The shocks were coming thick and fast, and I hardly knew which to respond to first. (Gabaldon 826).
“Do you mean to say you actually tried to have me killed?” The room seemed to be swaying a bit, and I took a deep gulp of tea as being the nearest thing to a restorative available. It wasn’t terribly effective. (Gabaldon 826)
Was he a Jacobite? So far as I could recall, the verdict of history – in the persons of Frank and the Reverend – was uncertain. So was I. (Gabaldon 830)
The letter from England
“ I turned to look at the harpsichord in the corner of the room. Several sheets of music adorned its rack, written in a fine, clear hand. Fifty thousand pounds, upon the occasion of Your Highness’s setting foot in Scotland.Signed S. “S” of course, for Sandringham. (Gabaldon 829)
“His Majesty’s loyal subjects of England await his lawful restoration. The sum of fifty thousand pounds is at your disposal. As an earnest of good faith, this will be paid only in person, upon His Highness’s arrival on the soil of England,” I read. “And there’s a letter left over, an S. I don’t know if that’s a signature of sorts, or only something the maker needed to make the German word come out right.”(Gabaldon 278).
When the encoded message was deciphered, the reader is only provided with the following information:
- The letter did not come from Rome, where James III, Prince Charles’ father, resided. It came from England, which means there was a Jacobite supporter there.
- Charles Stuart read the letter, and it seems that this information was not transmitted to James III
- There are no references from James III’s letters regarding the identity of this supporter.
“I had learned that you and your husband were attempting to thwart a particular affair in which I had interested myself. I considered removing your husband first instead, but it seemed too dangerous, what with his close relation to two of the greatest families in Scotland. “ (Gabaldon 828).
“If this is the sort of endeavor in which your husband engages, he takes considerable risk in trusting anyone. Assure him that I am sensible of the honor,” she added dryly. (Gabaldon 278).
“I expect so. She warned me, when we decoded the music. She said what you were doing was dangerous.” The fact of just how dangerous had been lost upon me, until the hangman’s visit. (Gabaldon 434)
- He gives Claire a jar containing the fat of hanged criminals, which is used to alleviate rheumatism and pain in the joints. The lid has a fleur-de-lys on it. In the third book, Voyager, there is a reference to this fleur-de-lys; Geillis’ slaves seem to have a mark that looks like a fleur-de-lys. However, closer observation reveals that it is a sixteen-petaled rose, the Jacobite emblem of Charles Stuart. Did Geillis prepare this particular ointment for Monsieur Forez? This question will be discussed in a subsequent post. What is important here to consider is that the realization of the slaves’ mark being the emblem of Prince Charles is something that both Claire and Jamie do not notice at first glance, and the same might be applied to this particular lid.
- At certain point, he has to do an assignment in England, and asks Claire whether she needs to send a message to anybody there. Claire mentions that as a widow, she does not have any relatives or friends there. Of course, this answer is very odd and suspicious, and it seems that somebody is trying to get information about Claire’s background. Could it be the Duke? Is Monsieur Forez spying for the Duke?
- His disturbing description of the traitor’s death is a speech designed to intimidate Jamie. The mood is tense during this conversation. The reader has to keep in mind that Jamie is an outlaw in England / Scotland, and a traitor among the Jacobites in Paris even though he hangs around Prince Charles as a friend.
- These events associated with Monsieur Forez take place after Jamie’s refusal of the Duke of Sandringham’s offer of pardon.
Next post about this topic will be about Dougal MacKenzie and the Comte of St. Germain.
Finally here is one of my favourite pictures of Geillis Duncan. I like it because of the eye roll and because the actress is very pretty.
Excerpts from:
Gabaldon, Diana. Voyager. New York: Bantam Dell, 1994. Print.