Under the Red Robe

In the turbulent France of 1630, the dashing but reckless gentleman Gil de Berault is a master swordsman with a dangerous reputation. After killing a man in a duel—forbidden by Cardinal Richelieu's edict—Berault is arrested and faces execution. But the Cardinal offers him a reprieve: undertake a perilous mission to trap a rebellious nobleman, the Marquis de Cocheforêt, who is secretly aiding the queen's enemies. Berault must infiltrate the Marquis's château, win his trust, and ultimately betray him—all while wrestling with his own honor and a growing attachment to the Marquis's spirited sister, Renée. As the red robe of the Cardinal's power looms over every choice, Berault discovers that the true cost of freedom may be his soul. This faithful modern retelling captures the tension, swashbuckling action, and moral complexity of Weyman's classic. Part of Timeless Classics.