Chevalier Gaston de Chanley loves Helene de Chaverny, raised in a convent as an orphan but in reality the daughter of somebody very highly placed in early 18th century France. They long to be married, but Gaston has sworn an oath to a cabal of plotting Bretons to murder their enemy, the prince regent Philippe Duc D'Orleans. (Goodreads)
Alexandre Dumas (born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie 24 July 1802 – 5 December 1870), also known as Alexandre Dumas père (French for 'father'), was a French writer. His works have been translated into many languages, and he is one of the most widely read French authors. Many of his historical novels of high adventure were originally published as serials, including The Count of Monte Cristo, The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, and The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later. His novels have been adapted since the early twentieth century for nearly 200 films. (Wikipedia)