Chapter 2: Ludovic and Ludoviska

Once you start doing something, it can be surprisingly difficult to stop doing it.

Richelieu's brother, Alphonse, was a Carthusian monk. In one of his letters, Alphonse mentioned that the church cat, a Chartreux, had had a litter of kittens. The kittens had now grown up enough to leave their mother, and since he couldn't keep all of them, Alphonse was hoping to find homes for them.

Richelieu wrote back to his brother, saying that he himself would be quite willing to take one of the cats. He said he thought Lucifer could use a friend.

Richelieu had to spend long periods of time at court dealing with the king, foreign ambassadors, visiting dignitaries, and various nosy nobles. This meant he could not spend as much time with Lucifer as he would have liked. Another cat might keep him from getting lonely.

At least that was the excuse Richelieu gave when anyone asked him.

A few people thought maybe he just wanted another cat for some kind of emotional fulfillment. Some people unkindly suggested that since he was a cardinal and couldn't have children, perhaps he was trying to use cats to fill the void. But they had enough sense not to say this to his face.

In any case, a second cat, whose name was Ludovic, came to be part of the cardinal's household. He was a gray Chartreux cat, with a stocky, muscular build and coppery orange eyes.

When Richelieu had first brought Ludovic home, Lucifer had not been happy about it. Richelieu would later joke that Lucifer had trouble adjusting to no longer being an only child. There had been a great deal of hissing at each other and sniffing at each other suspiciously. A few times Richelieu had had to break up fights between the two cats (and a couple of times he'd gotten scratched for his trouble).

But eventually they learned to tolerate each other and even took to playing together. One day Richelieu came home from a meeting with the king and found them curled up together by the fireplace.

However, even though the cats became fond of each other, Lucifer still reacted violently when Ludovic attempted to get anywhere near his blue cushion. So, Richelieu bought Ludovic his own, equally large cushion. He chose an orange one, to match Ludovic's eyes.

Someone who got along well with both Lucifer and Ludovic was Cardinal Richelieu's widowed niece, Marie Madeleine de Vignerot. She helped her uncle to manage his extensive household and liked to play with the two cats when she got the chance. She also sewed some little toys for them.

When Richelieu agreed to take in Ludovic, Alphonse had assured him that Chartreux cats were bred to be good mousers. He wasn't just saying this to get his brother to take the cat. Ludovic did indeed prove to be very adept at catching mice and rats. He didn't just catch the rats and mice either. He seemed to feel the need to show off his kills. After catching a rat, he would often come to Richelieu and lay the rat at the cardinal's feet. He would then look up at Richelieu expectantly, as if awaiting praise for his efforts.

Richelieu did not fail to deliver. He acted like a proud father. He showered Ludovic with praise, telling him what a good boy he was, what a mighty hunter he was, and how clever and swift he was. He patted and fussed over him. It was only after Ludovic felt his efforts had been properly honored that he would actually eat his catch.

One evening, the cardinal and his niece were having supper. The two humans were having roast chicken seasoned with rosemary. Lucifer was eating his share of the same chicken, prepared as carefully as the humans', off a plate on the floor. It was a blue plate, to match his eyes. Ludovic had yet to make his appearance for supper. They had not tried to put out any food for him yet. This was because Richelieu knew from experience that if they did put out his food, and he didn't show up soon enough, Lucifer would try to eat it, as well as his own food.

"Will Ludovic not grace us with his presence tonight?" asked Marie Madeleine.

As if summoned by his name, Ludovic now trotted into the room with a rat in his strong jaws. He laid it at the feet of the humans, then gazed up at them, clearly expecting to be congratulated.

He got the validation he wanted. "Oh, that is an especially big rat. Well done, my boy."

Seeming to decide his human was suitably thankful, Ludovic began to eat the rat.

"Will he even have room in his stomach for chicken after eating that?" asked Marie.

"Probably," replied Richelieu. "You've seen the size of his appetite before; he's a champion trencherman. Besides, he's earned it after catching that rat. Emil! Bring in some chicken for Ludovic!"

Emil brought in a plate of chicken. As he set it down before Ludovic, who was still engrossed in his first course of rat, Emil remarked: "It does seem a bit cruel."

Richelieu frowned at him. "I thought you were happy that fewer rats were getting in the food."

"Oh, I am, your Eminence. I don't mind him killing the rats. It's just the way he seems to enjoy killing them that seems a bit much. And your Eminence must have noticed how he sometimes toys with them before finally killing them. Lucifer catches rats and mice too, but even he doesn't draw it out so much."

Richelieu looked down at Ludovic, who was still devouring the rat. "Perhaps that's true."

Marie Madeleine took a sip of wine from her glass. "You could title him accordingly."

The two men stared at her, uncomprehending.

"Well, I remembered a book I'm reading about Alexandre le Grand and it gave me an idea. Furthermore, there was a king of the Franks named Louis le Pieux. And his son was called Charles le Chauve. If you find this cat so bloodthirsty, why not call him Ludovic le Cruel?"

"Ludovic le Cruel," Richelieu tested the name and turned it over in his head. It wasn't bad, he supposed. In fact, Lucifer and Ludovic le Cruel sounded like a somewhat fierce duo.

He was distracted from these thoughts when Lucifer jumped on his lap and attempted to drink Anjou wine from his glass! "No, Lucifer! I do not need a drunken cat!"

Richelieu had initially intended to make Lucifer and Ludovic indoor cats, thinking they would be safer inside. The two cats had other ideas.

When Lucifer had moved in with Richelieu, he actually had stayed inside for quite a while as the weather was cold. Then came an unexpectedly warm day. Richelieu couldn't find Lucifer anywhere. He worked himself and his niece and his servants into a frenzy having everyone look for the cat, fearing he'd gotten hurt or run away. He even made a few of his guards participate in the search. When the Comte de Rochefort was informed that he was required to participate in a cat hunt, he had thought at first that this was someone's idea of a joke. He was rather put out when he realized it was not. Just when the cardinal was really panicking and getting ready to contact Milady de Winter, Lucifer had shown up at the door, meowed to be let in, sauntered inside, then looked up expectantly for his evening meal. As if he wasn't responsible for the household being in mass hysteria!

Richelieu eventually had to accept that Lucifer was going to come and go as he pleased, but he would always eventually come back home.

When Ludovic joined their household, he did the same thing. In fact, he did it even more often than Lucifer. He seemed to relish being in the outdoors. Sometimes he would play in the garden. Sometimes he would wander off elsewhere, and did not come back until it suited him. Richelieu worried at first, but eventually he grew resigned to it.

Therefore, Richelieu initially didn't notice when Ludovic began to disappear more often and stay away for longer periods of time. When he finally did notice it, he was puzzled. However, Ludovic always returned safe and sound so the cardinal tried not to worry too much. All the same, he really wished he knew where the cat was going, if only for his own peace of mind.

"Your Eminence, have you noticed anything odd about Ludovic le Cruel?" asked Emil, as he polished a pair of Richelieu's boots. He had thoroughly taken to Ludovic's new title.

Richelieu looked up from the tax papers he was going over. "Hmm?"

"I haven't seen him bring quite as many dead rats to you lately."

Richelieu sighed, because he had noticed this as well. "Have you seen more rats than usual about the place?"

"No."

"Well, perhaps the rats have just left the building. Perhaps the presence of him and Lucifer has scared them off." But Richelieu wished that he could know for certain.

About a week later, Richelieu was riding in his carriage, driven by his coachman, and accompanied by two guards. He was returning home from a meeting with a bishop.

They had gone about two thirds of the way when they had to stop. One of the horses seemed to have gotten a stone in its shoe. While the coachman was attending to the horse, Richelieu decided to get out of the carriage to stretch his legs.

It was only when he was out of the carriage that he saw something moving on the other side of the street. Something gray. Something gray and familiar. It was Ludovic!

Richelieu stalked off in the cat's direction. "You two, stay here," he told the two guards.

"But your Eminence-"

"No. Buts. Stay." He feared if they followed him, they were more likely to spook the cat, particularly since one of them was Bernajoux who he still did not trust with cats after what happened with Lucifer.

He followed the Chartreux cat down the street and into an alley. At the end of the alley, Ludovic stopped.

There, as if waiting for him, sat a slender, dainty cat with ginger fur. Richelieu could now see that Ludovic was carrying a rat in his mouth. Ludovic lay the rat at the feet of the ginger cat, as if he were presenting an offering at a temple. The two cats then touched noses.

"Aren't they just adorable?"

Richelieu almost jumped. An extremely old woman dressed all in brown grinned at him.

"They're sweethearts, you know." The woman did not seem remotely intimidated by being in the presence of a cardinal. "That gray tomcat comes to visit his ginger lady friend often."

So, this is where Ludovic has been going, Richelieu thought. Aloud he said, "He comes here to see her?"

"Oh, yes. Often, he'll bring her a rat or a mouse. The way I see it, he's bringing her courting gifts to prove himself as a good provider."

Ludovic and the she-cat were now curled up next to each other and sharing a meal of rat. So, this is where his kills have been going.

Richelieu frowned thoughtfully. "Perhaps you can tell me who her owner is?"

"Ah! She doesn't have one, the poor dear. She used to belong to a man who lived in that house over there." The woman pointed to a house on the other side of the street. "He moved here from Poland and brought her with him. But then he moved away again, and couldn't take her."

The old woman sighed. "She's a little beauty and so sweet. I wouldn't have minded taking her in myself. But my poor husband's eyes itch and water when he's around cats. So, the poor thing has no home except for that alley."

Richelieu nodded. He watched as the she-cat began to wash Ludovic's face with her little pink tongue. "I might be able to do something about that."

Richelieu ended up bringing both Ludovic and the ginger she-cat back home with him. He named her Ludoviska, because she was the beloved of Ludovic.

"A third cat, your Eminence?" Emil looked at Richelieu as if he had just grown second and third heads.

"I think having her here will make Ludovic happy." Richelieu had no intention of apologizing to his manservant for loving his cats.

Living with Ludoviska did indeed seem to make Ludovic happy. He continued to bring her many of the mice and rats he caught. They ate together and played together. They groomed each other's fur.

Like Emil, Marie Madeleine was initially shocked that her uncle had brought home a third cat. But she soon warmed to Ludoviska. She even said it was nice to have a sensible she-cat to balance out the two tomcats. Still, she teased her uncle about having a thing for alliteration: Lucifer, Ludovic, and Ludoviska. Richelieu retorted that it was not all his fault since Ludovic had gotten his name from Alphonse and his title from Marie Madeleine herself.

Lucifer too seemed shocked by Ludoviska's arrival, but he eventually warmed up to her, just as he had with Ludovic.

Since Lucifer and Ludovic each had a cushion of their own, Marie Madeleine decided Ludoviska should have one too and she sewed a green one to match the cat's beautiful green eyes. But she and Ludovic liked to cuddle up together, either on her green cushion, or on his orange one. In any case, Richelieu kept all three of the cushions in his own bedchamber at night so he could be close by in case any of the cats needed him at that time.

It wasn't always peaceful, though.

One night, Richelieu was sleeping comfortably in his four-poster bed, having a very nice dream about crème brulee. This perfectly nice dream was rudely interrupted by a loud noise. He sat up in bed and listened carefully.

He heard the noise again. It sounded like someone was playing the harpsichord. Or rather, it sounded like someone was trying to play the harpsichord.

Richelieu initially felt alarm. Was it a burglar? Or an assassin sent by one of his enemies? But he quickly dismissed these possibilities. A burglar or an assassin would try to keep quiet. They would not advertise their presence by playing the harpsichord (badly). The sounds continued. It sounded as if the person wasn't even trying to play a particular tune, they were just hitting random keys on the instrument. He got up, put on a dressing gown, lit a candle, picked up the candlestick, and went to investigate.

What he found was Ludoviska, walking on the keys of the harpsichord, going back and forth from one end to the other.

"Ludoviska, it's past midnight. If you want a music lesson so much, can't you wait until morning?"

Ludoviska stared at him with defiant green eyes, as if to say No, I absolutely cannot wait.

Richelieu sighed. "Come on, little lady. It's past your bedtime."

He picked her up with the hand that wasn't holding the candlestick, carried her back to the bedchamber, and deposited her on her green cushion. Those eyes that matched the cushion looked up at him reproachfully.

"Don't look at me like that. You can play the harpsichord in the morning."

It was the first, but definitely not the last time that Ludoviska would play the harpsichord.

A couple of weeks later, there was a revelation.

Richelieu was in his study discussing matters pertaining to his guards with Comte de Rochefort, Monsieur Jussac, and Monsieur Bicarat. Ludovic and Ludoviska were curled up together by the fireplace.

At this moment, Comte de Rochefort voiced an opinion which he really should have known better than to say aloud: "Your Eminence, doesn't the ginger cat look fatter?"

Richelieu glared at him. "Don't say that! Do you want to make her feel self-conscious?"

Jussac smirked. "Ludovic le Cruel doesn't seem to mind."

It was true. Ludovic was cuddled up to Ludoviska, looking as besotted as it was possible for a cat to look.

Bicarat said, "I don't think she looks fat."

Richelieu was about to say he was glad someone around here had some sense when Bicarat continued, "But she does look like she might be with child."

Richelieu's jaw dropped. "With child?"

"Well, technically with children since cats have litters."

"You really think so?"

Bicarat looked embarrassed. "Well, your Eminence, I'm not an expert, but she looks a bit like my family's cat did when she was expecting a litter."

Richelieu sat down in his chair very hard. "Kittens!"

For the second time in a matter of minutes, Rochefort managed to say exactly the wrong thing. "If kittens are an inconvenience, I could always drown them if your Eminence wishes."

Richelieu stared at him, then said, "For the sake of the competent work you have done in the past I will pretend I did not hear you say that. I do not wish to hear you speak of drowning kittens again. Let me remind you there are at least a dozen people who would not mind having your job. Now get out of my study and get back to work. Bicarat, you stay. I want you to take a better look at Ludoviska."

Bicarat turned out to be correct. Some weeks later, Ludoviska went into hiding at the bottom of a linen closet. Bicarat, who had been around a cat with kittens before, told Richelieu that it was not uncommon for mother cats to find a place they thought was more protected when they were going to give birth. There, in the linen closet, she gave birth to four kittens. Two were ginger like her and two were gray like Ludovic. They all pressed up against their mother to nurse. Bicarat informed the cardinal it would be about four weeks before they could be weaned from their mother's milk. He also said it might be a week or two for their eyes to open. For now, they were like small, fur covered balls.

Curled up at the bottom of the linen closet while her children suckled, Ludoviska looked exhausted, but also quite pleased with herself. Ludovic hovered close by, looking protective. Emil, who had initially balked at the presence of a third cat, now cooed over the kittens (even if it did mean there were now seven cats in the household). Marie Madeleine was already suggesting possible names for the kittens. And the usually cynical cardinal felt profoundly happy.

Notes:

According to my research, Cardinal Richelieu did have a cat named Ludovic le Cruel, who was known for catching rats, and he also had a cat named Ludoviska, who was described as Ludovic's "Polish mistress." I don't know if they actually had kittens. However, given that Richelieu eventually ended up with fourteen cats, I think it's a possibility.

I have not found any information on what breed of cat Ludovic le Cruel might have been. However, I read that Chartreux cats are a French breed of cat prized for their skill at hunting rodents. Since Ludovic le Cruel was known as a rat catcher, I thought this might fit him.

Cardinal Richelieu did have a brother named Alphonse who became a Carthusian monk. However, the idea of Ludovic being a present from him is a product of my imagination.

The cardinal's niece, Marie Madeleine de Vignerot was a real person. She was also known as the Duchesse d'Aiguillon, but I have not used that title for her in this story since she did not receive it until 1638, and this story is supposed to begin before then. The part about her coming up with the idea of calling Ludovic "le Cruel" is a product of my imagination. However, if my research is correct, she was close to her uncle and helped manage his household, so I think it is likely that she spent some time with his cats. She had a short part in this chapter, but she will appear again before this story is over.

Translations:

Alexandre le Grand=Alexander the Great

Louis le Pieux=Louis the Pious

Charles le Chauve=Charles the Bald

Cruel is the same in English and French.