I always thought the purpose of time was to move forward, not backward.

This is how memories are; what seems so clear and unforgettable at one moment vanishes like steam the next.

Fortune does not change men, it unmasks them. —SUZANNE NECKER, WIFE OF JACQUES NECKER, MINISTER OF FINANCE

These will be my last moments of peace. . . . From now on, my love. . . will bring nothing but chaos.

Things change, and not always for the better.

...she refused to leave anything to someone else that she could do better herself.

Sometimes, it is not the kings and queen who make for the most fascinating history but the shadowy souls who happen to be in the right place at the right time.