! - Good heavens!
I'm a doctor.
We traveled for what seemed like an eternity.
The only memory I have is the man leaning over me.
I spent almost every day in a deep sleep,
in which I dreamed I traveled endlessly.
Occasionally, the boy's face would haunt me.
And him?
We let him get away?
We have plenty of time. Don't be in a hurry.
Death comes in due time.
The boy!? My God!
My God, I lost him!
- Where is he? - Don't get upset.
It's not good for you.
The boy is in good hands.
Calm down.
Thank you, Helene.
I sent him to the Madam de Montfort.
He understood you couldn't look after him.
Thank heavens!
I was so scared he had run away.
He's well. He wrote you a letter.
I'll read it to you.
"My dearest Laura,
"They explained everything to me.
"I am very sad, but I understand.
"If I must stay here so that you can recover,
"I will stay, as I love you
"and because the lady is kind.
"But get better soon, otherwise,
"I'm the one who will get sick.
"I send you all my love. Wait!
"I haven't forgotten my promise, but I won't write it here,
because it's our secret."
Drink this.
Your belongings are inside.
Where are we?
In Rome.
Wait!
Who is he?
Who is that man?
A saint.
Or a demon.
That's for you to decide.
Good morning.
- Come. - Thank you.
Don't tire yourself out. You are far from recovered.
I was told you were wondering who I am.
My name is Fabrizio Rufo.
I knew your mother in Milan over twenty years ago.
My mother? Are you sure?
Peppa Marcella? The washerwoman?!
She wasn't yet known by that name.
Her name was Lelia Serbelloni.
She was a princess.
The Princess Serbelloni.
Lelia, you little pest!
If I catch you, you'll get a spanking!
Lelia!
Oh, it's you!
Have you seen Lelia? Where is she?
I haven't seen her, Your Highness.
Forget her. Come with us.
Fabio has invented a naughty new game.
You'll see. Come!
No, stop. Leave me. I don't want to play.
Lelia! Who was that boy?
No one. The gardener
- You were kissing him?! - Absolutely not!
You are seeing things, my poor Andrea
Don't lie! I saw you.
That wasn't a gardener. I know them all.
He was dressed like a student.
A student! You're mad, my good prince.
You're annoying me now! I owe you nothing.
I am your fiancé!
That's news to me! Who decided that?
- We did. - Not me.
- Your parents did. - Then marry them!
Because I will never marry you!
Never!
Goodbye, "Your Highness"!
My mother was a princess?!
- I can't believe it. - Yet, she was.
I was just a poor Neapolitan student.
How could I rival
the heir to the powerful Duchy of Parma?
Our romance was doomed to end badly.
The prince was a fool but he was not a coward.
Others would have ambushed me in a group.
He came alone.
Who are you?
A thief or a womanizer?
If you will not answer my questions,
you will answer my sword.
Ah, a courageous man!
The contrary would have been a bore.
I fled home to Naples.
I hid for months, leaving Lelia to her fate.
It was my first murder
and my first cowardice.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the last.
I still haven't forgiven myself
and I never will.
Don't be so hard on yourself.
I'm not, my child. If I were, I wouldn't be alive.
And Lelia the princess What did she do?
She disappeared shortly after.
At first we thought it was a suicide.
But I later learned that she had run away, too.
But she didn't do it to avoid punishment.
She did it to save a life,
the fruit of our secret meetings.
You.
The emotion caused a relapse.
The fever returned.
I was bedridden for weeks.
Memories of the Marquis returned to haunt me.
My last vision of Sebastian haunted me too.
Obsessively and accusingly.
Then life got the upper hand.
The fever went away.
I was able to get back on my feet and see the world as it was.
Where is my father?
- In the library, miss. - Thank you.
How did you find me?
You're sure you want to know?
My tales don't seem to do you good.
Given the last time, I would say it's the contrary.
Please, I am asking you.
Pardon me. Sit down.
The day His Holiness Pius VI appointed me cardinal...
a woman at the ceremony fainted.
I heard she had died on the way to the infirmary.
I wanted to see her.
I didn't know why, but I felt responsible for her death.
And indeed I was, far more than had I thought.
Leave me.
I recognized her immediately...
despite the ravages of time and hardship.
Before dying, She whispered her name...
Peppa Marcella.
Along with another... Laura.
No one could guess who that was.
Her hands showed she was a washerwoman.
That was all. No address. Nothing.
Nothing to help me understand how Princess Lelia
had become the washerwoman, Peppa Marcella.
No one claimed her body. I had her buried at my home.
- And me? - You.
I only recently learned of your existence.
I fell upon the records of the church where she baptized you.
It was a miracle!
All became clear. It all matched, the dates...
I tracked you to the Marquis of Lusault's home.
Why didn't you come and see me?
- Why didn't you tell me? - My pride, quite simply.
Shame...
Fear of your reaction,
the way you'd look at me.
That's why.
It's hard for a man like me to admit.
It's still hard.
Abandoning your mother, my cowardice. It's hard.
Since then. I've kept an eye on you.
I had Antonio watch you day and night.
I was ready to act if your life was threatened,
or your happiness. That's what I did, finally.
Yes you did. Finally.
So much lost time.
Pursuant to recognition of paternity by his Eminence,
Cardinal Fabrizio Rufo,
Laura Giuseppina Rufo,
please sign here.
My father managed to obtain the Pope's official recognition of his paternity.
I am now named Laura Giuseppina Rufo.
Even if he tried not to show it,
I think he was prouder of it than I.
Life was worth living again.
I regained an interest for simple, trivial things, dresses.
I had never had so much money.
I was encouraged to spend it lavishly.
I took full advantage.
There's more.
But I hadn't forgotten Sebastian.
On the contrary, my new life allowed me to think of taking him back.
I wrote to Suzanne de Montfort.
While awaiting her reply, I returned where I had lived with the child.
The desire to see the place where my passion was born
for the Marquis of Lusault, overcame my caution.
Time went by and I had no news from Suzanne de Montfort.
I worried even more as I had heard of the unrest in France,
riots, threats against the queen
I'm here.
There's still no mail for me?
No. I have very bad news from Paris.
The royal family tried to flee, but was caught.
They ordered a Constitution of the King. The worst is feared.
The Marquis is so close to Queen Marie-Antoinette!
I am going to Paris.
Wait! That is madness! It's not a good time.
If something happens to Sebastian I'll never forgive myself!
Very well. But I'll come with you.
Good day.
Your papers, Citizen.
The Cardinal passed himself off as a rich print merchant,
with offices in Turin and Paris.
An occupation he considered neutral enough
for us to reach Paris unhindered.
- A merchant? - Yes.
To ensure our passage,
he brought along card decks,
that he said came from his stock,
in which jacks, queens, and kings were replaced
by Genius, Liberty and Equality.
Thank you.
They said the rebels have attacked the Tuileries.
The royal family is in the prison at Temple.
My God! My child.
The Cardinal had the key to a small charterhouse near Paris.
The journey had tired me, but I didn't sleep all night.
I couldn't rest until I had seen Sebastian.
At the first light of dawn,
I snuck away as they slept.
I was afraid they wouldn't let me go.
Sebastian?
Gervaise.
Laura.
What are you doing here?
I thought you were dead, God forgive me.
What happened to you?
You're like brand new.
Look...
Where's Sebastian?
I don't know.
They left. She wanted to return home, to Angouleme.
I hope they made it.
- Angouleme? Are you sure? - That's what she said.
I hope he's all right. He's a sweet boy.
- Angouleme! That's far, isn't it? - Yes it's quite far.
But you can stay here if you want.
There's plenty of room!
This is wonderful, isn't it.
After all they put you through.
Choose a room. I took this one, but I'll change if you want.
Look at this?
It's hers!
I must go. I have to find him.
Laura! Wait! Don't go. Tell me...
- I'm going to look for him. - What a pity.
It's so big here. So spacious.
- Thank you. - Angouleme. Very well.
Prepare the coach. We leave in an hour.
I also learned something this morning.
- The Marquis is in Caen. - Caen?
He's not with his wife?
He hasn't been with her for a while.
He left her for a Girondist group.
I didn't know he was interested in politics.
He isn't.
But he is interested in a woman who is.
I see he hasn't changed.
Men change very little...
and those like him, hardly ever.
I'm going to prepare my things.
All we found there was a disenchanted gardener.
He had nothing precise to tell us.
They were forewarned.
She left with the child.
Heading for the coast I imagine.
Maybe they'll go to England.
That's where they all go when it smells like fire.
We can't go anywhere. So we stay.
Thank you.
You two go back to Rome.
I have business in Caen.
I want to come.
Out of the question. You're not fully recovered,
and things here are getting worse.
The King was sentenced to death and they'll soon judge the Queen.
- I prefer you to be in Italy. - I want to come too.
No.
The child is no longer in France.
You have no reason to stay.
Forgive me if I don't get up. I walked a lot today.
I thought you were in London.
I am, officially.
That's why I'm meeting you here.
The place suits you.
Not quite in the Church, but not far off.
Between the earth and sky.
You haven't changed since Rome.
That's not what His Holiness thinks.
He has excommunicated me.
You know it's not final. You can return when you want.
If I disavow myself.
It wouldn't be the first time, and certainly not the last.
Do not be afraid.
You'll have other chances. I foresee for you a long life.
Thank you. You're too kind.
Enough flattery.
I gather we are interested in the same man.
The Marquis of Lusault.
An idiot.
A scoundrel.
One does not exclude the other.
He unfortunately married one of my relatives...
whom he abandoned...
and who's had to go into exile in England.
- I see. - And you.
The same. Except he didn't marry my relative.
I see.
Charlotte Corday.
Excuse me?
If you seek her, you will find him.
He's followed her everywhere for a month.
Who is she?
Marie Anne Charlotte de Corday d'Armont.
All Caen calls her Charlotte.
She prefers Marie. That's how she signs.
She was a boarder of the Abbey aux Dames in Caen,
a royal abbey dissolved after the suppression of religious orders.
Her uncle, poor Abbot de Corday,
talked of her as a person
with the character of a man.
Since she left the convent,
she is often at Hotel de l'Intendance, on Rue des Carmes.
That's where the Girondins organize their seditious meetings
and where you will find the Marquis of Lusault.
The factions are unraveling.
Monsters who thrive on our blood lead these conspiracies.
We work towards our own loss
with more zeal and energy than we employed
to gain our freedom.
Oh, people of France,
a little longer, and there will remain of you
nothing but the memory of your existence.
Already,
the aggrieved provinces march on Paris.
Already,
the fire of discord and civil war sets ablaze
half of this vast empire.
There is still time to put out the fire,
but this means must be prompt.
Already,
the most vile scoundrel,
Marat,
whose name alone embodies all crime,
making Danton and Robespierre, pale in comparison,
with the other brigands on this bloody throne,
surrounded by thunder that the gods of humanity suspend
doubtlessly to make their fall
more resounding
and frighten all who would dare establish their fortune.
Rise up!
Citizen Lusault!
"Signed Marat”?
He's good for the gallows!
Isn't he, Citizen.
I know you.
- Maybe. - Yes.
We met in Rome.
Lower your voice.
Citizen Louis Auguste de Rohan Chabot...
Citizen Amelie de Saint-Sauber...
- You are... - No names!
Can you get me out of here?
That is what I came to do.
Thank God!
What do I do? I'll do whatever you want.
Come closer.
Closer.
I believed he was in Caen,
but my father sent word from England
announcing his visit to Suzanne de Montfort.
It felt a slight betrayal.
He'd gone to see Sebastian without me.
I trust your journey wasn't too harsh.
Mother! Mother! There he is, he's coming!
Oh, excuse me!
Come here.
Come, come, Sebastian.
You remember His Eminence... from Paris... with Laura?
No, I don't think so, not really.
Good day, Eminence.
Good day, young man.
He is a real young gentleman. I wouldn't have recognized him.
Is Laura here? Did she come with you?
No. She stayed in Rome.
To her great regret.
The situation in France...
her health...
She is still unwell?
She is better. But it's a long trip.
That's a shame. I would've been happy to see her.
She'll come back.
Thank you.
Yes. I saw him coming.
You will stay, Sir Eminence?
You won't leave right away?
It's my first lesson
Yes, yes, go on.
We'll see each other after your lesson.
He's already forgotten, or almost. Poor Laura
No, don't think that.
He's grown up and changed.
We've grown attached to one another.
- He called you "Mother." - Yes.
I have become his mother and he my son.
We endured a lot together.
Danger, fear, exile,
mourning.
He hasn't forgotten Laura. Believe me.
He talks about her all the time.
He will never forget her.
Right now, he is just...
very excited about the arrival of his new professor.
He has decided to learn Portuguese.
Portuguese?
Yes. Wait.
It so happens that it's to do with his origins.
I think it's best that you know.
Come.
I suppose that you have a right to know.
In any case, I know that Laura does.
I found this in my husband's things, in Paris,
just before the events.
I didn't have the chance to ask him about it.
He chose to stay in France. Did you know?
With that woman, Corday.
So I heard.
I've had no news for several months.
My sympathies.
Don't go to so much trouble. I've made my peace with it.
Take a seat.
Take your time. It's all there.
Ring if you need anything.
I will see you later.
Don't make fun!
What a pity.
Hello.
I thought you would never return.
- So. - I saw them in London.
I know that. What else?
Suzanne de Montfort has recovered from her husband's death.
No body was found, but there's no doubt.
With people like him, you never know.
- Laura! - I'm sorry.
- Are you doing this on purpose? - What?
- The child! Sebastian! - He's grown.
Seriously, he's doing very well. Don't be sad.
Suzanne de Montfort loves him like a son.
As you wanted.
I'm sure you'll meet again one day.
You are not forgotten. He talks of you all the time.
A little too much, even.
- Really? Too much?! - Yes, really.
He still loves you very much.
He asked me to tell you he hasn't forgotten his promise.
I wonder if we will ever know where he came from,
who his parents were,
how he ended up at the Count's home in Rome,
so little, so unhappy
Don't torture yourself, my child.
A bit of mystery is sometimes a good thing.
"My dearest Laura...
"They explained everything to me.
"I am very sad, but I understand.
"If I must stay here so that you can recover,
"I will stay, as I love you
"and because the lady is kind.
But get better soon..."
Time passes.
The years go by one after another.
Almost daily, I visit my mother's tomb
on my father's grounds.
Memories of Sebastian do not fade.
Was it the Duke again. You said she was in the country?
Yes.
He'll come back.
Don't worry.
He'll give up like the others.
He may.
But what of her?
What about her?
She's not the sort to do as she's bid.
When she makes her mind up, we'll be able to do nothing.
Neither you,
nor I.
- I thought you were in Florence. - I'm leaving in an hour.
- No letters for me? - No.
There never are.
It's normal. I'm away. I'm in the country.
I'm going for walk.
I could no longer bear to wait for news that never came.
I decided to leave for London, in secret...
alone,
without telling my father,
whom I was sure would stop me from going.
Everything was as my father had said.
Yet...
I wish to see the Marquise.
There was something I couldn't pinpoint.
A certain melancholy.
Perhaps it was me.
My fear of the unknown awaiting me behind this door.
Thank you.
Suzanne de Montfort received me cooly,
not hiding the displeasure my unannounced visit caused.
At first, her hostility was so blatant,
that I didn't believe her when she said the child was absent,
fighting in the Vendee.
My dear Laura. He's no child. He's a young man.
He will be 18 in December.
Of course. I still see him as a child.
I imagine you do.
You wouldn't recognize him.
And he would not recognize you.
You have matured my dear.
You're very pale.
Sit down.
- Are you still unwell? - No, that's over.
In my heart perhaps.
There's nothing wrong.
The journey was difficult, particularly the crossing.
I'm not good on water.
- You should have written before. - I did, several times.
To him. To you. I received no reply.
I received nothing.
- And him? - Nothing.
He would have told me. We have no secrets.
So he's fighting.
- In the Vendee? - Yes.
At his age.
- At what age should one fight? - I would have dissuaded him.
You wouldn't have the power.
And it's not your concern.
He believed he should fight those who forced us into exile.
Those who banished me,
chased me from my own home.
It's also for me that he's fighting.
Above all, for me.
You should forget him, Laura.
As he's forgotten you.
I don't believe you.
But he has. He has.
Look at this.
I received it yesterday.
There's not a word about you,
as with all his letters since he left.
Never a word about you.
You no longer exist for him, Laura.
You are in the past.
He wants to forget this past that was painful,
as it was for you.
Let him forget.
The child you knew exists no longer.
Let him be the man he's become without you.
With me.
Never!
My Lady...
It's all right, Nicolas.
Goodbye, my Lady.
Goodbye, Laura.
We crossed southern England.
My father endlessly repeated
the Duchess' word's.
He tried to reason me.
I didn't listen.
His words didn't touch me.
Even the sea didn't shake me from my lethargy.
I felt as though my heart itself had ceased beating.
Since then, I was like a wandering soul.
Even the arrival in Italy of the French Army,
and their Bonaparte, didn't touch me.
I barely noticed.
You'd best take care of the living, Madam.
The dead have all their time.
Leave her.
She doesn't even speak French.
I wouldn't mind teaching her.
Of my past, remained only my dead.
My mother and Don Paolo d'Albuquerque,
who had entrusted me with Sebastian as a child.
Going to his grave, brought back the memories
of the child who'd been taken from me.
These fresh flowers.
It could only be that young man who'd put them there.
An irresistible force made me follow this mysterious man
who revered my old master's memory.
Is your mind made up?
Yes.
Here's a safe conduct, signed by Bonaparte, to get you to him.
The dagger is hidden under the seat, to the left. Good luck.
What were you doing at the Count's grave?
What are you doing here?
Who are you?
You're not French?
That's an Austrian tunic. Are you a spy?
What does that matter?
And you?
Who are you?
You're so young.
What's this weapon?
You shouldn't have read that.
You shouldn't have come.
You're going to kill Bonaparte?
Are you mad?
Don't say that.
Forget what you read.
You're going to kill Bonaparte and die?
Don't. You're too young to die.
If I wanted to do that,
I would have to kill you.
You...
first.
Now that you've seen.
Do it. I'm already half dead.
I at least will not have you killed.
I can't let you leave.
Don't do it!
Don't lock me in!
They'll let you out. Forgive me.
Don't go! Don't die!
- Forgive me. - Please. Don't go!
Please!
Sit down.
I have very little time for you.
Excuse me, a moment.
How long have you been in Italy?
- Three days, your Excellence. - General.
I prefer.
Or First Consul.
I like that less.
- What do you think? - Of what, General?
Of Italy.
What do you think...
of our situation?
You're a soldier.
You have an opinion.
Yes.
I'm a soldier, of course, General.
Well, I...
Well...
You're looking for this?
Who sent you?
Nobody.
You hate me that much, Sebastian de Montfort?
You know who I am?
I know everything.
Well.
So you hate me.
No.
I don't hate you, personally.
Then, why?
For love of the people
whose lives you have made and continue to make a misery.
As with my family.
The French,
the Italians,
the Austrians.
That's why.
You are wrong, young man.
I imagine you know what to expect.
Yes.
Death.
You're too young to die.
Give me your soldier's word you won't try again,
and you'll be pardoned.
If you pardon me, I will try again.
I shall take that risk.
I can't have you killed. I don't want to.
Disappear.
Get out!
Idiot!
Your Eminence,
Sebastian de Montfort.
- Young man. - Eminence.
Come in.
I apologize for coming unannounced.
You're my sole acquaintance in Rome.
And...
A woman came looking for me where I was hiding.
He's dead. They killed him.
Didn't you recognize him?
Who?
Sebastian. You didn't recognize him?
Sebastian?
It was Sebastian?
He didn't recognize you either.
It was him and now he's dead?
Nobody's dead. Not him, nor Bonaparte.
- He was pardoned. - Pardoned?
He's alive?
Sebastian is alive!
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