"St.
 Martin's Summer" is a comedic, historical novel, written by Raphael 
Sabatini, set in Indian summer in France in the early 17th Century. "Saint Martin's summer" refers to a period of fine weather
 unexpectedly late in the year, and the title of this work
 alludes to the advanced age ("close upon forty years") at which
 the hero finds romance. This is the most broadly comedic of
 all of Sabatini's novel-length works, and is surely an homage
 to Alexandre Dumas.
 Martin Marie Rigobert de Garnache, "astute and wily as a fox,
 brave as a lion, and active as a panther," is first cousin to
 D'Artagnan in his devotion to duty and resourcefulness in
 carrying out his assigned tasks. Unlike D'Artagnan, he finds
 serving his Queen (in this case, the queen-regent, Marie de
 Medicis) trying to his warlike spirit. It is a particular
 trial to M. de Garnache to find himself ordered to leave the
 comforts of Paris behind and ride to Grenoble, with only his
 servant Rabecque in tow, to release the heiress, Valerie de
 La Vauvraye, from the Chateau de Condillac and the influence
 of the dowager marquise, who intends that Valerie should
 marry her own son, Marius, rather than her stepson, the
 present—and absent—marquis, off taking part in
 the Italian wars.
 "Let me tell you that this is the first time in my life that
 I have been concerned in anything that had to do with women,"
 Garnache informs the seneschal of Dauphiny, upon presenting
 his credentials; however, "being a soldier and having
 received my orders, I was in the unfortunate position of
 being unable to help myself."
 The Marquise is ruthless and determined to thwart the queen's
 emissary, but after a week on the road, sleeping in bad inns,
 Garnache is in no mood to brook opposition. Having made up
 his mind that Valerie (a sensible girl who does not need to
 pack heavily for her trip to the capital) is indeed being
 held against her will, he wins free of the chateau, by using
 Marius as a hostage, and returns to Grenoble with Valerie
 before him on the saddle.
 Now Garnache is convinced that he has finished with the heavy
 lifting and, despite Valerie's plea that they put some more
 distance between themselves and the de Condillacs before
 sleeping, he decides to spend the night in Grenoble. Not only
 is it raining heavily but, mysteriously, he cannot find a
 coach for hire anywhere in the city, nor even a horse at
 the post-house..

Saint Martin's Summer PDF

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