Petticoat Rule

"Petticoat Rule" by Baroness Emmuska Orczy is a historical fiction set in 18th-century France among a backdrop of political schemes and personal desires. The story centers around Lydie d'Aumont, the spirited daughter of the French Prime Minister, and Charles Edward Stuart, an exiled royal with a claim to the English throne, and the French court as it navigates through a web of romances, treachery, and the complex interplay of power. It begins with a farewell banquet that showcases the opulent French court, where Lydie's character shines through her interactions with key figures like the Marquise de Pompadour, underlining her sharp wit and political insight. As the banquet goes on, loyalties and ambitions clash, revealing the high stakes of personal desires and international politics, setting the stage for a tale of intertwined fates.