The book of the duchess: preface

In her preface to The book of the duchess Lorna explains that the story grew from her paintings. The main characters (to be blipped in scenes from the story over the next few days) are:

'Red-headed young man in blue': Michael Antony Eudes, orphaned hero of the story.

'Fair-haired lady': Jacqueline, Duchess of Montvallon. She is a distant cousin of Michael: they share the same 4x great grandparents.

'White haired man in black': Gilles de St Étienne or Gilles Pierrepont, illegitimate son of Michael's paternal grandfather (thus Michael's uncle), and Provost Marshal of the Duchy of Montvallon. He is also known as Guillot le Bourreau ('Guillot the executioner'). Elsewhere Lorna describes Guillot as an 'unmitigated scoundrel'. Unsurprisingly, he is the villian of the story.

'Lady with black hair': Marguérite Rochfort, lady-in-waiting to Jacqueline. Marguérite met Jacqueline, one year her senior, when they were educated by nuns at the same convent.

'Fair boy': Raoul de Bellemaine, a rebel.